Friday, April 18, 2025

NICHOLAS BARASCH ON HIS ROLE IN ROUNDABOUT’S “PIRATES! THE PENZANCE MUSICAL.” by Admin

By Ron Fassler . . . In 1980, Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera The Pirates of Penzance was given a revival in Central Park at the open-air Delacorte Theatre, courtesy of producer Joseph …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 02:01PM
Wednesday, April 16, 2025

“John Proctor is the Villain” but he’s not the only one in this furiously funny new play. by Admin

Review by Stuart Miller... A searingly funny look at how girls and women are treated on stage and in life.

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 10:34PM
Friday, April 11, 2025

“Old Friends”: A New Revue Reviews Sondheim by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . One time, at the finish of one of the gatherings in his honor that Stephen Sondheim received regularly in his later years, the master composer-lyricist took to th…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 03:56PM

Ben Stanton Sheds Light On His Lighting Design For “Maybe Happy Ending” by Eyal Solomon

Interview by Meredith Heyman... Ben Stanton discussess how lighting helped to tell the high-tech musical’s story

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 01:05PM
Thursday, April 10, 2025

Lynne Charnay’s Centennial Show A Sold-Out Smash by Andrew Poretz

By Andrew Poretz. . . . Making it to 100 years old is quite a milestone. On April 1st, chanteuse Lynne Charnay joined this exclusive club, celebrating with two sold-out nights at Don’t Tel…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:33PM

“Betty Boop” Returns in Living Color by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . When a truly old-fashioned musical like Boop! The Musical opens, offering a beatific heroine, dazzling choreography, and hummable tunes that send you out into t…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 01:40PM
Wednesday, April 9, 2025

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” offers a wondrous portrait that gradually curdles. by Eyal Solomon

Review by Stuart Miller.... Sarah Snook is phenomenal and the use of screens in this one-woman show works brilliantly--until it doesn’t.

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:43PM

“All the Beauty in the World”: A Picture of Exhilaration and Exultation by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . A dozen or so years ago, when journalist Patrick Bringley found himself unsure of what to do with the rest of his life, his restlessness caused him to quit his hi…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:17AM
Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Leiter Looks at Books: “No Applause—Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous” and “American Vaudeville” by Eyal Solomon

Book Reviews by Samuel L. Leiter . . . Casual notes on show-biz books, memoirs and studies, dust gatherers, and hot off the presses.

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 02:17PM
Monday, April 7, 2025

“A Mother” Updates Brecht in a Modern Mash-Up by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . You may be forgiven if you’re not familiar with playwright Bertolt Brecht’s The Mother, as it did have its premiere nearly a century ago in 1932 Berlin. Writ…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 10:36PM

The Siegel Column: Excellent, Okay, and Uh Oh!  by Eyal Solomon

By Barbara & Scott Siegel... can you always count on off-Broadway for high quality? The reviews are in, but the jury's still out.

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 02:18PM
Thursday, April 3, 2025

“Danger and Opportunity” Fills a Small Space with Big Ideas by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . I wasn’t sure what to expect when the location of Ken Urban’s new play Danger and Opportunity took me to a theater called East Village Basement. Located at …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:10PM
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Deaths of Salesmen: “Glengarry Glen Ross” Returns  by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . The first time that audiences heard the precise and profane language of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross was nearly forty-two years ago in September of 1983. …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 12:50PM
Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The Siegel Column: Finally, A Great Theater Season is Unfolding! by Eyal Solomon

By Barbara & Scott Siegel... looks like something very right is happening on Broadway! The post The Siegel Column: Finally, A Great Theater Season is Unfolding! appeared first on Theate…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 11:24AM
Monday, March 31, 2025

“Purpose”:  A hilarious, harrowing news play family play by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins by Eyal Solomon

Review by Carol Rocamora... The sins of the fathers are visited upon the sons in this hilarious, harrowing new American family play. The post “Purpose”:  A hilarious, harrowing news p…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 04:56PM
Saturday, March 29, 2025

“Operation Mincemeat”: Artistic Verisimilitude to an Otherwise Bald and Brassy Narrative by Eyal Solomon

Review by Marilyn Lester... "Operation Mincemeat," a screwball comedy that’s dead brilliant, follows London’s West End's tradition of wacky fun. The post “Operation Mincemeat”: Artis…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 04:21PM
Friday, March 28, 2025

“Love Life” Gets a Rare Encores Revival by Eyal Solomon

Review by Brian Scott Lipton... Brian Stokes Mitchell and Kate Baldwin shine in this obscure 1948 musical. The post “Love Life” Gets a Rare Encores Revival appeared first on Theater Pizz…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 06:38PM
Thursday, March 27, 2025

Gabrelle Stravelli at Birdland by Andrew Poretz

By Andrew Poretz . . . . Gabrielle Stravelli has long been a favorite of this reviewer. She recently completed a weekly residency at Birdland Jazz of early Saturday sets. This reviewer atten…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 05:15PM

The York Theatre’s 2025 Spring Gala Blooms by Ron Fassler

By Ron Fassler . . .   The York Theatre, founded in 1969 by Janet Hayes Walker, has rightly earned its place as an integral part of the city landscape from which it draws its name. Walker,…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 02:38PM
Wednesday, March 26, 2025

LEITER LOOKS AT BOOKS – 44th Edition: “A Front Row Seat: An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood, and the Age of Glamour” by Eyal Solomon

LEITER LOOKS AT BOOKS: “Nancy Olson Livingston. A Front Row Seat: An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood, and the Age of Glamour” The post LEITER LOOKS AT BOOKS – 44th Edition: “A F…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 01:49PM
Friday, March 21, 2025

The New York Pops Scores with Film-Centric Season Closer by Andrew Poretz

The New York Pops, after a diverse season of excellent programming and concerts, had its season finale on March 14 at Carnegie Hall with 100 Years of Film Scores. Unlike most of its programs…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 09:45PM

Andrew Scott Plays and Plays With Chekov’s Favorite Uncle in “Vanya” by Eyal Solomon

Review by Stuart Miller... The actor dazzles in playing eight roles although the show ultimately falls short of the hype. The post Andrew Scott Plays and Plays With Chekov’s Favorite Uncle…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 02:56PM

“Maybe Tomorrow” – And Baby Makes Three? by Ron Fassler

Review by Ron Fassler . . . Upon entering A.R.T.’s Mezzanine Theatre on Manhattan’s West Side for the off-Broadway premiere of Max Mondi’s Maybe Tomorrow, you are greeted by a ¾ wrap…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 08:04AM
Thursday, March 20, 2025

“We Had a World”: an Intermittently Poignant and Funny World by Eyal Solomon

By Stuart Miller... Josh Harmon relies too much on actual experience instead of diving deep in his new play. The post “We Had a World”: an Intermittently Poignant and Funny World appear…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 03:31PM

“Buena Vista Social Club” – Where Every Cuban Song Tells a Story by Eyal Solomon

By Carole Di Tosti... The stage adaptation of the Grammy Award-winning album highlights the stories of the its legendary cuban musicians. The post “Buena Vista Social Club” – Where Ev…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 03:11PM
Monday, March 17, 2025

Leiter Looks at Books: “Sonny Boy” by Eyal Solomon

Leiter Looks at Books: “Sonny Boy”... Casual notes on show-biz books, memoirs and studies, dust gatherers, and hot off the presses. The post Leiter Looks at Books: “Sonny Boy” appea…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 03:17PM

“LAST CALL”: Conductors Unbecoming by Eyal Solomon

Review by Samuel L. Leiter... Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan duke it out at Vienna’s Hotel Sacher The post “LAST CALL”: Conductors Unbecoming appeared first on Theater Pizza…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 03:13PM

Laila Biali: Classics Reimagined by Andrew Poretz

By Andrew Poretz . . . Canadian singer/songwriter and pianist Laila Biali first came to this reviewer’s attention at the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) conference seve…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 12:16AM
Friday, March 14, 2025

A Mother: An Interview with Jessica Hecht on Her New Play by Ron Fassler

By Ron Fassler . . . Two-time Tony nominee Jessica Hecht, an actress who seems to always be working on the New York stage (that is when she isn’t shooting films or television shows), is t…

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 05:30PM
Thursday, March 13, 2025

Ella Mae Dixon’s Impressive 54 Below Debut! by Andrew Poretz

By Andrew Poretz . . . . Ella Mae Dixon is a 21-year-old jazz vocalist and cabaret singer based in New York City. She first came to this writer’s attention at age 18, when she appeared in …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 09:19PM
Wednesday, March 12, 2025

The Jonathan Larson Project Opens at The Orpheum by Melissa Griegel

The Jonathan Larson Project opened Off-Broadway at The Orpheum Theater on March 10th, 2025. See interviews, red carpet photos, and read the review here. The post The Jonathan Larson Project …

SOURCE: Theater Pizzazz at 08:16AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre