All stories by Alan Smason on BroadwayStars

Thursday, December 22, 2022

John Kelly’s ‘Underneath the Skin’ closing its extended run by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Billed as “A Penetrating Portrayal of A Queer Giant,” performance artist John Kelly’s  explosive gay-themed show Underneath The Skin, – bolstered by actor/dancers Hu…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:25PM
Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Not some, but everybody should love ‘Some Like It Hot’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot,” considered by many film enthusiasts as one of the greatest movies of all time, would se…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:55PM
Sunday, December 11, 2022

Dobama premieres original ‘The Land of Oz’ by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Since 1959, Dobama Theatre has been dedicated to premiering important new plays by established and emerging playwrights in professional productions of the highest quality. The L…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 07:43AM
Saturday, December 10, 2022

Stoppard’s brilliant ‘Leopoldstadt’ extends at Longacre until summer of 2023 by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Tom Stoppard had long established his credentials as One of the 20th century’s leading playwrights and authors, Tom Stoppard w…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:28AM
Thursday, December 8, 2022

JPAS presenting final weekend of Irving Berlin’s ‘Holiday Inn’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) There’s no more an appropriate time to present Irving Berlin’s ‘Holiday Inn’ than during the festive season of holiday …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 11:19AM
Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Encounters of the weird kind: ‘Craigslisted’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Sharai Bohannon is an activist playwright who doesn’t shy away from tackling issues that some might feel uncomfortable discuss…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:40AM
Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Rocky royal marriages recalled in spectacular ‘Six’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Taking their regal cues from the likes of pop music royalty Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Avril Lavigne…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:01PM
Saturday, November 26, 2022

‘You Will Get Sick’: Surreal, So Real and Otherworldly by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN You Will Get Sick, currently playing Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City through Sunday, December 11, is the most riveting and mind-stretching play that I…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:37AM
Thursday, November 24, 2022

World Premiere of ‘The Nativity Variations’ leaves ‘em laughing in Milwaukee by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI – Some funny anecdotes were once relayed by playwright Catherine Trieschmann to Milwaukee Repertory Theater Artistic Director Mark Clements. They initially led…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:54PM
Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Ensemble’s ‘Describe the Night’ is a lesson in Russian conspiracy theory with modern day implications by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Describe the Night, which is now on stage at Ensemble Theatre, is Cleveland Heights native Rajiv Joseph’s 2018 Obie Award winner for Best New American Play. Joseph was named …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:39PM
Monday, October 31, 2022

Disney’s ‘Lion King’ continues to wow audiences by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) There is probably no more magnificent opening number in Broadway history than “Circle of Life/ Nants Ingonyama” found in Dis…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:41PM
Thursday, October 27, 2022

Le Petit’s ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ is Right On! by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It’s taken a minute, but the only play to ever win both an Olivier Award in London and a Tony Award on Broadway has finally ar…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:28PM
Wednesday, October 26, 2022

NOLA Project and Gab Reisman spin Chekhov with ‘The Seagull, or How To Eat It’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It would seem The NOLA Project, those upstarts who came to New Orleans from New York’s Tisch School just prior to the landfall…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:31PM
Monday, October 24, 2022

Modern Politics Creates Sizzling Satire in ‘The Totalitarians’ by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI – With the mid-term political elections just weeks away, one of Milwaukee’s newer theater companies uses that timing to open The Totalitarians, a 2015 politi…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:04AM
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Flying high, ‘The Kite Runner’ – closing soon – should not be missed by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Sometimes, a gripping story with universal relevance sells big. Such was the case of “The Kite Runner,” Khaled Hossein’s 2003 semi-autobiographical novel which was turn…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:10AM
Monday, October 17, 2022

New production of beloved ‘1776’ sets decidedly feminist agenda by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Back when I was still in high school, writer Peter Stone and composer and lyricist Sherman Edwards got together to reimagine a p…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:50PM
Saturday, October 15, 2022

LES MIZ! still Les Okay in its tour kick-off at Key Bank State Theatre by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO When Les Misérables last came to Cleveland in November of 2018, in part I wrote: “From the very first time I saw Les Miserables, shortly after its opening in London, to the N…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:42AM
Thursday, October 13, 2022

Final weekend looms for regional premiere of ‘In the Heights’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It’s taken 16 years since it first bowed at the Public Theatre and 15 years after it became a Broadway smash, but In the Heig…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:12PM
Sunday, October 9, 2022

Saenger opens season with ‘Pretty (Good) Woman’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) There are some classic movies that easily make the transition from the big screen to the stage. Because some have first been ind…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:28AM
Friday, October 7, 2022

‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ is well conceived, but… by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, now on stage in the Senney Theater in the Beck Center complex, is a play by Simon Stephens which is based on British writer Ma…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:07AM
Sunday, October 2, 2022

Living life out and proud with the ‘Sweet Potato Queens’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic It’s not going to reshape your concept of the Founding Fathers through inventive use of choreography and hip hop music. It’s not going to give you …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:57PM
Saturday, October 1, 2022

Milwaukee Production Takes a Hard Look at Why Black Men Die Young in ‘Kill Move Paradise’ by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI.  – Race-based violence – especially against young Black men – is not unknown in this Midwest city, although most of the conflicts seen on the local TV ne…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 11:08AM
Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Rivertown laces up its ‘Kinky Boots’ for one weekend more by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It wasn’t that long ago when theaters were shuttered and charges were leveled at many theatrical institutions for a perceived …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:12AM
Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Bridgettte Loriaux’s ‘2 1/2 BREATHS’ finishes Off-Broadway run at Chain Theatre by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN What is it to become a word? To become or even create an emotion that doesn’t exist…at least not yet. How much power does the artist have to convince and make believe? Th…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:39AM
Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Terrible title, but superb staging in TWTC’s ‘Clothes for a Summer Hotel’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON Tennessee Williams’ last play on Broadway was the terribly titled Clothes for a Summer Hotel, which lasted for 14 performances before it shut down. The play bears the explan…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 07:18PM
Sunday, September 4, 2022

Billy Crystal and company make ‘Mr. Saturday Night’ look marvelous by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) From the first few lines in the opening number (“We’re Live”) of “Mr. Saturday Night,” it is apparent this is a throwb…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:37PM
Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Only slight alterations needed for ‘Devil Wears Prada’ musical by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL CHICAGO – It’s no secret that the recent opening of The Devil Wears Prada is a mere precursor to its 2023 Broadway run. Although no dates, theater or cast has been announc…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:54PM
Friday, August 12, 2022

Kent State, Céspedes join forces for exceptional ‘West Side Story’ at Porthouse by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO In the fall of 1957, I had a mind-blowing experience. I saw the newly opened Broadway production of West Side Story. At the time, all I knew about the show was that it was bas…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 09:38PM
Thursday, August 11, 2022

Pam Gems is still relatable in Lucy Faust and Fat Squirrel’s ‘Dusa, Fish, Stas & Vi’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) One of British playwright Pam Gems’ early stage successes was Dead Fish, which has since been renamed Dusa, Fish, Stas & …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:47AM
Wednesday, August 10, 2022

TWTC’s ‘Summer and Smoke’ has smoke, lacks fire by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Since its founding, the mission of the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company (TWTC) has been to tell the stories of New Orleans’ …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:06PM
Saturday, August 6, 2022

Rob McClure’s addition to ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ makes stellar cast go nova by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) When the musical Mrs. Doubtfire was preparing to open in 2020, the show became a victim of the forced lockdown of all theaters …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:54AM

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