VIEWPOINTS – Downtown theater is alive and well: Boxcutter Collective’s DIMENSION ZERO and Talking Band’s TRIPLICITY

In recent days, I ventured far from the bright lights of Broadway to catch two specimens of avant-garde theater, both of which evidenced that New York’s storied downtown theater continues … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Fine music-making across genres: Diego Matheuz leads the NY PHILHARMONIC, Heather Christian’s ORATORIO FOR LIVING THINGS returns

Fine music-making is fine music-making, regardless of where one comes across it. This past week, I was reminded of this belief when I took in performances both in an intimate … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Fraught cries for help: Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s LACRIMA and Carolina Bianchi’s THE BRIDE AND GOODNIGHT CINDERELLA

This past week, I encountered a pair of immensely ambitious, emotionally fraught productions from auteur theater-makers — both women, refreshingly — featuring characters on the brink of nervous breakdowns, many … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – David Cale’s BLUE COWBOY at The Bushwick Starr is storytelling at its finest and should not be missed

This past week over at The Bushwick Starr in Brooklyn, I had the great pleasure of immersing myself in David Cale’s latest solo show Blue Cowboy. Unlike most solo shows, … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Trans performers speaking their authentic truths: BIANCA LEIGH at Joe’s Pub and DYLAN MULVANEY Off-Broadway

Last weekend, I had the chance to catch a pair of solo shows from two trans personalities in the entertainment industry who have made a splash in recent years. speaking … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Off-Broadway revivals from the deep chest of American drama: Clifford Odets’ AWAKE AND SING! and John Patrick Shanley’s ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION

Over the last week or so, I had the opportunity to take in a pair of well-acted Off-Broadway revivals of New York-set plays from the deep chest of American drama. … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Mint Theater unearths Sally Carson’s CROOKED CROSS, a lost play that sadly speaks directly to our troubled times

Over at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row, you’ll be able to find Mint Theater Company’s fall offering — the long time in coming American premiere of Crooked Cross by Sally Carson. Originally … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Disarming autobiographical solo shows to catch: ADAM GOPNIK’S NEW YORK and Abby Wambaugh’s THE FIRST 3 MINUTES OF 17 SHOWS

Solo shows seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but when done right, the experience can be an illuminating and exposing glimpse into the workings of a mind … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Dramas rooted in persisting pain: Leo McGann’s THE HONEY TRAP and Jordan E. Cooper’s OH HAPPY DAY!

This past week, I came across two new Off-Broadway dramas with a capital “D”, both of which are rooted in persisting pain, conjuring big emotions in relatively small spaces. Read … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Above par musical parodies at Asylum NYC: The unhinged EXORCISTIC and the relentlessly probing SLAM FRANK

This week, I ventured twice down to the comedy venue Asylum NYC to catch a pair of above par musical parodies, a sub-genre that has become somewhat subordinated to other … Continue Reading →