VIEWPOINTS – London roundup: A varied bounty of performances across the classics, new dramas, musicals, and beyond

A few weeks back, I was able to travel across the pond to take in an eclectic bounty of shows across the classics, new dramas, musicals, and beyond to satisfy … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A trio of jazz divas light up Birdland: JANE MONHEIT, GABRIELLE STRAVELLI, and The Hot Sardine’s ELIZABETH BOUGEROL

This past fall at Birdland, it was my pleasure to be enchanted by a trio of jazz divas, each of whom effortlessly regaled audiences with their distinct vocal prowess and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – An overview of ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY FARE: From mildly off the beaten path, to the thoughtfully tangental, to the wacky remixes

For those of you looking for some alternative fare for your holiday entertainment, there are certainly options beyond the big guns (e.g., New York City Ballet’s production of Balanchine’s The … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Trinity Church’s briskly conducted, newly truncated MESSIAH continues to be the gold standard

Just like performative versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the New York holiday season also typically has a handful of different versions of Handel’s Messiah on offer for music … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – CHEYENNE JACKSON at Carnegie Hall: Joyously fulfilling a lifelong dream as his authentic self

This past Monday, Cheyenne Jackson made his highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in an eclectic concert that found the stage and screen star joyously fulfilling his lifelong dream — emphatically … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Distinctively French, American: William Christie’s LES ARTS FLORRISANT and a Gustavo Gimeno-led NY PHILHARMONIC

This past weekend, two music ensembles strove, respectively, to evoke distinctly French and American stylings. These would be William Christie’s early music specialists Les Arts Florrisant at the Brooklyn Academy … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – ‘Tis the season: Broadway’s AMBER IMAN and CHRISTINE EBERSOLE kick off the holidays with their cabaret shows

In terms of nightlife entertainment, this week saw the first signs of the Christmastime holiday peaking through with Broadway favorites Amber Iman and two-time Tony-winner Christine Ebersole unveiling their latest … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Sometimes less is more: Semi-staged presentations of Jeanine Tesori’s BLUE and Marvin Hamlisch’s SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS hit the mark

In recent weeks, I attended semi-staged presentations of Jeanine Tesori’s 2019 opera Blue and Marvin Hamlisch’s underrated 2002 musical adaptation of Sweet Smell of Success. With the focus squarely on … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Broadway star SHOSHANA BEAN brings fervent fire to her debut concert at Carnegie Hall

Earlier this week, popular Broadway star Shoshana Bean made her highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut as a headliner. Known for originating major roles in such recent shows as Hell’s Kitchen and Mr. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Venerable nightlife venues doing what they do best: Checking out late night offerings at Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, and Birdland

In addition to partaking in the busy fall theater season, I’ve occasionally pursued late night offerings at some of New York’s most iconic nightlife venues — namely Joe’s Pub, 54 … Continue Reading →