VIEWPOINTS – A cabaret comparison: MATTHEW MORRISON digs deep for a message, while DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER plays it fast and loose

During the first week of the new year, I ventured out to catch a pair of cabaret acts, together proving the art form’s ability to extravagantly shape shift by performer. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – With the recent return of MOMIX and COMPAGNIE HERVÉ KOUBI, The Joyce smartly leans in on fan favorites

This holiday season and just beyond, The Joyce Theater has smartly leaned in on fan favorites, namely with the heavily sold three-week engagement of MOMIX’s celebrated production of Alice, which … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A look back at the holidays at The Met: Breathing new life into AMAHL & THE NIGHT VISITORS and the return of THE MAGIC FLUTE

This past holiday season, The Metropolitan Opera doubled down on the spirit of the season by presenting not one, but two family-friendly offerings — one a reliable staple at the … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – THE BEST OF 2025: Theater, Music, and Dance

With 2025 now merely a memory, I’ve taken the time to look back upon the year prior and pick out the performances that distinguished themselves from the pack. Read on … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL relies on steadfast storytelling and visceral thrills

This past December during a trip to the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky region, I had the opportunity to catch Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s staging of A Christmas Carol. Adapted … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – London roundup: A varied bounty of performances across the classics, new dramas, musicals, and beyond

A few weeks back, I was able to travel across the pond to take in an eclectic bounty of shows across the classics, new dramas, musicals, and beyond to satisfy … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – ALVIN AILEY returns for its holiday time City Center engagement with eclectic premieres and the saving grace of iconic classics

In the world of dance, one of the holiday traditions that New Yorkers have embraced is paying a visit (or two) to New York City Center to take in Alvin … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A trio of jazz divas light up Birdland: JANE MONHEIT, GABRIELLE STRAVELLI, and The Hot Sardine’s ELIZABETH BOUGEROL

This past fall at Birdland, it was my pleasure to be enchanted by a trio of jazz divas, each of whom effortlessly regaled audiences with their distinct vocal prowess and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – An overview of ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY FARE: From mildly off the beaten path, to the thoughtfully tangental, to the wacky remixes

For those of you looking for some alternative fare for your holiday entertainment, there are certainly options beyond the big guns (e.g., New York City Ballet’s production of Balanchine’s The … Continue Reading →

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in Robert Icke's "Oedipus" at Studio 54 (photo by Julieta Cervantes).

VIEWPOINTS – Reorienting classics to speak directly to the present: TARTUFFE at NYTW and the Broadway revisal of OEDIPUS

This fall, a pair of new, high profile productions of classics of Western drama have opened in fascinating new translations that shed new light on classics we thought we knew, … Continue Reading →