theatre review - LIFE COULD BE A DREAM - Hale Centre Theatre - January 16, 2018

Micah Jondel DeShazer, Kale Burr, Angela Kriese, Vinny Chavez, and Danny Karapetian
Photo by Nick Woodward-Shaw

Click here for more information on this production that runs through April 17th.

"Roger Bean can pretty much be given the title of "King of the Jukebox Musical." The creator of the hit revue The Marvelous Wonderettes, along with its numerous sequels, Bean has also crafted over half a dozen other shows that feature familiar tunes from the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Hale Centre Theatre is currently presenting one of his latest creations, Life Could Be a Dream, and though it isn't quite on the same level as Wonderettes... it still makes for a fun, charming and heartwarming journey back in time with a cast who deliver two dozen well-known tunes with an infectious glee....Hale's cast features five performers who all have numerous previous credits appearing on the Hale stage. Vinny Chavez, Kale Burr and Danny Karapetian make a winning threesome as the school friends Denny, Eugene and Wally, respectively, while Micah Jondel DeShazer does well as the quiet loner Skip and Angela Kriese is charming as Lois. All five create unique individuals while providing a good mix of vocal contributions from solos to harmonies that blend beautifully under Lincoln Wright's astute music direction....Cambrian James' direction and choreography infuse the entire production with a wealth of fun moments, with plenty of humor and always changing dance moves that feature synchronized period moves delivered well by the cast. ...It may be a lightweight musical but it still results in a fun trip down memory lane that is filled with laughs and over two dozen tunes of yesteryear. " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)