Manhattan Digest

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

THEATRE

‘A Soldier’s Play’ Offers Big Stars in a Lukewarm Revival

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There is so much potential to be had in Roundabout Theater Company’s Broadway debut of A Soldier’s Play. When it initially premiered in 1981 Off Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theater, it ran for an impressive 486 performances and clinched the 1982 Pulitzer prize for drama. It was later turned into a critically acclaimed film with original stage star Denzel Washington. [Read more…] about ‘A Soldier’s Play’ Offers Big Stars in a Lukewarm Revival

Concert Against Bigotry Draws a Starry Cast

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Jewish stars of stage and screen, along with giants in the Klezmer and classical music worlds will unite on Monday January 27th for an evening commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The event, titled An Extraordinary Concert Against Bigotry will take place in the Streicker center of Temple Emanuel on Fifth avenue and 66th Street. [Read more…] about Concert Against Bigotry Draws a Starry Cast

‘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.

[Read more…] about ‘Jagged Little Pill’ is a Prescription for Our Dischordant Time

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.

[Read more…] about Keen Company’s ‘Molly Sweeney’ Offers Visions of Profound Measure