Monday, May 28, 2012

Take-Home Musicals by Michael Portantiere

As of this writing, cast albums of most of the recently ended season’s new musicals, revivals, and “revisals” have been or are very soon to be released. So, for the benefit…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 03:04PM
Thursday, May 24, 2012

Old Jews Telling Jokes by Michael Portantiere

The cast of OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES (Photo: Joan Marcus)The great thing about a show like Old Jews Telling Jokes is that the title tells you pretty much exactly what you’re getting. No …

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 12:08PM
Thursday, May 17, 2012

Bad Work If You Can Stand It by Michael Portantiere

Kelli O'Hara and Matthew Broderick in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT (Photo: Joan Marcus) In my last ArtsAmerica blog entry, I wrote about what I consider to be an unfortunate omission from…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 11:50AM
Monday, May 7, 2012

John Lithgow Shines in THE COLUMNIST by Michael Portantiere

John Lithgow in THE COLUMNIST One of the most inexplicable and unfortunate omissions from this year’s Tony Award nominations is David Auburn’s The Columnist, which definitely des…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 09:39PM
Monday, April 30, 2012

Streetcar Is Right on Track by Michael Portantiere

Nicole Ari Parker and Blair Underwood It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised, as I was by the very fine production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire that recently ope…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 04:30PM
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Boy Who Would Be Peter Pan by Michael Portantiere

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER When they are well done, so called “prequels” can serve as highly entertaining and intriguing adjuncts to beloved classics. Though prequels are far more…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 03:30PM
Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Big Meal Satisfies, Big Time by Michael Portantiere

Anita Gillette and Tom Bloom in THE BIG MEAL (Photo: Joan Marcus) For reasons too obvious to list here and now, the most thoroughly satisfying new American plays — those that feature s…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 03:49PM
Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Smeared Rainbow by Michael Portantiere

Tracie Bennett in END OF THE RAINBOW With so many Broadway shows opening this spring (as happens every year), it can be very difficult to budget one’s money and time in deciding what t…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 10:46AM
Sunday, April 1, 2012

Praise Jesus! by Michael Portantiere

Paul Nolan in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR People have all sorts of opinions as to what defines an opera as compared to a musical. I think one important difference is that, in opera, the music mak…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 12:47PM
Sunday, March 25, 2012

Musicals Tonight! Serves up L’IL ABNER by Michael Portantiere

Bill Coyne and Jody Cook in L'IL ABNER (Photo: Michael Portantiere) Based on the Al Capp comic strip of the same title, and featuring a terrific score by Gene de Paul and Johnny Mercer, …

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 10:01AM
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Washington Senators Score in DAMN YANKEES at Paper Mill by Michael Portantiere

As if theater-loving residents of N.Y.C. don't have enough shows on and off Broadway to keep them entertained, there's a theater in nearby Millburn, New Jersey that has been a popular audien…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 03:40PM
Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Role Reversal at “Broadway Backwards” by Michael Portantiere

Musical theater guys have sometimes been heard to complain that their female counterparts get the best parts and the best songs in shows such as Mame, Hello, Dolly!, Funny Girl, and Wicked. …

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 01:18PM
Saturday, February 18, 2012

Driver Education by Michael Portantiere

Elizabeth Reaser and Norbert Leo Butz in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE Like any other award, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama is not always a 100 percent accurate indicator of superior quality or the &…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 05:56PM
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Attention Must Be Paid by Michael Portantiere

Each season, there’s a stampede of  Broadway openings in the months prior to the Tony Awards. With so many shows arriving at once, journalists and theatergoers pretty much tend to foc…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 08:38AM
Sunday, January 29, 2012

How to Pick a Hit by Michael Portantiere

One of the greatest articles I ever read in Playbill was “Hitpicking,” by Barry Tarshis, which was published in the fall of 1970. 1) Is there at least one major film or TV star i…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 09:00AM
Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Broadway Musicals of 1946 by Michael Portantiere

Tom Wopat (Photo: Michael Portantiere) If you’re disappointed in the most recent crop of new Broadway musicals — and who isn’t? — you might want to consider time trav…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 11:27AM
Sunday, January 8, 2012

What’s Happening in January? by Michael Portantiere

Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis star in PORGY AND BESS (Photo: Michael J. Lutch) Traditionally, January is a slow month for theater in New York (and elsewhere) in terms of ticket sales and ope…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 04:54PM
Monday, December 26, 2011

Good Newsical by Michael Portantiere

John Walton West, Christina Bianco, and Christine Pedi in NEWSICAL Back in the day, there were lots of revues that used current events and politics as fodder for sharp, witty humor. Now, suc…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 11:55AM
Saturday, December 17, 2011

Stars in Your Eyes by Michael Portantiere

Hugh Jackman (Photo by Michael Portantiere) The stars are shining. Although the recent crop of  New York theater openings has proved to be pretty lackluster overall, especially in terms of …

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 06:57PM
Sunday, December 4, 2011

Holiday Theater Treats by Michael Portantiere

Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan (Photo: Craig Schwartz) ‘Tis the season, folks! If you’re in the market for holiday entertainment options other than such world-famous mainstays as the R…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 06:46PM
Saturday, November 26, 2011

A Broadway Thanksgiving by Michael Portantiere

Here’s my own personal list of 10 theatrical things to be thankful for at this festive time of the year:

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 07:15AM
Friday, November 25, 2011

A Broadway Thanksgiving by Michael Portantiere

GODSPELL on Broadway Here’s my own personal list of 10 theatrical things to be thankful for at this festive time of the year: 1. Nina Arianda: How often does anyone or anything truly l…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 01:37PM
Monday, November 14, 2011

The Battle of the Matinee Idols by Michael Portantiere

Harry Connick, Jr. (Photo: Palma Kolansky) There aren’t many “matinee idols” left in the theater, so it’s quite a happy coincidence that two of the few performers who…

SOURCE: artsamerica.org at 08:25AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards