At the end of Season 4 of “Hacks,” there’s a rumor that Debra Vance (played by the incredibly funny, talented Jean Smart) is dead. I’m here to report that she isn’t dead. In fact, Smart is alive and well and has just opened the new theater season wit …Read more

When we first meet Ralph, the main character in “Angry Alan,” the 85 minute play by Penelope Skinner at the intimate Studio Seaview, he isn’t angry. Portrayed by John Krasinski who played the genial Jim on tv’s “The Office,” how could he be? Jim was …Read more

Comedy is an art, and it isn’t easy. What some find amusing, others barely snicker at. Humor comes from wordplay and language, action, innuendo and exquisite timing. We can all agree on the universality of drama- loneliness, illness, depression and d …Read more

It’s December 17, 1957, and we are in the audience for the taping of the last Nat King Cole show. Cole was the first African-American to host a variety show and it was groundbreaking. Although the show had some local sponsors like Rheingold Beer, it …Read more

“Old Friends” is the perfect musical for lovers of Stephen Sondheim music. The show is a tribute to Sondheim who died in 2021, leaving behind an unparalleled musical legacy. There are more than 40 numbers in the show and even if you aren’t already of …Read more

Sometimes I attend a show with preconceived ideas, having heard or read about it. However, I knew nothing about “Real Women Have Curves,” never having read Josefina Lopez ‘ novel or seen the 2002 movie. What a pleasant experience! Despite a few serio …Read more

Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman I am unabashedly a Jonathan Groff fan and enjoyed his work in “Spring Awakening,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and “Hamilton.” I even watched him in a straight role as an FBI agent, pro …Read more

John Proctor is the Villain At the end of Arthur Miller’s classic play, “The Crucible,” protagonist John Proctor refuses to lie, even to save his own life. Overwhelmed by what he is being asked to do, he exclaims, “I have given you my soul; leave me …Read more

In 1890, Oscar Wilde wrote a story about a young handsome man who has his portrait painted. He then makes a Faustian bargain, trading his soul for the picture to age, wrinkle and grow ugly instead of his body. This allows the youth to live a dissolut …Read more

Set in a struggling barbershop in Harlem,in the 1950’s, “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men” by Lonnie Elder III focuses on the family of Russell B. Parker (a fine Norm Lewis) and his adult children. Parker’s business was unsuccessful so his wife worked to s …Read more