THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s new OTELLO delivers when it counts

Last night I caught Bartlett Sher’s brooding if uneven new production of Verdi’s powerful Otello at the Met. Sher’s production worked best on a bare stage with his singers, along … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – My 20 Pet Peeves When Attending Live Performances (reblog)

[In light of the recent events concerning theater etiquette, or the lack thereof (most notably Patti LuPone’s remarkable and much warranted flip-out over cell phone use at a recent performance … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – 2015 London Theater Trip: A Recap

As some of you may know, I recently returned from a London theater trip. As a devout theater and performing arts fan, I was in heaven. London rivals my hometown … Continue Reading →

THE STATE OF THE ARTS – April 1, 2015

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Putting the play back into play. The folks at Bedlam are back to their high jinxing with their delightful repertory productions of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. That’s … Continue Reading →

THE STATE OF THE ARTS – March 25, 2015

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Not Just a Wagnerian Warm-Up. In preparation for next season’s highly anticipated Ring Cycle, the Washington National Opera recently flexed its considerable Wagnerian muscles at the … Continue Reading →

THE STATE OF THE ARTS – March 18, 2015

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A Second Life for One of the Season’s Best. Stephen Adly Guirgis’s magnificent Between Riverside and Crazy, which was first staged earlier this season by the … Continue Reading →

THE STATE OF THE ARTS – March 11, 2015

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS However frustrated I was while watching the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Handel’s Semele at BAM, I still cannot get this Zhang Huan-directed and designed production … Continue Reading →

THE STATE OF THE ARTS – March 4, 2015

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The resourceful Mint Theater Company has long excelled at respectfully if dutifully dusting off forgotten classics on a dime. With Ferenc Molnar’s delightful Fashions for Men, … Continue Reading →

THE STATE OF THE ARTS – February 25, 2015

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Scott Ellis’s joyous Broadway revival of the George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart classic You Can’t Take It With You ended its limited run last weekend. … Continue Reading →

THE STATE OF THE ARTS – February 19, 2015

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The Civilians’ niche brand of the “documentary musical” is alive and well in the swell little show about the porn industry entitled Pretty Filthy playing at … Continue Reading →