THE HANGOVER REPORT – Led by Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin, London’s hotly anticipated CABARET descends on Broadway, mis-judged

It’s fascinating to gauge how much of a delicate balance live theater can be. For example, take the current Broadway of revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s classic musical Cabaret (which … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Women taking the baton: Marin Alsop conducts John Adams’ EL NIÑO and Jane Glover leads the NY PHILHARMONIC

This past week over at Lincoln Center, I was able to catch a pair of accomplished women conductors take the baton at two flagship performing arts institutions. See below for … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Documentary theater at its best: The National Theatre’s sobering production of GRENFELL at St. Ann’s Warehouse

Last night, I ventured out to St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn to catch Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors by Gillian Slovo. First presented across the pond at London’s highly … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Rachel McAdams is luminous in the Broadway edition of Amy Herzog’s quietly harrowing play MARY JANE

This week, I was able to catch up with the Broadway edition of Mary Jane by Amy Herzog. Presented by Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, the deeply human … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Dance recap: CITY BALLET’s Spring Gala unveils distinctive new works and GIBNEY COMPANY returns to The Joyce with an eclectic bill

This past week saw New York’s spring dance season in full swing, as evidenced by the unveiling of distinctive new works at New York City Ballet’s Spring Gala, as well … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – From personal to universal: The Bengsons meditate on grief and death in THE KEEP GOING SONGS

Over the past few years, the singer/songwriter duo of Abigail and Shaun Bengson — together known simply as the Bengsons — have become a quiet theatrical force, particularly in the … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Classical music highlights: A new work by Thomas Adès and Steve Reich’s iconic masterpiece returns

This past week was a memorable couple of days for contemporary classical music. Over at Carnegie Hall, music fans were treated to an anticipated new work by a major composer. … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Sting “dansical” import MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE uses street dance to convey the refugee experience, to mixed results

This past weekend, I had the chance to take in the new jukebox “dansical” Message in a Bottle by dance theater maker Kate Prince (who is the Artistic Director of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The singular Taylor Mac stars in a spirited revival of Sarah Ruhl’s stage version of ORLANDO, putting the focus on queerness

Just like its title character, Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando has withstood the test of time. Beginning as a sort of literary oddity, the piece has proved to be ahead … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Paula Vogel’s MOTHER PLAY encapsulates the many facets of familial relationships with elegant theatricality

This past week, I also had the chance to take in Second Stage’s production of Mother Play by Paula Vogel (a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1998 for her haunting play … Continue Reading →