Reviews of Our Shows
Phoenix's Wiggle Gives Giggles and Grins
www.theatrevault.com, Sunday, March 7, 2010, Krista Threadgill and Tahrea Maynard
Both reviewers and a young, unofficial reviewer all highly recommend The Phoenix Theatre for Children’s Mrs. Piggle Wiggle at the Vern Riffe Center in Studio One.
Phoenix’s ‘Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’ uses humor to teach lessons
www.examiner.com, Saturday, March 6, 2010, Erin Millar
An upside-down house, adults acting like troublesome kids, and a radishy cure for a child who doesn’t want to take a bath are just a few of the things you’ll experience when you see Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, the Phoenix Theatre for Children’s new production. Sound a little bit strange? Well, yes, it is, but it’s just part of the show’s humor and charm.
Story about elephant ponderous at times
The Columbus Dispatch, Tuesday, January 26, 2010, Margaret Quamme
As charming as it is, The Story of Babar doesn't easily translate to the stage.
The episodic fantasy about an elephant in a top hat who becomes king of the forest after spending years eating pastries with an old lady and driving her car throughout the countryside has a tossed-off narrative that depends on its delightful illustrations for success.
Phoenix Theatre's
Examiner.com, Sunday, January 24, 2010, Erin Millar
If there are two things most children can relate to, they are bedtime stories and playing make-believe. Both of these pastimes are brought to life in front of the audience’s eyes as part of the Phoenix Theatre for Children’s production of The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant, making the story relatable and entertaining for audience members of all ages.
Musical retains book's charm
The Columbus Dispatch, Tuesday, December 8, 2009, Margaret Quamme
When you think about Christmas, flying carpets don't leap to mind. But the quirky and engaging Madeline's Christmas, based on a picture book by Ludwig Bemelmans, makes them seem a logical addition to a magical season.
'Madeline's Christmas' full of energy, music, and holiday cheer
Examiner.com, Saturday, December 5, 2009, Erin Millar
... this is the perfect holiday show for the whole family. For the adults in the audience who grew up on the Madeline stories, the show brings about wonderful memories of childhood. For the younger audience members, Madeline's Christmas is a wonderful story with catchy tunes and actresses who are as young as they.
Thurber adaptation is a royal treat
The Columbus Dispatch, Tuesday, March 17, 2009, Margaret Quamme
The Phoenix Theatre for Children adaptation of the story -- staged in honor of the 25th birthday of the Thurber House -- is a delightful celebration of both common sense and imagination.
Pair balances humor, suspense
The Columbus Dispatch, Wednesday, February 18, 2009, Margaret Quamme
As far as staging goes, the Phoenix Theatre for Children production of Hansel & Gretel couldn't be simpler.
But that doesn't mean that the show is simplistic. It achieves a delicate balance between humor and suspense, and its playful surface opens up to reveal complex layers of meaning.
Simple telling of fairy tale yields power of story
The Columbus Dispatch, Thursday, February 12, 2009, Michele Lemmon
As presented by the Phoenix Theatre for Children, Hansel & Gretel reveals its charms through its simplicity.
Signing, speaking combine well
The Columbus Dispatch, Wednesday, January 14, 2009, Margaret Quamme
The Miracle Worker is, above all, about the role that language plays in connecting human beings.
...
Julie Stewart's Annie is warm and determined. Her lines are voiced by Vanessa Becker with steely wit. Reagan Belhorn is spunky as Helen and Sarah Hiance compassionate as her mother, Kate.
Abbreviated Twain classic still potent
The Columbus Dispatch, Tuesday, November 4, 2008, Margaret Quamme
The bar that Phoenix Theatre for Children sets for itself seems impossibly high: Tell the story of the action-packed The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in less than an hour, even with the inclusion of 10 folk songs.
Yet Huck Finn's American Song clears the bar easily.