There will be a lot of repatishin. There will be a lot of repetichion. There will be a lot of repetition. Eventually, Phil Connors (Andy Karl) will get it right, but it’s gonna him take a couple of hours and quite a bit of patience from audiences until he finally does. Connors is the bitter, cynical weatherman for a medium-market news channel in Danny Rubin’s adaptation of the 1993 comedy Groundhog Day. [Read more…] about “Groundhog Day: The Musical” is a Squirrely Hodgepodge of Humor
THEATRE
Theatre Review: Gary McNair’s “A Gambler’s Guide to Dying”
For such a young man, Gary McNair is dispensing insight and wisdom far beyond his years. McNair, with the help of director Gareth Nicholls has brought his autobiographical story of literal unbelievable odds to the stage in A Gambler’s Guide to Dying. The solo play, currently at 59E59th Theater through April 23rd, kicks off the 2017 Brits Off Broadway Festival. [Read more…] about Theatre Review: Gary McNair’s “A Gambler’s Guide to Dying”
Theatre Review: Sally Field in Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie”
Apparently, Broadway audiences can’t get enough of the Wingfield family and their gentleman caller, Jim O’Connor (Finn Witrock). Over the years, numerous actors have portrayed the role of Amanda Wingfield: Julie Harris, Jessica Tandy, Jessica Lange, and more recently, Cherry Jones in the 2013 revival. [Read more…] about Theatre Review: Sally Field in Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie”
Theatre Review: Ben Woolf’s “Angry Young Man” is a British Delight
I wish that I were able to fully explain the plot of Angry Young Man, the British import that has arrived on American soil at New York’s Urban Stages. This is, by no means, a slam against playwright Ben Woolf. Nor it is a criticism of director Stephen Hamilton, who conducts this incredibly nimble cast like a precisely engineered Swiss watch. The dilemma lies primarily with the construct of the show. [Read more…] about Theatre Review: Ben Woolf’s “Angry Young Man” is a British Delight
Point Honors Gala Salutes Uzo Aduba, Dustin Lance Black & More!
It is always good to see LGBTQ people be honored for their leadership and courage, and last night was no exception as The Plaza played host to the annual Point Honors Gala. The evening’s honorees are two major people in the entertainment game: Orange is the New Black star Uzo Aduba and Academy Award Winner Dustin Lance Black, who wrote the phenomenal film “Milk” as well as the recent ABC miniseries “When We Rise”. [Read more…] about Point Honors Gala Salutes Uzo Aduba, Dustin Lance Black & More!
Theater Review: Leigh Fondakowski’s “Spill” at Ensemble Studio Theatre
There is currently a show on Broadway that celebrates the unity of humanity in the face of serious tragedy. It expresses human kindness and openness in ways that most of us thought were not possible. Leigh Fondakowski’s new play, Spill, is not that show. The former is Come From Away, a musical about a town in New Foundland that bands together on 9/11 when 38 plays had to make an emergency landing at their local airport in Gander. [Read more…] about Theater Review: Leigh Fondakowski’s “Spill” at Ensemble Studio Theatre
Theater Reviews: White Guy on the Bus & Beneath the Gavel
59E59 is heating up the liberal conscious with two American plays, White Guy on the Bus and Beneath the Gavel. [Read more…] about Theater Reviews: White Guy on the Bus & Beneath the Gavel
Theatre Review: Sunset Boulevard on an Empty Strip
In Act II of the current revival of Sunset Boulevard, faded silent movie star Norma Desmond (Glenn Close) returns to the lot of Paramount studios where, years prior, she was an adored actress. As she looks around in stunned amazement, she launches into one of the musical’s most well-known numbers, As If We Never Said Good-bye. The song captures the emotion of a celebrity who wears spotlight like a warm winter coat and is ecstatic to be basking in it once again. Close, who won the Tony for her role in the 1994 staging is back on the boards, chewing the scenery and commanding the stage like the true professional that she is. [Read more…] about Theatre Review: Sunset Boulevard on an Empty Strip
Theater Review: “If I Forget” Rife with Family Conflict
Anti-holocaust discussions might not make for an appropriate conversation at a dinner party, but they most definitely produce excellent dramatic tension, as witnessed in Steven Levenson’s sharply written Off Broadway play, If I Forget.
[Read more…] about Theater Review: “If I Forget” Rife with Family Conflict
Theater Review: Will Eno’s “Wakey, Wakey” Rises To the Occasion
None of us are getting out of here alive, but we are getting tzotchkes and knick knacks before it all ends. The “here” I am referring to is life and an actor, simply known as “Guy” (Michael Emerson) will spend 75 plaintive and sometimes whimsical minutes talking to us about our mortal condition while reading interesting trivia from 3X5 business cards. It sounds dull, but Playwright Will Eno’s existentialist drama captures our attention and beautifully paints a canvas of what it means to live a life well lived. [Read more…] about Theater Review: Will Eno’s “Wakey, Wakey” Rises To the Occasion