Manhattan Digest

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

THEATRE

‘The Thin Place’ is a Gripping Place to Be

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Welcome to death. Not exactly a sentiment to end 2019 with, nor one that will usher in the new year with a cheerful demeanor. Nonetheless, it’s a theme that Playwrights Horizons has chosen to explore through Lucas Hnath’s mind-bending play, The Thin Place. The second show of the Off-Broadway’s company 2019-2020 season opened on December 11th to understandably rave reviews. Consequently, it has been extended through January 26th. [Read more…] about ‘The Thin Place’ is a Gripping Place to Be

Goldstar Announces Nation’s Best Production of ‘The Nutcracker’

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New York has no shortage of nuts. No. Not the ubiquitous street vendors who sell warm peanuts, cashews, and almonds. (Although they certainly are a delicious treat!)  I’m referring to the number of productions of the 1892 ballet The Nutcracker.  Since the 1960s, countless ballet companies have staged the beloved story which offers a glorious score by Peter Tchaikovsky. [Read more…] about Goldstar Announces Nation’s Best Production of ‘The Nutcracker’

‘One November Yankee’ is a Flight Worth Skipping

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As Bette Davis uttered in All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.”  That sentiment can be shared with Joshua Ravetch‘s One November Yankee, the latest Off-Broadway offering at 59E59 Street Theaters. Except with Yankee, you’re not going to hear a fraction of smart dialogue that Joseph L. Mankiewicz scripted for Eve.

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‘Jagged Little Pill’ is a Prescription for Our Dischordant Time

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Steve (Sean Allan Krill) is a workaholic and a porn addict. Mary Jane (Elizabeth Stanley) is hooked on opioids. Their daughter Frankie (Celia Rose Gooding), a black bi-sexual, is trying to reconcile her self worth and identity. Their Harvard bound son, Nick (Derek Klena) is pressured to be the ideal kid while he harbors a reputation-ruining secret.

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Keen Company’s ‘Molly Sweeney’ Offers Visions of Profound Measure

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“Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”  The quote, from Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s The Little Prince, could well summarize the feelings of the title character in Brian Friel’s Molly Sweeney.

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New York Songbirds Gather for a 30th Year Anniversary Celebration

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Liza sang it best. “Life is a cabaret, ‘ole chum/Come to the Cabaret.” From Oct. 28-31, you can go to quite a few of them at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center.  That’s where several aspiring and established vocalists will gather for The Mabel Mercer Foundation’s 30th Annual New York Cabaret Convention. [Read more…] about New York Songbirds Gather for a 30th Year Anniversary Celebration