VIEWPOINTS – Reimagined classics designed for virtual immersion: RSC’s DREAM & M-34 Productions’ LETTER TO MY FATHER

This weekend, I participated in an online doubleheader that together represents a fascinating step forward, through the exciting use of technology, in how virtual theatrical content can be live-streamed. Continue … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A miracle on 23rd Street: Street-side performances at the cell and ChaShaMa whet the appetite for the long-awaited awakening of the performing arts

Last weekend, as I roamed about Chelsea, I encountered a pair of short performances on West 23rd Street that gave me a jolt of excitement. Because of their pent-up, infectious … Continue Reading →

VIEWPONTS – Streaming Diary: Henry Filloux-Bennett updates DORIAN GRAY to the present moment & MTC’s satisfying reunion reading of Richard Greenberg’s THREE DAYS OF RAIN

As I patiently await the re-emergence of in-person performance this spring and beyond, I’ve continued to engage in various digital theater programming. Here are my latest thoughts. THE PICTURE OF … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Virtual dance programming during the pandemic: Ghostly reminders of past glories

Perhaps the most ephemeral of the performing arts is dance. Every moment in a dance performance reflects the dynamic, ever-changing intersection between music-making, dancer ability, and cumulative human experience. Additionally, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Kathleen Chalfant effortlessly casts a spell in Joan Didion’s THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING

This past weekend, I experienced Kathleen Chalfant take on the stage adaptation Joan Didion’s eloquent memoir The Year of Magical Thinking in a virtual benefit reading for Off-Broadway’s Keen Company. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Perusing the latest virtual Chicago theater offerings: Steppenwolf’s DUCHESS! DUCHESS! DUCHESS! and Court’s THEATRE FOR ONE

Having lived in Chicago for a good chunk of my early adult life, I’ve developed and continue to maintain a deep affection for the city and its top-notch theater companies. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Reflecting on 25 years of RENT: Remembering a white hot performance and its lasting impact

I’m not exaggerating when I say that Rent changed my life 25 years ago, as it did for its legions of fans. I was a junior at a parochial high … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – BAD DATES & TYPICAL: Effervescent performances by Andréa Burns and Richard Blackwood elevate otherwise programmatic solo shows

This week, I streamed a pair of programmatic solo shows that benefited from effervescent turns. Here are my thoughts. BAD DATESGeorge Street PlayhouseOn-demand through March 14 First up was Bad … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Streaming Diary: The artistry of Balanchine, Beckett, and Guettel bring much-needed texture to the austere latter days of this pandemic winter

This weekend, I streamed a diverse, truly exceptional trio of works by indisputable masters from the worlds of dance theater, dramatic theater, and music theater – George Balanchine, Samuel Beckett, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Barn Theatre’s THE SECRET SOCIETY OF LEADING LADIES: A rousing curate-your-own-concert powered by divas in the making

One of the benefits of in-person performance is how it demands complete engagement from attendees. Cabaret performances in particular can be intoxicatingly enticing experiences — both literally and figuratively — … Continue Reading →