GOLDEN BOY OF THE BLUE RIDGE (2009):

“Highly entertaining… The script, by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel, delivers smart satire with a dark backwoods accent...  Ms. Reichel’s imaginative direction creates witty, eye-catching entrances and exits.” – The New York Times

“The accents may be hillbilly but don't be fooled; this is cleverly crafted, sophisticated fare.  The book is by Mills and Cara Reichel, who is also responsible for the show's inspired direction.  Both Mills and Reichel would seem to have talent to burn.” – Back Stage

“An enjoyable and clever musical comedy… Cara Reichel's smart direction keeps the humor and energy as the focal points of the piece, never letting a moment flag.” – BroadwayWorld.com

THE BOOK OF THE DUN COW (2006):

“An achievement on par with The Lion King for its gutsiness and sheer theatrical beauty… Reichel, who's made a name for herself collaborating with husband Peter Mills on more conventional musicals, has with The Book of the Dun Cow, come into her own as an artistic force to be reckoned with.” – Talkin’ Broadway

“In this haunting and cerebral production by the Prospect Theater Company, The Book of the Dun Cow examines existential questions of war, its motivations, and the responses it generates…  Director Cara Reichel has created a thoroughly believable world for her characters, paying careful attention to the inherent power of storytelling.”  – Offoffonline.com

 HONOR (2008):

“As I once again saw from their newest show Honor, Mills and Reichel, collaborating on book and music, with Mills solely taking on the lyrics and Reichel the direction, know how to create for characters and situation...  So I’ll say it: Peter Mills and Cara Reichel are among our most talented new theater artists.” – Peter Filichia’s Diary

“As You Like It, set it in feudal Japan, with samurai in place of French royalty.  If that reframing sounds bizarre, that’s because it is—but it also works... If a crowd-pleaser like this can’t get a commercial transfer, it will be a real dishonor.” – Time Out New York

“Cara Reichel's tight direction emphasizes the emotion of each moment, whether intense, humorous or romantic.  The action always flows smoothly, and the energy never wanes, even in the quieter moments..” – Broadwayworld.com

IRON CURTAIN (2006):

“Reichel and choreographer Christine O’Grady’s work here is very well done. They know how to execute big musical numbers efficiently, and Reichel understands the comedy part of the term ‘musical comedy,’ staging book scenes with an innate sense of how and where to maximize the laughs.” – NYTheatre.com

“Iron Curtain mixes the exuberant dances and unmiked vocal styles of classic Broadway musicals with a cockeyed take on their 1950s heyday to create a charming mix of homage and satire…  The cast of triple threats is uniformly terrific.  Everyone behind the scenes is equally talented.  Director Cara Reichel maintains a snappy pace… This is one curtain not to miss.” —Time Out New York

THE ROCKAE (2007):

“The show simply rocks, making good on the premise that rock opera just might be the best way of conveying the intensity of Greek tragedy to a modern audience.” – The Village Voice

“Ingenious, energetic… Based on The Bacchae, The Rockae follows Euripides's original closely but adds its own spin… Cara Reichel's superbly directed production works very well indeed.” – offoffonline.com

”Mills' and Reichel's script emphasizes the timeless qualities in the ancient story, and lets the wild excesses of the Olympian gods and their revelers become the excesses of 80's rock stars…. Cara Reichel's direction is, as ever, sharp and well-paced, keeping the story's humor and tragedy in balance.” –Broadwayworld.com 

THE FLOOD (2006):

“Surging anthems and rapturous hymns crown a collection of complex character songs that detail the inhabitants of this small Midwestern town…  Director Reichel ensures that the tension mounting in these stories breaks just as Meyerville's levee does.  And after the flood - which Reichel has staged exquisitely to highlight its epic and intimate overtones - when everyone is left swimming uncertainly, it seems as if the real story of The Flood is just beginning.” – Talkin’ Broadway

“Mills and Reichel, the writer-composer-director tandem responsible for two of the best new musicals in recent years, The Pursuit of Persephone and Iron Curtain, operate at an even higher level than usual with their new one, The Flood… Reichel directs with confidence and force.  She handles The Flood's thematic and practical challenges with ease, and stages the action with fierce, speedy precision.  Her staging of the actual flood, in particular, is a simple but slyly executed bit of stagecraft that knocks one's socks off.”  – NYTheatre.com

THE PURSUIT OF PERSEPHONE (2005):

”Anyone with an interest in musically rich, smartly constructed, original musical theater should see The Pursuit of Persephone before this limited run ends…  Mills and Reichel's talent is Broadway worthy.  This is an intelligent, well-crafted book musical.” – Curtainup.com

“The Pursuit of Persephone is an excellent new musical… Reichel’s timing and directorial instincts were spot-on; and more importantly, the play was enjoyable.  The tunes are catchy, the story is both funny and moving, and the whole evening was well orchestrated.  Fitzgerald would be honored.” – OOBR.com

“Anyone interested in the future of musical theatre should hightail it down to the East Village and catch Prospect Theater Company’s wonderful new production, The Pursuit of Persephone…  Reichel’s fluid direction helps Persephone immensely.  She knows exactly where both the physical and thematic focus of every scene is, and how to complement the main action with secondary action (as in large group scenes) without taking away from it.  Her work here is marvelous.” – NYTheatre.com

THE ALCHEMISTS (2003):

“Regency England receives a fresh lease on life in the intriguing new musical The Alchemists.  This literate, tuneful show revisits the era when Byron, Keats and Shelley flowered, and the unpredictability of romance and passion clashed with the strictures of religion and the logic of science… With a book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel, the director, The Alchemists rewards anyone who likes a good old-fashioned tale and music to match.”—The New York Times

“You've got to hand it to Peter Mills and Cara Reichel:  They're out there making new musicals, they're making them regularly, and they're demonstrating a creativity and scope that's rare…  The pair now brings us The Alchemists, an original musical about the comic and tragic escapades of the denizens of Foxwood Hall… Reichel, who also serves as director, finds some nice ways of moving the action between time periods.” – Theatermania.com

ILLYRIA (2002, 2008):

“This high-spirited, utterly engaging musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is an intergenerational winner that deserves an unequivocal thumbs-up.  Peter Mills and Cara Reichel, who adapted the show, have managed to do the near impossible.  They have taken Shakespeare's comic masterpiece, kept its Elizabethan spirit, voice and wit, yet created a new, accessible work that brashly and, at times, poignantly speaks to contemporary musical theater." — The New York Times

“Thoroughly charming… Mills and Reichel have done a terrific job of streamlining the original source material… Director Reichel keeps the production moving speedily along… If anything is deserving of a high profile transfer, it's this.” – NYTheatre.com

“Reichel skilfully orchestrated the different moods and playing styles… Illyria captured the comic and lyrical essence of Twelfth Night more effectively than many more faithful versions of the play. Whether a fan of musicals or Shakespeare, do yourself a favor and go.” – OOBR.com