The musical Chess premiered in London in 1986 and then on Broadway two years later. Despite its gorgeous score with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (of ABBA) and Tim Rice, audiences weren’t enamored of the story. They didn’t flo …Read more
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) He’s the son of the groom he has never met. She’s the sister of the much-younger bride. Together they are the main characters in Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York,) a charming new musical by Jim …Read more
Picture a small blonde tornado – bursting with energy and dressed in hot pink and high heels. That’s Kristen Chenoweth portraying the real-life Jackie Siegel in The Queen of Versailles. Chenoweth stars in a new musical based upon the award-winning do …Read more
With only two main characters and a beige couch, Little Bear Ridge Road, a new play by Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale and FX’s Emmy Award winning show Baskets) depends entirely on language, script and acting. Fortunately, the writing is so good and the …Read more
This Fall theater season presented two productions dealing with Archduke Ferdinand. At the end of Ragtime, he is assassinated, setting off the war to end all wars. More recently, I saw Archduke at the Roundabout Theatre Company, written by Rajiv Jose …Read more
In his 1975 novel Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow offers a panorama of Americana. He uses real-life personalities, including magician Harry Houdini, radical militant Emma Goldman, starlet Evelyn Nesbit, Henry Ford and Booker T. Washington and interspersing th …Read more
Is it Gah-Doh or GOD-dot? That was my first question upon receiving the invitation to see the revival of Samuel Becket’s classic play, “Waiting for Godot.” Director Jamie Llloyd opted for the latter, emphasizing the spiritual interpretation of the en …Read more
Hispanics comprise about 20.0% of the total U.S. making up the largest ethnic minority in the US. Yet, in the new drama “The Other Americans” written by John Leguizamo playing at The Public Theater, they still feel they don’t belong. Leguizamo, known …Read more
My friend’s daughter had a 10 year old named Serena with long curly hair who wore frilly dresses like her older sister. One day she showed up at school with short hair and wearing overalls and announced his name was Jonah. For the most part, Jonah ha …Read more
Years ago the fictional TV journalist Murphy Brown (played by Candy Bergen) showed her contempt for pretentious modern art lovers by sneaking a picture drawn by her toddler onto the wall of a famous art gallery. Critics argued about its merits, promp …Read more
