Josh Bernaski 

12/10/22 - "Disney's Winnie the Pooh review: The new stage musical is a whimsical delight with brilliant puppetry" ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Review

• "A silly old bear is just what this world needs. We could all use a little more joy and wonder in our lives, and luckily, Winnie the Pooh and his pals from the Hundred Acre Wood are here to offer it with all their warm bravado in Disney's Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation."

• "Winnie the Pooh uses inventive, large-scale puppetry to bring the familiar characters to life — and it's a testament to both Rockefeller productions' ingenuity in puppet design and the actors' skill that the humans operating them immediately fade into the background. (The puppeteers trade parts between performances with regularity.)"

• "The whole cast brings an open-heartedness to the proceedings — it feels like they're wrapping the audience in a big embrace. But Blake Rushing as Tigger, Josh Bernaski as Eeyore and Melissa XiaoLan Warren as Piglet particularly shine."

• "Bernaski's Eeyore, whose large mouth is operated by a device that looks similar to a bicycle hand brake, is cuddly to the extreme. He softens Eeyore's rain-cloud persona with a tenderness that the massive puppet belies."

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12/2/22 - "Winnie the Pooh: The Musical Review" SOCAL THRILLS Review

• ​"The entire production excels by staying simple, giving its small and mighty ensemble of players the chance to unlock a very genuine and special connection with the audience without the heavy use of over the top effects and distracting smoke and mirrors."

• "It all comes down on the shoulders of five puppeteers, each taking on multiple roles to bring Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, and Roo to life on stage with ease, delivering a magical experience that pulls the audience right into the story; making it no challenge at all for these players to blend into the background and allowing their plush counterparts to shine through. You really believe in these characters, just as you would if they were on the silver screen or in the pages of your cherished book of adventures."

• "Yet, it would be hard not to notice the level of enthusiasm that is placed in each and every part of the production, creating a contagious sense of joy... The end result is a straightforward and flawless performance that plays right into the very center of the honey pot that Pooh covets so tenderly."

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12/1/22 - "Disney's Winnie the Pooh musical makes LA debut" KTLA Interview (VDIEO)

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10/26/22 - "Winnie the Pooh musical set for limited Los Angeles run" THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER Article

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6/29/22 - "Off-Broadway events offer affordable, family fun for the summer" CBS NY Feature (VIDEO)

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6/23/22 - "Watch a Sneak Peek of the Return of 'Disney's Winnie the Pooh'" PLAYBILL Feature (VIDEO)

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6/21/22 - "See Off Broadway Reopening Night Photos of Disney's Winnie the Pooh" PLAYBILL Article

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6/18/22 - "Winnie the Pooh" Returns Off-Broadway June 18" PLAYBILL Article

• ​"The show features life-size puppets controlled and voiced by a cast including Jake Bazel, Will Rupert, Sebastiano Ricci, Josh Bernaski, Emmanuel Elpenord, Emilie Rose Danno, Tina-Kim Nguyen, and Vicki Oceguera."

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2/22/22 - "Winnie the Pooh Is a Must-See Musical in Chicago" CHICAGO PARENT Feature

• “Slowly making his way across the USA, Pooh is timeless and we all see ourselves in these characters. It’s a beautiful, heartwarming tale – and we all need a big hug after what we’ve been through.”

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1/12/21 - "Pegasus Theatre's Young Playwright's Festival" CHICAGO TRIBUNE Review

• "...this year’s festival is an online experience created in peoples’ homes, although Pegasus still has managed to give all three of its winning writers full digital productions in collaboration with a professional director (Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke, Alex Levy and artistic director ILesa Duncan are on the team) and cast (Josh Bernaski...)"

• "It’s a very worthwhile 90 minutes, though, and one that will make you yet-more aware of the impact of all that currently transpires on young people."

• "And while young writers often have turned to secret agent-like figures to create tension, you would not have previously expected their employing agency to be the Centers for Disease Control nor their monikers Unnamed CDC Operative 2. This year, though, that makes sense."

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1/8/21 - "Pegasus Theatre's Young Playwright's Festival" NBC CHICAGO Featurette

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2/25/20 - "Trap Door presents Reality Theatre" PICTURE THIS POST Review

• "...if you enjoy edgy theater with a comedic twist, or an improv-infused, intelligent script, this may just be right up your alley. This eccentric, smart play delivered by a talented cast will have you laughing out loud, but even more importantly, will inspire a conversation for the whole ride home."

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1/28/20 - "Reality Theatre" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

  

1/10/20 -  "The Shakespeare Project of Chicago presents Richard III" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

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10/10/19 - "The Shakespeare Project of Chicago presents Hamlet" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

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3/25/17 - "The Andrews Brothers" TRIANGLE ARTS Review

• "Another smash hit for Temple Theatre..."

• "Josh Bernaski, Drew Bolander, and Sean Powell play Patrick, Lawrence, and Max. The three blend well, and have outstanding singing voices, skillful acrobatics, and quick, well-paced comedic timing. All three, as well as Hill, have excellent tap-dancing abilities, which are nicely exercised in this performance. They obviously enjoy camping it up in ladies’ attire and never fail to find ways to remind us of their gender."

 

3/24/17 - "The Andrews Brothers" SANFORD HERALD / THE PILOT Review

• "All three flawlessly sing the familiar harmonies and vocal blend characteristic of the Andrews Sisters themselves."

• "...a USO show not to be missed..."

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3/23/17 - "The Andrews Brothers" SANFORD HERALD Article

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11/20/15 - "Mr. Popper's Penguins" CHICAGO PARENT Review

• "The cast of four, under the tight direction of Paul S. Holmquist, does a fantastic job of zipping the action (and scenery and beautiful puppets) along. Josh Bernaski and Amanda Roeder are terrific (and wear many hats) as the characters who populate the Poppers’ town of Stillwater and beyond."

 

11/3/15 - "Mr. Popper's Penguins" LIFELINE THEATRE Press Release

• "Due to popular demand, "Mr. Popper's Penguins" extends two weeks to December 13."

   

10/28/15 - "Mr. Popper's Penguins" CHICAGO READER Review

• "Reader Recommended.  Charming and funny... Under the crisp direction of Paul S. Holmquist, Kauzlaric's witty script and Howe's bouncy score is well delivered by Jonathan Schwart and Heather Currie as the Poppers and Josh Bernaski and Amanda Roeder in a variety of supporting roles."

 

9/9/15 - "Mr. Popper's Penguins" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

 

6/25/15 - "The Friday Five" BROADWAYWORLD Interview

• "The consummate journeyman actor, Josh's career has taken him all around the world (well, almost!) but for a while at least, his Tennessee fans can revel in his immense talents while enjoying one of the theater's most entertaining works (which seems tailor-made for his abilities)..."

 

6/19/15 - "The 39 Steps" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

4/19/14 - "The Tower" in Alanya, Turkey Article

 

12/16/13 - "A Year with Frog and Toad" CLARKSVILLE NOW Review

• "Meanwhile, the musical's comic center belongs to Toad.  I have watched Bernaski enact a multitude of roles over the years and... in taking on the role of a slightly bumbling amphibian, he truly steals an audience's collective heart.  Children laugh gleefully as he plays this character to the hilt, flopping onto the floor in frustration or grumpily hiding under the covers of his bed."

• "Equally impressive, Bernaski truly seems to relish playing the lovable Toad.  Whether he's planting a garden, raking Frog's leaves or jumping aboard a runaway sled, Bernaski imbues the role with a childlike innocence and joy that is tailor-made for children."

 

12/13/13 - "A Year with Frog and Toad" LEAF-CHRONICLE Article

 

12/2/13 - "A Year with Frog and Toad" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

 

12/6/13 - "Plaid Tidings" CLARKSVILLE NOW Review

• "Like a Parisian macaroon, the musical "Plaid Tidings" is crisp on the outside, sweet on the inside, and just a tad rich.  The lines are adeptly sung, there is a hint of nostalgia, but it never slips into that maudlin stickiness that can weigh down holiday productions like a fruitcake."

• "Each actor gets to shine vocally on certain songs.  Bernaski hits some winning notes in 'O Little Town of Bethlehem...'"

• "Plaid Tidings writer, Stuart Ross, has created a story that, while on earth, this group was considered a third-rate act, never having achieved stardom.  Yet this story doesn't square with the talent we see onstage.  This production is at its best when the quartet ditches the self-deprecating lines and simply harmonizes its heart out.  Because when The Plaids sing, the bells are ringing.  And there's nothing third-rate about that."

 

11/29/13 - "Plaid Tidings" CLARKSVILLE NOW Article

• "The four actors in this musical sing in lovely harmony [and]... The arrangements on certain songs is absolutely stellar and worthy of the best 1960's Christmas specials made.  Each actor's notes hit perfectly, like the musical sounds of rain falling."

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11/29/13 - "Plaid Tidings" LEAF-CHRONICLE Article

 

11/18/13 - "Plaid Tidings" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

 

​4/18/13 - "Go, Dog. Go!" NASHVILLE SCENE Review

• "Cavorting spiritedly - assisted by engaging sound effects, comical props, a bubble machine and bursts of confetti - the cast of seven evokes a lot of laughter.  Interestingly, five of the performers... are making their NCT debuts.  Along with company favorites... they provide sparkle and invigorate the NCT stage with some new smiling faces."

• "This is a sure-bet outing for the kiddies, but adults are guaranteed to dig the unbridled fun as well."

 

4/13/13 - "Go, Dog. Go!" ARTSNASH Review

• "'Go, Dog. Go!' has Nashville Children Theatre's audience members of all age giggling and shouting with excitement from the moment the performance begins... MC Dog, played by Josh Bernaski, starts things off by making his way through the audience before taking his seat on stage;  he keeps the show moving by acting as the emcee... The entire cast is made up of very talented singers, dancers, and jokesters."

• "'Go, Dog. Go!' is full of excitement and laughter for all ages."

 

4/3/13 - "Go, Dog. Go!" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

 

2/25/13 - "Romeo and Juliet" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

 

7/14/12 - "Happy Days" BROADWAYWORLD Review

• "While it's important that the actors cast as those characters deliver evocatie portrayals that help to recapture those same memories for you, it's also essential that no one slips into easy choices or stereotypical performances.  And that, quite frankly, is where the Roxy Regional Theatre's production excels: [they] know how to cast the right actors in the right roles...

• "Finally, kudos to the always appealing Ryan Bowie... and to Josh Bernaski who is tasked with bringing Ralph Malph to the stage.  Both men are successful; for certain, Potside and Ralph are still the cute nerds we all remember, but Bowie and Bernaski somehow reinvigorate them with an appealing freshness..."

 

6/21/12 - "The Wedding Singer" BROADWAYWORLD Review

• "There are so many starmaking turns - and some wonderfully engaging and endearing antics - onstage at Clarksville's Roxy Regional Theatre..."

• "Led by Josh Bernaski, in a role tailor made for his estimable talents... [he] is ideally cast as the show's titular lead, Robbie Hart, the wedding singer with a big smile and even bigger heart.  Bernaski invests in Robbie some much needed vulnerability that makes him far more believable than he is written.  You never suspect for even the briefest of moments that Bernaski isn't fuly committed to his character and he delivers a performance that leaves you wanting to see more from him - the Cher-esque wig notwithstanding."

• "...Their duets ("Awesome," the ridiculously titled "Come Out of the Dumpster," which is far sweeter than you could imagine, and "Grow Old With You") take on an unexpected tenderess and emotional appeal.  Laverty's obvious chemistry with Bernaski keeps your attention drawn to the during the course of the plot's development."

• "...and, hell, I'd drink the bathwater of Bernaski, Laverty, Rodems, Bowie, Featherstone, and Fegatter."

 

5/23/12 - "The Wedding Singer" LEAF-CHRONICLE Article

• "Bernaski and Laverty, who have been with the Roxy since January, have proven their chemistry - and comedic chops - time and time again.  They have been love interests many ties, and this time they get to marry romance with comedy."

 

4/14/12 - "Spring Awakening" BROADWAYWORLD Review

• "The effortlessly charming Josh Bernaski, as the breast-obsessed Georg, attacks his role with relish, showing off his estimable talents in the process."

• "It is the ensemble's relative youth and their unabashed enthusiasm for the material that infuses the musical with the energy needed to bring it to life vividly and believably on the stage...  In fact, one of the most pleasing aspects of the production - from the perspective of a theater critic who sees young actors taking on theatrical challenges regularly - is the complete focus of the ensemble.  They never seem to leave any moment in which they are existing onstage, giving the script-bound characters more emotional heft and the added gravitas of their commitment."

 

2/3/12 - "Home School Students Learn from Professionals" FORT CAMPBELL COURIER Article

• "Recently, Ryan Bowie and Josh Bernaski, both professional actors from the Roxy Regional Theatre in downtown Clarksville partnered with SKIESUnlimited to introduce the kids to the theater and acting."

• "Bowie and Bernaski filled the 30-minute time slot with exciting and educational information for the kids.  By the time the class was over, the children were fully engrossed and full of questions.  Any of the children's previous apprehension had disappeared." 

 

8/9/11 - Josh Bernaski Nominated for Best Supporting Actor in Memphis' 2011 Ostrander Awards, as well as Nominations for Playhouse on the Square's "Footloose," "Ragtime," and "From Up Here"!

• "The Ostranders is an annual award ceremony honoring excellence in Memphis theatre.  This will be the 28th year of the awards."

 

7/1/11 - "Footloose" BROADWAYWORLD Press Release

 

5/14/11 - "Ragtime" COMMERCIAL APPEAL Review

• "But it's the cast as a whole, singing with fore and emotion, that makes this production bigger, stronger and more inspiring than even the last remarkable time the show was performed here."

 

2/2/11 - "From Up Here" MEMPHIS FLYER Review

• "...compelling... raw but ultimately hopeful play..."

• "Director Irene Crist has served up a robust production.  Her excellent ensemble cast, which includes... Josh Bernaski [who] negotiates the soul-scraping corners of a play that, in the wrong hands, could turn into an exercise in theatrical sadism."

• "...a hard-to-watch but impossible-not-to-watch show..."

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11/28/10 - "Peter Pan" ARTS MEMPHIS Review

• "The cast of '53' plus one is incredibly talented, enthusiastic, and animated... The 'plus one' in the cast is Nana, the big but gentle family dog in loco parentis.  Nana gets no credit in the Playbill, but she runs away with all the scenes where she appears."

 

7/28/10 - "Into the Woods" LEAF-CHRONICLE Review

• "It is lush.  It is captivating. It is spectacular"

• "...I must admit, every minute of 'Into the Woods' is full to bursting with great joy and phenomenal talent."

 

7/19/10 - "Into the Woods" BROADWAYWORLD Review

• "'Hello, Little Girl' is deliciously ribald and disingenuously sexy, while 'Agony' is melodramatic and amusingly droll."

• "But, truth be told, it is the men of the cast who really bowl you over with their suerb voices and on-target acting choices... As the two handsome princes in the piece, both John Moser and Josh Bernaski are charming (as they most certainly should be) and confident, infusing their performances with great humor and a sense of melodramati mirth and mayhem.  Bernaski pulls double duty as the Wolf... zealously playing him with an over-the-top energy and a wry sense of abandon - and not [just] a little bit of sex appeal."

 

7/19/10 - "Into the Woods" CLARKSVILLE NOW Review

• "...[the] two Princes that are played with such gusto by John Moser and Josh Bernaski that their antics will stay with you long after you leave."

 

6/11/10 - "Forever Plaid" Salon Series Promo Video and Review

 

1/27/10 - "High School Musical" DELCO NEWS Review

• "...Bernaski steps into the role with energy and pizzazz."

 

1/25/10 - "High School Musical" GREER FIRESTONE Review

• "...the cast is unequivcally exuberant and enthusiastic."

• "[Bernaski] played a strong leading man... [he and Lee's] voices sit well and light up the stage during their duet of 'Breaking Free.'"

 

4/16/09 - "Cabaret" PLAYBILL Press Release