The musical “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” now at the Pollard Theatre, includes a song titled “Oklahoma?,” sung by a character named Jolene Oakes, an oil heiress in a mink coat and miniskirt (played by the really funny Cory King), and it’s a humdinger. Maybe someone will start a petition to make it the state song. I’d […]
Larry Laneer
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Lift off
How about a good word for the properties designer for a change? Lyric Theatre’s mildly entertaining, if tepid production of “Boeing Boeing” by Marc Camoletti is set in the early 1960s, so properties designer Elizabeth Rescinito has assembled a highly authentic collection of spot-on furniture — a sunburst clock, lava lamp and a spiffy retro […]
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In the Army now
When all the elements of a play work in sync, the result can be a satisfying evening of theater, which is what you have in Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre’s current production of Neil Simon’s autobiographical “Biloxi Blues.” The show’s a rewarding pleasure. “Biloxi Blues” is the second play of Simon’s so-called “Brighton Beach” trilogy. We […]
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Bible stories
Ghostlight Theatre Club dishes up a heavy dose of religion — Christianity division — in the 2005 dramedy “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” by Stephen Adly Guirgis. His plays are not produced much around here, so this is a good chance to see one. In “Iscariot,” we witness Judas’ trial taking place in Purgatory […]
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Look ‘Deep’er
One of the known knowns of theater, as Donald Rumsfeld might put it, is that you often have highly qualified, skilled people working with average material. It’s much easier to put on a play when you’re working with a superior script, so even the best practitioners of the dramatic arts will be hard-pressed to exceed […]
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‘Nerd’ humor
It’s hard to say whether the title of “The Nerd,” by Larry Shue, now being presented by Pollard Theatre, is supposed to endear us to the eponymous character or turn us off right from the beginning. I guess it depends on your opinion of nerds, generally. In this tepid 1981 comedy, Willum Cubbert is a […]
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Not too ‘Much’
The weather outside has been frightful, and theater lovers, tired of digitalized actors, are seeking real, flesh-and-blood ones. Any port in a storm, so Oklahoma City Theatre Company brings us a modest staging of “Much Ado About Nothing.” Director Paul Huebner sets the play in the present, showing it can be staged as a contemporary […]
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‘Crazy’ good
Creating a musical — even that inferior form, the jukebox musical — does not have to be so hard, as long as one is working with worthy material. Put appealing music with an interesting story, and the show practically writes itself. Not really, but combine quality material with two top-notch performers and a sharply directed […]
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Enter stage left
Central Oklahoma professional, semipro, collegiate and amateur theater companies — along with touring shows and performance-art events — will stage nearly 100 productions this season. But rarely will the presentations be new plays and musicals. Why so few productions of new work? I surveyed artistic directors of six area theater companies and found them open […]
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‘Rum’ punch
Screw the Eggnog, Pass the Rum: Eggnog 2: Electric Boogaloo8 p.m. Friday-Saturday Ghostlight Theatre Club 3110 N. Walker 286-9412 $30 Any theater company not presenting a variation of “A Christmas Carol” this time of year garners extra gold stars. Seeking something different last season, Ghostlight Theatre Club came up with an original variety show called […]