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I should have cared. I should have been fully invested in the depression era tale about Nick Laine (Jay O. Sanders), his wife, Elizabeth (Mare Winningham), and the visitors that inhabit their Duluth, Minnesota boarding house. And yet, after 2 1/2 seemingly endless hours at the Belasco Theatre, all I really cared about was leaving.
[Read more…] about ‘Girl From the North Country’ Spins an Endless Yarn
We all want to see the “happy ever” ending: two people meet, they fall in love, and then skip off into the sunset as the credits roll. Without revealing any spoilers, that’s exactly what happens in Cary Gitter‘s anodyne but generally delightful play, The Sabbath Girl.
[Read more…] about ‘The Sabbath Girl’ is a Predictable but Pleasant Tasting Comedy
Can one be fired for ” For cussing out a short-ˇtempered gangster in the middle of an up-ˇtempo production number?” If you’re Angel Allen (Alfie Fuller) at the Cotton Club in 1930s Harlem, the answer is “yes.”
[Read more…] about Keen Company’s ‘Blues For An Alabama Sky’ Paints A Gorgeous Portrait
Seesaw is back on the boards, thanks to the J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company. This brand new theater company, co-founded by The Disney Channel creator Jim Jimirro, is presenting the first of three disparate shows from the archives of musical theater (1962’s No Strings and A Class Act from 2000 will follow). [Read more…] about ‘Seesaw’ Shows a Promising Start for J2 Spotlight
You’ve never met anyone like Jason. Actually, you probably have. He’s the obnoxious hot mess who shows up uninvited to his friend’s birthday party and proceeds to talk at breakneck speeds before causing a scene. [Read more…] about ‘Happy Birthday Doug’ is a Big, Gay Party Not to be Missed
Ashley Blaker is man to respect. This Orthodox Jewish stand-up comedian admits that there are confusing—and somewhat primitive—aspects to Judaism. Yet he both admires and admonishes them in his show, Goy Friendly. [Read more…] about ‘Ashley Blaker: Goy Friendly’ is Everything You Wanted to Know about Judaism
Think you’ve lived an exciting life? If you’re comparing it to journalist Nellie Bly, there’s a good chance that it will pale. At the tender age of 21, Bly headed to Mexico to observe the customs and traditions of the Mexican people. After that, she feigned insanity in order to be checked into the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island (now known as Roosevelt Island). Her goal: to investigate the abuse and horrid conditions that were rampant in the facility. After writing her expose in the New York World, it was later published it in book form. Still thirsty, she convinced her editor to travel around the globe—which she successfully did on her own. [Read more…] about ‘Nellie and The Women of Blackwell’ is a Little Known, Intriguing Journey
The South Korean owned Lotte New York Palace has always cultivated an air of sophistication, but the hotel’s Madison Room was extraordinarily regal last Thursday afternoon as it welcomed the cast and creative team of the upcoming Broadway musical Diana. [Read more…] about ‘Diana’ Musical Cast and Creatives Meet the Press
“In remembrance, lies the secret of redemption.” These words, attributed to Baal Shem Tov, were spoken last evening at Temple Emanu-El by its Senior Rabbi, Joshua M. Davidson. Hundreds packed the massive synagogue on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 65th for A Concert Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. Leaders of several Jewish organizations, along with celebrity guest artists gathered for two poignant reasons: To remember the l.3 million lives that were lost at the Polish concentration camp and to honor the survivors, their families, and members of the Russian army who came to the rescue. [Read more…] about Stars Unite for Holocaust Memorial Concert
You might not get the plot, but you’ll get a fabulous dinner—along with a hoot n’ hollerin’ good time at On Site Opera’s current production of Das Barbecü at Hill Country Barbecue Restaurant. Book writer and lyricist Jim Luigs and composer Scott Warrender’s spoof on Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings has been kickin’ around for nearly 30 years. It first premiered in 1991 at Seattle Opera. That was followed by out of town runs at Goodspeed Opera and Baltimore’s Center Stage Theater. Eventually, it blew into town and took up residency Off-Broadway the Minetta Lane Theater.
