All stories by Sandy MacDonald on BroadwayStars

Monday, December 4, 2023

Life & Times of Michael K: Puppets Lend Visceral Immediacy to a Modern Literary Classic by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ The travails of a born outsider, coping with inconceivable hardships in the South Africa of four decades ago, tragically resonates to this day. The post Life & Times of M…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:30PM
Thursday, November 16, 2023

Spamalot: Spamalot: Trumpeting the Return of a Raunchy Musical Comedy for the Ages by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ A crack cast reinvigorates Eric Idle’s irreverent slice of highly improbable history. The post Spamalot: Spamalot: Trumpeting the Return of a Raunchy Musical Comedy for the…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:55PM
Monday, November 13, 2023

Harmony: Superb Singing Marks Barry Manilow’s Long-Delayed Broadway Debut as Composer by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ A singing sextet in pre-WWII Berlin wows the cabaret crowd — but proves powerless against the Gestapo The post Harmony: Superb Singing Marks Barry Manilow’s Long-Delayed …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 11:15PM
Sunday, November 5, 2023

The Frogs: They’re Back and Bouncier Than Ever by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Nathan Lane hosted an evanescent revival of his too rarely seen collaboration with Stephen Sondheim. The post The Frogs: They’re Back and Bouncier Than Ever appeared first …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 03:59PM
Friday, November 3, 2023

Pal Joey: At City Center, Purists Are In for a Surprise by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ With additions from the Rodgers & Hart songbook, this updated interpretation is juicy if not entirely cohesive The post Pal Joey: At City Center, Purists Are In for a Sur…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 06:05PM
Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Dig: Theresa Rebeck could delve a bit deeper by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Each recovery story is unique, but this one proves overly schematic. The post Dig: Theresa Rebeck could delve a bit deeper appeared first on New York Stage Review.

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:54PM
Monday, September 18, 2023

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors Tickles Ingeniously by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ A clever script and a versatile cast transform a horror classic into pure fun and games The post Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors Tickles Ingeniously appeared first on New York S…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:56PM
Thursday, September 14, 2023

Death, Let Me Do My Show: Rachel Bloom picks up the pieces post-Covid by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Bloom is back, spilling and spewing her neuroses and obsessions – wittily. The post Death, Let Me Do My Show: Rachel Bloom picks up the pieces post-Covid appeared first on…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:57PM
Thursday, June 22, 2023

Once Upon a One More Time: Betty Friedan Would Plotz by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Sometimes a supposed tribute is an ill-camouflaged insult. Brittany Spears gets lionized in this femmage; Betty Friedan, not so much. The post Once Upon a One More Time: Bett…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:54PM
Sunday, June 18, 2023

Cassie and the Lights: A Family at Risk, Reconfigured by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Family dynamics get a tragicomic treatment in this tale of three virtual orphans surviving precariously in contemporary London. The post Cassie and the Lights: A Family at Ri…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 01:31PM
Monday, June 5, 2023

The Comeuppance: A High-School Reunion Prompts Some Startling Revisionism by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ With surgical precision and abundant sympathy, Branden Jacob-Jenkins dissects the Class of 2002. The post The Comeuppance: A High-School Reunion Prompts Some Startling Revisi…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:51PM
Thursday, May 4, 2023

Oliver!: A Problematic Classic Benefits From a Reconsidered Villain by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ A cuddly Fagin? Raúl Esparza pulls off an improbable transmogrification in this Encores! staging The post Oliver!: A Problematic Classic Benefits From a Reconsidered Villain…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 02:28PM
Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Summer, 1976: An Odd Couple of Midwestern Moms by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Not every woman wants – or needs – a makeover, but plenty of women enjoy initiating them. Toxic or benevolent? You get to decide. The post Summer, 1976: An Odd Couple of …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:54PM
Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Regretfully, So the Birds Are: Clear the Airwaves for a Fresh New Voice by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Fledgling playwright Julia Izumi works out Tolstoy's dictum about families unhappy and otherwise in this loopy portrait of three adult Asian adoptees. The post Regretfully, S…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:00PM
Thursday, April 6, 2023

The Wife of Willesden: Ever Willing, and Then Some by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Chaucer's outspoken, sex-positive "Wife of Bath," as updated by Zadie Smith, has some insights to share, along with a remedial agenda. The post The Wife of Willesden: Ever Wi…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:54PM
Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The Harder They Come: Crime Pays, Up to a Point by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Suzan-Lori Parks musicalizes the 1972 film with a skilled cast and crew but sugarcoats the original's gritty realism The post The Harder They Come: Crime Pays, Up to a Point …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:57PM
Friday, March 10, 2023

Dark Disabled Stories: Bodily Challenges Examined with a Light, Deft Touch by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ A trio of differently abled performers embody Ryan J. Haddad’s rollicking collection of real-life tales. The post Dark Disabled Stories: Bodily Challenges Examined with a L…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:50AM
Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Crumbs from the Table of Joy: Nearly Three Decades Later, This Debut Script Still Feels Fresh by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ With this, her first produced work, Nottage tossed out the rulebook for "well-made" plays and came up with a doozy. The post Crumbs from the Table of Joy: Nearly Three Decade…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:58PM
Monday, March 6, 2023

The Rewards of Being Frank: A Wildean Knock-Off Offers Slim Pickings by Sandy MacDonald

★★☆☆☆ Anyone who attempts to tread in Wilde's footsteps had better be devilishly adroit – sadly not the case in this clumsy exercise. The post The Rewards of Being Frank: A Wilde…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 03:40PM
Thursday, March 2, 2023

Love: This Is No Place Like Home by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ Alexander Zeldin's “you-are-there” study of a London housing shelter delivers edge-of-the-seat impact The post Love: This Is No Place Like Home appeared first on New York…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 12:36PM
Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The Seagull: Not Your Great-Great-Great-Grandmother’s Chekhov by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Hovering midway between parody and homage, this modernist rendering of a justifiable classic proves neither illuminating nor much fun. The post The Seagull: Not Your Great-Gr…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:28PM
Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Hip Hop Cinderella: A Clever Update Leaps Far into the Future by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ Finally, a kiddie show with an on-point message, snazzily presented. The post Hip Hop Cinderella: A Clever Update Leaps Far into the Future appeared first on New York Stage R…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 04:58PM
Monday, February 6, 2023

Lucy: Devil Child or Target of a Demonic Nanny? by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Maybe take a step back if your babysitter offers to "co-parent"? A cautionary tale from the mommy-wars front. The post Lucy: Devil Child or Target of a Demonic Nanny? appeare…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:07PM
Sunday, December 18, 2022

Oh Mary, It’s Christmas!: Justin Vivian Bond brings joy to Joe’s Pub by Sandy MacDonald

Alt-darling Justin Vivian Bond celebrates the true spirit of the season. The post Oh Mary, It’s Christmas!: Justin Vivian Bond brings joy to Joe’s Pub appeared first on New York Stage Re…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 11:03PM
Thursday, December 15, 2022

Eddie Izzard Performing Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations: Prepare to Be Transfixed by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ With words and gestures alone, Eddie Izzard recreates Dickens' beloved bildungsroman. The post Eddie Izzard Performing Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations: Prepare to Be Tr…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:00PM
Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Bridget Everett & The Tender Moments: Boldly O’erleaping the Boundaries of Good Taste by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ What with all the treacle on offer this month, you may savor something a little more spicy. The post Bridget Everett & The Tender Moments: Boldly O’erleaping the Bounda…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:51PM
Monday, December 5, 2022

Ain’t No Mo’: Three Centuries of Oppression, packed with Pathos – and Laughs by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ Traversing the entire Black experience in the U.S., “Mo’” is a bumpy ride – one you don’t want to miss. The post Ain’t No Mo’: Three Centuries of Oppression, pa…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:25PM
Sunday, November 27, 2022

Big Apple Circus: It’s Back and Buoyant, with a Message by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ The inventive, nonexploitative circus flies high in this, its 45th embodiment. The post Big Apple Circus: It’s Back and Buoyant, with a Message appeared first on New York S…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 04:50PM
Sunday, November 20, 2022

The Gett: The Epic Story of Creation, Cut Down to Human Size by Sandy MacDonald

★★☆☆☆ The entire Judeo-Christian creation myth, wrapped in one woman's very trying week. The post The Gett: The Epic Story of Creation, Cut Down to Human Size appeared first on New…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:00PM
Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Boswell: History Comes to Life, Juicily, in This Clever Bio-Play by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ A rare opportunity to hang out with London's witty literary crowd, circa 1770. The post Boswell: History Comes to Life, Juicily, in This Clever Bio-Play appeared first on Ne…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:00PM
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Kimberly Akimbo: A Doomed Teen Valiantly Seizes the Day by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ The last chapter in a young girl's abbreviated life proves heartwarmingly hilarious The post Kimberly Akimbo: A Doomed Teen Valiantly Seizes the Day appeared first on New Yor…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:52PM

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
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