Stage Write

2023 marks a golden milestone for Beef & Boards – 50 years of keeping audiences well-fed and exceptionally entertained, and keeping them coming back for more. It’s a celebration that includes three new shows to the Beef & Boards stage, fan and family favorites, and a return of the most successful show ever presented at the theatre. It all begins on Dec. 28, 2022 with the play based on the beloved Hasbro board game of the same name. Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery in which six mysterious guests arrive at a remote mansion for an unusual dinner party, where murder and blackmail are on the menu. Led by Wadsworth, the butler, all of the usual suspects are on hand, including Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, and Colonel Mustard. This comedy whodunit is rated PG and is on stage through Feb. 5, 2023. Then it’s time to cut loose for the first musical of the 2023 Season: Footloose . The explosive movie musical bursts onto the stage fea...

  Broadway Across America does big musicals well. Obviously, the trend of movie-to-musical has touched every genre, but Disney musicals tend to translate well in that medium. Aladdin is no exception. Everything is big, bright, sparkling, and bursting with color. The special effects don’t disappoint. There are lightning-fast costume changes and spectacular sets. The Cave of Wonders is particularly impressive.   The show feels different through the eyes of a child. Critics might feel overwhelmed by the hugeness of the cast, set, and costumes, but for kids it's magical. A favorite movie comes to life in front of them and the production nails that. The magic carpet ride alone is worth the price of admission for the look of sheer joy on your kiddo’s face. The musical has learned from some of its Disney predecessors. In The Little Mermaid, the annoying sidekicks didn’t translate well to the stage and in Aladdin, those characters are wisely eschewed. Instead of a querulous monkey...