Last Thursday, March 16, when Theatre Cedar Rapids announced their 2017-18 season (see below), they welcomed with it a new executive director. Katie Hallman, most recently of New Orleans, took the reins from Jim Kern. Kern had been serving as interim executive director since Casey Prince announced his departure in October, after a decade of […]
Theatre Cedar Rapids
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Pay attention: TCR’s ‘Assassins’ is timely and terrifying
Assassins Theatre Cedar Rapids — through March 4 It’s no secret that I’m not a Sondheim fan. And while Assassins pushes the boundaries of his typical style with more edge and rawness than one gets from a production of Company or Into the Woods, it utterly lacks the kind of cohesive story you get in […]
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TCR’s ‘Next Fall’ is hard and real, unique and touching
Next Fall Theatre Cedar Rapids — through Jan. 28 Next Fall, by Geoffrey Nauffts, which opened at Theatre Cedar Rapids on Jan. 13, is set in two worlds. In one, we travel the timeline of a relationship brimming with honesty and real love. And, in another, we are stuck in an uncomfortable hospital waiting room, […]
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Theatre Cedar Rapids tells a familiar ‘tale as old as time’
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Theatre Cedar Rapids — through Sunday, Dec. 18 On opening night of Theatre Cedar Rapids’ production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, I saw children of all ages scattered among parents and die hard Belle fans (she is the best princess, you know). Glow roses lit up illegally during the […]
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Impeccable vocals and magical effects bring audiences ‘Under the Sea’ at ‘Disney’s The Little Mermaid’
Disney’s The Little Mermaid Theatre Cedar Rapids — through June 12 Theatre Cedar Rapids was absolutely buzzing when we arrived for their production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Families everywhere. A sea of lighted tiaras, wands and children in their dress-up Disney gear. When we sat down, there was a young woman in front of […]
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‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ spins a colorful, whimsical darkness
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Theatre Cedar Rapids — Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. A good existential crisis is like a good cry: You feel clean afterward, perhaps vindicated. You come back from the edge and can now say, “Oh, that’s over there.” It’s exhilarating, almost. You feel awake and […]
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To see or not to see, there is no question: A review of Theatre Cedar Rapids’ ‘Hamlet’
Hamlet Theatre Cedar Rapids — through Apr. 16 I fell in love with Hamlet at a very young age. The titular character of one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated tragedies was exactly the kind of goth-y antihero that I went for, and his bloodthirsty revenge fantasy was utterly relatable to me. The romance of Ophelia, so […]
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Just announced: Theatre Cedar Rapids’ 83rd season
New surprises, familiar traditions and beloved classics are all on the bill for Theatre Cedar Rapids, which announced its 2016-17 season tonight. For the second year in a row, they kick off their production year with a play in the Grandon Studio — this year, it’s The Flick, by Annie Baker, a comedy that won […]
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TCR pairs impeccable vocals with smart little quirks for ‘Next to Normal’
Next to Normal Theatre Cedar Rapids — Friday, Mar. 11 and Saturday, Mar. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Next To Normal (book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey; music by Tom Kitt) centers around a family, broken by the lingering mental state of the mother figure, Diana. The husband can’t fix her, so stands supportive. The daughter […]
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Treat your valentine to some ‘Heart and Music’
Studio Cabaret Series: Heart and Music Theatre Cedar Rapids — Opens Friday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The Studio Cabaret Series, which kicked off at Theatre Cedar Rapids last September, is back with a new installment titled Heart and Music. Led by director Lynne Rothrock (who stretches her own performance muscles next weekend, performing the […]
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Theatre Cedar Rapids kicks off its 6th annual Underground New Play Festival
Underground New Play Festival Theatre Cedar Rapids — Opens Friday, Jan. 22 Continuing a six-year tradition, Theatre Cedar Rapids is inviting audiences “Underground” to see a selection of 14 original productions by over 70 volunteers both onstage and behind the scenes. The festival begins Jan. 22 and runs through Feb. 7; tickets are $13 each […]
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Theatre Cedar Rapids’ improv series takes audiences on a JOYRIDE
JOYRIDE Theatre Cedar Rapids’ Grandon Studio — Fri-Sun, Nov. 13-15 Theatre Cedar Rapids breaks new ground this week with its very first Studio Improv Series. Once the sole purview of the independent theater and college scenes, and dedicated companies like the Magnet Theatre and the IO, improvisational theatre has found an unlikely home at TCR […]
