When thinking about what might make for a rousing night of comedy, “murder” may not exactly be at the top of your list. But while Actors’ Playhouse’s production of Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Murder On The Orient Express maintains enough of the suspensefulness of the Agatha Christie original to make for a compelling evening, it also makes for a surprising amount of good plain fun.

The biographical jukebox musical, which tell the life story of a famous musical artist or group using their well-known songs as a score, has become a relatively popular mini-genre in recent years. However, it isn’t actually one that I have terribly much experience with, since the aura of conventionality surrounding these shows isn’t typically one that attracts me. In fact, prior to getting invited to Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which is currently playing at the Kravis Center after its initial winter run was delayed due to the Omicron outbreak, I probably wouldn’t have even recognized the name Donna Summer, despite her status as an incredibly influential artist whose hits landed her the moniker “disco queen.” 

Written By Christine Dolen
Artburstmiami.com

The characters in Pearl Cleage’s “Blues for an Alabama Sky” are caught somewhere between the creative, hopeful heaven of the Harlem Renaissance and the hellish economic collapse of the Great Depression.