photo by Marc J. Franklin “Keep your eyes on the cards,” instructs the young man on stage as he shifts three playing cards around on a makeshift stand. It’s not so easy as we get lulled by the rhythmic cadence of his voice and his beguiling friendly …Read more
The word revival suggests a renewal or improvement of something. So each time there’s a Broadway revival, the director tries to change something to encourage ticket sales. The recent hit “The Music Man” offered star power with Hugh Jackman and Sutton …Read more
photo by Joan Marcus In his most personal work yet, playwright Tom Stoppard tells the story of the Merz family. Somewhat autobiographical, “Leopoldstadt” begins with a tableau of an extended family in Vienna in 1899. It is Christmas time, and, althou …Read more
photo credit @ Jeremy Daniel The play “Cost of Living” by Martyna Majok will touch your heart and resonate in your consciousness long after you’ve left the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Deftly directed by Jo Bonney, the 2018 Pulitzer Prize winning pla …Read more
photo by Joan Marcus Adapting a beloved bestselling book into a Broadway show is not without its challenges. While the show has name recognition and is sure to attract loyal readers, it also creates expectations-sometimes unreasonable. The novel, The …Read more
photo by Matt Murphy Sometimes those of us not easily impressed can be impressed. So it is with Into The Woods, now at the St. James Theater. The revival marks a return to the original, following a previous sanitized revival and a fluffy film. This i …Read more
by Joan Marcus There’s something to be said for star power filling theater seats. Despite some tepid reviews for the latest version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the Longacre Theatre was filled. And why not? It stars Daniel Craig (the most recent James B …Read more
Mr. Saturday Night I’m a staunch Billy Crystal fan, and judging from the audience’s reaction at the Nederlander Theatre the other night, I’m not alone. I love Crystal’s quick wit, easy laugh and perpetual grin, even as he delivers a barb. Yet, sadly, …Read more
Michele Ragusa, Harry Hadden-Paton, and Kanisha Marie Feliciano in Lincoln Center Theater’s Flying Over Sunset . Credit: Joan Marcus. For Harry Hadden-Paton, the chance to do a new musical (and one written by James Lapine, no less) was a dream come t …Read more
Alia Jones-Harvey never wanted to be a Broadway producer. In fact, she didn’t even know it was on the table. After realizing she wasn’t cut out to be a mechanical engineer, she went to business school and managed hedge funds. Luckily for us, it was a …Read more
