Manhattan Digest

All you need to know about Manhattan culture and so much more...

Christopher Caz

‘Mary, Mary’ Tries Hard but Misses The Mark

by

Mary, Mary, written in 1961 by Jean Kerr (husband of renowned theater critic Walter Kerr) has enjoys periodic restaging over the years, including this most recent run at the intimate lower Manhattan Gene Frankel Theatre. [Read more…] about ‘Mary, Mary’ Tries Hard but Misses The Mark

Broken Box Mime Theater’s ‘Skin’ is Fresh and Fun

by

There are many varieties of entertainment without the benefit of verbal expression; art, orchestral music, dance, puppetry are just some examples where the audience must rely solely on visual and aural input to determine meaning. The same is true of mime and pantomime (using the terms interchangeably although there are scholarly distinctions which really aren’t worth introducing here). [Read more…] about Broken Box Mime Theater’s ‘Skin’ is Fresh and Fun

York Theatre Company’s ‘Christmas in Hell’ is Devilishly Fun

by

New musical comedy Christmas In Hell opens with a full-cast lament about fruitcake, and it’s a bite of the deadly stuff, decades old, that causes eight-year-old Davin to start behaving badly, pretty much because he missed Christmas when he was down in Hell being claimed by the Devil (don’t ask–it’s too complicated to explain but it’s reasonably funny to watch unfold). [Read more…] about York Theatre Company’s ‘Christmas in Hell’ is Devilishly Fun

See Westside Theatre’s DANIEL’S HUSBAND Before it Closes

by

When I saw Daniel’s Husband, I knew nothing of the story in advance, and I believe this fact added to my enjoyment of it. I’m going to detail the story line below, so if you’re inclined to see this play the way I did, by all means avoid the plot spoilers below and go see it with my encouragement. There’s not much time left! [Read more…] about See Westside Theatre’s DANIEL’S HUSBAND Before it Closes

York Theatre Company’s ‘Midnight At The Never Get’ is Not to be Missed

by

First staged at Don’t Tell Mama, Midnight at the Never Get has found an an ideal home on St. Peter’s stage, where it unfolds like an intimate cabaret show but is in fact a theater piece with an engaging plot. Midnight skillfully weaves the best of both genres into a delightful and heartfelt 90-minute experience of story and song. [Read more…] about York Theatre Company’s ‘Midnight At The Never Get’ is Not to be Missed

Gabri Christa’s MAGDALENA Engages at TheaterLab

by

A small, black porcelain doll, gently bathed in a warm light, peacefully occupies center stage as theater-goers takes their seats. The light intensifies, and someone begins speaking; all eyes turn toward a voice coming from the the audience. As naturally as if speaking from her own living room, filmmaker/choreographer Gabri Christa proceeds to tell us how she first came to know the doll, originally given to her mother, Magdalena, and which eventually became her own. Upon first encountering the doll, Ms. Christa didn’t know that black dolls even existed, let alone how this one could have made its way into the hands of her mother as a little Dutch white girl. [Read more…] about Gabri Christa’s MAGDALENA Engages at TheaterLab