“How did he do that?” According to magician/storyteller Nelson Lugo, this is not the important question. The important question is “Why?” And so, in his autobiographical one-man show Gathering the Magic, Lugo tells his audience why, for him, magic is …Read more

Before he wrote Hamlet, Macbeth and Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare produced his most violent play, the bloody revenge tragedy Titus Andronicus. It was a hit. As the centuries passed and Shakespeare’s legacy as The Immortal Bard grew, Titus Andron …Read more

Steve Cohen has been performing a highly unique magic show in the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel since 2000. His small audiences have included such admirers as Woody Allen, Barry Diller and Martha Stewart. He does not saw women in half or produce ti …Read more

Samuel Beckett, perhaps the twentieth century’s greatest playwright, met his idol James Joyce in Paris during the late 1920s. The young writer actually assisted Joyce in the completion of his final work Finnegan’s Wake. What ideas passed in intimate …Read more

On hearing a Tsonga tale about some magical birds that caused havoc and destruction until they were tamed by the playing of an enchanted flute, it occurred to director Mark Dornford-May how reminiscent the story was of Mozart’s masterpiece, The Magic …Read more

Inspired by Paris’ legendary playhouse of horror, Le Theatre du Grand Guignol, Blood Brothers productions presents Bedlam Nightmares: Execution Day, an anthology of short plays focused on the bizarre, the horrific and the insane. The show is currentl …Read more

The Fred Hersch trio had a fine run at Jazz Standard last week, and as a lovely coda on Sunday evening Mr. Hersch appeared alone at the piano. His playing was relaxed and generous, and the selections were wonderfully eclectic; the composers ranged fr …Read more

Saxophonist Mark Turner and a mysterious band of musical magicians began their run at the Jazz Standard Friday evening, and it is safe to say they managed to surprise and astound a full house of jazz fans. Decidedly modernist, Turner, his main musica …Read more

When a chanteuse as talented as Teresa Eggertsen Cooke takes the stage, gently playing the piano and singing songs that you had almost forgotten were your favorites, there is almost nothing better. Eggertsen Cooke, her smoky voice reminiscent of Carl …Read more

Composer and saxophonist Ken Thomson has a lot to say. He has pioneered jazz and punk fusion in several musical ensembles, including Gutbucket, a jazz-influenced punk band that has toured internationally since 1999. And he has developed a highly uniq …Read more