VIEWPOINTS – On Broadway, uneven portraits of misunderstood outlaws: Adrien Brody in THE FEAR OF 13, Jon Bernthal in DOG DAY AFTERNOON

With the arrival of the film-to-stage adaptations of The Fear of 13 and Dog Day Afternoon — the former an intimate documentary, the latter an Al Pacino vehicle — Broadway … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Gina Gionfriddo’s hilariously, ruthlessly truth-saying dark comedy BECKY SHAW arrives on Broadway

Last week saw the Main Stem premiere of Becky Shaw, Pulitzer Prize finalist Gina Gionfriddo‘s ruthlessly and hilariously truth-saying dark comedy about a blind date gone haywire, and the aftermath … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – An Andrew Lloyd Webber renaissance: THE JELLICLE BALL and MASQUERADE re-animate warhorse musicals from fresh perspectives

Following Jamie Lloyd’s triumphantly stripped down re-imagining of Sunset Boulevard last season (featuring a knockout, Tony-winning performance by Nicole Scherzinger), the improbable Andrew Lloyd Webber renaissance continues this season with … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Flawed, entitled men exposed in harsh light: Nathan Lane in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, John Lithgow in GIANT

This spring, Broadway has brought us two compelling portraits of flawed and entitled white men, exposing them in harsh and unforgiving light. These would be Willy Loman, as played by … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Propelling drama through movement: Luke Murphy’s SCORCHED EARTH at St. Ann’s Warehouse and YOAH at New Victory

When it comes to theater, many of us often times underestimate how integral of a role movement can play in conveying story and character. In two shows I recently caught … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Women as tough as nails in John Patrick Shanley’s THE PUSHOVER and Libby Carr’s CALF SCRAMBLE

Then currently Off-Broadway, you’ll find a pair of uncompromising — albeit uneven — new dramas by John Patrick Shanley and Libby Carr, respectively, that depict women across a spectrum of … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Commercial gleam on 42nd Street: GOTTA DANCE! at Stage 42 and BLOOD/LOVE at Theater 555

For those seeking opulence in their Off-Broadway theater outings, there are a pair of shows on 42nd Street that may fit the bill. Read on below for my thoughts on … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Off-Broadway musicals that think outside the box: The return of MEXODUS, Milo Cramer’s NO SINGING IN THE NAVY

This spring, you’ll find a pair of unconventional Off-Broadway musicals that have caught theatergoers’ imaginations precisely because of their willingness to think outside the box. Read on for my thoughts … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Using music to clarify and comment on the drama at hand: HEARTBREAK HOTEL and COLD WAR CHOIR PRACTICE

In theater, music can be a powerfully expressive tool, as evidenced by two Off-Broadway plays whose central utilization of songs to heighten and comment on the drama at hand are … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – New musicals that are throwbacks: York Theatre’s MONTE CRISTO and Maltby & Shire’s trilogy capping revue ABOUT TIME

This spring, theatergoers can essentially travel back in time by attending two new musicals whose respective craft harkens back to musicals of the 1990s and the aughts. As per usual, … Continue Reading →