Who knew that Bellport, Long Island could be reeling with such decadence and debauchery? Apparently the cast and crew at The Gateway Playhouse. Through this week, the nationally known summer theater is home to a fine production of Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret. [Read more…] about Gateway Playhouse’s ‘Cabaret’ Brings a Raucous Party While the World Crumbles
THEATRE
‘L.A. Law’ Star Michael Tucker Brings World Premiere to NJ Repertory Company
Italy. For centuries, this crown jewel of the Meditteranean has inspired great works of art that have reached celestial heights. For Da Vinci, it was–among other masterpieces–the Vitruvian Man. Michelangelo gave us David and the Sistine Chapel. Puccini filled our ears with lush scores of “La Boheme” and “Turandot.” More recently, this scenic country encouraged actor-turned-playwright Michael Tucker to draft his latest work, Fern Hill. The world premiere drama-comedy opens this Thursday at NJ Rep in Long Branch, New Jersey.
[Read more…] about ‘L.A. Law’ Star Michael Tucker Brings World Premiere to NJ Repertory Company
‘The Bartschland Follies’ Revives the Underground Clubs of Yesteryear at Chelsea’s McKittrick
Live in New York City long enough, and you’re likely to hear complaints about how the storied den of iniquity has become too sanitized. Downtown clubs once dominated by the punk scene have been replaced by banks, upscale supermarkets, or pharmacies. Lamentations on the death of Bohemia and the underground art scene are all too common among those who partied in the 80s.
Review: ‘The Originalist’ at 59E59 Theaters is The Balm We Need
I’m ashamed to admit this, much less post in on the internet. Yet it drives home a crucial point and I’m a critic who isn’t shy on voicing his opinion. When news of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death emerged in February 2016, I felt a little gleeful. To many progressive thinkers, he represented archaic, stubborn thought who wielded his power against marginalized communities. I shared the same sentiment as NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who wrote in a 2003 opinion piece, “Antonin Scalia is Archie Bunker in a high-backed chair. Like Archie, Nino is the last one to realize that his tolerance is risibly out of date.” [Read more…] about Review: ‘The Originalist’ at 59E59 Theaters is The Balm We Need
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s ‘Fiddler’ is the Finest
Arguably, Fiddler on the Roof is a flawless show. The much-beloved classic is so sturdy that even a group of horribly untalented fifth graders couldn’t destroy it. Still, it’s refreshing when a version comes along that is so phenomenal that you want to share it with the world.
[Read more…] about National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s ‘Fiddler’ is the Finest
Review: Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death’
blue…purple…green…orange…white…violet…blood. Last appearing at The Joyce Theater’s Ballet Festival in 2015, Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY has once again taken to this iconic dance stage with the world premiere of Beamish’s new full-length work The Masque of the Red Death, inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe short story. [Read more…] about Review: Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death’
Company XIV’s ‘Boylesque Bullfight’ Brings a Buffet of Boys to Brooklyn
The Bulls are in Bushwick. I don’t mean the basketball bunch from Chicago. Nor am I talking about the kind who run rampant through the streets a la the fiesta of San Fermin in Pamplona. Oh no. These bulls are taut, muscled men writhing with sexual electricity in Company XIV’s new show, Boylesque Bullfight.
[Read more…] about Company XIV’s ‘Boylesque Bullfight’ Brings a Buffet of Boys to Brooklyn
Irish Rep’s ‘On A Clear Day You Can See Forever’ is Still Weird, But Well Done
In Razzle Dazzle, Michael Riedel’s compelling book on theater history, he shares some unique insight into Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner’s 1965 flop On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. “Lerner wrote it while receiving daily injections of amphetamines from Max Jacobson, the infamous “Dr. Feelgood” whose patients included Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, Nelson Rockefeller, and John F. Kennedy.” [Read more…] about Irish Rep’s ‘On A Clear Day You Can See Forever’ is Still Weird, But Well Done
‘That’s Not Tango- Astor Piazzolla, A Life in Music’ is a Tantalizing Treat
On a recent Saturday afternoon in June, I begrudgingly trudged downtown to SubCulture, the intimate, posh venue housed at 45 Bleecker Street. It was one of the first gorgeous days of spring that New Yorkers had the opportunity to savor and I regretted my decision to spend it in a dark basement with Astor Piazzolla. [Read more…] about ‘That’s Not Tango- Astor Piazzolla, A Life in Music’ is a Tantalizing Treat
Review: Ben Strothmann’s ‘Coming Clean’ at the 4th Annual QUEERLY Festival
One of Ben Strothmann’s earliest NYC memories is when his voice teacher tells him, “Ben, you are living your life in a constant state of reaction to people and things around you. You’re not an authentic person.” [Read more…] about Review: Ben Strothmann’s ‘Coming Clean’ at the 4th Annual QUEERLY Festival