All stories by Laurel Graeber on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Paper Bag Players Celebrate 65 Years of Making Magic Out of the Ordinary by Laurel Graeber

The children’s theater company will bring its latest production, “It’s a Marvelous Paper Bag World!,” to stages in New York this spring.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:36PM
Thursday, February 1, 2024

‘El Otro Oz’ Review: There’s No Place Like (Your Ancestral) Home by Laurel Graeber

A tender reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz” follows Dora, an angsty American teenager who initially rejects her family’s Mexican heritage.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:03AM
Thursday, October 19, 2023

‘The Vanishing Elephant’ Review: Bringing ‘a Thing of Wonder’ to Life by Laurel Graeber

This alluring spectacle at Stage 42, which aims to dazzle audiences 8 and older, makes powerful statements about the rights of both animals and human beings.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:07AM
Monday, August 7, 2023

The International Puppet Fringe Festival Draws the World of Puppetry to New York by Laurel Graeber

This year’s International Puppet Fringe Festival surveys puppetry traditions from around the globe, and celebrates the legacy of the master puppeteer Ralph Lee.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:04PM
Thursday, August 3, 2023

‘Cat Kid Comic Club’ Review: Tiny, Big Imaginations by Laurel Graeber

In a musical based on works by the creator of Captain Underpants, an anthropomorphic feline urges young swamp dwellers (and the polliwogs in the audience) to let their creativity run wild.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:13PM
Friday, March 17, 2023

How They Staged a Little Girl’s Inner Universe by Laurel Graeber

‘Fish in a Tree’ at New York City Children’s Theater pulls viewers into the mind of an 8-year-old girl with dyslexia, using projections and immersive sound design.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:47PM
Tuesday, October 4, 2022

In ‘Heart Strings,’ the Ties That Bind a Family (and a Culture) by Laurel Graeber

Atlantic for Kids’ new play explores sibling relationships, using the delicate weavings of a Hawaiian craft.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:13AM
Thursday, September 15, 2022

‘A Perfect Party’ That Celebrates All Its Guests by Laurel Graeber

Trusty Sidekick Theater Company has created an outdoor adventure for young people on the autism spectrum.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:43PM
Tuesday, August 10, 2021

A Puppet Festival Returns to New York, All Grown Up by Laurel Graeber

Opening with five days of in-person performances, the International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC also includes streaming productions and an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:54PM
Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Exploring Race and Resistance for Young Audiences by Laurel Graeber

A Harriet Tubman monologue, an animated “Sit-In” and a toy theater short about medical inequity deliver useful messages through varied mediums.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:33PM
Thursday, June 18, 2020

While Theaters Are Dark, These Virtual Stages Deliver Actual Fun by Laurel Graeber

From shows based on children’s books to productions that introduce children to global cultures, companies are offering a range of options.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:06PM

Considering Camp? Bunkmates Are Out, but Creativity Reigns by Laurel Graeber

There may not be group hikes and s’mores, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be adventure, songs, comedy, art and dance. Here are some programs taking place online.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:06PM
Monday, February 10, 2020

Can Puppets Save the World From Extinction? by Laurel Graeber

Two new productions use everyday materials and artistic ingenuity to gently warn young audiences of the perils of climate change.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:06PM
Sunday, December 22, 2019

Review: Sweet Bear, Sticky Situation in ‘Paddington Gets in a Jam’ by Laurel Graeber

Despite a meanspirited neighbor — spoiler alert! — things work out just fine.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:54PM
Monday, October 14, 2019

‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ Review: A Grouch Gets Back in the Swim by Laurel Graeber

TheaterWorksUSA has brought a best-selling children’s book series to the stage in a bubbly, puppet-filled musical.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:36PM
Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Review: ‘Dog Man: The Musical’ Celebrates a Cop Who Sniffs Out Crime by Laurel Graeber

The bizarro, irreverent world of Dav Pilkey, the creator of the Captain Underpants books, has been deftly translated to the Lucille Lortel Theater’s stage.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:48AM
Monday, December 10, 2018

Critic’s Notebook: Two Timely Takes on Hans Christian Andersen’s Tales by Laurel Graeber

These classics, performed at Theater Row, are not holiday stories per se, but they have much to say about greed and goodness.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:54PM
Monday, May 7, 2018

Review: In ‘Seedfolks,’ Harvesting Hope and Humanity in a Community Garden by Laurel Graeber

A 9-year-old planting lima beans helps a community question assumptions, in this family theater work based on a young-adult novel by Paul Fleischman.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:48PM
Thursday, July 27, 2017

Review: ‘Pete the Cat,’ a Kitty Rocker Who Refuses to Be a Pet by Laurel Graeber

For its free summer theater program, Theatreworks USA has adapted a children’s book series featuring a laid-back, guitar-playing feline hero.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:42PM
Thursday, December 8, 2016

Review: A ‘Rudolph’ for Inclusion (at Least if You’re a Guy) by Laurel Graeber

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical,” at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, has bucks as well as does, but its message of equality is not fully realized.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:31PM
Thursday, December 1, 2016

Review: Put on a Vest. Summon Magic. Beware of Moles. Save an Island. by Laurel Graeber

In “Pip’s Island,” an interactive theater piece, children travel through a dozen installations as they assist adult actors in saving a magical realm.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:18PM
Thursday, November 24, 2016

Billy Kelly Does Stand-Up You Can Take Your Kids To by Laurel Graeber

Mr. Kelly, who performs stand-up that some have found offensively clean, is celebrating his latest project, “My First Comedy Album,” in shows this weekend.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:36PM
Thursday, October 20, 2016

Review: When the Penguins Come Home to Roost by Laurel Graeber

“Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” at the New Victory Theater, stars life-size puppets as the creatures that upend a sedate couple’s lives — and warm their hearts.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:03PM
Thursday, October 6, 2016

‘Squirrel Stole My Underpants,’ and Therein Hangs a Tale by Laurel Graeber

Bonnie Duncan uses a clothesline as both set and plot device in this solo family show about a battle of wits between a little girl and a mischievous rodent.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:56PM
Thursday, September 22, 2016

Review: Sagas, Swashbuckling and Scheherazade in ‘1001 Nights’ by Laurel Graeber

Robert Lopez, a songwriter for “Frozen,” and Adam Koplan created this Atlantic for Kids adaptation, an exuberant musical with both actors and puppets.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:49PM
Thursday, August 18, 2016

Review: In ‘Little Red’s Hood,’ Tweets, Sweets and a Wolf on the Way to Grandma’s by Laurel Graeber

This City Parks Foundation production at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater in Central Park features a clever update of the fairy tale.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:52PM
Friday, July 29, 2016

Review: Junie B. Jones, the Raging Bull of First Grade by Laurel Graeber

This year’s Theatreworks USA free summer production, at the Lucille Lortel Theater, is based on “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:38AM
Friday, July 8, 2016

Review: Lady Liberty Steps Off Her Pedestal to Sing by Laurel Graeber

“Liberty: A Monumental New Musical,” by Dana Leslie Goldstein and Jon Goldstein, brings historical figures and one statue to life at 42West.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:51PM
Monday, April 11, 2016

Review: ‘Wringer,’ a Musical Adaptation of Jerry Spinelli’s Book by Laurel Graeber

This adaptation by New York City Children’s Theater stays true to the novel’s premise but, unlike the book, is full of comedy.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM
Friday, April 8, 2016

Review: ‘That Physics Show,’ Where Newton Meets Nitrogen by Laurel Graeber

Family theater in this case means graphic, high-speed and sometimes fiery demonstrations of the laws of physics.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:15PM
Thursday, March 24, 2016

Review: ‘The Pirate La Dee Da,’ a Tale of a Runaway Princess by Laurel Graeber

This Atlantic for Kids production at the Linda Gross Theater packs in surprises while offering lessons on gender roles and income inequality.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:44PM

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