Justin's Theatre Reviews

   While sequels to Broadway musicals are rare, good sequels to Broadway musicals are even rarer. Just take a look at Annie Warbucks and Love Never Dies . What these two musicals have in common is that they are terrible sequels to shows that I enjoy. However, the newly released film sequel to the jukebox musical, Mamma Mia , is different from these two musicals because it's next chapter, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again , is an enjoyable sequel to a musical that I carry so much disdain for. It must be because I am a jaded, unpleasant person, who is awful to be around, but I have never liked Mamma Mia . I think it is a ridiculous musical that is sometimes entertaining, but overstays its welcome, takes itself too seriously, and is just a poorly written show. I have nothing against mindless entertainment, but I didn't think that Mamma Mia was the good kind of mindless entertainment. When I walked into the movie theatre to watch the sequel, I was more than prepared to trash it, but I

   Often hailed as one of the greatest musicals of the 21st century thus fare, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's Pulitzer Prize winning musical, Next to Normal, is a brilliant piece of musical theatre that is very emotionally heavy and heart wrenching. It is the story of a woman named Diana (played in this production by Rachel Robins), who is suffering from a worsening mental disorder and how it impacts the people in her family. Kitt and Yorkey truly created a beautiful show that is a testament to what is possible in storytelling. At the time the show opened on Broadway, it was one of the first musicals to deal with depression and mental illness of this degree (to my knowledge, I feel like that is incorrect) in a relatable and provocative way. The El Paso Community College Theatre Ensemble's near terrific production of Next to Normal is able to encapsulate the show in a way that is effective and tragically beautiful.   Brian Yorkey's book and lyrics, paired with Tom Kitt's

       I don't know about the rest of you, but I am such a sucker for the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein. As generic as this might sound to certain people, they may quite possibly be my favorite composers (although many others put up a good fight). I honestly don't think it gets much better than their magical love duets, intricate solos, and rousing chorus numbers. The UTEP Dinner Theatre continued to fulfill my love for the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein with their sensational production of South Pacific . The Dinner Theatre's production of South Pacific was very satisfying and contained nearly all of the qualities a good production of a classic musical is supposed to have.    The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic takes place on two islands during World War II and tells the     tale of an American nurse, Nellie Forbush (Megan McQueen), who falls in love with the French planter, Emile de Becque (James Gier). The French planter has two Polynesian children,