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Thursday, January 23, 2025 — Houston, TX

Sara Davidson

A&E 1/14/25 10:34pm

Review: “The Book of Mormon” involves no reading

By Sara Davidson

“The Book of Mormon”, a flashy musical that is not at all biblically accurate, came to the Houston Hobby Center January 7-12. The musical makes a mockery of the typical mission work expected from Mormons, covering everything from their racism, attempts at forced conversion and inner-religious conflicts, all while tap-dancing and singing away. 

A&E 12/3/24 11:15pm

What the Shuck? A Musical about Corn

By Sara Davidson

The hit Broadway musical “Shucked” came to the Houston Hobby Center this past week, and proved you really can make a musical about anything — but that doesn’t mean you should. The show follows the story of a woman named Maizy, who must go on a journey to save her small town when their livelihood, growing corn, starts to die. Though the musical had its moments, overall it fell flat, much like the singing of the male lead, Beau. 

A&E 10/8/24 10:54pm

Review: ‘Peter Pan’ balances kitschy and camp

By Sara Davidson

“Peter Pan,” the musical about a flying boy who never grows up and his adventures in Neverland, came to the Houston’s Hobby Center Oct. 1-6. The show made its Broadway debut in 1954, and though the technology and fly-systems have changed since its opening, classic songs such as “Never Never Land” and “Pirate Song” certainly have not. 

A&E 1/30/24 10:32pm

Review: ‘Les Misérables’ is powerful, enthralling and not miserable

By Sara Davidson

“Les Misérables,” a show centered around the 1832 June Rebellion in France that follows one man’s path from rags to riches and saving those along the way, arrived at Houston’s Hobby Center Jan. 24. The French club at Rice took full advantage of the visit, arranging guest lecturers to come speak about the French Revolution, as well as arranging a lunch with cast members for all students to attend.

A&E 11/7/23 11:16pm

Review: Jimmy Buffett’s long legacy lives on in final album

By Sara Davidson

Jimmy Buffett, the legendary star behind “Margaritaville” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” passed away earlier this year. Now, his latest album, “Equal Strain on All Parts,” has been released posthumously. As a lifetime fan of Buffett — or, a ‘Parrothead’ — this album did not disappoint and likely won’t for those new to his music as well. Though currently lacking my Margaritaville Crocs, I was thoroughly happy with Buffett’s final journey. 

A&E 2/28/23 11:12pm

Review: Run to ‘Moulin Rouge,’ a sparkling, red-hot spectacular

By Sara Davidson

“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” hit the Hobby Center this week, and it is worth a watch. The show is a jukebox musical featuring many popular and recognizable songs, and is based on the 2001 movie by the same name. I went into the show not knowing what to expect and left wishing that the show could go on for longer. Long story short, I loved it. 

A&E 2/15/23 12:07am

Review: ‘Magic Mike’ didn’t go full frontal — for the better

By Sara Davidson and Hamza Saeed

Walking into the theater in a three-piece suit and a beret, we were salivating. Sara was salivating thinking of the food we planned to grab afterwards. Hamza was salivating for some of that Magic Mike action. Neither of us had seen a Magic Mike movie before this one, hoping that the fresh perspective we could offer would lead to greater insights, or at least some surprises. What this actually led to was one hour and 52 minutes of laughter and Hamza attempting to dance along to scenes that had no business being danced to. 

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