Sunset Boulevard
tEATRO SANTANDER, SÃO PAULO
“In the middle of a season of merely good or average musicals, this production stands out by presenting an engrossing story in a sophisticated staging which is very well performed by the actors, singers, and dancers. Here you will find everything that you’d hope for in a real example of the genre. Beautiful scenery and effects, well balanced choreography, and an indispensable glamour, just as it should be in a drama about the Mecca of the film world.”
- Veja Magazine, São Paulo
“We opted for this: that the story be told through the flavor of memory and imagination”, explains director Fred Hanson, responsible for perhaps his best realized staging to date - with projections and variations on the stage, he achieves the feat of making the Brazilian production better than the original in various aspects.
- Istoé Magazine
Singin' in the Rain
Teatro SantaNder, São Paulo
"With its quick pace and irreverent humor which transcends the variety of ages in the audience, Singing' in the Rain is much more than a carbon copy of the best movie musical ever made. This musical showers talent and happiness that are difficult to resist. There are definitive moments in this production. Moments where the individual and collective brilliance are exhibited. These moments are, happily, many and enthusiastic. Not only the key scenes that are recreated for the theater in their original delicious and funny form, but also this production in and of itself".
- Broadway World Brazil
Jekyll & Hyde
Teatro Bradesco, São Paulo
"The American director Fred Hanson seems to understand how Brazilians like their musicals. This production has a quick pace compared to other examples of the genre and without losing any glamour, puts a high value on the story and performances much more than the special effects."
"One of the 10 best plays & musicals currently running."
- Veja Magazine São Paulo
Baby
Teatro João Caetano, Rio de Janeiro
"This is as fully and richly realized a production of Baby as I have ever seen"
- David Shire, composer
"One of the top ten productions currently running"
- Veja Rio magazine
Les Miserables (new version)
Fox Theatre, Atlanta
“This production is easily the strongest of all the traveling Les Mis shows I’ve seen. The Marius/Cosette love story has always seemed forced and thin to me in the musical. I can only assume it’s director Fred Hanson’s master stroke to cast in those roles two actors who either are or seem, and certainly act, much younger than previous incarnations. The result is stunning. Instead of giving us two noble and pretty but largely bloodless characters….Hanson gives us, much like Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, two youngsters baffled and smitten by the first rush of young love, and it’s as intoxicating to us as it is to them. Brilliant.”
- Michael John Dunaway, Paste magazine
“At the end of Friday’s opening, the crowd wasted no time leaping to its feet in approval….this confident, faithful production lets you focus on the intrinsic merits of Les Miz”.
- Nelson Pressley, Washington Post
Les Miserables (Muny version)
St. Louis Muny
“Director Fred Hanson and music director Dan Riddle establish a compelling rhythm that drives Hugo’s story of justice and mercy to its sad, uplifting conclusion. Hanson creates dramatic counterpoint by showcasing spectacular scenes…against emotional “close-ups” with just one or two actors onstage. How often have we seen just one actor on that huge Muny stage? Hanson, however, isn’t intimidated by bare spaces (or for that matter, by crowded ones). His nerve pays off. “Les Miz” is packed with performers whose work soars….some of these roles are small. Maybe Hanson inspired the entire ensemble. Or maybe Victor Hugo did. Les Miserables may be the most spiritual show to have played here in a long time. It’s an impressive conclusion to the Muny’s season: serious, smart, and beautifully performed.”
- Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post - Dispatch
Director Fred Hanson and his associate Evan Ensign …made the kinds of artistic demands that have not been made nearly enough in Forest Park as of late. The current Muny production is a triumph of stagecraft. You will see every inch of the vast Muny stage being used to its utmost. Because this director knew what he could make work at the Muny and what he could simplify, the end result is a revelation…..instead of trying to overwhelm us with technology, (this staging) uses space and simplicity to wondrous effect. As Javert nears the end of his life, he sings about staring into the void. At this point the stage is totally bare. I mean, totally. And McCarthy slowly, inexorably, works his way into the void upstage. This riveting Javert’s Suicide …..is one of the most stunning effects to be seen at the Muny in years. And it’s not just this one scene. Every moment in Les Miz is filled out. Every single bit player is credible. Les Miz could spark an uprising owing to Fred Hanson’s deft direction.
- Dennis Brown, Riverfront Times
Miss Saigon (National Tour)
“Fred Hanson has painstakingly recreated Nicholas Hytner’s fluid, cinematic staging, sustaining dramatic intensity throughout. The big ensemble scenes come alive with sweep and vivid detail. And the intimate ones, whether romantic or confrontational, prove just as gripping. This touring Miss Saigon is stunningly effective”.
- Everett Evans, Houston Chronicle
You know you’ve seen a good production of Miss Saigon when you’re more impressed by the performances than by the helicopter.
- Barbara Crook, Seattle Sun