The latest revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which closed this weekend at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City’s financial district after multiple extensions, may well be one of the most significant and influential theater revivals in recent memory. Not only was the production genuinely enjoyable and moving, it is a perfect demonstration of how ingenuity and creativity can completely reimagine a classic piece of art for a new audience and a new generation. Not About Cats According to legend, when Webber approached director Harold Prince in the early 1980s to gauge his interest in directing the musical, Prince
Reviews
Prepare for a Culinary Whodunnit: “Speakeasy Die Softly” Stages Glamour, Grit, and Gluten in Times Square!
A mere 365 days ago, I found myself stepping onto the productions of America’s largest theatrical conglomerate, The American Immersion Theater (AIT). Specializing in delightfully twisted Murder Mystery shows, this company has become the crème de la crème of the immersive theater landscape. My journey with AIT over the past year has been nothing short of an odyssey, an exuberant escapade through the realms of drama and deception. Little did I know that AIT was scaling the heights, culminating in a brand-new, audacious endeavor tucked away in the resplendent heart of Manhattan! This September, the iconic Carmine’s—a culinary monument of family-style
BroadwayCon 2024: A Celebration of Theater and Conversation
I had the pleasure of attending BroadwayCon this past week at The New York Hilton. This marked my sixth review of the event since it was founded by Anthony Rapp in 2016. It’s hard to believe we’re approaching the ten-year anniversary of this spectacular gathering for theater enthusiasts, especially since BroadwayCon will return in February, back to its original time slot. D.B. Frick Giving Improv Seminar This year was particularly special for me, as I had the incredible opportunity to lead a presentation. I hosted an Improv Seminar titled "Improv: A Brief History and How to Create Your Own Show in Under
Push Party –- TheaterLab
Push Party is the story of five black women who have gathered to celebrate one of them giving birth. Set in a community room of a Harlem apartment building, the piece is not for the faint of heart. In the lobby, there is a sign that warns the audience about the content, which includes: drugs, sexual assault- a miscarriage. fibroids, violence, graphic references, STIs and Interracial relationships. While it may sound like heavy going, the show flies by thanks to witty writing, a great set and a cast that performs as a true ensemble. It is not a laugh fest, but
Will “Suffs” Have Enough To Snuff Out The Competition This Season
Suffragette!!!! Ohhhh!!! Ohhhhh!!! As Sir Paul McCartney once sang or thereabouts. “Suffs,” is the latest Broadway sensation nominated for 6 Tony Awards and executive produced by Hillary Clinton. “Suffs” transports audiences back to the heart of the suffragette movement in 1917. This bombastic and poignant musical, led by Shaina Taub, a multifaceted talent who wears many hats as the writer, composer, and star, shines a bright light on the historical journey of the courageous women fighting for the right to vote. In the spirit of Lin Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking work with “Hamilton,” Taub showcases her brilliance, promising a masterpiece that
Uncle Vanya: Tragically Funny
If Lincoln Center's revival of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya feels both timely and timeless, we can thank playwright and actress Heidi Schreck for her smart adaptation of the 1898 classic. With no references to anything that would place the story in a particular time or place (money is referred to as dollars, people reference “calling” each other rather than “calling on” someone), the play becomes universal—and all the more poignant. In Schreck’s hands, the lengthy Russian names become Anglicized and more approachable for American audiences—Aleksandr is now Alexander and Yelena is Elena, for example. But Ivan is still affectionately called Vanya
Patriots: Absolute Power
Peter Morgan has written any number of excellent plays, movies and TV series about world leaders, from Richard Nixon to Idi Amin to Queen Elizabeth II. But Patriots, his latest piece directed by Rupert Goold and running through June 23 the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, does not carry the same weight as Frost/Nixon, The Last King of Scotland or The Audience (or The Queen, or The Crown for that matter). It’s not that the story doesn’t have grand ambitions, but Patriots does not quite reach its goals. The play follows Boris Berezovsky, a former mathematician whose love of numbers makes him a
The Great Gatsby Grants A Gratuitous Look At The On Going Wealth Gap
The new musical adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" on Broadway seems to be in a race to outdo other shows that feature more rain than you can shake a stick at and more cars than Jerry Seinfeld could handle. Jay Gatsby, the self-made enigma and party king of West Egg, Long Island, is a man of insecurities hidden behind a facade of wealth, constantly teetering on the edge of exposure. Like all men. In this dazzling Jazz Age production, Gatsby’s grand gestures to impress the high society, from showcasing his Oxford photo like a desperate salesman to transforming his neighbor Nick's
The Great Gatsby: Not So Great
We all knew the musical adaptations of The Great Gatsby would be coming as soon as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 book entered the public domain, and the first of what will inevitably be many such productions is finally open at the Broadway Theater. And much like Jay Gatsby’s signature parties, the new musical is very flashy and bright and loud but there’s not an awful lot underneath. Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen’s score is full of bright pop songs that don’t really evoke the 1920s or the wild hedonism of pre-Depression New York. The songs are fine but not terribly memorable,
Rachel McAdams shows us how to do it in “Mary Jane”
As if I didn't have enough reasons to not have children. “Mary Jane” written by Amy Herzog (who once again hardens the fact that she is America’s premiere playwright) gives us the best reasons for living a childless life. The economic climate, wealth disparity, food shortages. The future seems nothing but despondent so any effort to have children at this point strikes me as particularly selfish from a parental viewpoint (and I’ve raised both animals and other people's children). That being said, I currently work with and have worked with many students who were wheelchair-bound and on inhalation devices which is never a sight one wants to behold for their child. The loss of a three-year-old by a mother is