Justin's Theatre Reviews

  Last night, I finally saw "The Book of Mormon" live. It was so perfect that I can't even think about one negative thing to say about it. It is the best show that I have seen (live) so far. It literally took my breath away. The show is perfect, the cast is phenomenal, the sets are great, everything about it is just WOW.  "The Book of Mormon" tells the story of two Polar opposite Mormon Missionaries who are stationed in Uganda, Africa. For more, you have to see the show!   The book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez (of "Let it Go"), and Matt Stone is a work of genius. The show is absolutely hilarious. From the second the show started, I had a huge smile on my face, and that smile remained there for the entire show. The show is everything a musical comedy should be. People get upset because they are "offended", but everything that they say in this show is true. Sure, get offended if you like, but all of it is true.   The sho...

   To start off this review, I must say that I have never seen "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "The Rocky Horror Show".....ever. So, I was very interested in finally seeing what a big deal this cult classic was. I did enjoy the show and I can totally see why it is so popular. The music is fun and the script is (mostly) well written and easy to follow. Although I did enjoy the show very much, I cannot see myself getting in on the "Rocky Horror" trend, just because it's not exactly my cup of tea.    The show got off to a nice, calm start with the song "Science Fiction, Double Feature" (sung by the character of the Usherette played by Christina Marquez) and we were introduced to the characters of Brad and Janet (played by Erick Canales and Jordyn Catnach) and then their car breaks down and they go into a house seeking help, but it turn out that the house turns out to be a crazy transsexual scientist's house, and wacky hijinks ensue!......

     Last night (October 8, 2015) I had the pleasure of enjoying the final dress rehearsal of "West Side Story" at the UTEP Dinner Theatre.      It was wonderful. The entire thing was nothing but wonderful. The cast was just so amazing and the production quality was so great. What else can I say? It was a production that was beautifully put together.      Hugo Arreola and Nabil Gonzalez played the leading roles of Tony and Maria. I thought both of them were so well cast in their roles. The best thing that I remember about their performances from last night were their duets. Both Arreola and Gonzalez sounded so gorgeous, especially during "Tonight" and "One Hand, One Heart". Their acting was just so....perfect, both Arreola and Gonzalez brought a lot to their roles and I would love to see what they would bring to other roles in other shows.  Both of them are true highlights of this production.   Lizbeth Sanchez P...

  The Kids n Co. production of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was interesting. Yeah, not the good type of interesting.    I would like to start of by saying that I know many members of the cast and crew of this production, and they are all great talents. The God awful adaptation by Michele L. Vacca did not do them any favors.                  If you don't know what "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is about, then I'm sorry.   The role of Dorothy was played by Markie Condra. She had the potential to be a really amazing Dorothy, but the weak adaptation prevented Condra from being the best she can be. The material did not give Condra much to work with and the Dorothy in this adaptation came off as bland and weak, and I feel bad for anyone who is stuck playing a bland character. I also felt bad for Karly Spencer who played Toto. I feel bad for anyone who is stuck in a dog costume. I don't kno...

   Well here we are, the 7th day of my "7 Days of Les Miserables". Do you know what that means? IT MEANS I HAVE WATCHED/LISTENED TO "LES MIS" FOR THE PAST 7 DAYS. I AM GOING TO HAVE THE SONGS IN MY HEAD FOR WEEKS. With that semi positive thought in mind, it has been really cool to listen to how the musical "LES MISERABLES" has grown over the past 30 years since it opened on the West End on October 8, 2015 (today). And now....perhaps the most anticipated (for me) "Les Miserables" review.....the 2012 movie.    This is one of those movies where it's strengths are really it's strengths....and its weakness are really it's weaknesses. By that, I mean the weaknesses really bring the movie down. I feel like the hugest weaknesses come from the movie itself, not just the cast. The biggest thing I noticed that a lot of the scene changes are really abrupt. There are many scenes where it feels like there is still a lot of time left in the scene,...