All stories by Tony Frankel on BroadwayStars

Friday, February 3, 2023

Highly Recommended Cabaret: MELISSA ERRICO & THE TED FIRTH QUINTET (A Noir Romance, Birdland) by Tony Frankel

WHERE THERE IS MELISSA ERRICO, THERE IS LOVE In the Valentine's no-brainer department, you can't do better than celebrate your love (whether it's you or someone else), by attending A Noir Ro…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:02PM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 2, 2023

Highly Recommended NYC Cabaret: JULIE BENKO AND HER BAND EUPHONIC GUMBO (Birdland) by Tony Frankel

JULIE BENKO BIRDLAND CONCERT SOLD OUT BUT A LIVESTREAM IS AVAILABLE FOR $25 BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB brings back Julie Benko " direct from Broadway's smash hit revival of Funny Girl " with h…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Theater Review: THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI (The Old Globe in San Diego) by Tony Frankel

Boy, did I feel numb leaving The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci at the Old Globe. This co-production with Goodman Theatre is a creation of Chicago's own Mary Zimmerman, who has perfected daz…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:39AM[SHARE]
Monday, January 30, 2023

Highly Recommended NY Theater: BROADWAY BARES 2023 (Hammerstein Ballroom, Pride Week) by Tony Frankel

THE HOTTEST SHOW ON EARTH The incomparable sass, class and full-out dance of Broadway Bares will once again kick off Pride week in New York City with two sizzling performances featuring m…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:45PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Highly Recommended Concert Tour: PATTI LUPONE: DON'T MONKEY WITH BROADWAY (Segerstrom) by Tony Frankel

Patti LuPone is hitting the road with her new tour Don't Monkey with Broadway, which kicks off in Orem, UT on February 4 before heading to California, New Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma, and more. …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:47PM[SHARE]
Monday, January 23, 2023

Off-Broadway Recommendation: WHITE GIRL IN DANGER (Second Stage and Atlantic at the Tony Kiser) by Tony Frankel

GIRL, YOU IN DANGER: THIS WILL DEFINITELY SELL OUT Beginning March 15 (with an official opening on April 10, 2023), you can tune in to the epic and viciously funny new musical White Girl in …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:44PM[SHARE]
Friday, January 20, 2023

Theater Review: GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER? (Theatre 40) by Tony Frankel

GUESS WHAT SHOULD BE ON BROADWAY? A hit at their home theater on the Beverly Hills High School campus, Theatre 40's production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? has been remounted at the gorg…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:35PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: BROTHERS PLAY (Legacy LA) by Tony Frankel

A LOST TRIBE OF BROTHERS Because a child who has been sexually abused often knew and trusted the perpetrator, only about a third of the cases are reported. Many remain silent. As if the act …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Recommended Theater: INTO THE WOODS (Pasadena Unified School District and Pasadena Unified School District at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium) by Tony Frankel

DON'T MISS GOING INTO THESE WOODS The kickoff event for Pasadena Playhouse's six-month celebration of Stephen Sondheim begins next week with Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods at the…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:00PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Recommended Theater: EXTRA YARN (Lifeline Theatre) by Tony Frankel

One of my favorite theater companies is also one of the best at putting on what we used to call "Children's Theater." I was hooked almost 10 years ago with my first: The Emperor's New Thread…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:57PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Theater Review: THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK (Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood) by Tony Frankel

IT'S OK TO GET SAUCED FOR STUNNING SAUCY STRIPPERS AND SPECTACULAR SAUCERS Forget about Broadway or the latest Marvel Comic movie. The fun, hip and cool burlesque Star Wars parody " which…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:20PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Theater Recommendation: YOUR OWN THING (Red Bull Theater at Peter Norton Symphony Space) by Tony Frankel

RED BULL THEATER'S ALL-STAR BENEFIT PERFORMANCE OF YOUR OWN THING PLAYS THIS MONDAY DECEMBER 12 This Monday, December 12, 2022 at 7:30 at the Peter Norton Symphony Space " FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:31PM[SHARE]

Broadway Review: A BEAUTIFUL NOISE (Broadhurst) by Tony Frankel

NEIL DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH OK, we all know who Neil Diamond is. The singer/songwriter Neil Leslie Diamond born of Jewish immigrant parents in Brooklyn has released 39 albums, with 100 million…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:26AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Dance Recommendation: DORRANCE DANCE AT THE JOYCE (3 World Premieres: Rhythms of Being, 45th & 8th, A Little Room) by Tony Frankel

TAPPING TROUBLES AWAY Michelle Dorrance, founder and artistic director of Dorrance Dance, is one of the most sought after tap dancers of her generation. Her imaginative work, which continual…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:55PM[SHARE]
Friday, December 2, 2022

Off-Broadway Review: HOAGY CARMICHAEL'S STARDUST ROAD (The York Theatre Company) by Tony Frankel

HEART AND SOUL, INDEED Forget Broadway, this is where the hits keep coming. One of the most vivacious revues to come along since Ain't Misbehavin', Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust Road is a smas…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:09PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Theater Recommendation: AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' (Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura) by Tony Frankel

ONE OF THE ALL-TIME FEEL-GOOD MUSICALS COMES TO RUBICON Ain't Misbehavin' is a sizzling celebration of Fats Waller's music " songs that he made famous in a career that ranged from uptown …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 11:59AM[SHARE]
Friday, November 25, 2022

Theater Review: CLYDE'S (Mark Taper Forum) by Tony Frankel

A TURKEY SANDWICH We are at a greasy spoon sandwich shop whose patrons are truckers making the long haul across Pennsylvania. The owner, Clyde, and her four sandwich makers are all ex-cons. …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:46PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Theater Review: MINDPLAY (World Premiere at The Geffen Playhouse) by Tony Frankel

MIND FOR ALL ITS WORTH No one can deny that Brooklyn-based mentalist Vinny DePonto is a master showman. As with all magicians, the true context of any one-man show is not the tricks (and the…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:28PM[SHARE]
Friday, November 18, 2022

Theater Review: RENT (Couerage Ensemble) by Tony Frankel

A YEAR IN THE LIFE Jonathan Larson's Rent is in a musical theater empyrean; indeed, productions are as ubiquitous as the stars in the firmament. The show is about a year in the life of bohem…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:33PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Theater Review: MAN'S FAVOR DEVIL'S PLAN (Robey Theatre Company at Los Angeles Theatre Center) by Tony Frankel

MAN'S FAVORITE CAST On Nathan Stuffel's terrific set of a loading dock behind a hotel, it is 1938 Los Angeles. These are tough times for everyone, but especially the Black employees who must…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:51PM[SHARE]
Monday, November 14, 2022

Theater Review: URINETOWN THE MUSICAL (Long Beach Playhouse) by Tony Frankel

MIND YOUR PEES AND QUEUES People start revolutions because they want something that authorities are controlling. Jefferson wanted to declare independence. Norma Rae wanted to improve factori…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:15AM[SHARE]
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Broadway Commentary: 1776 (American Airlines Theatre) by Tony Frankel

YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION? Take a look at the  new production photos of Roundabout's current Broadway revival of 1776, featuring Kristolyn Lloyd, who joined the company Octob…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:59AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Theater Review: RADIO GOLF (A Noise Within, Pasadena) by Tony Frankel

GOLF IS ON COURSE, BUT JUST A BIT UNDER PAR Pittsburgh in 1997 is the setting for the last of renowned playwright August Wilson's series of 10 dramas that highlight aspects of African-Americ…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:11AM[SHARE]
Monday, November 7, 2022

Theater Recommendation: TROUBLE IN MIND (TimeLine Theatre Co.) by Tony Frankel

GET INTO TROUBLE Written by Alice  Childress " the first Black woman to have a play professionally produced in New York City " Trouble in Mind recently played on Broadway, and it amazed m…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 11:15PM[SHARE]
Sunday, November 6, 2022

Film Festival Recommendation: DOC NYC (13th Edition) by Tony Frankel

DOC NYC RETURNS WITH 13TH EDITION NOV 9-27, 2022 IN THEATRES AND ONLINE FULL PROGRAM & SCHEDULE LISTED BELOW and can also be found here DOC NYC, America's largest documentary festival ro…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:06AM[SHARE]
Saturday, November 5, 2022

Theater Extras: TERRENCE McNALLY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES by Tony Frankel

Continuing the legendary playwright's singular legacy of mentorship and activism, the Terrence McNally Foundation has been launched. The nonprofit organization is committed to supporting bol…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 12:29AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Broadway Opening and Album Review: A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL (Broadhurst Theatre) by Tony Frankel

CRACKLIN', SWEET, BEAUTIFUL, AND CHERRY A Beautiful Noise, the new Broadway bio-musical about the extraordinary life story of singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, opened for previews at the Broad…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 05:05PM[SHARE]
Friday, October 21, 2022

Theater Review: DAMN YANKEES (Musical Theatre West) by Tony Frankel

A THREE-HOUR HOME RUN Clearly and cleanly, tried and true director Cynthia Ferrer and choreographer Alexis Carra Girbés trust the heart out of Adler and Ross's 1955 Broadway classic, Damn Y…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:01AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Theater Review: THE INHERITANCE (The Geffen) by Tony Frankel

WHAT WILL YOU INHERIT? That Matthew Lopez's sprawling near-7-hour 2-part play, with 3 acts in each part, keeps us captivated is quite a feat. Beautifully written, funny, sad, and hopeful, Th…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:50PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Theater Review: THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY (Chance Theater) by Tony Frankel

BOOM BOOM BOOM It's no wonder that Kristoffer Diaz's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in drama. The veneer is a hip-hop comic entertainment about the d…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:31PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Theater Review: NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN (South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa) by Tony Frankel

FOURGET ABOUT IT While her career may be skyrocketing as a TV writer, Christina Ham has not mastered the art of playwriting. I felt terrible thinking that after seeing the opening of her wor…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:50AM[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