VIEWPOINTS – As an opera, Kurt Weill’s flawed and dated LOST IN THE STARS was ahead of its time

What is opera vis-à-vis musical theater? Which form is more on the cutting edge of serious music theater? Is there even a difference between them? Famed German American composer Kurt … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Stephen Karam’s astonishing THE HUMANS opens on Broadway, and it’s easily the best play of the season

Earlier tonight, Stephen Karam’s extraordinary family drama The Humans opened on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre. When I saw an early preview performance of the play last fall at the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Anthony Giardina’s timely THE CITY OF CONVERSATION plays Washington, where it belongs

Last night, I caught a performance of Anthony Giardina’s The City of Conversation at Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Few plays in recent memory are better suited to playing our … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Lydia R. Diamond’s SMART PEOPLE lacks focus and, sad to say, smarts

Yesterday evening, I had a chance to catch Lydia R. Diamond’s Smart People, which opened last week at Second Stage. Ms. Diamond’s play, a meditation on love, race, and identity … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Encores! revival of CABIN IN THE SKY is a joyous, if curious, affair

I just got back from Encores! revival of Vernon Duke and John Latouche’s forgotten 1940 musical Cabin in the Sky at City Center, and boy, is it joyous stuff. The … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – MTC’s winter season gives us two personal, beautifully-acted portraits of unmoored, headstrong lives

This winter, Manhattan Theatre Club is offering audiences a pair of compelling, albeit flawed, plays from two of our most respected playwrights. What these plays have in common is that … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Economic hardships drive hard-hitting dramas, then and now

This week in our nation’s capital, I had the opportunity of catching two serious dramas – one a new work, the other an established classic. They were Lynn Nottage’s latest, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – THE WOODSMAN creates magic on its own intimate terms

This week, James Oritz’s The Woodsman opened at New World Stages after a successful run a few seasons back at 59E59 Theaters. Like Wicked, that inescapable mega-hit playing just down the … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The New York City Ballet principal women dazzle in a pair of all-Balanchine programs

The current roster of New York City Ballet principal women is taking the dance world by storm. A recent viewing of two all-Balanchine programs showed these artists reaching new heights … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – La Mama celebrates 88 years of theater-making from Mabou Mines and Talking Band

Last week at La Mama, I was able to catch a pair of world premieres from two heralded downtown companies, Mabou Mines and Talking Band. Collectively, these two iconic companies, … Continue Reading →