All stories by John Leland on BroadwayStars

Friday, July 9, 2021

‘How Do I Become Happy?’ Advice From a Professional Fool by John Leland

Stanley Allan Sherman, one of the niche artisans of New York theater, makes leather masks for the stage. And the occasional pro wrestler.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18PM
Thursday, October 8, 2020

Their Buzzy Off Broadway Play Shut Down. Here’s What They Did Next. by John Leland

When the virus forced New York theater to go dark, it upended thousands of lives, from actors to ticket takers. An anatomy of one production.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:54AM
Thursday, June 4, 2020

John McCormack, a Nurturing Theater Producer, Dies at 61 by John Leland

Mr. McCormack, who died of coronavirus-related causes, lifted the careers of Off Broadway actors and playwrights, even as he remained elusive.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:18PM
Friday, October 26, 2018

Sunday Routine: How Julia Jordan, Champion of Female Playwrights, Spends Her Sundays by John Leland

She manages to find time for everything but writing plays. But on her Brooklyn porch, with neighbors, that can wait.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18AM
Friday, March 2, 2018

The Woody Allen Reboot You Won’t See at the Oscars (or Maybe Anywhere) by John Leland

Two young artists remade “Annie Hall” with a cast from a senior center. As actors and crew bonded, a new kind of love story developed.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:01AM
Friday, February 16, 2018

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Next Lion of New York by John Leland

The unifying voice of the Obama years digs in for a fractious new era and a second child.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:00AM
Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Saying Goodbye to the Broadway Hit ‘On Your Feet!’ by John Leland

After 746 performances, the musical “On Your Feet!” has gone silent. Its male star, Ektor Rivera, reflected on its fans, the cast and what's next.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:24PM
Friday, August 4, 2017

How Sam Shepard Hit Downtown New York and Reinvented Himself by John Leland

Cheap rents, wild music, easy drugs and open stages: Friends and colleagues from the 1960s recall the dramatist’s beginnings.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:24PM
Friday, February 24, 2017

Sunday Routine: How André Holland Spends the Day: Onstage, and on His Couch by John Leland

When he isn’t performing in “Jitney,” Mr. Holland catches up with friends, family and scripts in need of a read. Then he usually falls asleep in his favorite place.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:18AM
Tuesday, June 28, 2016

A Boot Camp for Broadway’s Starry-Eyed Fledglings by John Leland

Part prize ceremony, part bake-off, this year’s National High School Musical Theater Awards were a heady experience for the 62 teenagers who took part.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:31PM
Friday, December 19, 2014

At the Table: Over Blintzes, Savoring and Saying Goodbye to Cafe Edison by John Leland

At Cafe Edison, a theater district haunt that is closing on Sunday, a couple bemoaned the loss of a New York institution.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:13PM
Friday, October 25, 2013

A Poet With Words Trapped Inside by John Leland

Ntozake Shange, suffering from the effects of two strokes and a neurological disorder, is unable to write or type, and even voice recognition software is working against her, auto-correcting…

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:46PM
Friday, August 30, 2013

Turning Chaos Into Theater, With a Cast of 200 by John Leland

The Public Theater’s musical adaptation of Shakespeare draws on unconventional performers from the five boroughs, including ex-offenders, nannies, children and the elderly.  &nbs…

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:56PM
Saturday, March 16, 2013

Players Club Director Survives an Ouster Vote by John Leland

One thing to be said for theater people: they know drama. On Thursday night, more than 100 members of the Players, a private club founded for actors, crowded into the main dining room of its…

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:20AM
Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Slave Theater in Brooklyn at Center of Bitter Battle Over Ownership by John Leland

The Slave Theater in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, once a hub of civil rights activity, is mired in a bitter battle over ownership rights.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:04PM
Sunday, August 21, 2011

Scouting the City for Her Characters by John Leland

Sarah Jones, a playwright and performer who could be described as an unlicensed anthropologist, hunts the streets of New York looking for inspiration for her next show.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:20AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards