In one of the most in-depth interviews she’s given in what has remained, a very much private life, Maggie Smith explained to Nancy Banks-Smith of the Observer how she perceived theatre, “I’m never shy on the stage. Always shy off it it. You see, the …Read more
The sound of waves crashing against a sandy shore. A beach ball rolls from the side downstage. A female voice recites lines from a poem created by an artificial intelligence. Images of palm trees, the ocean and sand fade on the back wall of the stage …Read more
Marjorie Prime begins inside a house filled with modern, streamlined furniture in soft pastels, where we meet 85 year old Marjorie (Lois Smith) as she sits in an older-looking recliner. She’s talking to the handsome Walter (Noah Bean) who is asking h …Read more
One of my favorite productions this year was Manual Cinema’s ADA|AVA, a quietly stunning production filled with outstanding visuals. The shadow puppetry piece blended theatre and film to tell the story of an octogenarian grieving the loss of her sist …Read more
1. Oklahoma! Something quite extraordinary took place over the summer at Bard College, where visionary director Daniel Fish took a 70 year old musical (the very first “groundbreaking” Broadway musical in fact) and turned it not only into something of …Read more
Deep into the process of rehearsing and shaping their new musical theater piece The Good Swimmer, a First Look Presentation at the 2016 Prototype Festival, librettist Donna Di Novelli and composer Heidi Rodewald took a few minutes of precious time t …Read more
On the second floor of a nondescript building in midtown Manhattan, metal folding chairs lined the walls of a drab classroom-like room. The audience was sparse and could have been waiting for a high school play or amateur improv show to begin. In fac …Read more
The New York Pops delivered Christmas treats in style at their holiday concert held at Carnegie Hall. In It’s Christmas Time in the City, the orchestra was joined by Essential Voices USA, and guest artists Stephanie J. Block and Brian d’Arcy James, w …Read more
At the top of this show, a famous quote is echoed. “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.” This is a fair assessment. However, the talking in The Count Meets the Duke: The Andersons Play Basie and Ellington only augments this homa …Read more
Multiple murders at the Players Club! At first glance, a headline that could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for a historic social club dogged in recent years by financial controversy. But not so! This macabre message is, in actuality, a ban …Read more