All stories by Toni Tresca on BroadwayStars

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Annapurna Sriram’s gritty, surreal debut, ‘Fucktoys,’ gets lost in the trash by Toni Tresca

'Fucktoys' is audacious, filthy and frequently fascinating, but its pace and plotting detract from its chaos.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 03:21PM

Sentimentality smothers substance in Brendan Fraser’s latest misfire by Toni Tresca

Searchlight’s cross-cultural dramedy, Rental Family, turns a fascinating premise into manipulative mush. When Rental Family opened at the Denver Film Festival’s Holiday Theater on Novemb…

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 03:12PM

Noah Baumbach’s ‘Jay Kelly’ is a bittersweet portrait of fame, family and friendship by Toni Tresca

George Clooney and Adam Sandler shine in Baumbach’s reflective, somber comedy about legacy.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 02:26PM
Saturday, November 1, 2025

New ‘Knives Out’ is the sharpest of the bunch by Toni Tresca

Wake Up Dead Man has a killer cast, master plotting and style to spare in a divine murder mystery worth confessing to again and again.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 03:11PM
Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Ballyhoo brings theatre, coffee, cocktails and community to LoHi by Toni Tresca

Ballyhoo Table & Stage will have its grand opening on November 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3300 Tejon Street, Denver.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 01:00PM
Monday, October 27, 2025

‘A Town Called Harris’ haunts Westminster in an immersive mystery by Toni Tresca

The Catamounts’ witty, site-specific performance mixes local history with ghostly fun at DeSpain Schoolhouse.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 07:25PM

‘The Lion King’ roars back to Denver with dazzling spectacle by Toni Tresca

Disney’s The Lion King returns to the Buell Theatre with stunning visuals, timeless music and an impressive cast.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 07:04PM
Saturday, October 25, 2025

‘The Motherfucker with the Hat’ struggles with space and pacing by Toni Tresca

While the script is razor-sharp, shaky performances and cramped staging by Flamboyán Theatre and The Three Leaches blunt its impact.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 10:30AM
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Aurora Fox’s ‘Lizzie’ mixes punk fury with slow-burn storytelling by Toni Tresca

The Fox’s musical about Lizzie Borden stuns with bold visuals and music but simmers more than it slashes, leaving a stylish but uneven impression.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 08:17AM
Saturday, October 18, 2025

Unpacking the 48th Denver Film Festival with Artistic Director Matt Campbell by Toni Tresca

From the new Knives Out film to Creative Conversations about the film industry, we get the inside scoop on the 2025 Denver Film Festival.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 10:27AM
Friday, October 17, 2025

Wonderbound jams out with Garrett Ammon’s ‘Rock Ballets’ by Toni Tresca

Denver dance group opens its season with a high-energy program set to Queen, The Rolling Stones and David Bowie.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 08:21PM

‘Nosferatu’ comes alive with Quarkestra’s dynamic original score by Toni Tresca

Denver's Quarkestra performed an electrifying live score for F.W. Murnau's 1922 horror classic in front of a rowdy crowd at the Landmark Mayan Theatre.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 03:15PM
Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Phamaly’s ‘Dance Nation’ plays it safe by Toni Tresca

While moments shine, the production struggles to capture the feral energy Clare Barron’s script demands.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 02:32PM
Wednesday, October 8, 2025

World premiere of ‘A Case for Black Girls Setting Central Park on Fire’ ignites the Dairy Arts Center by Toni Tresca

Local Theater Company’s bold staging blends poetry, gospel music and treadmills in a boundary-pushing, mythical journey that’s equal parts disorienting and unforgettable.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 10:01AM
Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Candlelight’s ‘Steel Magnolias’ mixes earnest performances and heavy-handed direction by Toni Tresca

Candlelight Dinner Theatre in Johnstown opens its 18th season with Robert Harling's play, with performances that shine despite staging that detracts from the play's realism.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 10:21AM
Thursday, October 2, 2025

At Firehouse Theater, a sharply staged historic censorship fight by Toni Tresca

Director Melissa Lucero McCarl mounts a timely, stirring regional premiere about censorship, race and resilience in 1950s Alabama.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 09:57AM
Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Arvada Center’s ‘Lady Day’ nails the atmosphere, but Billie’s voice gets lost by Toni Tresca

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill struggles with clarity despite strong design and band.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 07:27PM
Saturday, September 27, 2025

‘The Happiest Man on Earth’ brings a Holocaust survivor’s story to the stage by Toni Tresca

DCPA Theatre Company opens its season with a stark, affecting one-man play starring Kenneth Tigar.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 04:04PM
Saturday, September 20, 2025

‘Eureka Day’ satirizes consensus as vaccine debates rage on by Toni Tresca

At Curious Theatre, Christy Montour-Larson’s production shines in design and performance, though the satire loses steam after its high point in a virtual town hall.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 10:23AM
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Vintage’s ‘Merrily’ features winning performances and technical hiccups by Toni Tresca

Vintage Theatre launches its 25th season with Sondheim’s tricky showbiz tragedy, carried by stellar performances even as the production stumbles technically.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 06:36PM
Monday, September 15, 2025

At BETC, ‘The Thin Place’ delivers a spine-chilling journey into the unknowable by Toni Tresca

Lucas Hnath’s eerie drama is given an intimate, spooky staging, with Madison Taylor leading a superb cast in one of the season’s most haunting productions.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 04:29PM

Music shines, story falters in ‘Buddy’ by Toni Tresca

Town Hall Arts Center’s season opener plays the hits with gusto but offers little depth beyond nostalgia.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 11:05AM
Monday, July 28, 2025

‘ArounD the WorlD in 80 ToyS’ blends cinema, magic and miniatures in live film fantasy by Toni Tresca

Thaddeus Phillips returns to Buntport with a solo show that pays homage to Georges Méliès.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 12:56PM
Saturday, July 19, 2025

Finally, some good news: Colorado awards $10M in community revitalization tax credits by Toni Tresca

Colorado Creative Industries launches major tax credit to support creative, mixed-use community projects statewide.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 03:30PM
Saturday, July 12, 2025

‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ presents emotional fireworks in a static setting by Toni Tresca

Denver Theatre Ensemble delivers a solid but uneven take on Lucas Hnath’s drama.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 04:37PM
Thursday, July 3, 2025

‘Steel Magnolias’ blooms with grace, humor and gut-wrenching emotion by Toni Tresca

Theatre SilCo staging of Robert Harling’s classic is a superbly directed production with an all-star cast.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 07:48PM
Friday, June 27, 2025

At Candlelight, ‘Anastasia’ soars with a revolutionary edge by Toni Tresca

Johnstown dinner theatre closes its 17th season with an opulent, sophisticated musical.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 03:51PM
Wednesday, June 11, 2025

‘The Tempest’ at Colorado Shakespeare Festival is a visually stunning, anti-colonial fairy tale by Toni Tresca

Review: Ellen McLaughlin leads a stunning, emotionally grounded production of Shakespeare’s final play in Boulder.

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 11:01AM
Sunday, June 8, 2025

Tattoo tales fall short in Fringe Festival performance by Toni Tresca

‘Ink Addicted’ struggles to find focus

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 03:36PM

A clown’s take on dating horror stories by Toni Tresca

'All the Boys I Blocked' features a virtuoso, highly enjoyable performance by Chanel

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 01:46PM
Saturday, June 7, 2025

‘Fat & Horny (And Incredibly Anxious)’ is a raw play at RISE by Toni Tresca

This one-woman show is stellar debut by Rebecca Gholson at Denver Fringe

SOURCE: OnStage Colorado at 01:05PM

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