Olio saves Desert Star’s PROVOCOP from danger
MURRAY — Let’s just get it out there: though I’ve enjoyed Desert Star productions in the past, their current production, ProvoCop, is not a show I want to see again.…
Desert Star’s PHANTOM OF THE OPERA parody is pleasant family fun
MURRAY — As my first visit to the Desert Star Playhouse, I had high hopes for Phantom of the Opera: I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face, written by Peter Van…
IT’S A WONDROUS LIFE: a cheerful take on a classic story
SALT LAKE CITY — The Off Broadway Theatre knows how to do the holidays. From the moment I walked into the meticulously and aesthetically decorated lobby, opulent despite its small…
MIRACLE ON 42ND STREET wasn’t the miracle I was looking for
MURRAY — Desert Star Playhouse’s Miracle on 42nd Street is based on Miracle on 34th Street, interspersed with some creative gags and song and dance numbers. The overall plot is…
Come and play on AVENUE Q
SALT LAKE CITY — It is always an interesting experience entering the Babcock Theater at the University of Utah. This space has a long history of hosting some of the…
FAIRLY POTTER: a perfect parody production
OGDEN — Have you ever had one of those weeks? Where one bad thing happens, then another, and then another, until finally you think that perhaps karma has just led…
WITCHAPALOOZA is wholesome family fun
WEST JORDAN — When the air begins to cool and the pumpkins come out, Gardner Village is the place to be. During the month of October, it’s home to all…
Actors triumph in SOMETHING’S AFOOT
SALT LAKE CITY — The spring-loaded stage feels ready to snap. The chandelier hanging from a taught rope, spears mounted on the wall, and suit of armor guarding the back…
Billions of laughs served at THE HUNGRY GAMES
MURRAY — Desert Star’s melodramatic musicals are kind of like a long-running sitcom; the characters are familiar and the plots generally predictable, but episode after episode they are still funny.…
DOG SEES GOD uses classic characters to discuss growing up
MIDVALE — Silver Summit Theatre Company made a rather daring choice in mounting the Utah premiere of Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. The company…