VIEWPOINTS – Bringing parodic joy to Broadway: Transporting SCHMIGADOON! to the Nederlander, TITANÍQUE docks at the St. James

This spring on Broadway — in what seems to be reactionary to the fraught times we live in — campy, parodic joy has become the mode du jour, as evidenced … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne strike comic gold in Roundabout’s bubbly revival of Noël Coward’s FALLEN ANGELS

Last night at Broadway’s newly refreshed Todd Haimes Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company unveiled a rare revival of Noël Coward‘s early-career play Fallen Angels. The production, which emphatically strikes comic gold, … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – On Broadway, uneven portraits of misunderstood outlaws: Adrien Brody in THE FEAR OF 13, Jon Bernthal in DOG DAY AFTERNOON

With the arrival of the film-to-stage adaptations of The Fear of 13 and Dog Day Afternoon — the former an intimate documentary, the latter an Al Pacino vehicle — Broadway … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Gina Gionfriddo’s hilariously, ruthlessly truth-saying dark comedy BECKY SHAW arrives on Broadway

Last week saw the Main Stem premiere of Becky Shaw, Pulitzer Prize finalist Gina Gionfriddo‘s ruthlessly and hilariously truth-saying dark comedy about a blind date gone haywire, and the aftermath … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – An Andrew Lloyd Webber renaissance: THE JELLICLE BALL and MASQUERADE re-animate warhorse musicals from fresh perspectives

Following Jamie Lloyd’s triumphantly stripped down re-imagining of Sunset Boulevard last season (featuring a knockout, Tony-winning performance by Nicole Scherzinger), the improbable Andrew Lloyd Webber renaissance continues this season with … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Flawed, entitled men exposed in harsh light: Nathan Lane in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, John Lithgow in GIANT

This spring, Broadway has brought us two compelling portraits of flawed and entitled white men, exposing them in harsh and unforgiving light. These would be Willy Loman, as played by … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Solo play revivals powered by masterful performances: Jesse Tyler Ferguson in TRU, Daniel Radcliffe in EVERY BRILLIANT THING

This past week, I had the privilege of basking in the masterful performances of two A-list actors of stage and screen — both Tony-winners — who have taken existing vehicles … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Storytelling takes center stage in Mary Kate O Flanagan’s MAKING A SHOW OF MYSELF and Simon Rich’s ALL OUT

Feel like curling up to a good yarn? You’re in luck, friend, because currently on the boards this winter, there are two notable shows that are attempting to win over … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Raging against the machine: Paranoia-drenched plays like Tracy Letts’ BUG and Matthew Libby’s DATA strike a timely chord

This past week, I came across two effective psychological thrillers that feature paranoid characters raging against the machine — particularly as it relates to the questionable interests and activities of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Carnegie Hall’s concert presentation of OKLAHOMA! scores big with its sterling cast and symphonic sound

Earlier this week, Carnegie Hall scored big with its one night only concert presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! One of the seminal musicals in history, the show is notable … Continue Reading →