VIEWPOINTS – Broadway’s first two musicals re-emerge from lockdown: HADESTOWN & WAITRESS

Last week on September 2, Broadway’s first two musicals re-emerged from lockdown – the reigning Tony Award-winning Best Musical Hadestown and the audience favorite Waitress. Here are my thoughts on … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Boss once again reveals his soul in SPRINGSTEEN ON BROADWAY, intimately and poetically

Last night at the St. James Theatre, I attended a performance of Springsteen on Broadway, which has returned to the Great White Way after having played a celebrated sold-out run … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Derrick Baskin establishes a deep connection between life and music in his profoundly soulful concert at Feinsteins/54 Below

Fresh off the train from my much-needed weeklong trip to Provincetown, I headed straight to Feinstein’s/54 Below to attend the final performance of Derrick Baskin’s short run at the beloved … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Perusing Provincetown entertainment: Comedy queens, crooning piano men, and musical theater divas

I spent last week in one of my favorite places in the world – that magical destination seemingly at the very tip of the world (i.e., Cape Cod) known as … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The sublime film adaptation of IN THE HEIGHTS improves upon the Tony-winning stage musical

On its opening weekend on the biggest possible screen (the IMAX theater at AMC Lincoln Square), I caught the sublime film adaptation of In the Heights, a hip-hop and and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – What a difference a full production makes: LCT’s VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE & Goodman’s HOW TO CATCH CREATION

After being primarily relegated to decidedly unflattering and minimally theatrical Zoom-type productions over the past year, it was refreshing to be able to stream a pair of fully-staged productions from … 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 →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Andy Einhorn and company give a heartfelt salute to Jerry Herman in YOU I LIKE

Last night, glass of wine in hand, I had the pleasure of sitting back and enjoying You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman, Pasadena Playhouse’s entertaining and balanced … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The spirit of the Broadway musical persists in RATATOUILLE: THE TIKTOK MUSICAL and JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY

Although live/in-person theater is becoming an increasingly distant memory, the irrepressible spirit of the Broadway musical persists in other mediums. Here are my thoughts on two of these hybrid endeavors. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Highly anticipated stage-to-screen adaptations: A searingly acted MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM and a faithfully transcribed THE PROM

December was a big month for major stage-to-screen adaptations. Indeed, much to the delight of locked-down theater fans, the recent weeks saw the Netflix premieres of the highly anticipated film … Continue Reading →