All stories by Robert Israel on BroadwayStars

Friday, April 28, 2023

Theater Review: "And So We Walked" " A Missed Opportunity by Robert Israel

And So We Walked is about the performer finding her roots and that quest is often meandering.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:18AM[SHARE]
Sunday, April 2, 2023

Theater Review: "Clyde's" " An Exhilarating Food Fight by Robert Israel

The Huntington Theatre Company's co-production of Lynn Nottage's Clyde's is spirited and sassy.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:18AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Theater Remembrance: Trinity Repertory Company Director Adrian Hall by Robert Israel

During his career as the founder and artistic director of the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence (from 1964 to 1989), Adrian Hall achieved a lasting place in the American theater as a v…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:52AM[SHARE]
Sunday, January 29, 2023

Theater Review: "The Art of Burning" " Bonfire of the Vanities by Robert Israel

The domestic demolition in Kate Snodgrass's script is served au flambé.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:04AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Theater Review: "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" " A Stirring Dramatic Experience by Robert Israel

Despite some missteps and miscasting bumps along the way, this staging faithfully captures playwright August Wilson's searing poetic vision.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:37AM[SHARE]
Friday, October 21, 2022

Theater Interview: Performer Bill Irwin " Channeling Samuel Beckett by Robert Israel

"Samuel Beckett's work speaks to me because he's a very visceral writer. And, because I have training as a clown, I think of him as a natural clown."

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:25AM[SHARE]
Saturday, February 5, 2022

Theater Review: "The Bluest Eye" " Pieces of a Classic by Robert Israel

Dramatist Lydia R. Diamond makes an honorable effort to adapt Toni Morrison's novel to the stage, but with mixed results. The post Theater Review: "The Bluest Eye" " Pieces of a Classic appe…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 03:54PM[SHARE]
Saturday, September 4, 2021

Theater Review: "Hurricane Diane" " A Whimper Rather than a Whirlwind by Robert Israel

Madeleine George's uneven 90-minte one-act comedy/drama borrows heavily on Greek mythology to zip up the misadventures of a cluster of suburban women in New Jersey, The post Theater Review: …

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:36AM[SHARE]
Thursday, September 2, 2021

Theater Interview: Tennessee Williams and Censorship by Robert Israel

"A lot of censorship in America has to do with the impulse to shut down what women have to say, literally hanging and burning them as witches to shut them up." The post Theater Interview: T…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:12AM[SHARE]
Sunday, April 25, 2021

Book Review: A Valuable Reminder of Lorraine Hansberry's "Radical Vision" by Robert Israel

In the process of exploring the ideas that shaped Lorraine Hansberry's understanding of her art and the world, the volume confirms the writer's relevance during these troubled but potentiall…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:24AM[SHARE]
Saturday, November 9, 2019

Arts Commentary: MFA Boston " at 150 by Robert Israel

There have been times in the MFA's past when it hasn't lived up to its educational mission, when it has pandered to the whims of the wealthy -- particularly its fat cat benefactors. The post…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 12:42PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Book Review: "Protest! A History of Social and Political Protest Graphics" " Pavlovian Calls to Action by Robert Israel

Liz McQuiston writes that the posters collected in her book are meant to "pay tribute to the liberating concept of hard-won 'freedom of speech' throughout history." The post Book Review: "Pr…

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Friday, October 18, 2019

Author Interview: Boston's Poet Laureate " Porsha Olayiwola by Robert Israel

"I wrote those poems because I think people need to read the truth and to hear the truth about romantic sensibilities between gay people." The post Author Interview: Boston's Poet Laureate "…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 04:48PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Theater Review: Asian Delights from Yukio Mishima and Tennessee Williams by Robert Israel

Kudos for two short plays by Tennessee Williams and Yukio Mishma at this year's Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival The post Theater Review: Asian Delights from Yukio Mishima a…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 06:18PM[SHARE]
Sunday, September 22, 2019

Theater Review: "Choir Boy" " Musical Grace by Robert Israel

Few of the numbers in Choir Boy fails to astonish. The post Theater Review: "Choir Boy" " Musical Grace appeared first on The Arts Fuse.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:06AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Theater Review: "Little Shop of Horrors" " A Fun Romp with an Appetite for Blood by Robert Israel

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston is giving this nostalgic hokum a spirited production. The post Theater Review: "Little Shop of Horrors" " A Fun Romp with an Appetite for Blood appeared fir…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:12AM[SHARE]
Monday, September 2, 2019

Theater Preview: "Buddy" Cianci's Ghost Returns to Haunt Providence by Robert Israel

We are definitely feeling a sense of Buddy haunting us, to be sure. I mean, this theater is the place he visited. He attended many, if not most, of the shows here. The post Theater Preview: …

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 12:18PM[SHARE]
Saturday, August 24, 2019

Theater Interview: Director Benny Sato Ambush's Japanese Connection by Robert Israel

The highlights of this year's gathering will be productions of newly discovered or rediscovered works by both Tennessee Williams and Yukio Mishima. The post Theater Interview: Director Benny…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:32AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Visual Arts Review: MFA's Arts of Islamic Cultures Gallery " Window into an Endangered World by Robert Israel

The MFA's Arts of Islamic Cultures gallery offers an impressive visual representation of a region's cultures, geographies, and histories. The post Visual Arts Review: MFA's Arts of Islamic C…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 12:24PM[SHARE]
Saturday, July 20, 2019

Book Review: "The Ministry of Truth" " Writing a Blueprint for Disaster by Robert Israel

Words from George Orwell to live by:  "To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." The post Book Review: "The Ministry of Truth" " Writing a Blueprint for Disaster …

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:18AM[SHARE]
Saturday, July 13, 2019

Jazz Concert Review: A Third Report from the 40th Montreal Jazz Festival "  Harmony Amidst Chaos by Robert Israel

This year's Montreal Jazz Festival Festival would have been more successful had it not been for all the construction ripping apart the city. The post Jazz Concert Review: A Third Report fro…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 03:54PM[SHARE]
Friday, June 14, 2019

Book Review: The Critic as Wildean Artist " Peter Schjeldahl's Elements of Surprise by Robert Israel

Peter Schjeldahl debunks (and praises) works of art, while also acknowledging the strategic importance of beauty. The post Book Review: The Critic as Wildean Artist " Peter Schjeldahl's Elem…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:24AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Theater Review: "The View UpStairs" " Celebrating a Milestone by Robert Israel

As a vision of gay bonding, The View UpStairs exudes a wonderful in-your-face spirit. The post Theater Review: "The View UpStairs" " Celebrating a Milestone appeared first on The Arts Fuse.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 01:12PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Theater News: There Goes the Neighborhood " Gold Dust Orphans to Lose their Fenway Home by Robert Israel

"I saw it coming three years ago, when there was a frenzy of development in the Fenway. Now the neighborhood looks like a corporate mall." The post Theater News: There Goes the Neighborhood …

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:48AM[SHARE]
Saturday, May 4, 2019

Theater Review: "Indecent" " A Dangerous World for People of Faith by Robert Israel

Indecent is a play of contrasts: piety versus blasphemy, joy versus heartbreak. The post Theater Review: "Indecent" " A Dangerous World for People of Faith appeared first on The Arts Fuse.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 03:04PM[SHARE]
Monday, April 29, 2019

Book Review: John Hersey " Reporting Truthfully, at All Costs by Robert Israel

John Hersey emerges in this book as a disciplined journalist who held steadfast to an admirably singular goal. The post Book Review: John Hersey " Reporting Truthfully, at All Costs appeared…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 05:35PM[SHARE]
Monday, April 22, 2019

Theater Interview: Playwright Paula Vogel on "Indecent" and a Love of Yiddish by Robert Israel

"Yiddish is above all a language of yearning, a language of anxiety." The post Theater Interview: Playwright Paula Vogel on "Indecent" and a Love of Yiddish appeared first on The Arts Fuse.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:14AM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 13, 2019

Theater Review: "American Moor" " Lasting Impressions by Robert Israel

American Moor sheds considerable insight into the tension between actor vs. director, to the power play between the two, and who will ultimately prevail. The post Theater Review: "American M…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:46AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Theater News: IRNE@23 " Boisterous Irreverence by Robert Israel

The IRNE event did what it has done for decades: cast a warm glow on a vibrant local theater scene and those who are dedicated to entertain, astonish, and inspire. The post Theater News: IRN…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:33AM[SHARE]
Monday, March 18, 2019

Arts Remembrance: Poet W. S. Merwin " An Appreciation by Robert Israel

W.S. Merwin remained politically as well as artistically motivated all his life, often proclaiming the vital importance of activism. The post Arts Remembrance: Poet W. S. Merwin " An Apprec…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:11AM[SHARE]
Saturday, March 16, 2019

Theater Review: "An Inspector Calls" " Class Downfall by Robert Israel

J. P. Priestly's shallow characterizations keep his vision of moneyed skullduggery mundane rather than monstrous. The post Theater Review: "An Inspector Calls" " Class Downfall appeared firs…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:29AM[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