Chicago Opera Theater proves ‘Magic Flute’ isn’t totally played out

“Another ‘Magic Flute’?!” I gave up counting how many times this year I was asked this — or even had it shouted at me — by opera fans. It’s true that a weird set of circumstanc…

Chicago Theater Review: THE WOMAN IN WHITE (Lifeline Theatre) by Lawrence Bommer

THE PLOT THAT WOULD NOT DIE Doggedly dedicated but exhausting at nearly three hours, Robert Kauzlaric’s adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ mystery thriller The Woman in White is, to quote ano…

FACE OF THE FUTURE: Chaplin's JUSTIN BOWEN by JK

Justin Bowen made his Broadway debut a week ago, when Chaplin: The Musical opened.  Regularly, he is part of the singing, dancing, multiple-role-playing, roller skating ensemble.  …

Reviews: Topdog/Underdog by Matt Windman

Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning comedic drama Topdog/Underdog is receiving a particularly gripping revival at New Jersey's adventurous Two River Theater Company. Perhaps that's beca…

Reviews: The Anderson Twins Play the Fabulous Dorseys by Barbara and Scott Siegel

If you want to hear the great music of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, you’ll get a wonderful earful at , at 59E59 Theaters. These expert jazz musicians, surrounded by four other excellent players…

Reviews: Sounding Beckett by Dan Bacalzo

There’s an inherent musicality to the language of Samuel Beckett, which makes the idea of pairing three of his short works with original music compositions an intriguing one. In Sounding B…

Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE by Toby Zinman

Review: ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,’ burning bright at Round House by Peter Marks

For his wholly original black comedy, “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” playwright Rajiv Joseph comes up with what seems a fittingly disquieting metaphor for the anguishing entanglement…

STAGE TUBE: Set Building Time-Lapse for CBC's OVER THE RAINBOW, Premiering Tonight, Sept 16! by Stage Tube

The nationwide search for 'Dorothy' begins tonight, September 16, 2012, on CBC. Click below for a sneak peak of the set, built over six days in CBC's Toronto studios

STAGE TUBE: Daniel Radcliffe Chats Live with The Trevor Project! by Stage Tube

Daniel Radcliffe participated in a live online discussion to raise awareness about preventing suicide through The Trevor Projects Talk to Me campaign today, September 16th, beginning at 2 p.…

TV News: NBC Buys Comedy Based on Leslye Headland's Assistance by David Gordon

NBC has begun development on a new single-camera comedy based on Leslye Headland's play Assistance, according to Deadline.Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will executive produce, along with Jessi…

Celebrity News: Connor Cruise Visits Cirque du Soleil's Iris by David Gordon

Connor Cruise attended the September 14 performance of Cirque du Soleil's Iris at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Afterwards, he visited the cast and crew backstage and decided to try out th…

Review: Wrong Mountain/Rare Terra Theatre by Lisa Buscani

Emerson once said, “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.” Someone needs to tell playwright David Hirson; his attempt to dramatize artistic struggle sounds like an over-long reading …

Broadway Book Club: Book 5, Week 4 by BroadwaySpotted

  We’re back with another week of Unnaturally Green by Felicia Ricci. I don’t even have to ask if you all are enjoying it, I know you are! You’ve been so incredibly a…

"Smash" Wins Emmy Award for Choreography; Kennedy Center Honors and Tonys Are Also Recipients by Kenneth Jones

Winners of the 2012 Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Awards, announced on Sept. 15 in Los Angeles, include theatre choreographer Joshua Bergasse ("Smash"), music director Rob Berman (&…

The Theater of Our Understanding and Enlargement by David Dower by HowlRound

Recently a short, sharp, shock of a Twitter exchange broke out over this video of music educator Eric Booth drawing a distinction between art and entertainment. Here is the snippet at issue,…

Review: Tusk Tusk (Piven Theatre Workshop) by Scotty Zacher

Despite the script's shortcomings, this production holds some commendable elements, including the young cast, the excellent English accents (kudos to dialect coach Kate Devore), Chad Bianchi…

Photo Coverage: Extra Fierce KINKY BOOTS Press Preview - Cyndi Lauper, Harvey Fierstein, Stark Sands, Billy Porter & More! by Walter McBride

KINKY BOOTS, the highly anticipated new musical that brings together four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein Book and Grammy Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper Music amp Lyrics, will …

Photo Coverage: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Cast Sings 'Carols For A Cure' by Genevieve Rafter Keddy

CAROLS FOR A CURE is the annual two-disc holiday CD compilation of original songs and holiday classics which benefits BCEFA. These CDs boast the best voices from the worlds of Broadway, Off-…

The Judas Kiss, Hampstead Theatre, London

In David Hare’s 1998 play, Rupert Everett is well cast in the role of an Oscar Wilde who is a blend of his own time and ours, writes Ian Shuttleworth

Phosphene Variations, Location One, New York

With ghostly projections and a 93-year-old dancer, Jason Akira Somma’s piece prompts a shiver of dread in Apollinaire Scherr

Chicago Theater Review: WRONG MOUNTAIN (Rare Terra Theatre) by Kristin Walters

WRONG IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, OR A TREK THROUGH PEDANTRY Middle-aged misogynist, pedant, and poet Henry Dennett has a chip on his shoulder and a worm in his gut—literally, a gigantic tapewo…

Luner on Theatre LIVE Kicks Off A New Season Tonight by Chris Luner

Your favorite blog is back on air. Unedited. With the beginning of a new year comes many new ideas and new projects. We kicked off Luner on Theatre last year, lost momentum, and ended up der…

Fuse Book Review: Summer Reading Retrospective — Vanishing Is The Thing by Susan Miron

em>The big theme in fiction this summer was the resonance of disappearance -- seen as satire, as melodrama, and as tragedy.

Lyn Gardner on the unwelcome distraction of note-taking by Lyn Gardner

'It was an intense solo show and I was in the front row. Ten minutes in, she stopped the show, removed my notebook and pen, and carried on'I've had my embarrassments as a critic, when the fo…

A driving instructor's view on Motor Vehicle Sundown

This unusual, immersive show made me view driving very differently, says Karen ParkerThis show, an audio piece for two people, is set entirely inside a car. After giving driving lessons all …

Hartford Stage "Hedda Gabler" by Fred Sokol

The striking production values distinguish the show, which immediately snares one's attention. On the other hand, it is difficult to muster the least bit of sympathy for the coldly neurotic …

New England premiere of "The Kite Runner" by Nancy Grossman

To meet the challenge of converting this epic drama that spans two continents, flashes back and forth in history across thirty years, and paints a colorful picture of the Afghani culture, Sp…

‘Farragut North’ at Silver Spring Stage by Amanda Gunther by Amanda Gunther

Vote Morris! Vote Pullman! Vote corruption! However, if you intend to vote – Silver Spring Stage is your polling place with their production of Beau Willimon’s Farragut North. A neck…

Stages St. Louis "My One And Only" by Richard Green

Perfectly cast, excellent in its visual conception, and charming beyond all reason, My One And Only will make you forget all about political attack ads, and probably everything else, for ove…

St. Louis HotCity Theatre "Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday" by Richard Green

I like everything about this play, except that it took me almost exactly as long to get ready before the show and then drive over early to get a parking spot in the theater district (and the…

Photo Blast From The Past : Peter Firth by Walter McBride

Today, we're featuring Peter Firth circa 1981. Following the National Theatre's production of Peter Shaffer's Equus at the Old Vic in 1973, Firth appeared on Broadway as Alan Strang in 1974.…

How deep do the arts council cuts go? by Charlotte Higgins

Only weeks after British culture was shown off to the world, the effects of the arts council cutbacks are beginning to be felt. Charlotte Higgins reports• Tell us how the arts cuts are aff…

JOB by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Benjamin H. Kamine, featuring The Bats, The Flea Theater by Yvonne Korshak

... why do the righteous playgoers suffer? ... The story of Job reinterpreted by a contemporary playwright: what an intriguing idea. Exotic times and places -- here the ancient Near East, ar…

A Happy and Joyous New Year to our Jewish Readers, Colleagues, and Friends! by Admin

DC Metro Theater Arts wishes our Jewish friends, colleagues, readers, and members of the theatre community a Happy Jewish New Year! May this year bring all of you great joy, wonderful health…

Photo Coverage: THE ANARCHIST Marquee and Golden Theatre Renovation by Walter McBride

THE ANARCHIST, a new play written and directed by David Mamet starring Patti LuPone and Debra Winger, will be presented on Broadway at the newly refurbished Golden Theatre 252 West 45th Stre…

New Judges Named for Upcoming Season of "American Idol" by Andrew Gans

Judges have been named for the upcoming 12th season of Fox TV's singing competition, "American Idol."

John Moffatt obituary by Michael Coveney

Classical actor who graced the stage with decorum and stillnessAlthough perhaps best known as Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's moustache-twirling detective, on BBC radio, John Moffatt, who …

A Crash Business Course for Artistic Types by D.d. Guttenplan

Fledging entrepreneurs, including artisans making everything from birthday cards to luxury pajamas, attend The School for Creative Startups in London.

The Hungarian Government's Culture Wars Continue

Los Angeles Times 09/15/12

Pasadena Playhouse Survives Bankruptcy - And Thrives

Backstage 09/14/12

I Interview Playwrights Part 497: David Auburn by Adam Szymkowicz

David Auburn Hometown: Really, three of them, since we moved a lot: Columbus, Ohio; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Little Rock, Arkansas Current Town: New York City Q:  What are you working on…

The Judas Kiss

Legit Reviews||Abroad: The casting for Neil Armfield's revival of David Hare's Oscar Wilde bio-drama "The Judas Kiss" is a kind of corrective. At its 1998 premiere, Wilde was pl…

SOUTH PACIFIC - A production of a rare and beautiful kind by Jacqueline Bublitz

There is a rare kind of production where each element is so in synch, so finely tuned that this particular production eclipses other casts, other interpretations, and goes on to be considere…

STAGE TUBE: Andrew Lloyd Webber Reveals Plans to Take JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to US and Australia! by Stage Tube

In an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show, Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed he is planning to take his arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar to the US and Australia following its UK tour. W…

Breaking News: AMERICAN IDOL Judges Announced - Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj & Keith Urban by BroadwayWorld

When AMERICAN IDOLs 12th season debuts in January 2013, superstar judge Mariah Carey the best-selling female recording artist of all time and returning judge Randy Jackson, a Grammy Award-…

'Sex Tips' aims for Off Broadway

Legit News: New stage comedy is based on how-to book

Antony and Cleopatra – review by Lyn Gardner

Chichester Festival theatre Continue reading...

Antony and Cleopatra – review by Lyn Gardner

Chichester Festival theatreAge may not wither her, but two years since Kim Catrall made her debut as the Queen of the Nile in Liverpool she arrives in Chichester with a new Antony in thrall:…

Andrews’ Steel Magnolias Touches Hearts With Pathos, Fails To Nail Whipcrack Humor by Bill Hirschman

What continues to enchant critics who have to see more productions of Steel Magnolias than most civilians is what a truly funny, finely observed and genuinely touching script that Robert Har…

San Francisco Ballet Programme 1 – review by Judith Mackrell

Sadler's Wells, LondonSan Francisco Ballet are one of the world's most generous and resourceful promoters of new work. But by opening their (long overdue) UK season with a classic …

New York Theater Week: Chaplin, Enemy of the People, Sam Shepard, Jason Robert Brown by New York Theater

“The theater is not so much a profession as a disease, and my first look at Broadway was the beginning of a lifelong infection.” So writes Moss Hart in “Act One,” a memoir that, we�…

Do tell . . . this week marks a special anniversary by Thomas Garvey

It has already been a year since the military ended its policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and lifted its ban on gay men and women in the service.  And as was the case with gay marriage…

Earl Carroll by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of the great Broadway impresario Earl Carroll (1892-1948), best known for his series of revues Earl Carroll’s Vanities , which ran from 1923 through 1940. His f…

Life and Legacy of P.T. Barnum Talk by Trav S.D.

The Life and Legacy of P.T. Barnum will be presented on tonight at the Trumbull Historical Society in Trumbull, CT Kathy Maher, Executive Director/Curator of The Barnum Museum will be presen…

Atlantic Theater Company's 2012-2013 Season by Ludlow Lad

The formidable Atlantic Theater Company has a kick-ass season lined up for it's first back in their newly refurbished space.  Touting three world premiers and two New York premiers, th…

David Copperfield by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of magician David Copperfield, who is really only David Seth Kotkin of Metuchen, New Jersey — but thanks for making it harder for children to Google the Dickens&#…

People You Should Know . . . Adam Scott Mazer by Zack Calhoon

ADAM SCOTT MAZER is a writer, actor, director, and fight choreographer, Adam grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and attended Brown University. He moved to Brooklyn shortly after graduating with …

On the morning doorstep by George Hunka

Surprisingly, the New York Times today offers a few most readable articles, this time about feminism (or, perhaps more accurately, “feminisms”), conveniently published at the sam…

2012 Creative Arts Emmy Award Winners Announced - 2012 Tony Awards, SMASH & More! by BroadwayWorld

Amongst the highlights for theatre fans, the 65th Annual Tony Awards picked up three Emmys - for Outstanding Special Class Program, Art Direction and Outstanding Song It's Not Just for Gays …

The Wicked Stage: Emotional releases in musical theatre by Sarah Green

Catharsis is a Greek word meaning ‘cleansing’ or ‘purification’. Aristotle explains catharsis as the “purging of the spirit of morbid and base ideas or emotions by witnessing t…

The Seagull by Admin

Calista Flockhart, T.R. Knight and Dakin Matthews star when L.A. Theatre works opens its 2012-13 season with Chekhov’s masterpiece. Set on a country estate by a lake in 19th century Russia…

Molly Pope at the Duplex Tonight! by Trav S.D.

I know what you’re saying…when ISN’T Molly Pope at the Duplex? True, but still and all, she is an amazing phenomenon and if you haven’t seen her, you should. Reservat…

GOODBYE, RUBY TUESDAY • HotCity Theatre by Andrea

This play was first introduced at HotCity's GreenHouse Festival, where new plays are workshopped and shown to the public.  Now, here we are, a few years later, and Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday…

‘Medea’ at Port City Playhouse by Jessica Vaughan by Jessica Vaughan

Port City Playhouse steps up with their version of Medea. The Greek tragedy by Euripides starts off their 35th Season with a hit. Port City Playhouse is a community theater based at the Lab …

BWW's On This Day - September 16, 2012

Here are the Broadway, Off-Broadway and West End shows which opened on September 16 along with all of the upcoming show openings, closings and special events

George Takei builds on legacy with 'Allegiance' at the Old Globe by Karen Wada

The World War II internment of Japanese Americans is at the heart of a new musical 'Allegiance,' a subject that deeply resonates with its star.SAN DIEGO — When he was 5, George Takei, …

Ron Palillo Memorial in NYC Oct. 3; Actor, Connecticut Native, UConn Grad by Frank Rizzo

Tyne Daly To Host EventA memorial celebration to honor the life and career of Cheshire Connecticut native Ron Palillo , best known as Horshack on TV’s "Welcome Back, Kotter" will be o…

'August: Osage County' film shafts stage star by Joe Dziemianowicz

Filming starts next week on “August: Osage County.” The venomous Violet Weston will spew anew. Remember her? Violet is the malignant pill-popping mother in Tracy Letts’ sensational 200…

Top 10 in NY theater for week of Sept. 16, 2012 by Joe Dziemianowicz

1. “Cyrano de Bergerac” (American Airlines Theatre) A romance that speaks to anyone who’s loved from afar. 2.

Review: The Broken Rose by Natasha Kaeda

Sarah Goddard’s new play The Broken Rose explores the lines between reality and fantasy. When has a fantasy been taken too far? Are those that believe in their fantasies delusional?  The …

Review: Love and Information by Harriet Thompson

Caryl Churchill’s much anticipated new play, Love and Information, consists of a conveyor belt of short scenes, offering the audience a brief window into the lives of over 100 characters. …

Review: King Lear by Imogen Sarre

King Lear can seem like a one man show, everything instigated by the mistakes of the self-deposed monarch and the play’s success entirely hinging on the lead’s act. Not so with this prod…

‘DC Shorts Film Festival Reviews’ by Erica Laxson by Erica Laxson

Showcase       Title                                                Stars Showcase 1 1          Why Do We Put Up With Them          4 Stars  …

Review: 'Gutenberg! The Musical!' by Howard Shapiro

This musical at Montgomery Theater, and then at Act II Playhouse, is about making a musical focused on the life of the inventor of the printing press -- and it's irresistibly ridiculous. Inq…

The Sunday Read: Miles Potter on Proud by Michael Healey by The Charlebois Post

Michael HealeyThe Play (not the controversy) Is The ThingMichael's Shavian examination of right wing Canadian politics could be a delightful surprise.by Miles PotterLast year I was list…

The Abominable Showman, September 16, 2012 by The Charlebois Post

No Greek tragedyMontreal-bound Greek diva Myrto Papatanasiu leaves home to find international acclaimBy Richard Burnett(Portrait photo courtesy L’Opéra de Montreal, Photos of dress r…

Tour Whore, September 16, 2012 by The Charlebois Post

Hardcoreby Cameryn MooreHardcore Fringer. Any artist who has more than one Fringe city under their belt falls into this category, in my mind.It means that you have been in at least one city …

Actors' Equity at 100: From an Actor's Perspective by Jean Michelle Grier

Longtime Lion King actress Jean Michelle Grier shares insight into an actor's career as part of Playbill's continuing look at the 100th anniversary of Actors' Equity Association.

THE BOOK SHELF: "Tales of a Broadway Flack" and Photos and Poems by the Harnicks in "The Outdoor Museum" by Steven Suskin

This month's column looks at "Tales of a Broadway Flack," from old-time press agent Sol Jacobson; "The Outdoor Museum," a celebration of New York by Margery Gary Harn…

Series Finale of "Weeds," With Mary-Louise Parker and Hunter Parrish, Airs Sept. 16 on Showtime by Michael Gioia

The groundbreaking Showtime series "Weeds," which casts Tony winner Mary-Louise Parker as a drug-dealing suburban mom, concludes Sept. 16 following an eight-season run.

More "Possibilities"! Linda Lavin Appears at Birdland Sept. 16, and 54 Below Sept. 17 & 23 by Kenneth Jones

Linda Lavin, the Tony Award-winning actress-singer who famously sang "You've Got Possibilities," is still reaching for the possible. She's appearing in two Manhattan engagement…

Larry Adams, Nicole Miller and Paula Scrofano Star in Theatre at the Center's 42nd Street, Opening Sept. 16 by Michael Gioia

The Theatre at the Center's staging of the Tony Award-winning musical 42nd Street, the company's biggest production to date, officially opens Sept. 16, following previews that began …

PLAYBILL VAULT'S Today in Theatre History: SEPTEMBER 16 by Ernio Hernandez and Robert Viagas and Sam Maher

1892 Songwriter and producer Earl Carroll (1892-1948) is born today. His best-remembered contribution to the theatre was the eponymous revue The Earl Carroll Vanities, which had nine edition…