Category Archives: Reviews

Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

THE GREAT GATSBY presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through Oct. 4. More information.

Now THAT is how you start a play! I really enjoyed how the energy of the opening scene exploded off the stage with the first light cue. It grabs your attention and immediately pulls you into the show.

Justin McCombs as Nick Carraway. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

As in the book, the character of Nick Carraway (played by Justin McCombs) also serves as the narrator. He gives a solid performance, but the character felt a bit restrained emotionally to me. Also, several times, in the transitions, McCombs seemed to rush into the special lighting without acknowledging the transition back into his role as narrator.

Sara Clark as Daisy Buchanan and Jared Joplin as Jay Gatsby. Photo by Mikki Schaffner,

Sara Clark brings a unique energy to Daisy that I really enjoyed. The character seems to be always on the edge of an emotional cliff and Clark does an excellent job of portraying how her circumstances (and her refusal to actually make a decision to change those circumstances) push her closer to the edge.

Based on the physical description in the novel, Billy Chance would not be my first choice to cast as Tom Buchanan. In the role, Chance has a tendency to roll his shoulders forward and lean in at the waist, a posture that doesn’t evoke athlete to me. Better posture and a bit more of the “smaller guy on the team” swagger would help sell the character physically.

Billy Chace as Tom Buchanan and Miranda McGee as Myrtle Wilson. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Kelly Mengelkoch also does solid work as Jordan Baker. The flashback scene between Jordan and Daisy was very strong and a favorite moment in the play. Jordan’s final scene with Nick was also handled very well.

From the stage, Jared Joplin doesn’t appear as a contemporary of the other performers which seems a little off. While Gatsby’s aloofness towards others is in character, I would have liked to see that facade fall away a bit more in the presence of Daisy and his other confidants.

The show includes strong supporting character work by Jeremy Dubin as Meyer Wolfsheim, Miranda McGee as Myrtle Wilson, Nicolas Rose as George Wilson. Also solid work from the ensemble.

Kelly Mengelkoch as Jordan Baker & Justin McCombs as Nick Carraway. Photo by Mikki Shaffner.

For the most part, the video projections on the back walls worked well throughout the show. There was one scene in the first act when Daisy is looking out the window, the projection threw a shadow down her face that was distracting. The use of green lighting and the every present eyes were great visual references to the novel.

A nice idea in setting up the triangle tableau of the victims, but unfortunately with two bodies downstage on the floor, all three could not be seen by the majority of the audience.

Overall, a solid production with some really good moments. For me, the dynamic of the three male leads felt a bit off and was distracting at times.

More information |

My rating: 4 out of 5

Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

Nicholas Rose and Jeremy Dubin. Photo by Rich Sofranko.

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through Aug. 16. Read the show description.

What happens when you take a 90-ish minute comedic send-up of all of Shakespeare’s works, add CSC veterans Jeremy Dubin, Justin McCombs and Nicholas Rose, and put it all under the direction Sara Clark? It’s not a question of the show being good or funny, but moreso a question of HOW good and HOW funny. The answer to both is “pretty damn.”

The jokes are fast and furious with a loving nod to the Scooby-Doo and Road Runner cartoons. There are more pop culture and movie references than you can shake a lightsaber at, many of which generated quick, knowing glances between my guest and I as they successfully landed. The performance has a great mix of smart verbal, visual and physical bits that add to the experience without bogging down the show. The three actors easily manage (or at least make it look easy) the demands of the show and balancing their interactions with the audience.

Nicholas Rose, Justin McCombs, and Jeremy Dubin. Photo by Rich Sofranko.

Excellent support from the production crew and their staff, led by stage manager Alice Flanders and costume designer Abbi Howson, keep this crazy train on track. Solid work from sound designer Doug Borntrager, scenic designer Andrew J. Hungerford and props headed by Travis McElroy & Tenley Pitonzo enhance the fun.

I did feel that there were a couple of places where the pacing slowed a bit. Coming back from intermission, it took a little too long getting the whole gang back together on stage. Things slowed down again during the audience participation segment. Perhaps reversing the order to bring the entire audience in for the fun first would help.

Justin McCombs, Jeremy Dubin & Nicholas Rose.

The HAMLET hat-trick at the end of the show is a riot and something I’ll remember fondly for a long time.

As I was leaving the theater opening night, I passed a colleague in the lobby who said, “It must be a good show if you are leaving with a smile on your face.” I certainly can’t argue with that.  “!OOB”

More information |

My rating: 4.25 out of 5

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.