Central New York Theater Reviews

Review: CLYDE'S at Syracuse Stage
by Dan and Julie Izzo - February 05, 2024

If you are hungry for some tasty theater that is fresh, natural and with just enough sizzle to keep you satisfied, get yourself down to Syracuse Stage to see Clyde’s, a thoughtful and inspiring new play by Pulitzer Prize winner, Lynn Nottage. Set in a lonesome truck stop diner somewhere outside of R...

Review: LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES at Blackfriars Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - February 02, 2024

“Les Liaisons Dangereuses” is a story with myriad adaptations. The 18th century novel was spun into a stage play in 1985 by playwright Christopher Hampton, which was then adapted into the 1988 film “Dangerous Liaisons”, which was THEN adapted into the 90’s cult sensation “Cruel Intentions.” It’s not...

Review: DIAL M FOR MURDER at Geva Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - January 23, 2024

What did our critic think of DIAL M FOR MURDER at Geva Theatre?...

Review: THE CHRISTIANS at Out Of Pocket Productions
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - January 15, 2024

What did our critic think of THE CHRISTIANS at Out Of Pocket Productions?...

Review: THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY at Blackfriars Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - December 17, 2023

What did our critic think of THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY at Blackfriars Theatre?...

Review: ANNIE at Rochester Broadway Theatre League
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - December 14, 2023

Though it’s not necessarily a Christmas show in the way that “A Christmas Carol” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” are, “Annie” captures many of the essential elements of the Christmas season: friendship, love, optimism, and hope for the future. There is possibly no more prominent feel-good story than “Ann...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Geva Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - December 04, 2023

As someone who covers theatre I’m always a bit apprehensive as the holiday season approaches each year, because having seen “A Christmas Carol” more times than I can possibly count, I fear that I won’t have something new to say; the story is 180 years old after all, so at this point there aren’t man...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Syracuse Stage
by Dan and Julie Izzo - December 04, 2023

What did our critic think of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Syracuse Stage?...

Review: LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE at JCC Centerstage Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - December 01, 2023

The power of memory is a fascinating thing. We all have that one song that transports us back to our wedding day, or that TV commercial that immediately makes us think of our Dad, or a smell that evokes the comfort of Christmas morning. Nora and Delia Ephron’s play “Love, Loss and What I Wore” explo...

Review: MOULIN ROUGE at Rochester Broadway Theatre League
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - November 10, 2023

If Rochester’s gloomy late-autumn weather has got you down, prepare to be whisked away to the bright lights and teeming intrigue of Paris’ underground nightlife, and explore the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom, and love; “Moulin Rouge” has landed at the Rochester Broadway Theatre League....

Review: LOBBY HERO at Penfield Players
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - October 29, 2023

What did our critic think of LOBBY HERO at Penfield Players?...

Review: FRIDA...A SELF PORTRAIT at Geva Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - October 28, 2023

What did our critic think of FRIDA...A SELF PORTRAIT at Geva Theatre?...

Review: LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL at Syracuse Stage
by Dan and Julie Izzo - October 23, 2023

What did our critic think of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL at Syracuse Stage? Syracuse Stage follows its one woman tour de force, What the Constitution Means to Me, with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, an equally challenging one woman production that is similarly structured and almost beg...

Review: ROMEO & JULIET at The Company Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - October 20, 2023

What did our critic think of ROMEO & JULIET at The Company Theatre? One of Rochester’s newest performing arts organizations, The Company Theatre, launches its 2023-2024 season with a well-known stalwart, “Romeo and Juliet”, playing until the end of October in Rochester’s Temple Theatre....

Review: ROCKY HORROR SHOW at OFC Creations
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - October 16, 2023

What did our critic think of ROCKY HORROR SHOW at OFC Creations? I’ve reviewed a deluge of “Rocky Horror” productions in my years covering the Upstate NY theatre scene, so when it comes to this iconic intergalactic cult classic I feel confident saying that I’ve seen it all: spaceships, dildos, laser...

Review: ZOOMAN AND THE SIGN at Avenue Blackbox Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - September 18, 2023

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Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Syracuse Stage
by Dan and Julie Izzo - September 18, 2023

Syracuse Stage kicks off its 50th anniversary season with Heidi Schreck’s 'What the Constitution Means to Me', a clever, poignant, multifaceted gem of a play. Literally framed like an old photograph that stirs memory, the play begins as the middle-aged Heidi Schreck (Mel House) steps into a picture ...

Review: CLUE at Blackfriars Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - September 11, 2023

What did our critic think of CLUE at Blackfriars Theatre? For Blackfriars Theatre’s opening production of the 2023-2024 season, Rochester theatregoers are being treated to the classic pop culture whodunit, “Clue”, whose adaptations have spanned board game, film, musical and play. While the murder-my...

Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at Geva Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - September 06, 2023

What did our critic think of THE WIZARD OF OZ at Geva Theatre? Fall is here (kinda? It’s 90 degrees today), which means the return of theatre season and the coming-to-life once again of Rochester’s premiere regional theatre, Geva. And what better way to kick-off the season than with a timeless class...

Review: Blackfriars Theatre Delivers A Spirited Take On GODSPELL
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - August 01, 2023

What did our critic think of GODSPELL at Blackfriars Theatre?...

Review: ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Pendragon Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - July 01, 2023

What did our critic think of ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Pendragon Theatre?...

Review: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at Blackfriars Theatre
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - June 19, 2023

What did our critic think of A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at Blackfriars Theatre?...

Review: CLUE at Syracuse Stage
by Dan and Julie Izzo - June 16, 2023

Syracuse Stage closes its 2022-23 season with the madcap farce, Clue. Based on the iconic 1950’s board game of the same name, Clue spoofs whodunit mysteries, film noir, 1950’s pop culture and gothic horror films. The play is adapted for stage from the 1985 film that was a critical flop but has since...

Review: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Rochester Broadway Theatre League
by Colin Fleming-Stumpf - June 14, 2023

What did our critic think of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Rochester Broadway Theatre League? The relevance of “To Kill a Mockingbird” is bewilderingly on the nose. How is it that a 60+-year-old story about racism and the brokenness of the American criminal justice system feels as topical and fresh in 20...

Review: AIN'T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS at Proctors Theatre
by Peyton VanDerheyden - May 24, 2023

What did our critic think of AIN'T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS at Proctors Theatre?...