Saturday, December 21, 2024
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
Tag: comedy
The Hamilton Mocumentary We Needed Lincoln: The Musical
I'm a huge fan of satire and parody when it comes to comedy genres. Recently, I had the pleasure of viewing "Lincoln: The Musical," by Artie Brennan with a cast of hilarious improvisors and actors. Lincoln: The Musical was filmed on location in NYC. This comedy delves into the world of making it on Broadway, adding a fresh take to the mockumentary genre. Drawing parallels to classic mockumentaries like "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show," and Robert Townsend's "Hollywood Shuffle," "Lincoln The Musical" is a laugh-out-loud journey. Artie Brennan and Anthony Giordano the film's directors do a superb job of double helming. Artie
DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS at New World Stages
Combine elements of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Beetlejuice with The 39 Steps and Mel Brooks’s Young Frankenstein, add a quick-witted, fast-paced, farcical script, mix in five phenomenally talented actor comedians, dozens of fanciful quick-change costumes, all wrapped up in a big batty vampire bow and you’d have Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. The show, written by Gordon Greenberg (who also directs it) and Steve Rosen, now playing Off-Broadway at New World Stages, is a riotous romp that’s sexy, spooky and utterly hysterical. Though Dracula (played by the devastatingly dashing and terrifically talented James Daly, who’s more of an Alexander Skarsgard
Public Works’ Musical Adaptation of “As You Like It”: Free Shakespeare in the Park
The 60th anniversary of The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park series was memorable. It opened with risk and ended with a reward. The first of the two productions for summer 2022 was Richard III, directed by Robert O'Hara and starring Danai Gurira in the title role. It seemed to be the summer of Richard III, and the choices made by The Public's version and other productions worldwide (notably in Canada and the UK) were the source of many conversations, press articles, and hot debates. In contrast, it's hard to imagine anything but praise for the delightful, exuberant modern musical
Colin Quinn Red State Blue State at Minetta Lane Theatre Unites a Nation Divided with Humor and Wisdom
Comedian Colin Quinn has been referred to as a “satirical sage from Brooklyn.” It’s an apt title for the performer who took the stage of the Minetta Lane Theatre to a packed house for his new solo show, Red State Blue State. With his scruffy facial hair -- not quite a beard but well past the hour of a 5 o’clock shadow, now with more salt than pepper -- the alumni of MTV, Comedy Central and SNL both looks and acts the part of a wise, witty and wistful observer reflecting on our drastically divided nation without malice, blame or
Wild Goose Dreams at The Public Theater
In Hansol Jung’s tender, poignant and humorously human Wild Goose Dreams, The Public Theater’s entire third floor space is transformed into a the city of Seoul, South Korea (the inventive and imaginative design is credited to Public and Broadway veteran, Clint Ramos) through a vibrant visual plethora of candy-colored campaigns and neon notifications with a small sampling of blown-up family photos scattered between. This manic mosaic sets the chaotic tone of a modern world where various sights and sound bites compete for attention -- though that only creates a feeling of deeper isolation amidst all the noise. But the eye-bruising visual
BROADWAY: GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER AT THE BELASCO THEATRE
(WARNING! Contains spoilers) New York City -- the most dazzling and difficult place to live out your wildest dreams and fantasies. They say: “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” but truth be told, many don’t make it. Such was the case for Mitch Papadopoulos (played by Mitchell Jarvis) -- the protagonist of Gettin’ the Band Back Together -- a Jersey boy turned stockbroker who had to revert to living with his mother in his childhood hometown across the Hudson River in Sayreville, NJ, after his career took a nosedive when he turned forty. The show can be
Being a Latina Comic in Long Island, NY
By Cristina Arroyo (and NOT by Jeff Myhre, despite what Wordpress says -- we're working on it). Follow any LI comic or club on Instagram, and count the number of women or comics of color in the photos; you’d be hard pressed to get past single digits. The Long Island comedy scene in New York is very male and very White–I’m not trying to be controversial, just factual. Lack of diversity (race, gender, and even comedic style) is a glaring issue that, if continued to be pushed aside, will render LI comedy obsolete. Many seasoned comics and show producers and bookers dismiss
Desperate Measures at New World Stages
It’s a rare thing when all of the elements come together perfectly to create true theatrical magic. One of the most recent examples of that kind of kismet is a delightfully riotous romp called Desperate Measures, now playing Off-Broadway at New World Stages after its multi-award winning (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Off Broadway Alliance) and numerously extended run at the York Theater last year. The plot, which examines how justice is served and manipulated, is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure. The setting is the Wild West where Johnny Blood (Conor Ryan) waits in jail with a drunken,