All stories by Ron Fassler on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

THERE'S A GIANT IN THE SKY by Ron Fassler

James Earl Jones (1931"2024).September 10, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler James Earl Jones, who died yesterday at ninety-three, was not only the first dramatic actor to…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:18AM[SHARE]
Friday, August 30, 2024

"Isaac Mizrahi: A Brief History" Brings Cabaret & Challah Braiding to 54 Below by Ron Fassler

Cabaret review by Ron Fassler … While attending Isaac Mizrahi's new show at 54 Below, a well-known Shakespeare quote came to mind. In the scene from Hamlet where Polonius is chatting…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 04:49PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, August 14, 2024

"ONCE UPON A MATTRESS" PILES ON THE JOKES by Ron Fassler

Theater Review by Ron Fassler. . . City Centers Encores! scored a winner with its 2022 staging of the distorted fairy tales created by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine for Into the…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 03:54PM[SHARE]
Friday, August 9, 2024

NIXON QUITS! by Ron Fassler

August 9, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Richard Nixon address the nation on August 8, 1974, the night he resigned the presidency."So it's really happening," smiled Wil…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:37AM[SHARE]
Saturday, July 13, 2024

BLACKOUT! by Ron Fassler

July 13, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today Forty-seven years ago tonight, on July 13, 1977 at exactly 9:29 p.m., New York City suffered an electrical blackout that lasted into afternoon t…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:06AM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 4, 2024

LIZ CALLAWAY & JASON GRAAE: HAPPILY EVER LAUGHTER by Ron Fassler

Cabaret Review By Ron Fassler… I'm happy to report that old friends and top-notch singers and performers Liz Callaway and Jason Graae are in fine form at 54 Below this holiday …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 02:11PM[SHARE]
Monday, June 24, 2024

"TITANIC" AT CITY CENTER BRINGS UP TITANIC EMOTIONS by Ron Fassler

"Titanic" at City Center "Encores!" (photo by Joan Marcus).June 24, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler As someone who saw all fifteen Tony-eligible Broadway musicals thi…

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"N/A" SPICES UP POLITICAL DISCOURSE AT LINCOLN CENTER by Ron Fassler

Starring Holland Taylor and Ana Villafañe, N/A is a new play by first-timer Mario Correa that is having its world premiere at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center. Correa…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 01:20PM[SHARE]
Friday, June 21, 2024

ON THE HAUNTED GHOSTS AT STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S "FOLLIES" IN CONCERT by Ron Fassler

A repurposed logo of David Byrd's original poster for "Follies" for the one-night only concert at Carnegie Hall, June 20, 2024.June 21, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassle…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 01:34PM[SHARE]
Monday, June 17, 2024

Gavin Lee Sings Fred Astaire by Ron Fassler

Cabaret review by Ron Fassler . . . . Gavin Lee must know that he can't really go wrong musically by saluting songs first introduced by Fred Astaire, right?  Though naturally best k…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 01:56AM[SHARE]
Sunday, May 19, 2024

THE CHERRY ORCHARD: 2024 by Ron Fassler

Nina Hoss as Ranevskaya in "The Cherry Orchard." Photo by Johan Persson.May 19, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. The Cherry Orchard is one of my favorite plays. I was…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 07:48AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 9, 2024

A SPRINKLING OF SUGAR by Ron Fassler

Robert Morse as Jerry/Daphne and Tony Roberts as Joe/Josephine in "Sugar" (1972). Photo by Martha Swope.April 9, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Fifty-two years ago …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 06:55AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

THE IRREPLACABLE CHITA by Ron Fassler

Chita Rivera (1933"2024). Photo by Gregg Delman for The New York Times from "The Visit" (2015).January 31, 2024: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Chita Rivera first started…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 01:34PM[SHARE]
Saturday, December 30, 2023

"A VALENTINE TO NEW YORK": PART 3 OF THE HISTORY OF "ON THE TOWN" by Ron Fassler

2014 Revival of "On the Town" with Clyde Alves, Tony Yazbeck and Jay Armstrong Johnson in the front line.December 30, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler This week's two …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:20AM[SHARE]
Friday, December 29, 2023

"TEN WHOLE DAYS, WOW!": CONTINUING ON WITH "ON THE TOWN" by Ron Fassler

"On the Town" Playbill cover with photo by Chris Alexander, who played Chip. Later, he would go on to become a professional photographer.December 29, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ro…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:01AM[SHARE]
Thursday, December 28, 2023

"I LIKE THE KIDS": THE CREATION OF "ON THE TOWN" by Ron Fassler

Youth and work (and play): Leonard Bernstein at the piano, Jerome Robbins, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.December 28, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler It's hard to ima…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:33AM[SHARE]
Thursday, November 30, 2023

THE STRENGTH AND PASSION OF FRANCES STERNHAGEN by Ron Fassler

Frances Sternhagen (1930"2023).November 30, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler With fifty Broadway and off-Broadway shows to her credit over a career that spanned more than…

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Wednesday, September 27, 2023

HOW I GOT INTO ROBERT PRESTON'S "MUSIC MAN"COSTUME by Ron Fassler

Modeling Raoul Pène Du Bois "76 Trombones" costume, built for Robert Preston in "The Music Man" in 1957.September 27, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler By chance last …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 07:31AM[SHARE]
Saturday, September 16, 2023

ALAN SHAYNE: LIFE, LOVE AND THEATRE by Ron Fassler

Cover of Alan Shayne's "The Star Dressing Room: Portrait of an Actor."September 16, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. There are not a whole lot of people around today …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:39AM[SHARE]
Monday, July 17, 2023

BARNARD HUGHES: GRAND OLD MAN by Ron Fassler

Barnard Hughes in Murray Schisgal's "All Over Town" (1974). Photo by Martha Swope. "There wasn't a basement in New York I didn't work in."July 17, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ro…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:30AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 4, 2023

HOWARD DA SILVA: IN CELEBRATION ON THE 4th by Ron Fassler

Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin in "1776" (1969). Photo by Martha Swope.July 4, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler I've been writing 1776-themed columns on July 4th…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:30PM[SHARE]
Friday, June 30, 2023

ALAN ARKIN: AN ACTOR OF RARE DIMENSIONS by Ron Fassler

Alan Arkin in "Enter Laughing" (1963).June 30, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Not to be too emphatic about it, but Alan Arkin was among my most favorite actors. King of…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 01:26PM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 24, 2023

'THERE WITH MY LOVE, I'M HOME" by Ron Fassler

Sheldon Harnick (1924"2023). Photo by Carlo Allegri for the Washington Post.June 24, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler News that Sheldon Harnick left us yesterday at age n…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 06:26PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 21, 2023

STOCK OPTIONS by Ron Fassler

Picture postcard of the Priscilla Beach Theatre in Plymouth, Massachusetts circa 1940s.June 21, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler On this first day of summer, I find my…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 08:18AM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 10, 2023

WHAT'S IN A NAME? by Ron Fassler

June 10, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Between 41st and 66th streets there are forty-two legit Broadway theatres (this includes the Palace, currently under renovation …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:59PM[SHARE]
Friday, May 12, 2023

PBS'S "GREAT PERFORMANCES" GREAT EVENING OF BROADWAY by Ron Fassler

Sutton Foster (center) hosts PBS's "Great Performances: Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best."May 12, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Premiering tonight on PBS is a j…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:27AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 9, 2023

THE LITTLE REVUE THAT COULD: "AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'" by Ron Fassler

May 9, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Forty-five years ago tonight, the musical revue Ain't Misbehavin' opened at the Longacre Theatre. Based on music made famous by Th…

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Friday, May 5, 2023

THE LUNTS' FINAL VISIT by Ron Fassler

Alfred Lunt as Anton Schill and Lynn Fontanne as Claire Zachanassian in "The Visit" (1958). Photo by Vandamm.May 5, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler On this date sixty…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:56AM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 15, 2023

"THE PHANTOM'S" FINAL BOW by Ron Fassler

After April 16, 2023 the marquee goes dark.April 15, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Tomorrow, after thirty-five years, the epic run of The Phantom of the Opera will …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 08:54AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 11, 2023

BEFORE "WICKED" GIVES ITS 7,486th PERFORMANCE, A FEW NOTES ON ITS EARLIEST ONES by Ron Fassler

Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel taking their bows at a curtain call of "Wicked" (2003).April 11, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Tonight, Wicked will become the 4t…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 09:28AM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 8, 2023

THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MICHAEL BENNETT by Ron Fassler

Michael Bennett (1943"1987).April 8, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Had he lived, today would mark Michael Bennett's 80th birthday. He died in Tucson, Arizona in 1987 f…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:35AM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off