Though we understand their circumstances may have been a bit different, like Oliver and his clan of orphan boys, we’ve all fallen into a daze dreaming of “food, glorious food” at one point or another. After all, it’s been said that food is the great …Read more

The acclaimed actress and jazz singer highlights her favorite foods off the 54 menu ahead of her brunchtime residency at the intimate venue.  Though we understand their circumstances may have been a bit different, like Oliver and his clan of orphan b …Read more

They say you never forget your first time and one of the first shows I ever saw was “Once Upon a Mattress” starring comedienne Carol Burnett. It was unforgettable! Incomparable! For me, it was a wonderful introduction and the beginning of a lifelong …Read more

The multi-hyphenate, who soars in her self-penned To Free a Mockingbird, now playing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival through August 24th, shares her fave food spot in the Theatre District before or after a show. Though we understand their circumstan …Read more

Jane makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it’s her nervousness and twitching. Maybe it is the gun she is brandishing as the play JOB begins. According to Anton Chekhov, if a writer includes a gun in a story, it should be used later. Not sure if playwright M …Read more

Though we understand their circumstances may have been a bit different, like Oliver and his clan of orphan boys, we’ve all fallen into a daze dreaming of “food, glorious food” at one point or another. After all, it’s been said that food is the great …Read more

Orthodox Jews won’t work on the Sabbath. Work includes simple tasks, such as turning on air conditioners and lights. Over the years they have enlisted the aid of a Shabbos Goy, a non-Jew who helps by performing some of these chores. Some famous peopl …Read more

“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it—every, every minute?” It’s this line, from Thornton Wilder’s 1938 classic Our Town, that means so much to writer, performer & comedian Nora Burns (“I still can’t read [the play] without bu …Read more

What can the audience learn from the new production “Empire: The Musical” directed by Cady Huffman? The building was originally supposed to be named after former governor Alfred E. Smith. The then-tallest building was completed in only 410 days and o …Read more

Though we understand their circumstances may have been a bit different, like Oliver and his clan of orphan boys, we’ve all fallen into a daze dreaming of “food, glorious food” at one point or another. After all, it’s been said that food is the great …Read more

I had a stressful week and was really hoping to see a lighthearted play, certainly not one about politics. However, “N/A,” the new play by Mario Correa, was next in the queue. Correa comes to the theater with a background in politics having been a lo …Read more

Cephus Miles never wanted to leave his home in Crossroads, North Carolina. The central figure of the beautiful revival of Samm – Art Williams’s “Home” presented at Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre, Cephus loves the farm where his grandpa and uncle ra …Read more

Can two extremely talented female performers overcome their history of unhappy relationships and learn to love again? Zoe Sarnak and Rachel Bonds’s rock musical, The Lonely Few, is a lesbian romance about moving on from the past and taking a chance t …Read more

Brian Friel’s play “Molly Sweeney” directed by Charlotte Moore is staged in the simplest form imaginable. The three major characters are seated in chairs on stage. They speak directly to the audience and never to one another. The staging works partic …Read more

It’s estimated that there are over 5 million people who belong to book clubs and 80% of the participants are women. Some of the clubs are organized and have a paid leader while others are more informal. Some organize themes around their selections an …Read more

The Back to the Future notable shares his favorite food spots before or after a show.  Though we understand their circumstances may have been a bit different, like Oliver and his clan of orphan boys, we’ve all fallen into a daze dreaming of “food, gl …Read more

The NYTW production of “Here There Are Blueberries” in a co-production with Tectonic Theater Project, begins with a single object onstage. It is a Leica camera and the narrator explains how it changed culture. And although pictures capture images, we …Read more

Imagine you are the fly on the wall in a recording studio. One of your favorite groups is scheduled to record its latest album. It’s the 1970’s, and the group has an album on The Billboard charts. That’s what it’s like sitting in the audience at “Ste …Read more

The revision of “Uncle Vanya” at Lincoln Center is notable for two reasons. One is that it has been modernized by Heidi Schreck (“What the Constitution Means to Me”) making it more relatable to the audience. More significantly, the show marks the Bro …Read more

As we approach Mother’s Day, it was fitting that two of the plays I saw this week had mothers as central characters, and they could not have been more different. “Mary Jane” is loving, self-sacrificing and always positive, while Phyliss in “Mother Pl …Read more

Fans of “The Crown” written by Peter Morgan may flock to see “Patriots,” his new Broadway play but they will discover a very different historical drama. However, the trip is worth it to see the terrific performance by Michael Stuhlbarg as Boris Berez …Read more

One problem with revivals is that creatives often feel a need to change things up. So they might use a different time, setting, storyline and sometimes even remove music. The recent revival of “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” starring Eddie Redmayne as …Read more

Few film actors can easily transition from film to the stage with live audiences and no do-overs. Yet Rachel McAdams makes a splendid Broadway debut in the revival of Amy Herzog’s play “Mary Jane.” The quiet intimate play is about Mary Jane, the sing …Read more

In 2002, Long Island Reads initiated a program designed to bring together readers in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to discuss a Long Island-related book. Unsurprisingly, the first book was the classic novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Now …Read more

Years ago, I taught the book The Outsiders to classes of teenagers. My students were intrigued by the two warring gangs separated by economic circumstances: the Socs, wealthy kids in madras and khakis who had it all versus the Greasers with their hai …Read more

Adaptations are common in theater and often popular shows are revised and modified to reach different audiences. Shakespeare is a favorite source of material.“Hamlet” inspired “Fat Ham” and “Romeo and Juliet led to “ West Side Story” and later “& Jul …Read more

“Deep down, we are the same. Like, we are all, you know, deep down, just… people.” Such is the concept at the heart of Lost Sock Laundry, a new play written by Ivan Faute and produced by UP Theater Company, which is currently premiering at Fort Washi …Read more

The celebrated performer shares her favorite food picks shares her fave food spots ahead of her highly-anticipated season of shows at Chelsea Table + Stage. Though we understand their circumstances may have been a bit different, like Oliver and his c …Read more

“The Who’s Tommy” The music from “The Who’s Tommy” is part of the fabric of my life. I grew up singing it, hearing it and loving it. Snatches of songs immediately evoke images and remind me of my college years. Although I’ve seen the show and the mov …Read more