All stories by Ron Fassler on BroadwayStars

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Someone in a Tree: “Redwood” Opens on Broadway by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . Idina Menzel’s career in musical theatre was launched nearly thirty years ago as Maureen in the original company of Rent. A few years after that, she t…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 10:26PM
Wednesday, February 12, 2025

The Epistolary Charms of “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . I only got to Ken Ludwig’s 2019 play Dear Jack, Dear Louise last night and since it closes this weekend please take my word that it’s well worth rus…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 06:44PM
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

ON KIM STANLEY’S 100 BIRTHDAY by Ron Fassler

Actress Kim Stanley (1925–2001).February 11, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler The actress Kim Stanley (born Patricia Reid) was born 100 years ago today. On Broadway in 19…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:07PM
Monday, February 10, 2025

TINKLE, TINKLE . . . “URINETOWN” IS BACK IN TOWN by Ron Fassler

TINKLE, TINKLE . . . “URINETOWN” IS BACK IN TOWN Stephanie Styles (center) surrounded by member of the “Urinetown” company (photo by Joan Marcus).February 10, 2025: Theatre Yest…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 03:08PM
Thursday, February 6, 2025

Two Steady People Set Off-Balance in “Still” by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . When the curtain goes up on Lia Romeo’s new play Still, we join two extremely attractive people, Helen and Mark, in mid-conversation at a hotel bar. He…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 08:03PM
Tuesday, February 4, 2025

“Blind Injustice” Or “What Makes a Person?” by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . Starting and ending with the question “What makes a person?,” the new American opera Blind Injustice deals head on with weighty matters of existenti…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:49AM
Monday, January 27, 2025

When Tennessee Met Marlon: “Kowalski” at the Duke on 42nd Street by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . Gregg Ostrin’s new comedy-drama Kowalski, which opened Monday at the Duke on 42nd Street, falls into a category of plays I call, “The Day Something …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 09:23PM
Sunday, January 26, 2025

“Nina”: A Bold and Exciting New Comedy by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . Attending showcases in New York of new works is almost always a mixed bag. Sometimes you see some lovely acting in a not very good play, or sometimes it�…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 02:07PM

Charming and Delightful, Lee Roy Reams Shines with “Me and Betty” at 54 Below by Ron Fassler

Cabaret Review by Ron Fassler . . . Lee Roy Reams has been a sparkling personality in the world of show biz for more than sixty years. A musical theatre wunderkind, a cabaret performer, and…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 01:40PM
Thursday, January 23, 2025

GEORGE S! by Ron Fassler

George S. Kaufman, as photographed by Edward Steichen (1930).January 23, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler It’s a pity that today, for the most part, George S. Kaufman is…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:04AM
Saturday, January 18, 2025

THE ART OF CARY GRANT by Ron Fassler

Cary Grant, actor ((1904–1986).Born 121 years ago today, Cary Grant is far from a forgotten figure. His excellent work as an actor could easily have faded from popular culture like many fi…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:14AM
Wednesday, January 15, 2025

REVISITING “SHOW BOAT” IN REVISION MODE by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . According to the U.S. copyright office, “All works first published or released in the United States before January 1, 1930, have lost their copyright pr…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 09:39PM
Tuesday, January 7, 2025

“70, GIRLS, 70”: A JOYOUSLY IMPERCT MUSICAL by Ron Fassler

Mildred Natwick (on the moon) with the cast of “70, Girls, 70” (1971). Photo by Martha Swope.January 7, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Between the years 1965 and 19…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:44PM
Saturday, January 4, 2025

“OOH, OOH, WILDCAT!” by Ron Fassler

Keith Andes and Lucille Ball in a playful moment in “Wildcat” (1960). Photo by Friedman-Abeles.January 4, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler When an actor is involved in …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 01:39PM
Sunday, December 29, 2024

Xmas Party at 54 Below with Melissa Errico and Billy Stritch by Ron Fassler

Cabaret Review by Ron Fassler . . . Hot on the heels of Norm Lewis’s Christmas show at 54 Below, and just before 2024 reaches its end, comes “Melissa Errico: ‘Twas the Night After C…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 01:52PM
Saturday, December 28, 2024

ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT “JIMMY” (whether you care or not) by Ron Fassler

December 28, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. It was after a Wednesday matinee fifty-five years ago that I headed home to Great Neck on the 5:40 train. I had just seen wha…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:00PM
Friday, December 27, 2024

“Annie” Comes Home to NYC For the Holidays by Ron Fassler

Theater Review by Ron Fassler . . . In 1977, while I was still in college, I can recall reading an announcement that a musical based on the popular 1920s comic strip “Little Orphan Annie�…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 05:00PM
Wednesday, December 25, 2024

ROBERT MORSE AS TRU: A CHRISTMAS MEMORY by Ron Fassler

Artist Linda Fennimore’s poster design for “Tru,” starring Robert Morse (1989).December 25, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. It’s odd that I hold one Christmas me…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:01AM
Saturday, December 21, 2024

Norm Lewis in Full-On Holiday Mode at 54 Below by Ron Fassler

Cabaret Review by Ron Fassler . . . Norm Lewis has been a New York theatre fixture since 1993 when he made his debut as part of the ensemble in The Who’s Tommy. Since then, he has appear…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:41AM
Friday, December 20, 2024

Everything’s Coming Up Audra: “Gypsy” is Back on Broadway. by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler... American Musical Theatre lovers absolutely need to see Audra McDonald as Rose in the new revival of "Gypsy." The post Everything’s Coming Up Audra: “Gypsy” is…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 12:03AM
Thursday, December 19, 2024

“THE MUSIC MAN” IS 67 TODAY by Ron Fassler

Preston as Harold Hill selling a bill of goods to Barbara Cook as Marian in “The Music Man” (1957).Same age as me, Meredith Willson’s The Music Man is sixty-seven. My birthday is in M…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 01:31PM
Tuesday, December 17, 2024

“The Jonathan Larson Project” to Open Off-Broadway in 2025 by Ron Fassler

By Ron Fassler… The world premiere of The Jonathan Larson Project is set to open at the Orpheum Theatre for a limited 16-week engagement beginning Valentine’s Day February 14, 2025. C…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:57AM
Monday, December 2, 2024

Book Report: Ron Fassler’s “The Show Goes On” by Ron Fassler

Theater Pizzazz’s own Ron Fassler’s new book The Show Goes On: Broadway Hirings, Firings and Replacements is available now from STCK Books. A must-have for every theatre lover’s libra…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 09:37PM

Ann Talman Delights with Memories of Elizabeth Taylor in Story and Song by Ron Fassler

The timing of Sunday being World AIDS Day made for a welcome excuse to bring Ann Talman’s one-person cabaret show “Elizabeth Taylor and The Shadow of Her Smile” to Don’t Tell Ma…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:28AM
Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Heavenly Heather Headley Sings at 92NY by Ron Fassler

Music Review by Ron Fassler . . . Having seen many solo concerts at the 92NY, I was somewhat taken aback when Heather Headley confidently strolled out to start her show Sunday afternoon wit…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 09:40AM
Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Kevin Chamberlin Flies in NYC Cabaret Debut by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . Three-time Tony Award nominee Kevin Chamberlin, veteran of ten Broadway shows and numerous off-Broadway and regional productions, made his New York City cabaret …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 03:47PM
Saturday, November 23, 2024

Joy Behar’s “My First Ex-Husband” Coming to Off-Broadway by Ron Fassler

Joy Behar is taking the plunge as a playwright with MY FIRST EX-HUSBAND, a new Off-Broadway comedy that will begin previews on January 29, 2025 and open February 6 at the newly renovated MMA…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 06:25PM
Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Jennifer Ashley Tepper on “Women Writing Musicals” by Ron Fassler

Interview with Ron Fassler Jennifer Ashley Tepper is not only a knowledgeable theatre historian, Broadway producer, and director of programming at the 54 Below supper club, but also one of t…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 05:51PM

DIFFERENT “COLORED LIGHTS” by Ron Fassler

Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera in “The Rink” (1984). Photo by Martha Swope.November 20, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. In 1984, Liza Minnelli co-starred with Chita …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:15PM
Monday, November 18, 2024

Grey Henson Shines as the “Elf” Himself by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . The delightful Elf is a 2010 Broadway musical based faithfully on the 2003 film comedy of the same name. A perfect Will Farrell vehicle, Elf tells the…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 10:38AM
Sunday, November 17, 2024

Chips with Charm:  “Maybe Happy Ending” Delights by Ron Fassler

Theatre Review by Ron Fassler . . . If you haven’t heard by now, Maybe Happy Ending, a new meet-cute musical with two robots as its leading characters has just opened to excellent reviews…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:37AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime