All stories by MARK BLANKENSHIP on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Ultimate Pop Song Tournament: Games 7 and 8 (Joy Bomb Division) by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Games 7 and 8 of the Ultimate Pop Song Tournament! These games are OPEN. They will close on Tuesday, August 2. (ALL OPEN GAMES) To see the complete bracket, just go he…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 07:31AM[SHARE]
Monday, July 25, 2011

"True Blood" Sucker Punch: Season 4, Ep. 5 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments in this week’s episode of True Blood SPOILERS AHEAD — If the ghost of my grandmother told me not to fa…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 06:35PM[SHARE]

The Ultimate Pop Song Tournament: Games 5 and 6 (Joy Bomb Division) by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Games 5 and 6 of the Ultimate Pop Song Tournament! These games are OPEN. They will close on Monday, July 29. For complete tournament rules and to see all open games, j…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:04PM[SHARE]

The Ultimate Pop Song Tournament: Games 3 and 4 (Joy Bomb Division) by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Games 3 and 4 of the Ultimate Pop Song Tournament! These games are OPEN. They will close on Monday, July 29. For complete tournament rules and to see all open games, j…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 10:33AM[SHARE]

The Ultimate Pop Song Tournament: Games 1 and 2 (Joy Bomb Division) by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Games 1 and 2 of the Ultimate Pop Song Tournament! These games are OPEN. They will close on Monday, July 29. For complete tournament rules and to see all open games, just go here.…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:02AM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 21, 2011

Jessie J Drops The Jam of the Summer (No, Seriously. Of the Entire Summer) by Mark Blankenship

If you have a car, then will you do me a favor? Please drive with the windows down and blast “Nobody’s Perfect,” the most recent U.K. single by Jessie J. You see, since I l…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:51PM[SHARE]

Are You Ready? : The Ultimate Pop Song Tournament by Mark Blankenship

NEXT WEEK, EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE. That’s because next week, The Critical Condition is launching THE ULTIMATE POP SONG TOURNAMENT. BOOOOOOOM! YOU WILL DECIDE THE WINNER. M…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:01PM[SHARE]

Answers to Our Theatre Trivia Quiz by Mark Blankenship

Here they are: The answers to our Theatre Trivia Quiz. Are you sure you’re ready to look? Do you want to take one more pass at the questions? We’ll wait…   … rem…

SOURCE: TDF at 11:27AM[SHARE]

Take Our Theatre Trivia Quiz! by Mark Blankenship

Earlier this week, TDF’s Young Patrons Committee hosted its first-ever Theatre Trivia Night. It was pretty amazing: Over forty theatre lovers competed to win TKTS gift certificates, an…

SOURCE: TDF at 11:26AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Have You Seen "Beginners?" Let's discuss it before my heart bursts. by Mark Blankenship

It’s been in theaters for several weeks—and Doug has already written about its leading man—but since Ididn’t see Beginners until Saturday, I wasn’t ready to tal…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 04:00PM[SHARE]

How To Make "The Judy Show" by Mark Blankenship

  Judy Gold and Kate Moira Ryan bicker, laugh, and then write a play Comedian Judy Gold and playwright Kate Moira Ryan write shows together, but they also take their families on joint v…

SOURCE: TDF at 03:21PM[SHARE]
Monday, July 18, 2011

A High School Reunion for "That 70s Show" by Mark Blankenship

If the cast of That 70s Show had a high school reunion, who would have bragging rights and who would have to spend the night consoling himself at the bar? That’s the question I’m…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 06:00PM[SHARE]

"True Blood" Sucker Punch: Season 4, Ep. 4 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood. SPOILERS AHEAD — Before we get started on this week’s inst…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 04:03PM[SHARE]
Friday, July 15, 2011

Can Mila Kunis be an A-List Actress? by Mark Blankenship

Over at MSNBC.com, I’m discussing whether Mila Kunis has what it takes to be an A-List actress. I got quotes from lots of cool people about her rise to fame. Good times!

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:14PM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 14, 2011

Emmys 2011: Saucily Discussing the Nominees by Mark Blankenship

The Emmy nominations were announced this morning, so Roommate Joe and I gallantly ignored our day-to-day responsibilities in order to discuss them. The highlights of our conversation—w…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 02:45PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Flashback!: Margaret Cho's 1994 Comedy Special Still Rules by Mark Blankenship

You guys, the YouTube-iverse has done us a major solid: It has given us Margaret Cho’s 1994 HBO standup special. If you’re like me, then you watched this thing about a hundred ti…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:54PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Beyonce's Hottest Hit… Is Top Secret by Mark Blankenship

I’ve always appreciated Beyonce, since I have a genetic predisposition for killer beats, sickening choreography, and hooks that will melt your eyeballs with their hot-hot heat. In the …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:06PM[SHARE]

How Do You Make "Universal Entertainment?" by Mark Blankenship

The Voca People try to reach everyone How do we define “universal entertainment?” What makes a show reach all generations on every continent? Plenty of artists are trying to answ…

SOURCE: TDF at 01:57PM[SHARE]
Monday, July 11, 2011

"True Blood" Sucker Punch: Season 4, Ep. 3 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks that gaudiest moments on this week's episode of True Blood. SPOILERS AHEAD — Before we dig  into the inter-species bloodfest o…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:53PM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 7, 2011

"Silence!" is Making Noise Again by Mark Blankenship

  After six years, the “Silence of the Lambs” parody musical wants to recapture the magic Can a production recapture its magic after it’s been away for six years? Will…

SOURCE: TDF at 02:56PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

What Do You Think Of The Pretty Deaths In Recent Movies and TV? by Mark Blankenship

From The Big C to Funny People to Never Let Me Go to You Don’t Know Jack, we’ve been seeing a lot of high-profile projects that have looked at brutal, inevitable death with a ser…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:27AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Trailer Scaler: "I Don't Know How She Does It" by Mark Blankenship

Judging by the trailer, there are a billion reasons I shouldn’t want to see I Don’t Know How She Does It, the September 16 romcom starring Sarah Jessica Parker as a woman trying …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:06AM[SHARE]
Monday, July 4, 2011

"True Blood" Sucker Punch: Season 4, Ep. 2 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks that gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood. SPOILERS AHEAD — I’d like to begin the discussion of this…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 10:51AM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 30, 2011

Building Character: Heidi Blickenstaff by Mark Blankenship

How to play the only "normal" woman in "The Addams Family" Welcome to Building Character, TDF Stages’ ongoing series about actors and how they create their roles — If you’r…

SOURCE: TDF at 03:26PM[SHARE]

The Oscar Songs Project: 1990 by Mark Blankenship

And so it ends… for now. Welcome to the final installment of the Oscar Songs Project, where Roommate Joe and I revisit every Oscar-nominated song from 1980-1990. Today's entry, host…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:17AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Oscar Songs Project: 1989 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome back to the Oscar Songs Project, where Roommate Joe and I revisit every Oscar-nominated song from 1980-1990. Today's entry, hosted right here, is for 1989, when the script was …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 08:59AM[SHARE]
Monday, June 27, 2011

"True Blood" Sucker Punch: Season 4, Ep. 1 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood. — This year, I am thrilled to announce that Sucker Punch is bein…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:48AM[SHARE]
Friday, June 24, 2011

Students Savor Theatre With Open Doors by Mark Blankenship

How can the theatre enhance your mind and your personal relationships? Just ask these students, teachers, and theatre professionals, who recently took part in Theatre Development Fund's Open…

SOURCE: TDF at 01:45PM[SHARE]

The Oscar Songs Project: 1988 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome back to the Oscar Songs Project, where Roommate Joe and I revisit every Oscar-nominated song from 1980-1990. Today's entry, hosted on Low Resolution, is for 1988, when we chose to le…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:55AM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Oscar Songs Project: 1987 by Mark Blankenship

Welcome back to the Oscar Songs Project, where Roommate Joe and I revisit every Oscar-nominated song from 1980-1990. Today's entry, hosted on The Critical Condition, is for 1987, when manneq…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 10:58AM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Quietly Riding "4000 Miles" by Mark Blankenship

Amy Herzog looks sideways at grief in her new play 4000 Miles is such a quiet play that you could almost miss the explosions. Amy Herzog’s drama, now in previews in a Lincoln Center Th…

SOURCE: TDF at 01:37PM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off