Michael lluberes
PRESS
“Artistic Director Michael Lluberes has transformed Flint Repertory Theatre into one of the top regional theatres in the country. His imagination, drive and commitment pushed the best artists in the state to want to be part of his productions. …This show cements The Flint Rep as one of the leading lights of regional theatre in the country. “
-Encore Michigan
​
“Stunning! …A new same-sex revision of the classic Off-Broadway musical, with tweaks by original lyricist/librettist Tom Jones, may work even better than the original boy-girl version.”
-American Theatre Magazine
“How This Michigan Theatre Performed Godspell in a Pool On a Stage”
Playbill Interview with Michael Lluberes
“It's art like this that makes me incredibly grateful to be a theatre fan!”
-BroadwayWorld
“The productions under Lluberes have been outstanding—taking singular approaches to classic shows, exploring little-known plays, creating new works and featuring stellar actors at the top of their craft.”
-Encore Michigan
​
GODSPELL (IN A POOL)
​
“Joyous & Immaculate, …A bold, heartfelt production that energizes its audiences and has them leaving the theater on cloud nine. …A non-stop joyously jaw-dropping spectacle. …Under the endlessly-innovative direction of Michael Lluberes, Godspell has never been more playful, more silly, and more about humanity than ever before.”
-Thinking Theater Blog
​
“Joyous staging. …An exceptional interpretation. …A sentimental, lively spectacle for everyone. …The entire cast put on phenomenal performances.”
-BroadwayWorld
​
“An exuberant and joyful rendition. …It’s the perfect show for Lluberes who, during his tenure at Flint Rep, has re-imagined many classics so thoroughly that they are as fresh and compelling as—and nearly indistinguishable from–the new works he brings to the stage. …His imagination infiltrates each song, each story, creating a robust illusion and the impression that this story was always meant to be told in a swimming pool.”
-Encore Michigan
​
“Incredibly innovative. …One of the most compelling theatrical performances of the year. Staging this performance in a pool was a remarkably bold decision that resulted in a truly captivating theatrical experience. ..Not to be missed.”
-SE Michigan Theatres
​
“A visual feast. …A delightful interpretation.”
-East Village Magazine
​
“A new and exciting interpretation. …An amazing sight to behold.”
-Flint Stages
​
RAGTIME
​
“Flint Rep brilliantly intertwines hope and struggle with intimate ‘Ragtime’. …Soul-stirring and awe-inspiring. …They make the rafters rattle with their emotionally charged performances. They also steal away the breath of anyone listening through performances that are both powerful and vulnerable. …Lluberes mixes every element to make this “Ragtime” a compelling night of storytelling and song.”
-Encore Michigan
​
“A stunning version of the award-winning musical. …Moving and powerful. …Marvelously directed by Michael Lluberes.”
-Flint Stages
​
“Ragtime is a must-see! …Step into history to see this exciting new take. …You can feel the love Lluberes has for this theater and his craft when you watch the shows he leads. Lluberes took this intimate theatre and made you feel like you were in the scene with the actors by using the entirety of the theater to engage the audience.”
-BroadwayWorld
​
“A rousing and relevant version. …Flawless!”
-East Village Magazine
​
“Expertly rendered. …Under the tight direction of Michael Lluberes, Hangar’s “Ragtime” is a visual and aural feast accentuated by spot-on acting, singing, and dancing.”
-Syracuse.com
​
“Exceptional artistry. …Under Lluberes’ creative direction, these separate communities sweep across the stage. …Multilayered and remarkably clear.”
-Ithaca Times
DEATH OF A SALESMAN

​“Powerfully delivered with expert directing by the Rep’s Artistic Director Michael Lluberes, and acted superbly by Lewis Stadlen as Willy Loman.”
-East Village Magazine
​
“Death of A Salesman shines and soars. …Stadlen’s portrayal is Broadway worthy. …A truly compelling and wonderful production. …The ensemble cast is first rate. …Flint Rep again shows itself to be both fearless and totally committed to every production.”
-Encore Michigan
​
“World class. …Incredible. …Handled extremely well by this talented cast.”
-Flint Stages
​
“Superlative. …Lluberes makes a compelling argument that the critique of the American dream inherent in this tragedy is still as relevant as ever. He emphasizes the themes of mental degeneration and emotional intelligence in ways that spark new questions and explorations.”
- Bridgette Redman, MI Arts Writer
PETER PAN: THE BOY WHO HATED MOTHERS

​“Wonderful. …Lluberes has stripped off the Disney and Broadway varnishes to restore Barrie's unique voice and his great subject, the horror of growing up. ...Fresh and utterly persuasive. …Delicate, deeply human portrayals. ...The show captures the intertwined magic and terror of childhood.”
-Los Angeles Times

“An enchanting—and even moving—theatrical piece. …Lluberes manages to maintain the childlike wonder inherent in the original while increasing its meaning and emotional depth. …a gritty Neverland you've never seen before.”
-Blog Critics
​
“Imagination, ingenuity, exuberance and the spirit of make-believe transcend literal reality, and the result is sweet, touching and magical.”
-LAWeekly
​
“Theatrical magic. …Finds new shades and facets to J. M. Barrie’s classic story. …Simply marvelous. …Offers innumerable pleasures and rewards.”
-StageSceneLA
​
“It’s Peter Pan like you’ve never seen him before in this inventive, dark and mature new take.”
-Actors Entertainment
​
“One of the best productions that I have ever seen. …Real magic. …Extraordinary. …Creativity at its highest level.”
-On Stage Los Angeles
​
“Bursts of joyful theatricality. …Told with enormous brio, style, and good will. ...Not to be missed.”
-ArtsinLA.com
​
“Dazzling …Charming …Inventive. …Brilliant …An engrossing production.”
-Stage and Cinema
​
“Michael Lluberes’ adaptation brings out a new side of Peter Pan by giving it a more realistic, even lustful makeover.”
-Daily Trojan

“Great fun to watch …Wonderfully amusing …Exuberant storytelling …Stellar.”
-BroadwayWorld.com

“A wonderful, imaginative play. …An intriguing retelling. …A vivid glimpse into the mind and creative process of a genius.”
​-Theatre Spoken Here

"Lluberes' play probes more deeply into the psychology behind these characters."
-On Stage Los Angeles

“Awakens all we know about this fantasy and brings our childhood imaginations back to life with a wonderful retelling of this classic tale. …Run to see this production.”
​-Joestraw9.bogspot.com

“Original, worthwhile and unique.”
​-LiveJournal

"Entertaining and inventive. ...A re-envisioning of the Barrie classic with heart, intelligence and purpose."
-The California Theatre Critic

“This adaptation will not only blow you away, but yes, you’ll even leave the theatre believing in fairies. …It’s incredible.”
​-Campus Circle
​
"Inventive. ...A novel spin on a dramatic chestnut."
-Washington Post
​
“Fantastic. …We really believe in the stage’s imaginative power.”
-DC Theatre Scene

"5 Stars! … If Tim Burton had directed Peter Pan for the stage. …Very Inventive. …No Rules Theatre Company has reached new heights with their first World Premiere."
- Maryland Theatre Guide

“More imaginative in its storytelling and staging than most theatrical productions, Peter Pan or otherwise.”
-MetroWeekly

“A thrilling and daring journey into Neverland.”
- showbizradio.net
“This show will make you evaluate your own demons and the lengths we take to imagine our elaborate escape from them. Go see this show. Seriously.”
-Brightest Young Things

“Clever and inventive. …Drawing us into a dream world that is always a bit weird, often very frightening and sometimes flavored with dark or unexpected humor.”
-Winston-Salem Journal

“It’s wonderful – brutal, fantastic, theatrical and loving.”
-David Rambo
​
THE BOY IN THE BATHROOM
​
"The kind of emotionally-powerful musical production that intimate, black box theaters can winningly stage for years to come. ...This moving new musical - at times warmly amusing, at times deeply heartbreaking - is certainly worthy of your time."
-BroadwayWorld
​
“A funny, beautiful, solid piece of theatre. …A great modern musical, and I expect it will have a long life.”
-NYTheatre.com
"An ingenious new musical."
-Orange County Register

“A thought-provoking new American musical. ...Funny and sad and true to the bone.”
-Herald Times
​
"Exquisite from start to finish. ...An emotion-packed treat. ...The Boy in the Bathroom has considerable life ahead of it. …A terrific choice for intimate regional theaters."
-StageSceneLA
​
"Charming, compelling, interesting, and involving."
-WFIU Radio
​
“Beautiful and touching. …A quirky story rendered wonderfully.”
-NAMT Blog

​“Pure exhilaration. ...Lluberes and Joe Maloney’s score is solid. …The script is moving. …The brilliance of The Boy in the Bathroom lies in the power with which the audience is drawn into its strange and tiny world.”
-The Villager

“Disturbing and utterly riveting.”
-Peter Filicia, Theatermania

“With book and lyrics by Michael Lluberes both profound and disturbing, this is innovative, risk-taking musical theater. …Keeps hope alive that musical theater just might advance.”
-NewbieNYC

“Impressive, intriguing, and moving.”
-EDGE New York City

“Under Lluberes' strong direction, the actors all shine in their roles. …An amusing romp into both fantasy and reality.”
-Theater Corps

“The book writing is so strong.”
-Backstage
“Endlessly charming and engaging. ...All three characters are well-defined and exceedingly well portrayed.”
-JustShowToGoYou Blog

“The story had an honesty and wistfulness that wove in beautifully with its score.”
-Showshowdown.blogspot.com

“The strength seemed to lie in the book by Michael Lluberes and his glistening characters.”
-Broadway Bullet

“The Boy in the Bathroom wows! …Sublime. …Featured the lyrical genius of writer Michael Lluberes.”
-Bloomington Cultural Arts Examiner

“This musical deserves to become a staple Off-Broadway and at regional theaters around the country.”
-BroadwayWorld
​
TWELFTH NIGHT
​
“Director Michael Lluberes restates the play’s other relationships explicitly. …This is a “Twelfth Night” worth seeing, a solid, talent-filled production that reminds us once again how given a very midsummer madness, we are all fools for love.”
-The New York Times

“A show that rivaled many of the Broadway Shakespearean productions in its unity of concept, beautiful music, and excellent direction.”
-BroadwayWorld
“A great re-envisioning of this tale. …Oftentimes Shakespeare can be tricky—it takes adeptness with language, talent, and skill. The ensemble of actors in Sonnet Repertory Theatre's Twelfth Night, under the direction of Michael Lluberes, have all of these things and thus make for a very enjoyable night of theatre.”
-NYTheatre.com
“Michael Lluberes puts together a solid, well-acted production.”
-Show Business Weekly
“A sight to behold. …clever staging. …The concept which addresses the issue of unrequited love is so clear throughout the work. ...Very inventive. ...There is no doubt that Sonnet Rep does the kind of work that needs to be seen by as many people as possible.”
-BroadwayWorld
“A lovely, accessible take on Shakespeare's most perfect comedy by an imaginative young troupe. …Michael Lluberes directs his cast to enjoy the wordplay but act the emotion, trusting Shakespeare and the audience to get the ideas. ...This “Twelfth Night” fills the atmosphere with sound and music. Highly accessible and worth a trip to Hell's Kitchen, it's a great show to bring a date to, as languid and rich as a bottle of red wine.”
-MetroMix
​
ACTING
​
“A wonderful comic actor.”
-New York Daily News

“Michael Lluberes is brilliant.”
-Theatremania.com

“Michael Lluberes does particularly well, playing much older than his age with conviction and imagination.”
-The New York Times

“Particularly outstanding was the lovable Michael Lluberes. ...There is a Bailystock in his future.”
-Off-Off Broadway Review.com

“Stealing all his scenes, …Michael Lluberes was up to the demands of lead comic."
-Backstage

“And as for scene stealers, there wasn’t a bigger one on stage than Michael Lluberes. No line was too small, no joke too feeble that it wasn’t delivered with the unremitting joy of a character unashamedly pleased with himself.”
-Off-Off Broadway Review.com

THE FOOD CHAIN (The Old Globe)

“Lluberes is the highlight in a deft display of stage craft.”
-San Diego City Beat

“Michael Lluberes is just right with his wonderfully eccentric but believable performance.”
-North County Times

“Considerable acting talent. …Lluberes actually achieves the near-impossible task of making you care about his character.”
-Gay and Lesbian Times

“Michael Lluberes is good at flopping around in a feeding frenzy and a flood of words.”
-Los Angeles Times

“Aided by a fat suit, round-faced actor Michael Lluberes nails Otto’s food obsession and the pathetic degree to which he is willing to abase himself to gain approval.”
- The Press Enterprise

“Lluberes is the play’s gooey emotional center. His sweet nature and comic timing imbue Otto with lovability.”
-The Californian
​
MAN OF LA MANCHA (Maltz Jupiter Theatre)

“Michael Lluberes is a lovable and comedic Sancho, with a singing voice as fine as his acting.”
-TalkinBroadway.com

“Michael Lluberes is brilliant as Sancho, Quixote's comic relief.”
-Jupiter Courier

“Lluberes breaks with the usual Borscht Belt leanings of Sancho, without missing a single punch line. He handles his comic relief chores ably and has a better than needed singing voice.”
-Palm Beach Post

“The best singing comes from the unlikely role of Sancho, usually a burlesque vocally as well as dramatically. Michael Lluberes is not shy about going over the comical top, and his honeyed warbling generates long-overdue respect for I Really Like Him and A Little Gossip.”
-South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“Michael Lluberes is the ideal comic relief as Sancho Panza with a very good singing voice and a playful, impish nature.”
-TC Palm
​