Articles Tagged With: Phil Hansel

The Producers at The State Theatre of Havre de Grace

Reviews September 6, 2024 Amanda N. Gunther

Reviews come out a lot faster when the critics leave at intermission! But take it from this critic— if you leave at the intermission, you’re only getting half the hilarity, half the good times, and half the damn show! I could never! And you should never! But you SHOULD definitely get your butt to a seat at The State Theater of Havre de Grace for what is a surprisingly heartfelt but equally off-the-rails funny production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers.

Sweeney Todd at The Havre de Grace Opera House. ???? Matthew Peterson

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The Havre de Grace Opera House

Reviews October 17, 2023 Mike Zellhofer

“Spit it out, dear. Go on. On the floor. There’s worse things than that down there.” – Mrs. Lovett

And she’s right. In a world where borders are overlooked, people are minimalized, and one pill or another is all you need what ails you, the floor of humanity is riddled with disgust. The Havre de Grace Opera house has found a way to give us a three-hour respite from what lies outside their doors.

Cabaret at Phoenix Festival Theatre

Reviews June 10, 2023 Amanda N. Gunther

The county known as Harford is so wide, mein Herr. They’ve got theatres up and down and side to side, mein Herr. I don’t always get them all, at least I tried, mein Herr. So I see… and I go… play by play… night by night…show by show… and this show— a truly remarkable and superbly stunning production of Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret is waiting to welcome you through its doors at Phoenix Festival Theatre.

Cinderella at Street Lamp Community Theatre

Reviews November 11, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

In their own little corner, on their own little stage, they can produce whatever they want to show.

And with their own type of magic, they invite you to enjoy, Cinderella, a sweet fairytale that you love and know. Why, bippity-boppity-boo! It’s Street Lamp Community Theatre’s production of Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. (The original as it stands, not the more recently ‘updated’ version.) Sweet and charming and simplistically joyful,

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest at Showcase On Main

Reviews February 27, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

There are a lot of things that are true, even if they never happened. If you’re ready to spend an evening with the self-proclaimed ‘psycho-ceramics; the crackpots of humanity’ then you should head out to Showcase on Main in Elkton, MD for a harrowing and evocative production of Dale Wasserman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Directed by Lee Lewis, the production is tragically relevant to the way mental health issues in our country are handled today.

Scrooge at Scottfield Theatre Company

Reviews November 6, 2019 Mike Zellhofer

Christmas before Thanksgiving?
Humbug! Don’t let me see one light, hear a carol, or find Santa in a mall until
I’ve had my turkey. Unless of course you are talking about seeing Scrooge, directed by William Price, at
Scottfield Theatre Company.

@machpe Scrooge at Scottfield Theatre Company. Photo: @machpe

With this aversion for early
Christmas you can imagine my thoughts while driving forty minutes north to
Havre de Grace.

A Few Good Men at Tidewater Players

Reviews September 28, 2019 Joseph R. Kennedy

Aaron
Sorkin’s A Few Good Men, directed by Todd Starkey, opens up to
one of our only moments watching Greg Stiffler give us a reason to care about
the tragedy the play is built around, by making him a vulnerable guy. A man is dead and Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson
(played by Lamar Leonard) and Pfc. Louden Downey (played by Jordan Baumiller)
stand accused of murder. Moises
Estrada’s lighting and sound design built atmosphere as Eva Grove’s costume
coordination lent an air of authenticity to these characters,

Heathers at Tidewater Players

Reviews February 28, 2019 Mike Zellhofer

Freak,
slut, burn out, bug eyes, poser, lard ass, loser, short bus, bull dyke, stuck
up, hunchback, white trash! Names. Labels. Words used to describe people who
are different or don’t fit our image of what we consider the “norm.” Words that
one might associate with high school, but all to often are used far more common
in our everyday speech. In fact, if I am being honest, although I didn’t speak
the words,

Titanic at Scottfield Theatre Company

Reviews April 10, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

There’s a place called Chicago, I’ve seen it on a map. There’s a place called Mary-land, I’ve seen it on a map. There’s a place in America called “Havre de Grace” and I’m hoping it’s a bit like Broadway, oh I’m hoping that it is… and I’m hoping that the Scottfield Theatre Company will build a floating city of success with their current production of Titanic. Directed by Al Herlinger with Musical Direction by Niki Tart,

Without a Clue at Tidewater Players

Reviews February 23, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

It was the butler, in the drawing room, with the candlestick! Only, of course, it couldn’t be the butler because he never had a suspect card. In this zany original comedy, Without a Clue written by Mark Briner, six unsuspecting suspects are brought together for an evening of merriment, which quickly maligns itself to be an evening of mayhem and murder! It’s the usual suspects and a few wild cards getting the game underway,

Tuck Everlasting at Scottfield Theatre Company

Reviews October 9, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther 1 Comment

Today is the day you’ve been waiting for forever. Are you ready to let this be the day that something happens? Then hello, Havre de Grace, Maryland! This year— 2017— this day— in the month of October— is going to be the day where everything you’ve ever waited for finally happens! Making its national community theatre debut, Tuck Everlasting, the musical, soars superbly into the main stage of The Historic Havre de Grace Opera House as the inaugural production of Scottfield Theatre Company.

Review: Cats at Milburn Stone Theatre

Reviews December 2, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Jellicle cats come out tonight! Jellicle cats come one, come all! Jellicle cats at Milburn Stone— Jellicle cats have a Jellicle Ball! And you too will find yourself among the feline fantasy world of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats if you dare to venture to the Milburn Stone Theatre for a sensational production of Broadway’s second-longest running musical. Directed and Choreographed by Bambi Johnson with Musical Direction by Shane Jensen, this phenomenally enchanting evening is whimsy incarnate and invites you to a wildly wondrous world of feline fantasy that will delight every family this holiday season.

Review: Sunday in the Park with George at Milburn Stone Theatre

Reviews March 20, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther 1 Comment

Order. Design. Tension. Symmetry. Composition. Balance. Light. Harmony. And look they made a hat, where there never was a hat. Producing the final production in a “Celebration of Sondheim” festival that spanned the course of nearly two seasons, The Milburn Stone Theatre brings to a close an era of one of musical theatre’s greatest minds by mounting Sunday in the Park with George. With Musical Direction by Dan McTiernan and Production Coordinator John Desmone at the canvas,

Review: West Side Story at Milburn Stone Theatre

Reviews December 1, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

They’re unstoppable. They’ve got magic. They’re in the air. Just like Tony and Maria, Milburn Stone Theatre is flying 12 feet above everyone else as they boldly attempt a production of West Side Story. Known for its dance-intensive approach to musical theatre, this Sondheim-Bernstein adaptation of Shakespeare’s most tragic love story comes to the main stage under the Direction of Bambi Johnson and Musical Direction of Shane Jensen. Jets. Sharks. Milburn Stone has it all just in time to present a refreshing musical alternative to all of the Christmas-themed shows that appear on stages during the holidays.

Review: Farragut North at Milburn Stone Theatre

Reviews September 25, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Ambition seduces. Power corrupts. Milburn Stone Theater delivers. For a one weekend exclusive engagement, MST takes on the scandalously charged political thriller Farragut North at the Elkton Station found-space location. Written by Beau Willimon and Directed by Andrew John Mitchell, this edgy political chaser keeps you enthralled with the backroom politics as the race for the big house unfurls in backwoods Des Moines, the biggest political victory a candidate can hope to make in their campaign.

Review: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Milburn Stone Theatre

Reviews August 7, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Old situations! New complications! Something for everyone at Milburn Stone tonight! A true feel-good comedy for everyone, one of Sondheim’s earliest musicals barrels its way through the doors at the theatre housed on the Cecil College Campus and is received to herculean applause. Directed by John Desmone with Musical Direction by Nicole Tart, this witty farcical evening of entertainment delivers on the promise of the show’s opening number, with comedy tonight!

Rome is looking splendid in its three house representation conceptualized and created by the theatre’s Technical Director Bob Denton.

Review: August: Osage County at Milburn Stone Theatre

Reviews January 24, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Life is very long. Incidentally Tracey Letts’ work August: Osage County only takes up roughly three hours of said life as it is trafficked across the Milburn Stone Theatre stage this winter season. Directed by S. Lee Lewis, Letts’ compelling familial drama addresses afflictions and ailments to the dysfunctional degree of existence. It’s not a party until something gets spilled and family secrets are spilling out all over the place in this poignant timely production.