by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Matilda is a musical based on the beloved children’s novel written by Rold Dahl, the author of other acclaimed classics including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach.” The show premiered in London in 2011 before moving to Broadway. It was nominated for a multitude of Tony Awards in the 2013 season, winning Best Book, Best Scenic Design, and Best Lighting Design…
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by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Stray Cat Theatre’s newest production, Small Mouth Sounds, is bravely unconventional…
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by Rebecca Rudynk
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The Book of Mormon is simply delightful: Unwaveringly blunt, raucously hilarious, and unapologetically offensive. It tackles the taboo and the sacred. The absurd and the heartwrenching. While it maintains the structure and cadence of a traditional Broadway musical, it is anything but. Unlike any other show out there, it is absurdly special…
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by Rebecca Rudnyk – The Pajama Game is a musical straight out of the Golden Age of Broadway. Based on the novel “7 ½ Cents” by...
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by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Freaky Friday is a story familiar to most (if not all of us) thanks to the original 1972 book by Mary Rodgers, and its subsequent film adaptations, most recently in 2003 starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan. The musical version premiered on stage in Virginia in late 2016, with a cast album released in 2017 and a Disney Channel Original Movie airing in 2018…
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by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Spamilton: An American Parody is one of the newest shows by Gerard Alessandrini, creator of the nearly 40 year old off-Broadway staple, Forbidden Broadway. A comedic review of Hamilton, its creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the impact both have made on Broadway, it opened in New York in 2016 to critical acclaim — including a Tweet of approval from Miranda — extending its originally-planned run of 18 performances to over 500 before closing in early 2018. Additional productions have popped up in cities also hosting Hamilton, including Chicago, London and Los Angeles…
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by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is a new musical based on the beloved children’s book by Roald Dahl. A story that was woven into the everlasting fabric of our zeitgeist by the 1971 film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Gene Wilder’s portrayal of the odd-but-intriguing candy man left a lasting impression on an entire generation of young people. A warmth and nostalgia that, although some have tried, has never been fully replicated…
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It’s a tragic, recurring cycle. Every generation loses artistic visionaries too soon, and the mourning of that loss embeds itself into the fabric of popular culture. Jonathan Larson, the creator of Rent, died suddenly in 1996 at the age of 35, leaving a gaping wound in the theatre-loving community upon which he had already generously bestowed his talent and vision. Although he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize, as well as several of the most coveted Tony, Drama Desk, Obie and Outer Critics Circle awards, he passed before seeing his greatest success open on Broadway, and its subsequent meteoric rise…
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YabYum Theatre Critic Rebecca Rudnyk joined hosts Anna and Bonnie with some show tunes and local music sing-alongs on this edition of The YabYum Hour. Hear all about some of Rebecca’s favorite musicals from both past and present as well as the vibrant theater community that Phoenix has to offer by checking out this Radio Phoenix broadcast…
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by Rebecca Rudnyk
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I have a confession. From the outset, I must admit that my perspective on Wicked is well established and unwavering…
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by Rebecca Rudnyk
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The Phoenix Theatre Company’s new mainstage show, Sisters in Law, based on the best selling book by Linda Hirshman, is an intimate look at the relationship between the first two women to serve on the US Supreme Court. Though they have very different ideologies, both Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are incredible pioneers, and the bond they built in the years they served together as justices is a compelling premise…
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by Rebecca Rudnyk
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The Play That Goes Wrong is a play within a play. A college production with a small but mighty cast, making due as things go devastatingly awry. Bringing back memories of shows from childhood when everyone invests their entire soul into a production, building sets from scraps and piecing together costumes from Goodwill finds and parents closets. Desperate to making it work. Improvising as things fall apart along the way. Yet this is not a cobbled-together, low budget passion project. It is a Broadway show with a Tony Award-winning set, perfectly constructed and capable of doing the unimaginable. Accompanied by a script with carefully considered errors yielding hilarious results. And as if that wasn’t enough, there are some very impressive magic tricks sprinkled in for good measure…
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