THE HANGOVER REPORT – MJ is an ideally constructed jukebox bio-musical that shies away from the Shakespearean tragedy of its subject

Over the years, the jukebox bio-musical (Jersey Boys, Summer, Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Motown, The Cher Show) has been taking an increasing amount of real estate on the Great White … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Exploring our humanity through speculative science: Michel van den Aa’s UPLOAD & Sam Chanse’s WHAT YOU ARE NOW

We live in rapidly changing times in which technological and scientific advances are threatening to outpace our ability to fully assess how they fundamentally alter the human experience. Recently, I … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Led by a sensational April Matthis, Claudia Rankine’s philosophical and confrontational HELP demands attention

Last night, Claudia Rankine’s Help opened Off-Broadway at The Shed in Hudson Yards. The production was actually in previews this time two years ago when the pandemic emphatically shut down … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Page 73 presents MAN CAVE, John J. Caswell, Jr.’s uneven but ultimately empowering psychological thriller

Last night at the Connelly Theater in the East Village, I attended Page 73’s Off-Broadway production of Man Cave by John J. Caswell, Jr. Set in the claustrophobic basement of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In a ferociously committed performance, Laiona Michelle uncannily channels the great Nina Simone in LITTLE GIRL BLUE

This past weekend, I also caught a performance of Little Girl Blue, which is in the midst of an open run at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages (after having previously premiered … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – For THE LIFE’S Encores! mounting, Billy Porter drastically alters the fiber of the musical, mostly for the better

This weekend, I attended the Encores! revival of The Life at New York City Center. The 1997 musical features music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Ira Gasman (the book … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Concluding where it began: SITI Company returns to the ever so relevant THE MEDIUM in its bittersweet farewell season

Last night at BAM Fisher, I caught a performance of SITI Company’s revival of The Medium. Originally staged in 1993, the show has the distinction of being the first – … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A pair of experimental Off-off-Broadway plays open: Agnes Borinsky’s A SONG OF SONGS and Talking Band’s LEMON GIRLS OR ART FOR THE ARTLESS

In recent days, a pair of new experimental plays opened Off-off-Broadway courtesy of some of the city’s most pioneering theater presenters. As per usual, here are my thoughts. A SONG … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Peter Gil-Sheridan’s THIS SPACE BETWEEN US explores the consequences of making life-changing decisions

Last night, I attended a performance of Peter Gil-Sheridan’s This Space Between Us Off-Broadway at Theatre Row. The piece is presented by Keen Company, which returns to in-person performances with … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – MasterVoices hits the bullseye with its joyful, starry concert rendition of Sondheim and Laurents’s ANYONE CAN WHISTLE

Last Thursday, MasterVoices hits the bullseye with its one-night-only concert rendition of Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’s 1964 musical Anyone Can Whistle at Carnegie Hall (the venue’s iconic Stern Auditorium … Continue Reading →