All articles by Tulis McCall
First off - the way you can tell that Every Brilliant Thing is a British production is by the title. If this were an American play it would be "Every GOOD Thing," or "Every GREAT thing." �…
HERE IS OUR JUNE REVIEW By Stanford Friedman What does a production that runs nearly three and a half hours need to succeed? In the case of Jonathan Spector’s Birthright, the latest daring…
Mystery and challenges are eked out. The characters drop just enough information to keep us paying attention. Too bad that we had to wait until the final-final before we were allowed to …
"Disruption" is a welcome addition to the "Speak Truth To Power" division of theatre. Stein has taken a brave step to outline what is going on in this country and in the worlds of Metta, M…
By Tulis McCall Hungry Women by Melissa Maney is a slow production. This is due to a couple of elements. First of all the sheer weight of the ideas that stretch over two centuries. The…
Byt Tulis McCall Close but no cigar. Don’t worry – I am certain to be in the minority on this one. Written by Bubba Weiler (author of Well, I’ll Let You Go) The Saviors, at the Atl…
There is a story here, but I believe the writing needs to be ruthless. Let's dig deep into that loneliness all together until we feel it in our guts.
The post Belly appeared first on The…
First Love.
Did you just go there? I know you had one - or maybe a few. That is the work of "Shifters", and it succeeds.
The post Shifters appeared first on The Front Row Center.
Make no mistake about it. This show belongs to Whoopi Goldberg. Oh you may be going because there are a few performers you want to see, but this is a Whoopi event.
The post The Whoopi…
La Cage Aux Folles - Porter and Brady Are Superb. This incarnating of La Cage is greater than the sum of its parts. Mostly it runs on enthusiasm and a firm belief that if they sing it, we…
Raffaele Pacitti's Mister Halston, compelling one-man play now at Bay Street Theater, finds legendary designer Halston reflecting on a life that transformed American fashion while unknowing…
ROMEO AND JULIET at teh Delecorte -- I wanted to like this production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Delacorte Theater . The idea of it being a bi-lingual production intrigued me…
This show is uplifting without being saccharine. It is thoughtful without being solicitous. It is challenging without being overbearing. All in all "Sardines" is a gift on all levels.
…
By Tulis McCall OK – for starters I did not see the movie with Winona Ryder. Did not, not, not. So I did not know what to expect. I am pleased to report that this is a near perfect pro…
The performances are spot on. These three actors have their hands on the reins of their respective carriages and do not wander off the trail once the journey begins.
The post New Born appea…
Come on - be serious here. How many of you know what or who balusters are?
The post The Balusters appeared first on The Front Row Center.
These very fine actors are precise in every way and lead us all on a merry chase through time and location. Â The connection between these women brought me back to the rich friendships wit…
New York is reinventing itself every day. Â Angelos is all in on that. Â At the same time she is telling us "remember whence we come" - in this case she means the vibrant, rich and still…
Marilyn Maye is a brilliant, sparkling comet who takes no prisoners. Â Once you see her you belong to her with no regrets.
The post Marilyn Maye Spring Residency @54Below appeared first on…
TOUCH - Anthony Rapp's skills as a performer take center stage so easily that we hardly notice the new characters appearing. Â Two former students who are now grownup and one power literar…
This is a beautifully crafted piece that is given to us. Â It is not extraordinary in its narrative. Â It is extraordinary in its attention to universal details. Â In its attention to …
I noticed I have been singing and humming the songs that Frank Dain gave us in his superb March 1st show at Don't Tell Mama. Â THAT is how much Frank Dain hooked me.
The post Frank Dain " …
Once lift-off has been achieved there is no letup, and this cast is up to the task of doling out the story bit by bit so that we never get a chance to lost interest. Â While we never get a…
By Tulis McCall If you play your cards right you can still get to the final performance of this run of Finding Dorothy Parker tonight at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The production features …
Why DO they keep coming back?  It must be more than their 5 minute stories.  Not that these stories are dull because in the hands of these very fine actors each one become a jewel. Â�…
By Tulis McCall Well, this production of "High Spirits" is kind of a jumble. Â As I was leaving I heard two men talking "OK so you didn't like it?" "I didn't say I didn't like it. Â I sa…
by Tulis McCall OK Here is what you should know " I am not a weeper at shows. Â Mary Kate O Flanagan's "Making A Show Of Myself" tested those boundaries. If you are looking for a one perso…
ULYSSES - The text flies through these characters actions, thoughts and feelings as if James were being pursued by a bear. Â All we can do is hang on to his coattails. Â
The post Ulysse…
All of the palaver is of no matter, however, when McKellen steps into your sight line. Â He looks right at you - not through you - because of the magic goggles that you wear.
The post AN A…
By Tulis McCall This is a play that you should see because it has affected you. Â Whether you know it or not. Meg Crane invented the first at-home-pregnancy test in 1968. Â Called "Predi…
Sidney Myer is a cross between a mensch and an elf. Â At over 6 feet tall, with rosy cheeks, a curly mop of hair and an actual twinkle in his eye, Myer is an inside joke personified. Â F…
What if  you took the story of Ann Frank - that most of us read at least once - and turned it inside out.  Instead of focusing on two Jewish families who hid in an Amsterdam attic for …
Marjorie Prime is a sobering piece knocking on our door. Â It has all the time in the world to wait us out. The chickens come home to roost in our front yard while we watch.
The post Marj…
As I left St. Ann's Warehouse and stepped into the day's late gloom: mist, afternoon darkness and just a tinge of melancholy, I thought, "Wow - how did someone craft the perfect weather foll…
Ann Kittredge is a treasure and a pleasure. Â This is evidenced by her performance which is flawless: a soprano who fills her voice with color and vibrancy. Â Her generosity and populari…
"Diversions" will surprise the dickens out of you. Â Your world will expand while you sit there and let the magic enfold you. Â Don't worry - you won't have to lift a finger for it to wo…
Despite the enormous effort, and the tons of talent and work that went into making this production happen, we leave uninspired and embarrassed that this story, such as it is, was elevate and…
By Tulis McCall The Story of The Baker's Wife at Classic Stage Company: Â A long time ago " a long, long time ago " kind of around the same time that Brigadoon made its once-in-a-century a…
Prince Faggot is a beguiling tragicomedy. Â "Beguiling" - I don't often use that word, but it is the one that surfaced. Jordan Tannahill's play is a dense tapestry of wonder, imagination, …
"Queens" is an ambitious play that begs us to look twice at immigrants. Â Look at them the way we would want to be looked at.
The post Queens appeared first on The Front Row Center.
Maye comes close to floating as she glides through the crowd and onto the stage. And once she steps up onto the stage with her trio - Musical Director Ted Firth, Tom Hubbard on Bass and Mar…
The producers of this show, National Yiddishe Theatre Folkbiene, clearly feel a sense of mission to reach Jews and non-Jews alike with this distillation in one compelling life of the connect…
Little by little, this most excellent ensemble delivers up the grains of the tale without hesitating or letting any single one drop until, voilà - we come round to the place where we bega…
Gopnik is a jewel of a writer. Â
The post Adam Gopnik's New York appeared first on The Front Row Center.
It is a serenade to the possibilities of life, even when we are mired in tyranny and beaten down by hypocricy. Â Ragtime gives us hope to hold onto today, where hope for many of us is in s…
"Let's Love!" is engaging without involving you. Â I could have used a little more involvement, but I'll settle for a few laughs delivered by a few pros.
The post Let's Love appeared first…
This is what theater strives to be. Â An event that touches you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Â An event that touches you in places that you didn't know were touchab…
Angelica Gorga found a great nugget for a tale. Â Two people stranded in a laundromat when the blackout hits. Â
The post Lost and Found appeared first on The Front Row Center.
By Tulis McCall Will Harrison as Jacob is kept on his toes for the better part of the first act of Punch, by James Graham, now at Manhattan Theatre Club's Friedman Theatre. Â Harrison tear…
"The script of Murdoch; The Final Interview came to me in a very strange way," says Mr. Krebs. "It was left at the door of Theater555 overnight in a plain manila envelope addressed to…
