THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s run of LE NOZZE DI FIGARO closes with an ideal cast

Last night, I caught this season’s closing performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro. When done right, Mozart’s deservedly much-loved opera can be a transcendent experience, both musically and dramatically. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – 2018 AMERICAN REALNESS wraps up, and it was as defiant as ever

Today marks the final day of American Realness, the annual festival that celebrates and challenges performative norms, particularly in the sphere of contemporary dance and performance at large. This year’s … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s traditional new TOSCA excels in its casting

Tonight, I caught the highly anticipated but much-maligned (it lost two conductors and its three principals!) new staging of Puccini’s Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera. The production, which replaces Luc Bondy’s controversial version, is … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – UNDER THE RADAR 2018: A Festival Recap, Part 2

Today marks the final day of the Public Theater’s 2018 edition of its Under the Radar Festival. Here are my thoughts on six more shows. All in all, its been … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – John Lithgow slowly unspools STORIES BY HEART, nostalgically and masterfully

The first show to open on Broadway in this new year of 2018 was John Lithgow: Stories by Heart, a production at the American Airlines Theatre under the auspices of Roundabout … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – UNDER THE RADAR 2018: A Festival Recap, Part 1

So far during the consistently fascinating, wonderfully-curated Under the Radar Festival – the Public Theater’s annual January festival for experimental theater – I’ve caught six “mainstage” offerings, not including shows that make up the … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Putting the “play” into the play: Fiasco’s TWELFTH NIGHT and Kate Hamill’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

These days in New York, you’ll find a number of smart, young theater artists taking on the classics with one thing on their minds: play. That is to say, having fun, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Susan Graham headlines a relatively MERRY WIDOW at the Met

Last night at the Metropolitan Opera, I caught the return of Susan Stroman’s production of Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow. I had seen the popular operetta twice before, once with the lovely Elizabeth … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Enriching legitimate theater with classical music: FARINELLI AND THE KING and MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN

As a fan of live performance across genres (theater, dance, opera/classical music, cabaret, etc.), I’ve often wondered whey there hasn’t been more meaningful cross-pollination between these types of performances, apart … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A recap of this season’s top holiday entertainments

Happy New Year, everybody! As we embark on 2018, I’d like to recap the roster of five worthwhile holiday-themed shows in New York I attended across the worlds of theater, dance, … Continue Reading →