Theatre

Review: Knoxville Opera Finds Treasure with ‘The Pirates of Penzance’

Although the American musical theatre has had a colorful existence of innovation and evolution, it owes that existence to the genre of operetta that graced stages of England and Europe in the last half of the 19th Century. Admittedly, though, time and changing theatrical sensibilities have relegated the bulk of operetta to the dusty shelves of yesteryear, their music and topical stories existing only as curiosities for historians. There are exceptions to that fact—most notably the English operettas of librettist William S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan and their topsy-turvy world of comic satire that mocks twisted logic and laughable human conceits. Along with some significant attention from Broadway producers, U.S. opera companies have been drawn to the works as a way of expanding their repertory into lighter fare to contrast with their traditional operatic offerings, retaining the emphasis on impressive voices and eye-catching staging. That is certainly the case with Knoxville Opera and their delightful and incredibly entertaining production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Tennessee Theatre.

Review: Marble City Opera’s Haunting ‘dwb (Driving While Black)’

Marble City Opera’s latest production is ‘dwb (driving while black)’, a one-act opera that dives headlong into the inherently intensifying anxiety faced by Black families as children approach driving age and face the intersection of modern mobility and the horrors of profiling and racist policing. With music by Susan Kander and a libretto by Roberta Gumbel, the 45 minute work features three performer/musicians: Mother (soprano Allison Sanders), Cellist (Cremaine Booker), and Percussion (David Verin). ‘dwb’ is directed by Ivan Griffin, who previously directed MCO’s The Christmas Spider.

Review: ‘Cry It Out’ — Clarence Brown Theatre – The Lab Theatre

BY ALAN SHERROD Molly Smith Metzler’s play, Cry It Out, may be set in…

Review: The WordPlayers – Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ – A Chilling Tale of Female Empowerment

The WordPlayers’ production of Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ honors this tale of radical female empowerment and navigating the unintended consequences of our most personal choices.

Review: ‘Our Town’ at River & Rail Theatre Co. – Americana at Its Finest

Director Joshua Peterson and his ensemble of talented actors and musicians bring Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, to Knoxville in their tender production of Thornton Wilder’s classic 1938 Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘Our Town.’

Review: A Provocative and Poignant ‘Knoxville’ at Clarence Brown Theatre

The latest adaptation of Agee’s ‘A Death in the Family’ is the musical ‘Knoxville’ written by the late Frank Galati with music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. ‘Knoxville’ opened this past weekend at the University of Tennessee’s Clarence Brown Theatre sporting superbly polished staging and a uniformly strong cast. The production continues through September 22.

Theatre Knoxville Downtown’s ‘The Revolutionists’— Liberté, Égalité, Sororité

Lauren Gunderson’s 2018 play The Revolutionists at Theatre Knoxville Downtown blends the historical with the hysterical in a production that will make you laugh, then cry, then get really angry. It is an emotional rollercoaster as swiftly changing as late 18th century France itself and reminds us of the turmoil that comes with substantial change.