Fame – The Musical is based on the award-winning 1980 movie by Alan Parker; conceived and developed by David De Silva.  The story is based on De Silva’s fascination with the New York High School for Performing Arts, and follows a group of vibrant, multi-ethnic, energetic, young people pursuing their dreams of “fame”, along with the teachers who remind them that it’s going to take “Hard Work” (the opening sequence). While I thoroughly enjoyed particular elements of the show, I couldn’t help but feel that overall,  Hurrah Players' version of this piece, under the direction of Dustin Elsea, needed just a little… “More Work”. 

Now, maybe it was a result of stilted dialog (I mean real people just don’t talk that way), minimalist direction (so spare as to be invisible), or performances that ranged from way over the top to practically phoned in, but something rendered Source Theatre's production of Lee Blessing’s Two Rooms impenetrable if not downright unbelievable. Two Rooms, as presented, failed to come off the floor from lights up.

Peninsula Community Theatre opened Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat on July 27, 2007. As many may know this is Andrew Lloyd Weber’s first show and is often a hit with communities across the country. A simple biblical story set to music originally as a one act for a small school in England. The show then developed into much more than ever anticipated. PCT’s production is enjoyable but, though I attended the final dress rehearsal rather than a paid performance, I still wouldn’t necessarily use the word “amazing”. 

Friday evening, TodiMusicFest began their last weekend of performances with the Virginia premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at Portsmouth’s Willett Hall. The festival is in its sixth season and has grown into a local summer favorite for Hampton Roads residents. The festival’s director, Howard Bender, proudly announced that this year’s attendance had already eclipsed the previous seasons. All signs were pointing toward a night of memorable entertainment; unfortunately this 2007 operatic installment fell disappointingly short of the mark.

It was with a mixture of irony and reluctance that I entered the American Theatre on Saturday night to see Ash Dargan in Territory – A Journey into Dreamtime. Irony, because I was on my way to see a didgeridoo player in Hampton while my sister was currently on vacation in Sydney. Reluctance, because I had just reached a good part in Harry Potter’s latest book. Harry of course, was worth the wait (don’t worry, I won’t give anything away), and fortunately, Territory was worth delaying finding the next Horcrux.

Greater Tuna is the first in a trilogy of comedic plays each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. The trilogy was written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. The plays are described as being an affectionate comment on small-town, Southern life and attitudes but also a withering satire of same; and under the direction of Jeanette Rainey, who makes her directing debut with this production; this Greater Tuna reels you in from the start, and keeps you on the line for the duration of the show.

The only way I could have salvaged any enjoyment of the prose hurled at me in the Workshop Theatre Group production of Owen McCafferty’s Mojo Mickybo, was to have arrived armed with a low brow Irish slang dictionary, a flashlight and the desire to work in the dark.

CORE Theatre Company presented their second production for their new company which began last summer - The Yellow Wallpaper which was adapted by CORE Theatre and performed at the Stables Theatre across from O.D.U. It was wonderful to see something so fresh and new in concept for the area.  Finally someone who does something abstract, cerebral and better yet... effective.

Pet Sounds may have been one of the greatest theatrical events that Hampton Roads has had in the last year.  This production was created by Bruce Hanson and Students from Granby High School and performed at 40^th St. Stage.  Now many may ask, “why was it not performed at Granby High School?”  Well simply put, subject matter.  That was a call made by the Principal at Granby High School and a good one at that.