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    Author:   Jeff Messer

    Showing 1-21 of 151 results

    Theater review: ‘Escanaba In Da Moonlight’

    Posted on November 18, 2019November 18, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    In spite of the northern setting, the themes of family tradition, hunting and the fragile yet dominating sense of manly pride all ring familiar to anyone who lived in WNC in the 1970s and ’80s.

    6.0 K views1ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘The Addams Family’ by Hendersonv­ille Community Theatre

    Posted on October 25, 2019October 25, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    Jaylan Brinson, as Alice Beineke, brings down the house with a magic potion-induced number that ends with her atop the dinner table.

    5.8 K views4ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘The Baggage Plays’ at The Magnetic Theatre

    Posted on September 9, 2019September 9, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    Murphy Funkhouser Capps takes us along for the ride from her childhood through motherhood, and beyond. She provides laughter and pathos amid the literal stacks of world-worn suitcases that adorn the stage around her.

    3.5 K views1ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘The Lyons’ at SART

    Posted on August 12, 2019August 11, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    There’s a universal truth or two that confronts us through the clever dialogue and well-placed gallows humor.

    3.7 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘The Odd Couple’ at SART

    Posted on June 24, 2019June 24, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    The show was probably played as contemporary from its 1965 Broadway premiere through at least the early 1990s, but it’s become a bit of a relic of its era, with its casual approach to what can be considered somewhat toxic masculinity today.

    4.3 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ at ACT

    Posted on June 10, 2019June 9, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    The show slyly has a lot to say, but keeps it cleverly buried under the circus-like central concept.

    3.5 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Broken Bone Bathtub’

    Posted on April 22, 2019April 22, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    ‘Broken Bone Bathtub’ strips not only the performer, but also the veneer of theatricality, and achieves something more honest and human than expected.

    3.5 K views2ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Sylvia’ by Flat Rock Playhouse

    Posted on April 15, 2019April 11, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    The magical combo of wistful nostalgia mixed with a hint of the comically absurd makes this show is a charmer, whether the viewer is a dog lover or not.

    3.6 K views2ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ and ‘The Zoo Story’ by The Sublime Theater

    Posted on March 11, 2019March 11, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    This pairing of one acts from the post-World War II era of what was known as absurdist theater were often presented together to create a full evening.

    3.1 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Bop And Evey’ at HART

    Posted on February 4, 2019February 4, 2019 by Jeff Messer

    The show is a lean, tension-filled piece that gives both actors a chance to run the emotional gamut.

    2.7 K views+ArtsTheater

    Best of Asheville Comedy

    Posted on December 28, 2018December 20, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    Asheville’s thriving comedy scene remains active with local artists while also attracting major touring acts.

    3.9 K views+ArtsComedy

    Theater review: ‘Sanders Family Christmas’ at SART

    Posted on December 10, 2018December 8, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    ‘Sanders Family Christmas’ is the sequel to the bluegrass gospel musical ‘Smoke on the Mountain.’ It runs through Sunday, Dec. 23, on the campus of Mars Hill University.

    3.2 K views+ArtsTheater

    The Bernstein Family returns to The Magnetic Theatre

    Posted on November 26, 2018November 21, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    The show has garnered something of a cult following and the late night showings are legendary for being even more raucous than their early-evening counterparts.

    3.7 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘The Man in the Bright Nightgown’ at 35below

    Posted on November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    Michael Lilly is fearless in this role. He isn’t afraid to wear the emotions on his sleeve, whether he is making snide comments on the insincerity of the minister’s words in his father’s funeral service, or on the verge of emotionally melting down.

    4.3 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ at Flat Rock Playhouse

    Posted on November 5, 2018November 5, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    There are quick change costume gags and a wry wit about the show that feels akin to something out of Monty Python.

    6.2 K views1ArtsTheater

    Theater review: Thriller double feature at Hendersonv­ille Community Theater

    Posted on October 29, 2018October 28, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    Both shows are decidedly darker and edgier than one would expect from HCT, and the theater company deserve credit for going out on a limb.

    2.7 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Frost/Nixon’ at N.C. Stage Company

    Posted on October 15, 2018October 22, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    As Nixon, veteran actor Michael MacCauley may not look like the former president, but so flawlessly inhabits the essence of Nixon that you are transfixed by his every word and gesture.

    3.7 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Five Women Wearing the Same Dress’ at 35below

    Posted on September 10, 2018September 10, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    There’s a nimbleness to the writing that propels the play. It is the sort of script seasoned performers crave and can elevate.

    4.9 K views1ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘In A Clearing’ at The Magnetic Theatre

    Posted on September 3, 2018September 2, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    The characters and plot in general make us think that this could all be happening in the next town over from the Cohen Brothers movie Fargo.

    3.5 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Talking With…’ by Attic Salt Theatre

    Posted on August 6, 2018August 5, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    Director Marci Bernstein takes the audience on 11 unrelated journeys in monologues by a who’s who of local talent. Each scene is its own story, and each actress holds the stage alone for those scenes.

    3.4 K views+ArtsTheater

    Theater review: ‘Some Things You Should Know…’ at The Magnetic Theatre

    Posted on July 9, 2018July 9, 2018 by Jeff Messer

    The play was written by Larry Larson and Levi Lee nearly 40 years ago. Of course, the Cold War era of the early 1980s informs the anxiety of the world being left a smoldering heap with few surviving. And it still works well today.

    3.2 K views1ArtsTheater
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