All stories by Alan Smason on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

National tour of ‘Moulin Rouge’ thrills Saenger audience by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) If Jersey Boys and Mamma Mia! are examples of “jukebox musicals,” then the national tour of Moulin Rouge! might be more acc…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 01:15PM
Tuesday, March 28, 2023

JPAS gives audiences ‘Misery’ with final 2023 production by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) The final production for the Jefferson Performing Arts Society’s 2022-23 season is Misery, the play written by the late script…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 03:25PM
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

‘Pictures from Home’: From book to stage and into your heart by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Pictures from Home currently running thru April 30 is the most delightful and thought-provoking play currently gracing the Broadway stages at this very moment. Featuring the …

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 09:44AM
Monday, March 20, 2023

TWTC’s ‘Night of the Iguana’ is a beast role for Jake Wynne-Wilson by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) One could argue that T. Lawrence Shannon, the defrocked Episcopal priest who is the central character of The Night of the Iguana…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 12:48PM
Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Rivertown’s ‘Play That Goes Wrong’ Is Righteous Comedy by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) For the second time in less than six months, The Play That Goes Wrong, the hit West End and Broadway award-winning comedy is on …

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 01:47AM
Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Le Petit’s ‘Cat’ revives original Williams ending by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) There’s something to be said when a major New Orleans staple like Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is able to been …

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 07:05AM
Friday, March 10, 2023

‘Six’ Tour Makes Its Royal Debut in Milwaukee by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI – As England prepares for its royal coronation in May, Milwaukee audiences have gotten a glimpse of the upcoming festivities with the arrival of the Six nation…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 10:57AM
Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Existential ‘The River’ runs slowly, but is thought provoking by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO In the late 1950’s through the 1980s The Theatre of the Absurd theatrical movement was the intellectual rage.  Based on the concept of Existentialism which asks, “what ha…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 08:42AM
Monday, March 6, 2023

NOLA Project takes ‘White’ to the museum by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) If artists of one cultural or racial extraction are being considered above others for inclusion at a museum or at gallery shows,…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 03:21PM
Saturday, March 4, 2023

A Touching and Funny Tale of Asian Immigrants in America by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI – This Midwest state is currently swept up in a slate of new plays, all part of a project called World Premiere Wisconsin. The project, with multiple sources o…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 07:07AM
Thursday, March 2, 2023

National tour of ‘Fiddler’ scores high marks during its New Orleans run by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) When it comes to an old chestnut like “Fiddler on the Roof,” the biggest challenge may be in keeping the Joseph Stein book f…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 04:40PM
Friday, February 24, 2023

About the protests outside ‘Parade’ by Alan Smason

By JASON ROBERT BROWN February 22, 2023, Nyack, NY So, the Neo-Nazis. There is a website about the Leo Frank case that is not hard to find on Google. It has been around in some form or other…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 03:25AM
Saturday, February 4, 2023

‘Hadestown’ impressively directed, conceived and performed, but may confound some by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO When Hadestown, opened on Broadway on April 17, 2019, it was met with critical acclaim. Reviews contained such terms as “inventive,” “gorgeous, “hypnotic,” “high ene…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 01:37AM
Sunday, January 29, 2023

Imagined Conversations: Warhol & Basquiat on Broadway by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Having lived in New York City’s East Village for many decades, I know the very neighborhood where much of the action in Anthony McCarten’s currently running Broadway play…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 04:32AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023

Neil Diamond’s out loud life reverberates in ‘A Beautiful Noise’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (‘Steppin’ Out“) When A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical opened on Broadway nearly eight weeks ago, there was some bellyaching from fir…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 08:43AM
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Farcical, ghostly ‘Beetlejuice’ at Connor Palace will delight many, confound others by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO As the run of the awe-inspiring Hamilton draws to a close at the Playhouse Square’s State Theatre, Beetlejuice, the cult-followed farcical ghostly show appears next door at th…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 06:24PM
Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Country & Western-themed ‘Whorehouse’ heats up Milwaukee in January by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI. – January temperatures rarely rise above 30 degrees here, so indoor activities are welcomed. Local theatergoers can watch a foot-stompin,’ whooping and holl…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 05:24AM
Monday, January 9, 2023

Victoria Clark, Bonnie Milligan key to success of ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON There are a plethora of plays that have become the basis of successful Broadway musicals. A classic example is Lynn Riggs’ Green Grow the Lilacs, which became Oklahoma. Th…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 11:37AM
Thursday, December 22, 2022

John Kelly’s ‘Underneath the Skin’ closing its extended run by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Billed as “A Penetrating Portrayal of A Queer Giant,” performance artist John Kelly’s  explosive gay-themed show Underneath The Skin, – bolstered by actor/dancers Hu…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 08:25PM
Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Not some, but everybody should love ‘Some Like It Hot’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot,” considered by many film enthusiasts as one of the greatest movies of all time, would se…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 03:55PM
Sunday, December 11, 2022

Dobama premieres original ‘The Land of Oz’ by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Since 1959, Dobama Theatre has been dedicated to premiering important new plays by established and emerging playwrights in professional productions of the highest quality. The L…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 07:43AM
Saturday, December 10, 2022

Stoppard’s brilliant ‘Leopoldstadt’ extends at Longacre until summer of 2023 by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Tom Stoppard had long established his credentials as One of the 20th century’s leading playwrights and authors, Tom Stoppard w…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 10:28AM
Thursday, December 8, 2022

JPAS presenting final weekend of Irving Berlin’s ‘Holiday Inn’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) There’s no more an appropriate time to present Irving Berlin’s ‘Holiday Inn’ than during the festive season of holiday …

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 11:19AM
Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Encounters of the weird kind: ‘Craigslisted’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Sharai Bohannon is an activist playwright who doesn’t shy away from tackling issues that some might feel uncomfortable discuss…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 05:40AM
Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Rocky royal marriages recalled in spectacular ‘Six’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Taking their regal cues from the likes of pop music royalty Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Avril Lavigne…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 08:01PM
Saturday, November 26, 2022

‘You Will Get Sick’: Surreal, So Real and Otherworldly by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN You Will Get Sick, currently playing Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City through Sunday, December 11, is the most riveting and mind-stretching play that I…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 06:37AM
Thursday, November 24, 2022

World Premiere of ‘The Nativity Variations’ leaves ‘em laughing in Milwaukee by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI – Some funny anecdotes were once relayed by playwright Catherine Trieschmann to Milwaukee Repertory Theater Artistic Director Mark Clements. They initially led…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 04:54PM
Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Ensemble’s ‘Describe the Night’ is a lesson in Russian conspiracy theory with modern day implications by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Describe the Night, which is now on stage at Ensemble Theatre, is Cleveland Heights native Rajiv Joseph’s 2018 Obie Award winner for Best New American Play. Joseph was named …

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 12:39PM
Monday, October 31, 2022

Disney’s ‘Lion King’ continues to wow audiences by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) There is probably no more magnificent opening number in Broadway history than “Circle of Life/ Nants Ingonyama” found in Dis…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 06:41PM
Thursday, October 27, 2022

Le Petit’s ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ is Right On! by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It’s taken a minute, but the only play to ever win both an Olivier Award in London and a Tony Award on Broadway has finally ar…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 01:28PM
Wednesday, October 26, 2022

NOLA Project and Gab Reisman spin Chekhov with ‘The Seagull, or How To Eat It’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It would seem The NOLA Project, those upstarts who came to New Orleans from New York’s Tisch School just prior to the landfall…

SOURCE: TheatreCriticsm.com at 04:31PM

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