Archived Reviews of This Season's Productions

2002/2003 Season

This article is the culmination of a situation which began on November 8, 2002 when Contributing Writer Naomi Levin of the Beliot (WI) Daily News plagiarized a review of mine from 1998.

The 2002/2003 ariZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence Recipients

Celebrating Two Years Without Kicking the Habit
Scottsdale Center for the Arts' Late Night Catechism 2nd Anniversary Celebration Performance Ongoing

A Promising Start
Hale Centre Theatre's Beau Jest 7/25/03 - 8/30/03

King of the (Harold) Hill and Marian the Librarian
Scottsdale Community Players and Greasepaint Youtheatre's The Music Man 8/9/03 - 8/24/03

The Girls of Summer
HowGood Production's Pageant at the Herberger Theater Center Stage West 7/31/03 - 8/24/03

Following the Yellow Brick Road to a Tee
Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's The Wizard of Oz 7/3/03 - 8/23/03

Succeed-ing on Every Level
Charity Production for the Maricopa Community College System's Literacy Outreach Progrms of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying 7/18/03 - 7/26/03

Cottage Industry
Awake and Sing Production's The Shadow Box 7/11/03 - 8/3/03

Richard III Makes England an Offer it Can't Refuse
Shakespeare Sedona's Richard III 7/11/03 - 7/27/03

The Character of Cadence
Theater League's Stomp 7/9/03 - 7/13/03

The Truth can send you to Chile
Nearly Naked Theatre's Valparaiso 6/20/03 - 7/12/03

Six Degrees of Broadway Palm West
Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's Footloose 5/23/03 - 6/28/03

History in the Making
Canyon Moon Theatre Company of Sedona's Nixon's Nixon 6/4/03 - 6/22/03

A Revised and Downsized Dane
The Shakespeare Theatre's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 5/29/03 - 6/15/03

The Drama Club's Camelot, With a Few Professional Guest Appearances
Tempe Little Theatre's Camelot 5/30/03 - 6/14/03

Full of Heart, But Lacking Thinks
M&I Bank Broadway in Arizona/ASU Public Events/Gammage Auditorium's Seussical The Musical 6/3/03 - 6/8/03

Debbi Ruth, Shadoe Brandt's mom (JoJo in the touring Seussical that came through Tempe) thanks me for my review

Conflict of Disinterest
Is What It Is Theatre's Critic's Choice 5/23/03 - 6/7/03

Big Dumb Fun
Phoenix Theatre's The Robber Bridegroom 5/16/03 - 6/1/03

This Ain't Nothin' But the Blues
Black Theatre Troupe's Blues in the Night 5/16/03 - 6/1/03

A Hard-Hitting Show in the Middle of Conservative Sun City
Theater Works' Parade 5/10/03 - 6/1/03

Harmonic Convergence
Scottsdale Community Players' Forever Plaid 5/9/03 - 5/25/03

Three Times the ATC
Arizona Theater Company's New RepFest (The Drawer Boy, Copenhagen and The Origins of Happiness in Latin) Tucson 4/10/03 - 5/3/03 Phoenix 5/10/03 - 5/25/03

Love and Death on a Giant Revolve
M&I Bank Broadway in Arizona/ASU Public Events/Gammage Auditorium's Les Miserables 5/6/03 - 5/11/03

Political Over Correcting
Actors Theatre's Spinning Into Butter 4/25/03 - 5/11/03

Local actor Ken Love sends his thoughts on the script of Spinning Into Butter, currently presented by Actors Theatre (WARNING: THIS IS A "SPOILER" LETTER WHICH REVEALS THE ENDING)

Sixty Nine Characters in Search of an Answer
Stray Cat Theatre's The Laramie Project 4/11/03 - 5/3/03

Marcos Voss sends his thoughts on Stray Cat Theatre's production of The Laramie Project

A Strong Will Overcomes a Modest Production
Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's The Will Rogers Follies 4/11/03 - 5/4/03

Local actress Barbara McGrath questions the lack of a review of Theater Works' production of A Delicate Balance, and my response

A Deadly Duet Minus One
Phoenix Theatre's Amadeus 4/4/03 - 4/20/03

Putting the "Fun" back into "Fundamentally Flawed."
Southwest Shakespeare Company's Love's Labours Lost 4/4/03 - 4/12/03

Celebrating a Jittery Era
M&I Bank Broadway in Arizona/ASU Public Events/Gammage Auditorium's Swing! 4/8/03 - 4/13/03

A Bialy, Once Divided, Can Never Be Rejoined
Arizona Jewish Theatre Company's King Levine 3/29/03 - 4/13/03

A Love Story as Unique as Venice
Arizona Theater Company's Dirty Blonde 3/28/03 - 4/13/03

Veronika Decides to Join the Circus
Theater In My Basement's Vvvooo 3/28/03 - 4/12/03

The Social Event of the Season
Christopher Mascarelli and Maren Maclean Mascarelli's The Wedding 3/23/03

Local Actress/Diva Andi Watson responds to my review of The Wedding

Gypsy Cab Blues
Black Theatre Troupe's Jitney 3/20/03 - 4/6/03

A More Chipper Anatevka
Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's Fiddler on the Roof 2/21/03 - 4/5/03

The Vietnamization of Madame Butterfly
Theater League's Miss Saigon 3/25/03 - 3/30/03

10 Blackout Scenes to a New You
Is What It Is Theatre's Somewhere In Between 3/14/03 - 3/29/03

Taut Terror in Tempe
Tempe Little Theatre's Wait Until Dark 3/14/03 - 3/30/03

Hell's Bells
Mesa Encore Theatre's Bells are Ringing 3/14/03 - 3/30/03

Sporting Goods
Actors Theatre of Phoenix' Rounding Third 3/8/03 - 3/23/03

Slipping into a Classic
The Ensemble Theatre's Romeo and Juliet 3/7/03 - 3/30/03

A Mecca of the Mind, But Not Quite the Heart
The Algonquin Theatre Company's The Road to Mecca 2/28/03 - 3/23/03

The Hits Keep On Coming, and Coming, and Coming, and...
Phoenix Theatre's Cole 2/21/03 - 3/24/03

Down and Out in the Kit Kat Klub
M&I Bank Broadway in Arizona/ASU Public Events/Gammage Auditorium's Cabaret 2/26/03 - 3/2/03

The Curse of the Privileged Class
Stray Cat Theatre's This is Our Youth 2/14/03 - 3/1/03

A Letter from D. Davids concerning my review of Stray Cat Theatre's This Is Our Youth and my response

The Stars Carry the Show
Theater Works' The Philadelphia Story 2/14/03 - 3/2/03

Remounting a Legend
Childsplay's The Yellow Boat 2/8/03 - 3/2/03

A Letter from Joanie Flatt concerning Childsplay's The Yellow Boat

A Full Moon
Arizona Theater Company's A Moon for the Misbegotten Tucson: 1/18/03 - 2/8/03, Phoenix 2/13/03 - 3/2/03

Studying the Duet of Happiness and Heartbreak
Arizona Jewish Theater's Old Wicked Songs 2/8/03 - 2/23/03

Arizona Jewish Theatre Company's Janet Arnold Reveals a Bit of Surprise Information About Old Wicked Songs

Full House and Empty Arms
Scottsdale Community Players' Babes In Arms 1/24/03 - 2/9/03

Gray Area
Actors Theatre of Phoenix' Gray's Anatomy 1/24/03 - 2/9/03

A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, and Flat in Peoria
Theater Works' A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine 1/10/03 - 2/2/03

A Letter from local performer Jason Barth concerning my review of Theater Works' A Day in Hollywod/A Night in the Ukraine

A Letter Ostenisbly from Phyllis Fort concerning my review of Theater Works' A Day in Hollywod/A Night in the Ukraine

Screw Political Correctness, I Just Wanna Laugh
M&I Bank Broadway in Arizona/ASU Public Events/Gammage Auditorium's The Producers 1/14/03 - 2/1/03

Double's Troubles in the Great White North
Southwest Shakespeare Company's Comedy of Errors 1/16/03 - 2/1/03

Who Do That Voodoo That I Do! So Well?
Phoenix Theatre's I Do! I Do! 1/10/03 - 1/26/03

No, really, Goodbye Charlie.
Mesa Encore Theatre's Goodbye Charlie 1/10/03 - 1/19/03

Where's the U.S.O. when you need 'em?
Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's South Pacific 1/3/03 - 2/15/03

The Most Lavish Chamber Musical Ever
Arizona Theater Company's The Fantasticks Tucson: 11/27/02 - 12/28/02, Phoenix 12/31/02 - 1/26/03

"Baby, You (Don't) Got What It Takes"
Black Theatre Troupe's Dinah Was 12/27/02 - 1/12/03

The Chestnut Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree
Arizona Jewish Theater's Door to Door 12/28/02 - 1/12/03

James Sherman, Author and Director of Arizona Jewish Theatre Company's production of Door to Door, comments on my review, and my response

The Greatest Story Ever Sold
M&I Bank Broadway in Arizona/ASU Public Events/Dodge Theater's Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes 12/17/02 - 12/30/02

A Musical With More Than Just Heart
M&I Bank Broadway in Arizona/ASU Public Events/Gammage Auditorium's The Full Monty 12/10/02 - 12/15/02

Knocking The Gin Game
Algonquin Theater Company's The Gin Game 12/6/02 - 12/29/02

A Sweet Show to Relish
Tempe Little Theatre's Crossing Delancey 11/29/02 - 12/15/02

Hats Off to Crossing Delancey
A Guest Review by Jackson Fisher of the Same Night of
Tempe Little Theatre's Crossing Delancey 11/29/02 - 12/15/02

Where Have You Gone, Edward Albert?
Scottsdale Community Players' Butterflies are Free 11/22/02 - 12/8/02

Not-So-Deep Blue
Arizona Theater Company's Blue Tucson: 10/25/02 - 11/9/02, Phoenix 11/14/02 - 12/1/02

The Homoeroticism Behind the Ha Ha
Nearly Naked Theatre's Equus 11/8/02 - 11/30/02

A Local Actress Responds to the Review of Equus

A Freudian "Id vs. Superego" Clash of the Titans:
A Guest Review of the Third Weekend of Nearly Naked Theatre's Equus by Jackson Fisher
Nearly Naked Theatre's Equus 11/8/02 - 11/30/02

Role of the Di
Stray Cat Theatre's The Dianalogues 11/8/02 - 11/24/02

Chuckles on the 23rd Floor: A Guest Review by Jackson Fisher
Algonquin Theater Company's Laughter on the 23rd Floor 11/1/02 - 11/17/02

Ron Hunting, a Founder of the Algonquin Theatre Company and Member of the Cast of Laughter on the 23rd Floor reacts to Jackson Fisher's Review, and Mr. Fisher's Response

As the Rumors spread, the show grew stronger.
Mesa Encore Theater's Rumors 11/8/02 - 11/24/02

Bucking the Depression Era
Arizona Jewish Theatre Company's Awake and Sing 11/2/02 - 11/17/02

Everyone should be talking, but...
Phoenix Theater's Rumors 10/25/02 - 11/10/02

The De(con)struction of Macbeth
Is What It Is Theatre's The Tragedy of King and Lady Macbeth 10/25/02 - 11/16/02

Bad Appetizers Lead to a Great Dinner
Scottsdale Community Players' The Man Who Came to Dinner 10/25/02 - 11/10/02

Much Ado About Niente: An Addendum
Arizona Theater Company's Much Ado About Nothing 10/19/02 - 11/3/02

The Trial of the Centuries
Black Theatre Troupe's The Trial of One Short-sighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae 10/17/02 - 11/3/02

Resizing an Epic
Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's Ragtime 10/10/02 - 11/16/02

Six of the Best Hours in Arizona Theatre
Actors Theatre of Phoenix's Angels in America Part I: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America Part II: Perestroika 9/26/02 - 10/27/02 (Both To Be Reviewed in the One Day Marathon on 10/6/02)

A Curséd Evening
TheaterWorks' Bell, Book & Candle 9/27/02 - 10/20/02

Suite-ly Amusing
Tempe Little Theatre's Plaza Suite 9/20/02 - 10/6/02

The Original Tricky Dick
The Shakespeare Theatre's Richard III 9/19/02 - 10/6/02

The Subtext of "Happily Ever After"
Phoenix Theatre's Into The Woods 9/13/02 - 9/29/02

A Schizoid Trip from Bubblegum to Battle Scars
Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's Yesterdays 9/5/02 - 10/5/02

A September Mystery
Scottsdale Community Players' The Fantasticks 9/5/02 - 9/22/02

A Member of the Cast of SCP's The Fantasticks suggests a Solution for the Mystery

Heart for Art's Sake
Nearly Naked Theatre's The Shape of Things 8/23/02 - 9/14/02

Good Shape:
A Guest Review by Jackson Fisher (seen on different night from me)
Nearly Naked Theatre's The Shape of Things 8/23/02 - 9/14/02

A Laugh-driven Dream
Actor's Renaissance Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream 8/23/02 - 9/8/02

Ho Ho, Ha Ha, Hee Hee, Ha Ha, Boo Hoo
Theater Works' The Last Wallace and Ladmo Show 8/16/02 - 9/8/02

An Earnest Job
Is What It Is Theatre's Working 8/16/02 - 8/31/02

A Local Actress Reminds Me That The Ensemble Theatre is Still Around

Bonding Through Kitsch
Scottsdale Center for the Arts' Sing-a-long Sound of Music Closed

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