ARTS Pick: Shrek: The Musical

Grab some torches and pitchforks and prepare for Shrek: The Musical, when an ogre-turned-hero braves dragon fire and a tiny king to save his beloved Fiona. As Shrek adventures with his faithfully frustrating sidekick, Donkey, storybook creatures, and a musical score, an expert cast recaptures the magic of Long Ago and Far Away. Through 8/10. $16, […]

ARTS Pick: Shear Madness

Tight improvisation, audience participation, and sharp-tongued hair dressers deliver new twists every night in Shear Madness, the longest running nonmusical theater production in U.S. history. Set in a unisex salon right here in town, the American adaptation of Paul Portner’s slapstick whodunit asks playgoers to help solve an off-stage murder. Locals can look forward to inside […]

ARTS Pick: Cyrano de Bergerac

Edmond Rostand’s classic French farce, Cyrano de Bergerac, satirizes the overly romanticized literature of the 1600s in the tale of an eloquent, talented, and brave young man whose unfortunate rhinophyma prevents him from garnering the love of the beautiful Roxanne. The plot twists hazardously as the fearless soldier tries to find a work around and […]

ARTS Pick: The Secret Garden

In a world where over-the-top productions dominate entertainment, it’s nice to find a theater company that relies on talent and imagination. Such is the mission of the Missoula Children’s Theatre. The Montana-based troupe hosts a cast comprised entirely of children grades 1-12 who share all of the responsibilities of production; assistant directors, actors, and choreographers […]

ARTS Pick: Hot Claw in the Summertime

When Charlottesville’s tough and determined ladies go head-to-head in battles of the bicep you get CLAW—the Charlottesville League of Lady Arm Wrestlers. Next up on the wrist warriors’ docket is Hot Claw in the Summertime. Borrowing from roller derby and the eccentricities of the pro wrestling world, CLAW events are defined not only by feats […]

ARTS Pick: An Evening with Groucho

You know you have a calling when the son of a legendary American humorist hand-selects you to play his famous father. Such is the case for Frank Ferrante, who’s crafted a 30-year career around Arthur Marx’s play Groucho: A Life in Revue. Ferrante has rekindled the defining role in An Evening with Groucho, a new […]

ARTS Pick: The Lady Pills

Call out a suggestion and watch epic comedy unfold when Big Blue Door’s improv comedy team The Lady Pills tackle the Harold. Developed by actors Del Close and Charna Halpern in the ’80s, this longform improv game forces comedians to create and weave narratives on the fly, rapid-firing scenes and new story lines before tying […]

ARTS Pick: Comedy With a Taste of Jazz

Richmond-based comedian and self-proclaimed syllogist Corey Marshall shares the stage with the area’s top jazz players at the Comedy With a Taste of Jazz series launch. Hosted by the United Nations of Comedy, the series harkens back to the Harlem Renaissance and the jazz era by offering a distinctive fusion of laughter and feel good […]