Ken-Matt Martin delivers the great freak-out of “Clybourne Park,” late in the brilliant second act, and he does it without a word. Martin, playing “Kevin” in this half of the story, loses it amid negotiations over changes in his neighborhood. That’s the park of the title, which African-Americans like Kevin
Read More →“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 Chicago. Back in Iowa, though, he’s found himself at the helm of two wildly different performances, one after the other.
Read More →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 Des Moines as an “artistic home.” In 2010, he says, the Metro Opera gave him his “first big shot” in
Read More →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 Moines Social Club. A few years back, the DMSC staged a choice selection, featuring cross-gender adultery. That was only one
Read More →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,” from the interior of a Victorian nursery to the exterior of a Neverland pirate ship, it could be the best
Read More →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 — how the song is an anthem for gay hookups? The performance costumes, back in ’78, were stereotypes of men’s sexual
Read More →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 have entertainment on tap. Up in Ames, for starters, ACTORS has “Free to Be… You and Me,” (previewed in Center
Read More →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 latest production of Ames Community Theater (ACT). Yet according to the director, Lynn Lloyd, the adults involved were the real
Read More →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 the still-tender age of 22, he’s doubling down on his loyalty to his grandparents’ Hit Parade. He’s embarked on his
Read More →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 many times can it deliver a laugh? The answer in West Des Moines: plenty. Slapstick comedy continues to bubble up
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