The man behind the “Hamilton” sound: Hidden Beatles references, the “hip-hop horse” sample and why if “it’s all computerized, there’s no by Suzy Evans

Salon talks to music director Alex Lacamoire about the shapes and sounds of Lin-Manuel Miranda's addictive musical

The diva-making "Dreamgirls" song By David Marchese

The angry anthem at the heart of the musical has its very own cult following.

Who you calling a "midget"? By Lynn Harris

Little people take a stand against the offensive word -- and a world that thinks it's OK to mock them

Everyone hates the Tonys By Sarah Hepola

But those big-belting dames and over-the-top dance numbers bring out my inner theater geek -- and give my heart a wedgie.

Can gay actors play straight? By Mary Elizabeth Williams

As "Glee's" creator calls for a Newsweek boycott after a controversial article, we wonder: Could the mag be right?

Curtains for the musical? By Robert Simonson

Move over, Spamalot. The surreal, smart "Grey Gardens" is redefining Broadway.

Politics as unusual? by David Cote

The Broadway season was surprisingly rich in idea-driven, civic-minded plays, but don't call it a rebirth of political theater.

Embrace your inner show-tunes nerd By Heather Havrilesky

Fox's hysterical new comedy captures the countless absurdities of high school show choir -- and so much more.

Spirit of success By Ada Calhoun

Christine Ebersole feels a deep spiritual connection to the women she portrays in Broadway's "Grey Gardens." Will the Tony gods smile on her?

Glengarry Rod Blagojevich By Choire Sicha

If David Mamet didn't write the profane, wiretapped dialogue for the Illinois governor's attempt to sell Obama's Senate seat, he should have. A play in one act.

BACK TO THE BOARDS

In an increasingly flat-screen world, stars like Al Pacino and Gwyneth Paltrow look to theater for a human connection. Will the rest of us follow?

“The Last Five Years” makes the case for why artists shouldn’t marry young - Salon.com by Suzy Evans

Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan star in an elegy for the starter marriage in this new musical film

Memo to Mamet: Stick to plays by Alex Seitz-Wald

We fact check the liberal cum right-wing ideologue's ponderous Newsweek essay -- and there's a whole mess of wrong

“Glengarry Glen Ross” revival shows us how low we’ve sunk - Salon.com by Mark Guarino

Written during Ronald Reagan’s first presidential bid, Mamet's greedy men almost seem quaint in our impenitent era

Will anyone care about the revamped "Spider-Man" musical? - Spider-Man - Salon.com by Drew Grant

With Julie Taymor no longer at the helm, the new director promises to strip the bloated production. So why see it?

Republican

It's a slow news day. 'Urinetown' was a lot of fun, and we abided by the political rules of never having the entire staff in the same place at once. Sort of like having the president and vice-president flying in separate planes (tho, at the risk of offending the Republican staff members (2), who really cares?). Anyway, the show has transferred very well from off-Bway, and it was a great performance, the audience loved it. Run, don't walk, to see 'Urinetown.'

Salon.com

Salon.com: Death of a theatre fan.
An all-star "The Seagull" in Central Park climaxes with a shooting each night. Last week, there was a body offstage as well. What if he was an unknown, badly reviewed writer whose self-involved mother was going out with a bestselling author half her age? And what if our dead man's ex-girlfriend had had an affair with his mother's boyfriend? And what if he had just gotten into a fight with this ex-girlfriend?

"...we met under conventional circumstances, and there was no intention on my part to deceive you in any way. If you feel like I have, I am sorry for that."