Jeff Davis is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Theater with an emphasis in Directing.
 BWW Reviews: The Playhouse's SPRING AWAKENING is Haunting, Thought Provoking
May 21, 2013
What The Playhouse has on its hands with SPRING AWAKENING is a fearless, visceral, and poignant show which will startle and perhaps outrage the audience but also calls them to action.
 Photo Flash: City Theatre's Production of 12 ANGRY MEN
May 21, 2013
TWELVE ANGRY MEN. Twelve jurors. Twelve different men. Only two ways to rule. The stakes are high in Reginald Rose's thrilling classic courtroom drama where a jury decides the fate of a teenager accused of murdering his father.
 Photo Flash: SPRING AWAKENING Shakes Up The Playhouse
May 21, 2013
The Playhouse - San Antonio recently opened their production of SPRING AWAKENING, and BroadwayWorld is pleased to share some images from this fantastic production.
 BWW Reviews: Blue Lapis Light's Encore Engagement of HEAVEN-EARTH-ONE is Heavenly
May 21, 2013
It's been said that good news is worth repeating. I guess that adage can be modified for the arts as well. A masterpiece is worth repeating, and thankfully Blue Lapis Light has decided to reprise their stunning, site specific dance piece Heaven-Earth-One a mere seven months after its last production. When I originally saw Heaven-Earth-One back in September, I was awed by the beauty of the site specific dance piece but a bit shocked and puzzled by the relatively sparse audience. This time around, the show is just as beautiful and haunting, and it's nice to see that the show is now reaching a much larger audience.
 BWW Reviews: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at The Vex Buds But Doesn't Bloom
May 19, 2013
Early on in Little Shop of Horrors, the crowd favorite musical now playing at the Sheldon Vexler Theatre, forlorn florist Seymour Krelborn begs his strange and interesting but dying new plant, dubbed the Audrey II, to bloom. The same pleas could be asked of the show. While bolstered by some talented and gifted performers, this production sadly remains a seedling that doesn't completely sprout.
 BWW Reviews: Trouble Puppet's CRUEL CIRCUS is Cruelly Entertaining
May 18, 2013
Hurry, hurry! Step right up! The circus has come to Austin, and it's not to be missed. Filled with imagination, whimsy, and charm, The Cruel Circus, now playing the Salvage Vanguard Theatre thru May 25th, is an absolute delight and a feast for the eyes.
 BWW Reviews: Haves and Have Nots Square off in Last Act's HAPPY COUPLE
May 16, 2013
No story is completely original. It's all been done before. Surely we've seen shows that involve a crumbling marriage or others that involve class struggle, but rarely are those themes seamlessly interwoven as they are in James Venhaus's daring play The Happy Couple, currently playing The White House Ranch in Austin thru May 25th. This remarkably bold production by Austin's Last Act Theater Company, while highly entertaining and at times laugh-out-loud funny, will leave you a bit uneasy, and that's precisely the point.
 BWW Reviews: PRISCILLA Is Anything But a Drag
May 9, 2013
I never thought I'd see the day where a bus and truck company would actually put their bus on stage. The national tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert is here to delight Austin audiences through May 12th, and there must be a RuPaul's Drag Race contestant somewhere out there who is completely out of glitter and sequins. This is one production that does everything it can to entertain and please the audience. Though it may be light on plot (at times It makes Mamma Mia look like Les Miserables), the lavishly flamboyant look and feel more than make up for any shortcomings. Priscilla is a campy, overblown, over the top, jeweled showgirl of a musical. Even Cher might suggest that the show could tone it down a bit. She'd be wrong. The zanier the show gets, the more the audience eats it up.
 Photo Flash: More Photos of Trouble Puppet's Upcoming CRUEL CIRCUS
May 8, 2013
BroadwayWorld is pleased to share more images from Trouble Puppet Theater Company's upcoming production, THE CRUEL CIRCUS, an original play by Connor Hopkins.
 BWW Interviews: Jeffrey Eckstein Discusses Conducting Ballet Austin's GISELLE
May 8, 2013
This Mother's Day weekend, Ballet Austin will present Giselle, the classic and beloved ballet of love, heartbreak and madness. Giselle is among ballet's great classics, with a lead role so challenging it has been known to make and break careers. Theophile Gautier-the influential French poet, author, critic and champion of the Romantic ballet-conceived Giselle in honor of ballerina Carlotta Grisi. With love, betrayal, heartbreak and forgiveness, Giselle brings a romantic close to the season.
Giselle features choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, Music by Adolphe Adam. The score will be performed live by the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
BroadwayWorld had a chance to discuss the ballet with Maestro Jeffrey Eckstein who will be conducting the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
 BWW Reviews: Half & Half's PASSING STRANGE is a Funky, Fun Inaugural Production
May 8, 2013
There's a song titled "It's Alright" that comes up time and time again in Passing Strange, the rock musical serving as Half & Half Productions' inaugural production. The words "It's Alright" don't come close to describing this high octane show. While the content in Passing Strange may be a bit bizarre and occasionally jarring, this production is a rousing, thrilling introduction to a newer, little-known musical and to Austin's newest theater company.
Photo Flash: First Look at PICNIC at The Playhouse
May 6, 2013
 BWW Reviews: PICNIC Heats Up The Playhouse
May 6, 2013
Though we're still experiencing mild May weather, things are getting steamy at The Playhouse in San Antonio. The Playhouse's solid production of Willima Inge's Picnic, which runs through May 26th, is a riveting exploration of love and loneliness in a small Kansas town. While many other plays explore the same themes, few do so with this much heat. If there really was this much going on in Kansas, Dorothy would have had no reason to go to Oz.
 BWW Reviews: A Chick and A Dude Productions Revives Dark Drama HIT
May 6, 2013
In the second act of Hit, currently playing at Hyde Park Theatre and produced by A Chick and A Dude Productions, the tough, dangerous Asher states that the identity of the hit man has changed over the years. No longer are hit men Italian goons who kowtow to an old guy by kissing his ring or conniving thugs making offers no one can refuse. That idea of the true identity of a hit man is the clear focus of Hit, the gritty, daring drama written by and starring Shanon Weaver, Co-Artistic Director of A Chick and A Dude. Hit effortlessly goes underneath the tough guy exterior and reminds us that even killers-for-hire have a heart and a moral compass. They too can feel love and compassion, and they too have families. They're just like us, and the notion that these sinister characters are human after all makes Hit all the more stimulating.
 BWW Interviews: Q&A with James Venhaus, Playwright of THE HAPPY COUPLE
May 1, 2013
Austin's Last Act Theater Company continues their 2012-2013 Season with THE HAPPY COUPLE by Texan playwright James Venhaus.
James Venhaus recently answered some of BroadwayWorld's questions about his daring play.
 BWW Previews: Trailer for Last Act Theater's HAPPY COUPLE
May 1, 2013
Austin's Last Act Theater Company continues their 2012-2013 Season with THE HAPPY COUPLE by Texan playwright James Venhaus.
BroadwayWorld is pleased to share a short preview of this Austin premiere production of THE HAPPY COUPLE.
 BWW Blog: Derek Vandi on Rehearsals for Last Act Theater's THE HAPPY COUPLE
May 1, 2013
Austin's Last Act Theater Company continues their 2012-2013 Season with THE HAPPY COUPLE by Texan playwright James Venhaus. The entire rehearsal process has been documented by cast member Derek Vandi via his blog on the Last Act Theater Company website which he has allowed us to post below. BroadwayWorld extends its gratitude to Mr. Vandi and the Last Act Theater Company for sharing this content with us.
 BWW Interviews: Scot Friedman and Suzanne Balling of Last Act's HAPPY COUPLE
May 1, 2013
Austin's Last Act Theater Company continues their 2012-2013 Season with THE HAPPY COUPLE by Texan playwright James Venhaus. Michael Meigs of AustinLiveTheatre.com recently sat down with the Happy Couple themselves, Austin favorites Scot Friedman and Suzanne Balling, to discuss this thrilling production. We are grateful to Mr. Meigs for sharing this content with BroadwayWorld.
 Photo Flash: Trouble Puppet's Upcoming CRUEL CIRCUS
April 30, 2013
BroadwayWorld is pleased to share images from Trouble Puppet Theater Company's upcoming production, THE CRUEL CIRCUS, an original play by Connor Hopkins.
 BWW Interviews: Karen Alvarado, Director of Last Act's THE HAPPY COUPLE
April 30, 2013
Austin's Last Act Theater Company continues their 2012-2013 Season with THE HAPPY COUPLE by Texan playwright James Venhaus. BroadwayWorld Contributing Editor Jeff Davis recently interviewed the production's director, Karen Alvarado, who shared lots of interesting information about this Austin premiere.
 BWW Interviews: Video Interview with James Venhaus, Playwright of THE HAPPY COUPLE
April 30, 2013
Austin's Last Act Theater Company continues their 2012-2013 Season with THE HAPPY COUPLE by Texan playwright James Venhaus. Michael Meigs of AustinLiveTheatre.com recently sat down with James to discuss this thrilling production. We are grateful to Mr. Meigs for sharing this content with BroadwayWorld.
 BWW Interviews: Half & Half Productions Founders M. Scott Tatum and Julianna Wright Dish on Inaugural Show PASSING STRANGE
April 29, 2013
Here's what Half and Half's founders, M. Scott Tatum and Julianna Wright, have to say about their love for theater, the challenges with starting a new company, and why they decided on PASSING STRANGE as their inaugural production.
 BWW Reviews: Austin Playhouse Stages Riotous Comedy NOISES OFF
April 29, 2013
There is an old adage in the theater: "Dying is easy. Comedy is hard." Comedy is certainly harder when the material is Noises Off, the ridiculously funny farce by Michael Frayn which was named "One of the Funniest comedies ever written" by the New York Post. Still, if the cast and crew at the Austin Playhouse had any difficulty with the neo-classic comedy, it certainly doesn't show. Their polished production is uproariously funny with each moment better than the last.
 BWW Reviews: Stale Aesthetics Mar Strong Performances in Austin Lyric Opera's FAUST
April 26, 2013
It's the timeless quality of the tale that have inspired director Bernard Uzan to set his production of Faust, first produced at Arizona Opera in 2011 and now re-staged for Austin Lyric Opera, in modern times. Unfortunately, despite the impeccable performances of the incredible cast, the tone and visuals of the production distract from Gounod's masterpiece rather than enhancing it.
 BWW Reviews: GOOD PEOPLE is a Timely Tribute to Bostonian Resilience
April 20, 2013
While this week's tragic Boston Marathon Bombing definitely changes the effect the story and characters have on the audience, the cast and crew at Different Stages make no apologies for doing a play about Boston at such a critical time in the city's history. Instead, they celebrate the city and the people in it, turning Good People into an unashamedly honest celebration of the Bostonian spirit.
 BWW Reviews: TSU-San Marcos Presents Wonderfully Silly URINETOWN
April 19, 2013
While Urinetown may have an unconventional subject matter (you'd be hard pressed to think of another musical that focuses so heavily on bodily functions), it doesn't kill the show at all. This may not be your grandma's musical, but (please forgive the litany of bad puns you're about to read) it's a piss-your-pants funny show. Joke after joke whiz by as the show flushes musical theater conventions down the drain.
 BWW Reviews: Road Trip Tale MAD BEAT HIP AND GONE Is a Bumpy Road
April 15, 2013
Anyone who's ever been on a road trip knows that they are either incredible adventures or events you hope to never repeat. Strangely, the world premiere comedy Mad Beat Hip and Gone, written and directed by Austin's own Steven Dietz, falls somewhere in the middle. While there is much to love about the production, now playing at Zach's Topfer Theatre, overall it's a bit dull and not entirely memorable.
 BWW Reviews: Georgetown Palace Stages Wonderful Romantic Comedy with SAME TIME NEXT YEAR
April 15, 2013
It's tough to make a romantic comedy work. The genre so easily gives way to unrealistic scenarios and corniness. The odds of someone standing on your front lawn with a boom box blasting "In Your Eyes" a la Say Anything or a wealthy businessman climbing your fire escape with a bouquet of flowers courtesy of Pretty Woman are slim to none. While Same Time Next Year has a somewhat unrealistic premise involving two married people who meet at a California resort for a romantic tryst once every year for almost 25 years, the play by Bernard Slade is surprisingly believable, in part due to his brilliant script but largely due to the incredible performances on display in Georgetown Palace's current production of the piece.
 BWW Reviews: Baron's Men Presents a Mediocre MERCHANT OF VENICE
April 15, 2013
While Shakespeare's comedy The Merchant of Venice is not considered by all as one of his 'problem plays,' there are certainly many aspects about it that are problematic, namely its length and the latent anti-Semitism apparent in the text. These problems and more must be addressed for a production of the play to succeed. Sadly, as skilled as The Baron's Men are at bringing the Bard to life, they struggle with their current production of The Merchant of Venice, now playing Austin's Curtain Theater.
 BWW Reviews: St. Edwards University Stages Remarkably Funny IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
April 15, 2013
It's rare for a play, especially a social satire, to endure for over a century. Times change and what was once topical and funny often loses its punch. Thankfully, Oscar Wilde's 1895 masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest has endured, and in its current production at St. Edwards University, Wilde's witty play flourishes and shines.
 BWW Reviews: Woodlawn Theatre's THE PRODUCERS Produces Laugh After Laugh
April 12, 2013
I'm sad to report that I may have missed several moments of The Producers, currently playing at San Antonio's Woodlawn Theatre. The downside of having to wipe tears of laughter out of your eyes is that you miss a few seconds of action. Of course, that's hardly a complaint about this solid, polished, and professional production. Woodlawn Theatre's current production of The Producers illustrates exactly why the show was such a hit when it opened in 2001 and why it continues to please audiences. Despite the occasional offensiveness and cheekiness, the show is an enjoyable laugh riot that you can't help but love.
 BWW Reviews: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Rocks Austin
April 10, 2013
You may see some construction around Downtown Austin next week, because the National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet just blew the roof off of the Bass Concert Hall. The show, a rollicking 110 minute salute to iconic, classic rock and rollers, seems almost tailor made for Austin, the live music capitol of the world. The only thing louder than the music is the screams and hollers from the crowd.
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