Broadway in Tucson Review: 'Les Miserables'

 

As powerful and passionate as the performances of the massive cast are in "Les Miserables," the most awe-inspiring star is the tech team. Crafting an ethereal display of wizardry, the lighting and stagecraft are mesmerizing. Even more than the exquisite costumes and poundingly urgent live orchestral score, the beams shining through windows, intricately crafted hazy horizons and bustling slum streets bring Victor Hugo's 1862 novel to palpable life. The story proves timeless in the way it manages to register fresh undertones in the current political climate.

An operatic odyssey of moral quandaries, such as the conflict between compassion and duty and humanity's yearning for freedom despite a tendency to demand strict order, "Les Miserables" remains a cultural touchstone 40 years after it debuted as a stage musical. To watch with an enraptured crowd is something akin to a church revival, with the communal spiritual experience rolling through the theater with the vigor of the thunderous applause that follows the many show-stopping, jaw-dropping numbers.

A master class in clockwork-like blocking, the actors work together with the precision of a military color guard, crafting the illusion of massive crowds or humming marketplaces. Other than the touchstone wedding scene, traditional dance is sacrificed in favor of lockstep spectacles.

The cast is made up of professionals with extensive Broadway experience, as well as a trio of children whose stage presence far exceeds their ages. The two leads need to be standouts among all-stars, and Nick Cartell, as Valjean, and Nick Rehberger, as Javert, fit the bill with relish. Both are selfless performers who command the audience and their castmates with natural ease, but are generous and self-aware enough not to overstep into indulgence. Both understand that understatement goes a long way, and use the true range of their vocal powers only when commanded by the moment.

The opportunity to see "Les Miserables" in Tucson is rare. This is a show people travel across the nation or globe to catch in its majesty. For true musical theater fans, this is a chance that can't be passed up. The revolution is here, and it's time to sit back and enjoy it.

"Les Miserables" is playing at Centennial Hall through Sept. 14. Buy tickets here.

Game Review: 'NBA 2K26'

 

Embarking with the quiet confidence of cover athlete Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his team, the reigning world champion Oklahoma City Thunder, "NBA 2K26" makes the near-impossible look all too easy. Just about every year, critics hail the latest entry in the NBA sim franchise as the North Star in the world of sports sims, and this year's entry maintains the franchise's superstar performance.

The slogan for this year's game is "Ball Over Everything," and the Visual Concepts dev team integrated the philosophy into every imaginable aspect of the game, from menus, to loading speed, realism in animations and broadcast presentation. The aim seems to be to dispense with the roadblocks and get the players on the court as quickly as possible. Once the virtual ball is in your hand it's easy to be captivated by the rhythm and flow of the game.

Invigoratted by my acquisition of the Switch 2, I requested to review the game on that console, bracing myself against fears that Nintendo versions of the game would pale in comparison to that on mainline consoles. To my delight, the game looked and played as well as I've seen 2K on the Xbox Series X/S or PlayStation 5, with the added bonus of allowing me to take it on the go. This feature easily makes the Switch 2 my preferred way to hit the 2K court.

An expansive tutorial, dubbed "Learn 2K," takes you through all the paces, teaching you the refinements in shooting, passing and defense, as well as hints and tricks to enhance your strategy. There is plenty to learn here, even for veteran players.

The series has always thrived on its reverant treatment of the past, and that's certainly the case in this year's game, which allows you to choose from among a star-studded roster of legends in something akin to a grade school pickup game, letting you take the floor with your created player as you face off against a Michael Jordan-led team of Hall of Famers.

From there, the intensity only escalates. As it does every year, the game bursts with loads of modes and enhancements meant to get you to forget about football season and resume your hoops fix.

MyCareer modes shakes off its recent slump and returns to fine form, discarding many of the irritating microtransaction solicitations in favor of a holistic and grounded create-a-player lifestyle mode that bursts with nods to pop culture and the history of the league. While the micro (and macro) transactions are still there for the pay-to-win obsessed, they seem to me minimized in favor of sheer enjoyment of the amusement park-like hoop dreams that spawn in the realm dubbed The City.

Even the bedraggled MyMGM mode, which tends to lag rather than lead when it comes to franchise mode innovations manages to acquit itself well, adding some subtle and welcome refinements to streamline the user interface and replicate that high-intensity action of the NBA trade deadline.

On court, the game bubbles with ripped-from-the-highlights animations, a streamlined shooting system that makes your jumpers, layins and dunks seem more based on a cross between skill and circumstance than happenstance, and enlightened commentary and intricately detailed suites of the sights and sounds that can be had in each NBA and WNBA arena experience.

Many believe SGA and his Thunder are on the verge of starting a Jordan-like dynasty, but what he's really doing is tapping into a tradition of elite success that Jordan gleaned from the Showtime Lakers, which followed the tradition of the Bill Russell Celtics. The 2K dynasty established by Virtual Concepts continues to cut down the nets in such a manner, and thanks to its breakthrough Switch 2 edition, lets you take your show on the road.

Publisher provided review code.

Early Game Review: 'EA Sports NHL 26'

Hockey season comes in hot during the Fall to supercharge the sports scene, and there's no better hype ramp than the NHL's signature annual game release.

With back-to-back Stanley Cup champ Matthew Tkachuk leading the charge as the cover athlete, "EA Sports NHL 26" is ready to lace 'em up and scorch the ice.

Due out Friday, the slick hockey sim shows its grip on hockey culture is as the Panthers dynasty has on the league's iconic championship trophy. With considerable refinements and some subtle advancements, the new edition of the game brings a wealth of improvements that add up to a formidable experience that outclasses its predecessors by just about every meaningful measure.

Throughout the game, there is a consistent emphasis on player style flourishes and distinguishing characteristics. Through a comprehensive suite of motion capture, analytics and video breakdown, the devs granted immaculate detail in areas such as skating speed, passing and shooting power and technique and defensive teendencies. 

In no area is this more apparent than goalkeeping. For instance, the Stars' Jake Oettinger's aggression and maverick-style willingness to challenge shooters at the top of the crease, is there, as are the mind games played by the Jets' Connor Hellebuyck to score a psychological edge that can yield the difference between the lamp lighting up and a misfire. Baked into gameplay is the new Goalie Crease Control System, which refines positioning and reacion, as well as the save animations, which feel more natural and physics-based than before.

Be a Pro mode gets a ground-up renovation, starting your career in World Juniors, leading through the minors and into the NHL grind. With a bevy of storylines, characters, challenges and well-directed cutscenes, the game feels more lifelike and narrative driven then previous renditions, which seemed to focus too much on menu-hopping.

The card-driven, microtransaction-heavy Hockey Ultimate Team mode also gets a boost, with deeper team-building mechancis, enticing high-stakes ranked showdowns and the long-demanded debut of the offline HUT Cup Chase mode. Even if you're not usually into the sort of fantasy hockey on which the mode thrives, it's a treat to snag a card that yields a legendary player and introduce him to your lineup.

While the online system, as well as the way developers respond to fan reactions throughout the season, will determine the enduring mark "EA Sports NHL 26" leaves on the gaming scene, the auspicious start bodes well for a year destined to be filled with thrills and drama as the other 31 teams chase after the upstart tradition of dominance established by the Panthers. As the leaves change colors, hope is painting rose-colored glasses for fans of even the lowliest squads, and it will be fascinating to live out those ambitions on the virtual ice.

Publisher provided review code.

Box Break: 2021 Panini Chronicles Baseball Blaster

Box Break: 2025 Topps Chrome Fanatics Exclusive Mega Box #2

Back to the 2025 Topps Chrome well.

Box Break: 2025 Topps Chrome Baseball Fanatics Exclusive Mega Box

See which autograph I pull.

Early Game Review: 'Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater'

The thinking person's stealth/action game, "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater" wears its academic, shamelessly geeky trappings with pride. You come for the sneaking, survival and close-quarter combat scenarios and stay for the cutscenes, injokes and non sequiturs that go on, and on. And on.

True fans of the source material wouldn't have things any other way, and that's why Metal Gear Solid nation has longed for the day that the game was updated and rereleased on current consoles.

Due out Tuesday, "Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater" pays loving tribute to what many hold as one of the greatest games ever created. The dev teams at Konami and Virtuous have approached the task and hand with the care and passion of a restoration of a masterwork painting. The bones of the 2004 original remain strong, and the teams respect the source material to enhance it rather than replace it. The story, which intertwines historical fiction lines with true stories of Cold War subterfuge, remains brainy and poignant.

The passage of time is rarely kind to landmark games. But "Snake Eater" seems to have been so far ahead of its time that its AI industrial complex obsessions and nihilistic geopolitical commentary register with even more resonance now than they did decades ago. Sure, David Hayter's narration was corny then and is outright goofy now, but accepting the dorky trappings of the retro dudebro that is Solid Snake is a prerequisite to enjoying his wild journey.

Listening to fan feedback from the generally well-recieved but somewhat clunky 2023 "Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection," the latest "Metal Gear Solid" restorative effort seems more like a well-preserved piece of history than an awkward attempt at reinvention. I was impressed with the seamless nature of the remake, which looks and plays with all the pizzazz and quality-of-life features gamers expect in 2025.

I appreciated the way the game made use of the PS5 controller to add subtle enhancements to the gameplay. The game's sandbox aspect, which challenges you to hunt for food and resources to attain buffs to help you in coming missions, is eased by a stream of casual, utterly helpful prompts that coax you toward your goals.

I found myself playing with a smile, encountering scenes and missions that lived up to the lofty heights of my memories, and finding new moments I either missed the first time around or forgot entirely. "Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater" is a vivacious and playful stealth combat endeavor that is every bit as fun and engaging as it was in 2004. This snake still has plenty of bite to it.

Publisher provided review code.