Jamestown Community Theater is back in business with its production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” their first show since the pandemic shut down the theater world in early 2020. Directed by Richard J. Martin, “Spelling Bee” is a bright and fun show to mark the company’s return. The cast is eclectic, featuring […]
Frank O'Donnell
Frank O’Donnell has worn many different hats. As an actor, he’s performed in three professional theatrical productions and countless community theater productions. He’s written, produced and directed four holiday-themed shows and once helmed the Notfanuttin’ Players, specializing in audience-participation dinner shows. He’s been performing as a stand-up comedian since 1982 and has been inducted into the RI Comedy Hall of Fame. He’s written comedy for other performers, like Bob Hope, Jay Leno and Joe Piscopo. He’s opened for performers as diverse as the Judds, Michael Bolton, Chicago, David Brenner, Gilbert Gottfried and more. He’s been writing reviews and features about theater in Rhode Island for better than two decades. His work to help save the monarch butterfly has been chronicled on NBC Nightly News and he is president of the Keri Anne O’Donnell Memorial Fund. A native of Providence and long-time resident of North Providence, Frank now calls Jamestown home. He and his wife Karen – who he met when both were students at Classical High School – have four children, and recently became grandparents.
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Theater Review: ‘The Prom’ overcomes audio issues and bigotry at PPAC
Here’s the bad news: Tuesday night’s performance of “The Prom” was plagued with sound problems from the start. Here’s the good news: Despite that, “The Prom” is a flat-out fun and entertaining show. Let’s talk about the show. It opens with a post-show Broadway celebration. Dee Dee Allen (Courtney Balan) and Barry Glickman (Patrick Wetzel) […]
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What’s Up Interview: Comedian Lewis Black, coming to The Vets Saturday, March 12
“We are literally living in an age when black and white TV would make so much sense,” says Lewis Black. The comedian is coming to The Vet’s in Providence this Saturday with his “Off the Rails” tour. He’s got his finger on the pulse of the day’s news. “This county has really moved so quickly,” […]
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Theater Review: ‘Exit Laughing’ at the Arctic Playhouse
As board members at the Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick, Lloyd Felix and Jim Belanger did the curtain speech prior to “Exit Laughing” last Friday night. They chatted up the audience and reminded us about the shows coming up this season. And then they talked about the show we were there to see. “I’m sure […]
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Theater Review: PPAC’s ‘An Officer and a Gentleman,’ delivers predictable fun
Perhaps you’ve heard the term “jukebox musical.” Typically, it’s a show that takes a group of well-known songs from a particular artist or genre and stitches them together with a new story. For instance, there’s MAMMA MIA!, taking a group of songs by Abba and building them into a story about a young girl about […]
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What’s Up Interview: Choreographer Patti Wilcox of “An Officer and a Gentleman” – at PPAC Feb 18-20
Patti Wilcox was pretty cheery when we chatted recently. “I’ve just arrived in Detroit and it’s great.” When I pointed out that “Detroit” and “great” don’t often appear in the same sentence, she laughed. “It’s a good tour city, and it is the home of Motown, so…” Wilcox is part of the creative team that […]
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Theater Review: Superb “An Octoroon” makes a point at Gamm Theatre
You could best describe “An Octoroon” as a play surrounding a play. Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, his modern play incorporates another, written by Dion Boucicault in 1859. That play centers on a crumbling plantation in Louisiana, and the fight to control it and the people who call it home. One of those people is Zoe […]
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Theater Review: “Superstar” still thrills at PPAC
I’ll admit it. I felt a little old when I realized that the current production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Providence Performing Arts Center was the 50th anniversary tour. Sure, I knew that the concept album was released while I was still in high school, which gave me a good frame of reference. But […]
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What’s Up in Local Theater: We review “It’s a Wonderful Life”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a holiday staple. The Jimmy Stewart movie is a must-play this time of year. For a bit of a change, why not see it live? The Gamm Theatre is presenting “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a live radio broadcast, and it could be the perfect tonic for today’s world. A […]
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Theater Review: Broadway returns to RI – “Pretty Woman” a hit at PPAC
Broadway is back in Providence, and Providence seems pretty happy about it. This week, the Providence Performing Arts Center is hosting its first Broadway tour in 19 months. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL officially opened to a very full house Tuesday night. The musical is based on the 1990 movie of the same name starring Julia […]
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Theater Review: ‘A Lie Agreed Upon’ at Gamm Theatre
Tony Estrella, artistic director of The Gamm Theatre in Warwick, has a fondness for Henrik Ibsen. “His influence is all over the theater,” said Estrella recently, “second only to Shakespeare.” Often referred to as the father of realism in theater, Ibsen’s been gone for 115 years, but his works live on. For the third time, […]