All stories by ELISABETH VINCENTELLI on BroadwayStars

Friday, October 25, 2019

How Do You Impersonate Judy Garland? Ask a Drag Queen by Elisabeth Vincentelli

While Renée Zellweger plays the star onscreen, a host of cabaret performers pay homage to the gay icon night after night onstage.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:18PM
Sunday, October 20, 2019

For 24 Hours Onstage, Alia Shawkat Felt Great to Feel ‘Shameless’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The “Arrested Development” actress made quite the New York stage debut, repeating one fiery scene opposite about 100 different actors in “The Second Woman.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:12PM
Friday, October 18, 2019

‘Chasing Rainbows’ Review: Judy Garland’s Happy Days by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Focusing on the entertainer’s early years, this Paper Mill Playhouse musical offers buoyant tap numbers but sidesteps the material’s most troubling implications.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:48PM
Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Review: A Startling ‘Swan Lake’ That’s Hard to Recognize by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In a work opening with a goat tethered to a cinder block, the closest we get to Tchaikovsky’s ballet is four dancers representing swans.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:48PM
Sunday, October 13, 2019

Review: A Son Mourns in ‘Notes on My Mother’s Decline’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Intimate but distant by design, Andy Bragen’s play takes us on a journey many are likely to face with an aging parent.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:42PM
Monday, October 7, 2019

Review: ‘Dublin Carol’ Gets Lost in Its Drink by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Set in a bar on Christmas Eve, this revival at the Irish Repertory Theater plays alcoholism for drama without resorting to boozy histrionics.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:24PM
Monday, September 30, 2019

Review: In ‘Why’d Ya Do It,’ a Spiky Séance With Marianne Faithfull by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The downtown rock raconteuse Tammy Faye Starlite is celebrating the 40th anniversary of “Broken English” in this hybrid of a show.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:33PM
Sunday, September 29, 2019

Review: ‘jazz singer’ Looks to Complicate a Film’s Fraught History by Elisabeth Vincentelli

A director and a composer play versions of themselves in a fascinating but frustrating reconsideration of a movie infamous for its use of blackface.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:24PM
Friday, September 6, 2019

It’s ‘Opening Night’ for Two Shows That Pay Homage to Cassavetes by Elisabeth Vincentelli

An Australian production features the same scene repeated 100 times, while a French version stars Isabelle Adjani in the Gena Rowlands role.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:24AM
Thursday, September 5, 2019

Review: In ‘Dust,’ the Measure of a Life After Suicide by Elisabeth Vincentelli

A woman watches those she left behind in Milly Thomas’s unsentimental solo show at the Fourth Street Theater.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:42PM
Sunday, August 25, 2019

Review: ‘HOUSE’ Nods to Chekhov, but the References Don’t Stop There by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The latest production by Theater Mitu is a high-concept, low-reward aggregate of undigested allusions.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:03PM
Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Review: Motherhood Masters Dysfunction in ‘Little Gem’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In Elaine Murphy’s play, three women from one Dublin family tell a slice-of-life story through interwoven, interlocking monologues.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:54PM
Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Review: A Vaclav Havel Trilogy Drives Evening of Political Theater by Elisabeth Vincentelli

“Havel: The Passion of Thought,” along with work by Harold Pinter and one by Samuel Beckett (dedicated to Havel), takes on morality and tyranny.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:03PM
Sunday, July 14, 2019

What Makes Michael R. Jackson Tick, and What Ticks Him Off by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The young, gay, black creator of the musical “A Strange Loop” talks about his process, Liz Phair, soap operas and just about everything else.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:36PM
Friday, July 5, 2019

The Boys in the Band Get to Broadway. Why Not the Girls? by Elisabeth Vincentelli

“The Prom” is the rare show with lesbian themes to reach theater’s biggest stage. Gay women deserve more than drawing their own conclusions about Princess Elsa and Scout Finch.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:03PM
Thursday, July 4, 2019

Review: ‘Rock of Ages’ Returns, Scaled Down but Big Hair Intact by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In a limited run Off Broadway, the jukebox musical about love and rocking out in the 1980s now includes songs by Def Leppard.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:48PM
Monday, June 17, 2019

Review: A One-Act Marathon Anchored by the Armageddon by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Plays in this Ensemble Studio Theater series include stories of the Second Coming told seven ways and two women in search of a hot duck.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:36PM
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Review: In ‘Open,’ a Love Story Told by Sleight of Hand by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In Crystal Skillman’s new play, a woman in the wake of tragedy resorts to magic and misdirection.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:33PM
Thursday, June 6, 2019

Review: ‘Oscar at the Crown’ Sets the Apocalypse to a Throbbing Dance Beat by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Both a dance party and an Oscar Wilde book club, this musical tries to connect the rise of social media to the end of the world.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:24PM
Wednesday, June 5, 2019

A Merry Murderess Hangs Up Her ‘Chicago’ Fishnets by Elisabeth Vincentelli

After more than 20 years in the musical, Donna Marie Asbury played her final Broadway performance this week.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:33PM
Sunday, June 2, 2019

Review: ‘The Haunting’ Has a Big Problem With ‘Hamilton’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a character, and his hit musical is a punching bag, in Ishmael Reed’s didactic play about historical correctness.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:24PM
Friday, May 24, 2019

You’ve Seen Mary Elizabeth Winstead Onscreen. Get Ready for Her Onstage. by Elisabeth Vincentelli

She’s making her first foray into theater — while also taking on a Will Smith action flick and the role of Huntress in ‘Birds of Prey.’

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:32AM
Sunday, May 19, 2019

Review: ‘The Pink Unicorn’ Leads a Mother Into Unknown Territory by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In Elise Forier Edie’s play, Alice Ripley plays a conservative Texas parent inspired to fight for the rights of her child’s gender identity.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:32PM
Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Critic’s Pick: Review: A Lovingly Rendered ‘Plough and the Stars’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The Irish Rep production of an O’Casey classic isn’t snazzy, but satisfaction comes from expert actors in complex roles.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:24PM
Monday, May 13, 2019

Review: Tribute or Rip-off? ‘Original Sound’ Looks at the Line by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Adam Seidel’s play puts two songwriters in the same room, while the music industry watches out for its own economic interests.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:54PM
Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Critic’s Pick: Review: ‘Luzia’ Revives the Cirque du Soleil Spell by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Yes, it has clowns and death-defying feats, but “Luzia” also has spinning turntables and a waterfall that produces almost-supernatural effects.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:33PM
Thursday, May 2, 2019

Review: A Jazz Legend Retold Fast and Loose in ‘Playing Hot’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The play, based on the story of Buddy Bolden, a cornetist who is said to be one of jazz’s founders, is equal parts theater, concert and dance party.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:36PM
Thursday, April 18, 2019

Review: An Actor’s Life Story Grounds ‘Jack &’ With ‘The Cotillion’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Kaneza Schaal’s experimental theater work has three sections and is paired with an installation featuring paintings and videos of the show’s inspirations.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:30PM
Monday, April 15, 2019

Review: In ‘17 Border Crossings,’ Some Areas Are Left Unexplored by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Thaddeus Phillips’s genial show retreats every time things get sticky or uncomfortable.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:45PM
Monday, April 8, 2019

Review: ‘Marjana and the Forty Thieves’ Gives a Lesson in Storytelling by Elisabeth Vincentelli

With the theater made up to resemble a nomadic tent, audience members sit on cushions, couches and bean bags, while the actors roam about the space.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:15PM
Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Exit Interview: Goodbye, Omar Sharif: Katrina Lenk Reflects on ‘The Band’s Visit’ by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The Tony Award-winning actress, who has been with the musical since its first performance, looks back on its runs on and Off Broadway.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:59PM

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
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 15, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
TBA: Titanic