Joe Gruberman – Splash Magazines

Footprint Center Hosts Cirque du Soleil Corteo

September 18, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

Footprint Center is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Phoenix. It’s the home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. As I write this, the arena is hosting a week-long engagement of Cirque […]

DreamGirls at the Phoenix Theatre Company

August 9, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

There’s nothing more satisfying than a pre-opening night performance that brings the audience to its feet practically from the first scene. DreamGirls at the Phoenix Theatre Company is just such an experience. Minor spoiler alert: […]

Making Movies with Amanda Melby

August 5, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

A few years ago, I received a phone call from Amanda Melby requesting my help to produce her feature film project. My immediate reaction was one of apprehension and dread. On the one hand, Amanda […]

Behind The Scenes: Cirque du Soleil Corteo

July 1, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

In anticipation of a September 2023 performance in Phoenix, AZ, we’re going to go exploring behind the scenes of Cirque du Soleil Corteo. We’ll take a deep dive into the intricacies of executing this kind […]

Discovering DRY CLIMATE GARDENING (book review)

June 21, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

“Dry Climate Gardening” is a how-to book by horticulturalist Noelle Johnson a.k.a. “The AZ Plant Lady”. With daytime temps hovering around 100°F (38°C) here in the Sonoran Desert, I’ve put off writing this review long […]

Estrella Mountain’s LIKE HEAVEN

May 10, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

The Bridge Initiative brings Elaine Romero‘s “Like Heaven” to the Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) Performing Arts Center. EMCC is a new venue for us, and we’re pleasantly surprised by it. The stage is modest, […]

Jesus Christ Superstar: 50 Years Later

April 19, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

It took half a century to fulfill this teenage fantasy. In 1971, I was introduced to the concept album “Jesus Christ Superstar”. It quickly soared to my #1 singalong album, dethroning The Who’s “Tommy” which […]

Reflecting On “The Last Five Years”

March 25, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

The black-box intimacy of the Hormel Theatre — little sister to The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Mainstage — will be missed once its planned expansion is completed. Luckily, over the next few weeks, audiences can be […]

“An American In Paris” at The Phoenix Theatre Company

February 2, 2023 Joe Gruberman 0

This month, An American In Paris (the play) made its premiere at The Phoenix Theatre Company. We indicate “the play” parenthetically because the legacy of An American In Paris goes back nearly a century before […]

Cinderella Steals Our Hearts

November 22, 2022 Joe Gruberman 0

Let’s be clear. This is not about how at the tender age of 11, my heart was stolen by the captivatingly beautiful Leslie Ann Warren. I still recall her wide-eyed wonderment, in the role of […]