THE HANGOVER REPORT – THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE returns in an utterly delightful, top notch Off-Broadway revival

Last night marked the opening of the first major New York revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. As its title indicates, the musical essentially re-enacts a fictitious … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Horror by way of psychological terrorism: Looking into Off-Broadway’s THE WASP and THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

If you’re in the mood for some blood chilling theater by way of psychological terrorism, I encourage you to check out a pair of intensely intimate Off-Broadway plays, both of … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Brilliant musical theater scores wrapped in questionable premises: The quest to fix CHESS and THE BAKER’S WIFE continues

Two of this fall’s biggest theater stories are the return of Chess and The Baker’s Wife, two musicals that notoriously flopped in their maiden outings. The reason they have endured … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Out-of-the-box theatrical curiosities that might just fit the bill: ROB LAKE MAGIC and POP UP DINNER THEATER

As one of the indisputable hubs of the entertainment industry, New York is teeming with bespoke theatrical experiences clamoring to satisfy whatever craving — no matter how niche — you … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – High profile musicals inspired by unlikely source material: THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS and THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

This past week saw the opening of a pair of high profile new musicals about troubled American families that are based on unlikely source material. These would be The Public … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The mysteries of Anne Washburn’s vaguely dystopian THE BURNING CAULDRON OF FIERY FIRE run deep

Also opening recently Off-Broadway this busy fall season was Vineyard Theatre and The Civilians’ co-production of The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire, playwright Anne Washburn and director Steve Cosson’s follow-up … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Michael Urie is ideally cast in a stylishly retro, fever dream staging of the Bard’s rarely staged RICHARD II

This week, Red Bull Theater’s anticipated Off-Broadway production of William Shakespeare’s Richard II opened at the Astor Place Theatre. In fact, the production is the inaugural show at the venue … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Pushing the envelope: Assessing the captivating and thought-provoking U.S. premieres of GOOD SEX and BURNT TOAST

Last week, I had the great opportunity to catch a pair of American premieres — both captivating and thought-provoking productions that push the envelope in terms of both theatrical form … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Off-Broadway musicals that aim to please by way of nostalgia: 44 THE MUSICAL and ROMY & MICHELE THE MUSICAL

This fall has seen the arrival of a handful of Off-Broadway musicals that aim to please audiences by way of nostalgia — to varying degrees of success. Two recent examples … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Martyna Majok’s reworked QUEENS returns Off-Broadway, streamlined and newly focused

Last week, a reworked version of Martyna Majok’s play Queens opened Off-Broadway at New York City Center courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club (the play’s first New York outing was presented … Continue Reading →