Jack Kerouac must be beaming from his beatnik perch in heaven these days. Years after he wrote his seminal work, On the Road, two gifted wunderkinds have modernized his “fabulous yellow roman candles” in the new show The Mad Ones. [Read more…] about Theatre Review: Kait Kerrigan & Brian Lowdermilk’s ‘The Mad Ones’
THEATRE
Lisa Lampanelli’s “Stuffed” is Full of Laughs and Heart
Body image issues are an age old epidemic. Few among us can say that we don’t obsess about food, how it affects us, and what we we think about ourselves when we look in a mirror. Comedian Lisa Lampanelli knows firsthand. As a yo-yo dieter for over 30 years, she struggled with her weight until she underwent gastric sleeve surgery a few years ago. Her weight dropped by over 100 pounds. [Read more…] about Lisa Lampanelli’s “Stuffed” is Full of Laughs and Heart
Jocelyn Bioh on “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play”
“The subtitle was never intended to stick around. I wrote that in the script so that literary managers would have a point of reference,” said Joceyln Bioh in a recent phone conversation. The subtitle she is referencing is from her new play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, currently in previews at the Lucille Lortel theater. Tony award winner Rebecca Taichman directs the MCC Off Broadway World premiere, opening this Thursday, November 16th.
[Read more…] about Jocelyn Bioh on “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play”
Kel Haney Tackles “The Elephant in Every Room I Enter”
Director Kel Haney didn’t know much about Tourette Syndrome before she met actor Gardiner Comfort. She wasn’t alone in her unawareness. The cause of neuropsychiatric disorder remains a mystery even to neurologists and other medical experts. [Read more…] about Kel Haney Tackles “The Elephant in Every Room I Enter”
Stars Aligned for “The 24 Hour Plays On Broadway”
The who’s who of the theater world descended upon the American Airlines theatre this past Monday night, Oct 30th for the 17th annual The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. In conjunction with The Lilly Awards, the night also honored the work of Marsha Norman through their Artistic Advocacy Award. [Read more…] about Stars Aligned for “The 24 Hour Plays On Broadway”
Theater Review: “Off the Meter, On the Record”
Academia certainly has its merits, but quite often, the best life lesson’s can’t be learned in a book. The true testament of survival exists on the streets. No one understands this quite like John McDonagh, the writer and star of Irish Repertory Theatre’s Off the Meter, On the Record. [Read more…] about Theater Review: “Off the Meter, On the Record”
Theater Review: “Lonely Planet” Spins Back to the Boards
The AIDS epidemic wasn’t thrust into the theatrical spotlight until the mid-eighties and nineties. Only then did playwrights like Larry Kramer (The Normal Heart, The Destiny of Me), William M. Hoffman (As Is), and Tony Kushner (Angels in America) tackle the incompetence and apathy among local and national leaders with regards to the deadly virus. [Read more…] about Theater Review: “Lonely Planet” Spins Back to the Boards
Vivian Reed Returns to Feinstein’s/54 Below to Honor Lena Horne
It takes a disciplined diva to sacrifice chicken wings for wheat grass. Yet for Vivian Reed, it was the only answer to strong vocal health. As a classically trained singer, Reed found herself singing American Jazz standards after a musical agent discovered her and invited to sing at the world famous Apollo Theater. That led her all the way to Broadway, where the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native made her debut portraying Lena Horne in That’s Entertainment. [Read more…] about Vivian Reed Returns to Feinstein’s/54 Below to Honor Lena Horne
Migguel Anggelo and David Drake’s Unconventional Mass
Migguel Anggelo, the vigorous Venezuelan singer/songwriter/actor/activist is back with a new and completely unique show. The popular cabaret artist returns to the stage this week, turning his attention to last year’s indescribably tragic, Orlando shooting at Pulse nightclub. [Read more…] about Migguel Anggelo and David Drake’s Unconventional Mass
Theater Review: “The Siege” Brings Palestinian View to NYU
“The opposite of war isn’t peace—it’s creation.” Playwright and composer Jonathan Larson immortalized the quote in his rock-opera masterpiece, Rent. Although he was referencing Bohemian New Yorkers, the sentiment has reached universal appeal. [Read more…] about Theater Review: “The Siege” Brings Palestinian View to NYU