New musical BUMS! has promise
PROVO — Bums! is a new musical dramedy with book, music, and lyrics by local playwright Stephen Gashler. It’s about Edward Pibbles, a young accountant from New York who has…
TWELFTH NIGHT doesn’t “achieve greatness,” but has some nice ideas
PROVO — I’ve been away from Utah Valley for a few years and so sitting in the Echo Theatre in Provo for the first time in my life was thrilling.…
UTBA reviewers sound off: EXCELLENCE IN 2014
December is full of annual traditions, and at UTBA our favorite is our yearly blog post about the excellence we saw on the Utah stage during the year. In 2014…
Toil and trouble for the Echo’s MACBETH
PROVO — With ghosts, several murders, and three mysterious witches, William Shakespeare‘s Macbeth is a classic choice for the Halloween season. The Echo Theatre’s production is a Macbeth that tries…
The Echo’s STREETCAR is in your face, in a good way
I’ll admit to being apprehensive before sitting down at A Streetcar Named Desire. I’d heard rumors of police being called on prior performances because of what looked like violence. I’d…
Go INTO THE WOODS with the Echo Theatre’s charming production
PROVO — Into The Woods at the Echo Theatre is a charming production with messages about growing up, accepting responsibility, and ultimately dealing with wishes and their consequences will resonate…
Post-apocalyptic A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM is a new twist on an old show
PROVO — The most important thing to know about The Echo Theatre’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that it definitely does not look like a typical production of…
Echo Theatre’s BIELZY AND GOTTFRIED is moralistic, not a morality play
PROVO — Bielzy and Gottfried is one of the first entries in what the Echo Theater is calling its Playwriting Showcase. Unfortunately, this entry featured a poor script and an…
FORUM falters at The Echo
PROVO — Slamming doors, cases of mistaken identity, characters disguising themselves as one another, clever puns and satirical comments on social class. It’s all there in the musical farce A…
THIS IS CHRISTMAS presents holiday sketch comedy
PROVO — With a mix of comedy, music, and a touch of Christmas spirit, This is Christmas is an eclectic evening of entertainment that tries to spread Christmas cheer to…