THE HANGOVER REPORT – PRINCE OF BROADWAY has some thrilling highs, lackluster lows

Over the past few decades, Broadway has seen retrospectives of theater luminaries grace its stages, often times to strong critical and commercial acclaim. Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Fosse, and Sondheim on … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Stage adaptations of films as microwavable comfort food: A BRONX TALE, THE BODYGUARD, DEAD POETS SOCIETY, and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

This fall in New York has seen a number of stage adaptations of popular movies hit the boards. Unfortunately, each of these endeavors has highlighted the unique differences between stage … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – THE GREAT COMET miraculously stays intact on Broadway, and it’s better than ever

I was deeply skeptical that it would work. Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 was one of the seminal musical theater experiences in my theatergoing in recent years. In its … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – KRISTIN CHENOWETH’S love letter to Broadway is sweet and sassy

Kristin Chenoweth is at an interesting juncture in her career – no longer Broadway’s brassy ingénue, and not quite ready to graduate to a more mature persona. Therefore, why not put … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Two high profile revivals of revered British plays moderately disappoint: David Hare’s PLENTY and Christopher Hampton’s LES LIASONS DANGEREUSES

Two of the theater season’s most anticipated highbrow revivals – David Hare’s Plenty and Christopher Hampton’s Les Liasons Dangereuses – arrived in New York this fall. Both plays share very … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – William Finn and James Lapine’s FALSETTOS once again sings on Broadway, albeit in a different America

As much as I am thrilled to see Falsettos back on Broadway (where the Lincoln Center Theater revival opened last night at the Walter Kerr Theatre), the question remains: why … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Cirque du Soleil’s big top shows continue to be its main artistic draw

Since the beginning of summer, I’ve seen four Cirque du Soleil shows – three of them here in New York. Watching these Cirque shows in relatively quick succession has given me … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Broadway revival of THE FRONT PAGE is ultimately cast iron entertainment

Last night, the revival of Hecht and MacArthur’s 1928 The Front Page opened on the Great White Way at the Broadhurst Theatre. Set in 1920’s Chicago, the madcap play is a … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Simon Stephens’ deceptively straightforward HEISENBERG is anything but

When I first saw Simon Stephens’ two hander Heisenberg a little more than a year ago (also produced by Manhattan Theatre Club in one of its Off-Broadway spaces at City Center), … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The risks and rewards of high concept revivals: TACT’s SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER vs. Roundabout’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD

High concept revivals can be thrilling affairs. Take last season’s Tony-winning revival of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, in which Belgian avant-garde theater director Ivo van Hove stripped … Continue Reading →