Tragic true story grips with one-woman show
“My Name Is Rachel Corrie” presents, among other things, a good example of what’s so rewarding about Des Moines theater. Its director is David A. VanCleave, who studied theater in [...]
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Posted January 08, 2014in Center Stage
Posted January 01, 2014in Center Stage
Mayes returns with surprising ‘Rigoletto’
Michael Mayes looks like he’s about to go nova, across the skies of opera. His next gig is Boston and Verdi. He’ll sing “Rigoletto,” no less. Yet the baritone regards [...]
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Posted December 25, 2013in Center Stage
New Social Club unveiled
A strong contender for Weirdest Theater Ever would be “Jerry Springer: The Opera,” which sets Springer’s sleaze to song. Now, where did I catch the show? Why, at the Des [...]
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Posted December 18, 2013in Center Stage
High on pixie dust
When “Peter Pan” starts to soar at the Des Moines Playhouse, it bears out an old theater truth: A spectacle begins with a spectacular set. The shifting landscapes of “Pan,” [...]
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Posted December 11, 2013in Center Stage
Feminism meshed with sex jokes makes for best show of the season
Ever been to an Iowa Cubs game and seen, between innings, the kids and parents throwing themselves into “YMCA”? Whole families, doing the Village People? Ever thought about that — [...]
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Posted December 04, 2013in Center Stage
On holiday at the local theater
For show folk across Des Moines, there was a great insuck of breath over Thanksgiving weekend. Everyone was gathering for the Christmas season, when a remarkable range of local companies [...]
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Posted November 27, 2013in Center Stage
‘Free to Be’ turned timeless and family-friendly
In the elementary schools of Ames and Gilbert, the kids got quite a treat last week. They enjoyed a mini-musical, a selection from “Free to Be… You and Me,” the [...]
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Posted November 20, 2013in Center Stage
Max Wellman ‘woodshedding’ at Temple Theater with ‘The Songbook Project’
Max Wellman has had it with people harping on his age. “As long as I’ve played professionally,” says the singer and bandleader, “there’s been this tremendous emphasis.” The upshot? At [...]
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Posted November 13, 2013in Center Stage
‘The Odd Couple’ proves slapstick sticks
Is it possible for slapstick to grow old? Once you know the gag with the spaghetti on the wall — no, not spaghetti, linguine, and that’s another joke — how [...]
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Posted November 06, 2013in Center Stage
‘Wicked’ gives ‘good’ a whole new meaning
I’ve always said, the key to eternal youth is behaving like a child — not with tantrums or baby talk, but with awesome moments of pure joy and imagination, the [...]
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