My Variety Review: Broadway's 'Paranormal Activity' by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Matthew Murphy Taking the spirit of the “Paranormal Activity” films and turning it into a scare-‘em stage …

My Own Take: Off-Broadway's 'An American Daughter' by Frank Rizzo

What makes this production special:?: It has some solid actors in the cast, including Robert Sean Leonard, Montego Glover, Dakin Matthews and Mary Beth Peil.Also: The production is a revise…

My Own Take: Off-Broadway's 'The Saviors' Is a Blessing by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Ahron R. Foster The show: “The Saviors” by Bubba Weiler at off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company …

My Own Take: Off-Broadway's Brilliant 'Birthright" by Frank Rizzo

The show: “Birthright” at off-Broadway’s Manhattan Class Company.What makes it special?: It’s a new play by Tony Award-winner Jonathan Spector (“Eureka Day”) and directed by Tedd…

My Own Take: 'Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo' at NYC's PAC by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Andy Henderson The show: “Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo” at off-Broadway’s PAC NYC (251 Fulton St.)…

My Own Take: Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks' 'Sweeney Todd' by Frank Rizzo

The show: The musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” presented at Hartford Stage.What makes it special?: It’s the first major collaboration (finally!) between Hartfo…

En Garde! New Haven Woman Fences For Fun -- And a Little Glory, Too by Frank Rizzo

Think of fencing and what comes to mind? Errol Flynn as Robin Hood? Or perhaps other dashing characters like Zorro, Cyrano, or Inigo Montoya from “The Princess Bride?” But for tens of t…

My Variety Review: The Musical 'The Lost Boys' on Broadway by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Matthew Murphy “Turning a movie into a musical reeks of desperation,” says a character in the new Broadway m…

My Variety Review: 'The Rocky Horror Show' on Broadway by Frank Rizzo

Photo by Joan Marcus “Enjoy the show. Don’t be an asshole,”While it’s not your typical musical theater greeting, “Th…

My Variety Review: The Musical 'Beaches' on Broadway by Frank Rizzo

Audiences going to the musical “Beaches” are likely to know what to expect: the story of a decades-long, female friendship with plenty of schmaltz, some sass, and a mega-hit song, “Win…

My Variety Review: 'Titanique' on Broadway by Frank Rizzo

All photos bye Evan Zimmerman By FRANK RIZZO Oh, Mary, what has Broadway become? You might think playful outrageousness is now…

Windham,-Campbell Prizes Awarded To 8 Writers Totaling $1.4 Million by Frank Rizzo

S. Shakthidharan (Australia/Sri Lanka) US writers Lucy Sante, Adam Ehrlich Sachs, Christina Anderson, Joyelle McSweeney & …

My Variety Review: 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' by Frank Rizzo

By FRANK RIZZO Broadway is burning " and that's something to celebrate. "Cats: The Jellicle Ball," a refreshed version of the downtown 2024 hit, blazes anew, having made the trek uptown wit…

Daniel Okrent's New Book Looks At Stephen Sondheim Personally by Frank Rizzo

Stephen Sondheim's Roxbury home was a welcome exurban retreat for the legendary composer, a place where he could escape the pressures of New York, create in a bucolic atmosphere and relax wi…

My Own Take: Off-Broadway's 'Bughouse,' Staged By Martha Clarke by Frank Rizzo

The show: "Bughouse" at off-Broadway's Vineyard Theatre. What makes it special?: It's a world premiere of a new work conceived and staged by Martha Clarke, scripted by Beth Henley (Pulitzer …

My Own Take: Daniel Radcliffe in 'Every Brilliant Thing' on Broadway by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Matthew Murphy The show: 'Every Brilliant Thing' by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe at Broadway's Hudson The…

Where Gays Go To Retire (Safely, Supported and Well) by Frank Rizzo

Randy Wilcox and Rich Costabile Years ago I had a great idea for a television series. It would be called "Lavender Heights" an…

My Own Take: New Off-Broadway production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Joan Marcus The show: The off-Broadway production and welcome return of the delightful musical comedy "The 25th …

My Own Take: 'Oedipus' on Broadway by Frank Rizzo

The show: "Oedipus," created by Robert Icke, "after Sophocles," on Broadway. What makes it special?: It's not often you get to see a Greek tragedy on Broadway. However, this is not quite th…

My Own Take: Off-Broadway's 'Data' by Frank Rizzo

All photos are by T. Charles Erickson The show: "Data" by Matthew Libby at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the Greenwich Villag…

My Own Take: 'Bug' Arrives on Broadway Starring 'Gilded Age''s Carrie Coon by Frank Rizzo

The show: "Bug" by Tracy Letts on Broadway What makes it special?: The show stars Carrie Coon (TV's "The Gilded Age," third season of "The White Lotus") in a play by Pulitzer Prize-winning …

Some Final Word By Carmen de Lavallade by Frank Rizzo

Photos by Frank Rizzo Below is my piece on Carmen de Lavallade for Encore magazine..The great dancer, actor, teacher, choreogr…

My Review: New Broadway Musical: 'Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) by Frank Rizzo

The show: "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) …

My Variety Review: 'Ragtime' Returns To Broadway at Lincoln Center by Frank Rizzo

Whether "Ragtime" is presented in productions mammoth (as in its 1998 premiere) or modest (the 2009 revival), the musical, adapted from E.L. Doctorow's kaleidoscopic 1975 novel, reverberates…

My Own Take: 'A Chorus Line' at Goodspeed by Frank Rizzo

The show: 'A Chorus Line at Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam. What makes it special?: For Goodspeed at least, this feels like a modern revival " even if it is 50 years old and set in th…

My Variety Review: Keanu Reeves in Broadway's 'Waiting For Godot' by Frank Rizzo

Forget the tree. That iconic lone tree from the stage directions in Samuel Beckett's tragicomic masterwork "Waiting for Godot" is offstage in Jamie Lloyd's re-envisioned revival. The polariz…

My Afternoon With Jacques Pepin by Frank Rizzo

Jacques Pépin sits on a stool in the kitchen of his Madison home with a pegboard wall of cooper pots as a golden backdrop and his black miniature poodle, Gaston, at the alert by his side. P…

Fall Arts Preview: Eric Clapton, Emus Wars and an Elephant in the Room by Frank Rizzo

As summer winds down with the beach chairs stored away, the last of the ripe tomatoes devoured, and the tans finally faded, we now turn to the fall and those extra special shows to get us ex…

The Ultimate 'Wicked' Quiz by Frank Rizzo

As the second part of the film version of 'Wicked" " "Wicked: For Good" "  is about to be released Nov. 21, we test fans' knowledge of all things "Wicked." So you think you know a lot abo…

Jerry Adler Dead at 96.: A Witness to Theater History and A Late-In-Life Actor by Frank Rizzo

Very sad news about the death of Jerry Adler, 96, reported by The Hollywood Reporter. I wrote about Jerry many times as an actor, an author, and as a leading figure in theater history. (H…

Memorial for Composer William Finn: Infinite Joy by Frank Rizzo

PITTSFIELD, MASS. " On the night of Tuesday, Aug, 17, Barrington Stage in Pittsfield, Mass. held a memorial celebration for theater composer William Finn. Finn died April 7 following an i…

My Own Take: The New Williamstown Theater Festival: The Hills Are Alive by Frank Rizzo

"Spirit of the People." All photos on this blog entry by Maria Baranova. The show: Well, actually quite a few shows on my rec…

My Own Take: A Windsor Knot for Off-Broadway's 'Prince Faggot' by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Marc J. Franklin The show: "Prince Faggot by Jordan Tannahill which recently ended its extended engagement at P…

Yale Psychologist Recreates A New Tarot Card World by Frank Rizzo

For Charles "Andy" Morgan III, it's all in the cards. Tarot cards to be be exact, and his mastering over the decades of the symbols of what began as an ancient playing game has inspired h…

When Robert Wilson Spoke in Hartford by Frank Rizzo

Sad news about the death of great theater artist Robert Wilson. I met him when he spoke at the University of Hartford's Lincoln Theatre, I believe it was 2016. Insightful and charming.

My Own Take: Off-Broadway's 'Angry Alan" with John Krasinski by Frank Rizzo

All photos by John Cournoyer The show: "Angry Alan" by Penelope Skinner at off-Broadway's new Studio Seaview (formerly Second…

My Own Take: 'Prosperous Fools' starring Taylor Mac by Frank Rizzo

All photos by Travis Emory Hackett …

My Own Take: Off-Broadway Musical by Douglas Lyons 'Beau' by Frank Rizzo

The show: "Beau," a new musical playing at off-Broadway's Theatre 154 on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village (the former New Ohio Theatre). What makes it special?: Douglas Lyon create…

My Variety Review: Jean Smart in Broadway's 'Call Me Izzy' by Frank Rizzo

Sometimes the only refuge from the brutalities of a life pre-destined for loneliness, poverty and violence is a poetic voice. In playwright Jamie Wax's one-hander "Call Me Izzy," Jean Smart …

Part 2: My Other Tony Award Predictions... by Frank Rizzo

Now for the second half of my predictions for Sunday's Tony Awards honoring the best of the 2024-25 Broadway season " which ended at the end of April . It was indeed one of the richest and…

My Tony Award Predictions: A Very Competitive Season with a Maybe Happy Ending by Frank Rizzo

The 2024-25 Broadway season " which ended April 30 " was one of the richest and most competitive seasons in years. While there hasn't been been a megahit of the likes of "Hamilton" or "The P…

Jean Carlos Salazar: Call Him 'Mister Connecticut' by Frank Rizzo

Jean Carlo Salazar believes that self-belief is essential, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. At 26, Salazar, a resident of East Haven, emphasizes the importance of faith in …

Some Pix from Last Night's Drama Desk Awards by Frank Rizzo

Searching for Deeper Connections 'Sex, Love and Venice' Looks at One Man's Journey by Frank Rizzo

By FRANK RIZZO How can a gay man find true intimacy in an easy-access world of online sex? The answer may be an honest reckoning with oneself " and perhaps even a trip to Venice. At least th…

Welcome Back, Mink Stole: John Waters' Star Returns In New Gaycentric Film by Frank Rizzo

You know this is not the first time I've played the mother of an unhappy gay person," said Mink Stole on a recent Zoom call from her home in Los Angeles. A regular in the idiosyncratic films…

Remembering Legendary Broadway Composer Charles Strouse by Frank Rizzo

Photo by Joan Marcus Charles Strouse " the great composer of such hits as "Annie" (which began at Goodspeed Opera House in 197…

Review: New Adam Guettel Musical "Millions" Premieres in Atlanta by Frank Rizzo

Carla R. Stewart and Keenan Barrett. All production photos are by Greg Mooney The show: "Millions," a new musical receiving …

In 'Lunar Eclipse' Donald Margulies Looks Inward -- and Skyward by Frank Rizzo

Photo by Frank Rizzo An old farmer is alone in the middle of an open field late at night and he is weeping. New Haven playwrig…

My Own Take: Goodspeed's 'Ragtime' -- Big and Loud by Frank Rizzo

The show: The musical "Ragtime" at Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam. …

Not Exactly an Art Gallery, But Still...'The Art of Trader Joe's' by Frank Rizzo

Julie Averbach remembers looking at a box of Caesar Salad at Trader Joe's and on the label was a picture of Augustus of Prima Porta, a famous sculpture carved of the Roman emperor, which she…