VIEWPOINTS – American womanhood through the lens of absurdity: Peggy Stafford’s EVERYTHING IS HERE and Rice & Roland’s WHAT IF THEY ATE THE BABY?

Currently Off-Broadway, you’ll find a pair of new plays that use theatrical absurdity as the lens through which American womanhood is refracted. In the resulting disorienting environments, everyday realities are … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jordan Harrison’s sleek and speculative play MARJORIE PRIME arrives on Broadway more relevant than ever

This past weekend, I was able to catch up with Jordan Harrison’s play Marjorie Prime, which has arrived on Broadway this fall season at the Hayes Theater courtesy of Second … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Slightly dwarved at the Armory, the freewheeling stage adaptation of THE FAGGOTS AND THEIR FRIENDS casts its sensuous spell

The Park Avenue Armory’s massive drill hall is a space that begs to be utilized to its extravagant physical potential. With such an expanse, the possibilities are almost limitless — … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Well meaning Americans pushed to the edge of sanity in Chris Gabo’s THE SURGEON AND HER DAUGHTERS and Scott Organ’s DIVERSION

Currently playing Off-Broadway are two new plays — Chris Gabo’s The Surgeon and Her Daughter and Scott Organ’s Diversion — that depict well meaning Americans pushed to the edge of … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Cunning deviousness at the heart of artistic and political success: Examining the moral corruptness that fuel KYOTO and PRACTICE

This fall, Off-Broadway has delved into the heart of darkness, particularly in two new works that investigate the cunning deviousness that often fuels success and so-called progress. These would be … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jack Thorne’s deeply humanistic A CHRISTMAS CAROL returns, this time starring Michael Cerveris as Scrooge

No holiday season in the city would be complete without at least a handful of stage iterations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on tap. Over the last decade or … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – GOTTA DANCE! takes a nostalgic choreographic trip down memory lane through the various eras of the American musical

This week, The York Theatre and American Dance Machine’s co-production — in association with producer Riki Kane Larimer — of Gotta Dance! opened Off-Broadway at the Theatre at St. Jean’s … 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 →

VIEWPOINTS – From the tastefully refined to the hilariously crass: Assessing the new commercial Off-Broadway musicals REUNIONS and VAPE!

Currently on the boards of this busy fall theater season, you’ll find a pair of new musicals taking a shot at commercial success Off-Broadway. As always, read on below for … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Navigating modern masculinity: Ari’el Stachel’s OTHER, Jesse Eisenberg’s THE ZIEGFELD FILES (and new material by Daniel Sloss)

In recent weeks, I came across a trio of solo shows by Ari’el Stachel, Jess Eisenberg, and Daniel Sloss. Although each on their own failed to completely captivate — for … Continue Reading →