Central Pennsylvania Theater Reviews

Review: BRIDGE at The Belmont Theatre
by Jason Davis - June 10, 2024

Reggie Barton’s debut production of Bridge at The Belmont Theatre cleverly employs the backdrop of a charming card game in order to seamlessly blend thought-provoking contemporary themes with witty repartee. The show has garnered an enthusiastic response from audiences, who have lauded its impeccabl...

Review: MONSTERS! A MIDLIFE MUSICAL MELTDOWN at Hanover Little Theatre
by Andrea Stephenson - June 09, 2024

The cast members are clearly enjoying themselves, bringing the audience along on an amusing and entertaining ride through the mind. Monsters is a relevant, relatable show with an uplifting message that will have audiences pondering their relationships to their inner monsters....

Review: AMERICAN IDIOT at DreamWrights
by Sandra Harberger - June 08, 2024

DreamWrights is presenting “American Idiot” from June 7 to June 16th under the direction of Deirdre Casey. Louis Salazar was phenomenal in this emotional role through drug addiction, and I loved that his talent playing guitar was highlighted....

Review: MRS. LINCOLN at Little Theatre Of Mechanicsburg
by Andrea Stephenson - June 02, 2024

Mrs. Lincoln is an intense and fascinating play, and audiences can catch it at Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg under the direction of James Casey with stage manager Lori Haagen through June 23rd. Every aspect of this production works well together to bring the audience an intriguing and powerful eve...

Review: ANGELS IN AMERICA-PART ONE at EPAC
by Rich Mehrenberg - June 01, 2024

While theater often manages to entertain or to move its audience, Angles in America is a great example of how quality theater can also educate....upon hearing Kushner’s masterful dialogue and viewing Checchia’s excellently vulgar and vile performance (of Roy Cohn), I was incentivized to learn everyt...

Review: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS at Gamut Theatre Group's Harrisburg Shakespeare Company
by Andrea Stephenson - June 01, 2024

This delightful comedy, directed by Kelli Kauterman, is the perfect way to kick off the summer season. The cast doesn’t miss a beat. It is not easy to perform outside, surrounded by a host of distractions and noise, but this cast is fully engaged in their characters and the story, and they bring the...

Review: A YEAR OF TOAD AND FROG at Musical Bos Theatre
by Sandra Harberger - May 31, 2024

What did our critic think of A YEAR OF TOAD AND FROG at Musical Bos Theatre?...

Review: THE FULL MONTY at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
by Rich Mehrenberg - May 19, 2024

The Full Monty is a lot of fun, and a great palate cleanser after the more solemn, Ragtime.  It is playing now through June 22....

Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Open Stage
by Andrea Stephenson - May 12, 2024

What the Constitution Means to Me is an important play that brings difficult themes, questions, statistics, and realities into the spotlight. It takes an empathetic, compassionate, thoughtful cast and crew to bring a show like this to life, and the team at Open Stage is just the right team to bring ...

Review: THE LAST 5 YEARS at Fulton Theatre
by Rich Mehrenberg - May 12, 2024

Fulton has done some remarkable small-scale musicals on their fourth floor stage. Shows like Next to Normal and Five Guys Named Moe easily prove that not every show needs to have a big cast or a bigger budget to be entertaining and engaging.  Unfortunately, The Last 5 Years isn’t in that same catego...

Review: ABANDON ALL HOPE at West Art
by Rich Mehrenberg - May 12, 2024

Abandon All Hope is a timely show full of hope.  I think it resonates especially well with younger audience members who may struggle with identity and acceptance. ...

Review: HAY FEVER at Oyster Mill Playhouse
by Andrea Stephenson - May 11, 2024

While each individual actor is spectacular in his or her role, what really makes this show engaging are the interactions between the characters. For an evening of witty entertainment delivered by an outstanding cast and crew, get your tickets for Hay Fever at Oyster Mill Playhouse. ...

Review: SWEAT at DreamWrights
by Sandra Harberger - May 04, 2024

Dreamwrights presents “Sweat” by Lynn Nottage under the direction of Cal Weary from May 3rd to May 11th. The York community will enjoy this deeply moving 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning play with it’s familiar Reading, PA setting. The talented cast addressed the difficult themes of the show including ra...

Review: SOMETHING ROTTEN! at Keystone Theatrics At The Playhouse At Allenberry
by Andrea Stephenson - April 28, 2024

The show is filled to the brim with witty puns, double entendre, and references to Shakespeare’s works and well-known musicals. Something Rotten! is the perfect solution for those in need of a good laugh!...

Review: SOUTH PACIFIC at Fulton Theatre
by Rich Mehrenberg - April 28, 2024

I don’t think that South Pacific or even the shows of Rogers and Hammerstein are especially dated or irrelevant.  A few years back, Fulton put on The Sound of Music to great appreciation and acclaim.  I wish they were able to capture some of that magic this time around....

Review: SEUSSICAL at Theatre Harrisburg
by Andrea Stephenson - April 27, 2024

Theatre Harrisburg’s production of Seussical is fun, engaging, and inspiring. Audiences of all ages will fall in love with Horton, Cat in the Hat, Gertrude, Jojo, and the rest of the characters. Don’t miss out on this exceptional show!...

Review: RUPERT'S REMARKABLE REQUEST at TAFE: Theatre Arts For Everyone
by Sandra Harberger - April 27, 2024

Rupert’s Remarkable Request” is an awarding winning original play written by York local playwright Diane Crews. It is onstage at TAFE: Theatre Arts for Everyone from April 26th to 28th under the directions of Diane Crews. Rupert is a well-known character at TAFE, and he appears in “Rupert Meets Mrs....

Review: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at EPAC
by Rich Mehrenberg - April 22, 2024

Their robust and exposition-heavy first act scenes reminds me of that classic physics question, “what happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object?”. ...

Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at The Belmont Theatre
by Jason Davis - April 21, 2024

What did our critic think of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at The Belmont Theatre?...

Review: FOREVER PLAID at Little Theatre Of Mechanicsburg
by Andrea Stephenson - April 21, 2024

The actors have wonderful interactions with one another and with the audience, and their comedy chops are highlighted well. The actors have good voices and there are moments of nice harmonies and solo work. Unfortunately, the show is disappointing due to some major pitch problems that even impacted ...

Review: EMMA! A POP MUSICAL at Gettysburg Community Theatre
by Andrea Stephenson - April 20, 2024

These young actors perform with an enthusiasm and dedication that will have audiences laughing, clapping, and singing along. Any time young actors take the stage with passion and joy, the audience cannot help but feel it, too...

Review: THE PRICE IS RIGHT LIVE at The Price Is Right Live Tour
by Rich Mehrenberg - April 17, 2024

This is the real deal!  Audience members were called on stage.  Real cash and prizes were awarded.  Same music, same sound effects, same games.  Hosted by “the host with the most’ Todd Newton, everyone involved had a great time.  Newton has that smooth, buttery emcee demeanor while simultaneously ex...

Review: RAGTIME at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
by Rich Mehrenberg - April 13, 2024

Dutch Apples steps outside of their comfort zone with mostly favorable results.  Ragtime is a challenging and thought-provoking piece, and any criticism is directed towards the script, not its talented cast and crew....

Review: CINDERELLA at Gamut Theatre's Young Acting Company
by Andrea Stephenson - April 13, 2024

The play is immensely creative, combining comedic dialogue with emotional moments and the beautiful message that being kind and not judging others is more important than wealth, looks, and being proper. To see these young performers bringing a classic fairy tale to life with such joy and passion is ...

Review: A TRIP TO THE MOON at DreamWrights
by Sandra Harberger - April 06, 2024

DreamWrights is performing “A Trip to the Moon” by Tracy Wells under the direction of Crystal Ganong from April 5th to April 14th. This vignette-style play will take you back to the summer of 1969 in America when everyone was talking about landing on the moon, Woodstock, and Vietnam. Each short scen...