Sunday, March 30, 2025

A Greek tragedy, bless his heart, in Williams’ ‘Orpheus Descending’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Throughout his life, Tennessee Williams knew tragedy. Whether through his sister Rose’s struggle with mental health or the los…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:04AM
Saturday, March 29, 2025

Escapism abounds in ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ at Mezzanine Theatre in New York by Alan Smason

By SCOTTY BENNETT There are times in a person’s life when the only rational response to the pressures of daily living is to escape into a different reality. Drugs and alcohol are often the…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 11:09AM

Appalachian, African art amalgamated in ‘Gloaming, Nowhere’ by Alan Smason

By SCOTTY BENNETT In the moments between daylight and evening, there is a time when it is neither day nor night. It is a time of transition, a liminal state between now and then, a twilight …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:45AM
Saturday, March 22, 2025

Chagrin Valley Little Theater’s ‘Jersey Boys’ sells out run by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO A juke box musical consists of pre-existing songs which are melded into a script to tell a story.  The songs, in contrast to lyrics and music, which are specifically integrate…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:17PM

Jordan Lawrence soars in royal role at Rivertown Theaters by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) The Hans Christian Andersedn fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea” is the basis for Once Upon a Mattress, the 1959 musical t…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:38PM
Friday, March 21, 2025

Jersey ‘hitmen’: Allegra, Buisson helm first local production of ‘Jersey Boys’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré has removed any doubt about whether it could creatively pull off  the first local production o…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 09:46AM
Sunday, March 16, 2025

Superb cast makes first national tour of ‘Funny Girl’ especially memorable by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It’s hard to believe, but until three years ago there had never been a revival of Funny Girl on Broadway. The starring vehicle…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:41AM
Saturday, March 15, 2025

Using a cloak of humor, ‘Wounded’ reveals deep pain of characters by Alan Smason

By SCOTTY BENNETT One of the fascinating things about humans is how easily they mask intense feelings in a cloak of smiles and good humor. Pain, both physical and emotional, can be disguised…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:48PM
Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Sarah Silverman’s musical comedy ‘The Bedwetter’ gives a surprisingly poignant look at childhood mental health by Alan Smason

By ELIZABETH SCHABINGER The Bedwetter, based on Sarah Silverman’s memoir of the same name, is an intimate look at Silverman’s year as a 10-year-old. In The Bedwetter,  Sarah is a fifth …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:39AM
Thursday, February 20, 2025

Electrifying ‘Parade’ pays homage to the pain of prejudice by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Parade, which is now on stage at the Palace Theatre as part of the Key Bank Broadway series, is a musical with a book by Alfred Uhry and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:40AM
Saturday, February 15, 2025

Saenger plays host to ‘Mamma Mia’ 25th anniversary national tour by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) As hard to believe as it may be, Mamma Mia!, the ABBA hit jukebox musical is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It cont…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:09AM

Theatre for a New Audience’s ‘Henry IV’ by Alan Smason

By LOU HARRY, Special to Theatrecriticism.com Yes, “Henry IV” is the complete title.  Sans the  “part 1” and “part 2” that traditionally complete the title of William Shakespea…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:20AM
Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Sibling rivalry goes beserk in JPA’s ‘True West’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Sam Shepard’s powerful play about the toxic relationship between two brothers – True West – is back at the Jefferson Perfo…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 11:39AM
Monday, February 10, 2025

‘Antiquities’ examines extinct human race by Alan Smason

By LOU HARRY, Special to Theatrecriticism.com It’s made clear from the first moments of “The Antiquities” that the human race is history. Jordan Harrison’s play, a co-production of P…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:05AM
Sunday, February 9, 2025

‘Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story’ by Alan Smason

By LOU HARRY I’ve only seen Liza Minnelli once live. That was at a concert with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, where her batteries seemed fully charged and she treated the audience l…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:59AM

‘Shucked’ Tour Makes its Corny Debut in Madison by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL, Exclusive to Theatrecriticism.com MILWAUKEE – Okay, we’re not Iowa. But when the Broadway national tour of Shucked opened this week in Madison, WI – the Wisconsin state…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 07:45AM
Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Hard-working cast excels in LPAC’s ‘9 to 5’ by Aaron Krause

By AARON KRAUSE Broadway at LPAC’s engaging and believable professional production of 9 to 5 is a fitting tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton, who recently turned 79.  Indeed, …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:50PM

Michael Paternostro scores high notes as Oscar Levant in ‘Good Night, Oscar’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Capturing the wit and destructive lifestyle of humorist Oscar Levant is a daunting task for any actor attempting to portray the …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:13PM
Monday, December 23, 2024

Cher and Cher alike: Trio of actresses star in ‘The Cher Show’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) The biggest problem Broadway has with so-called “jukebox musicals” is they always seem to get mired down by the exposition o…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:42AM
Saturday, December 21, 2024

Ricky Graham’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life, Y’All’ flips into a N’Awlins Christmas setting by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON There are a lot of people capable of taking a beloved film soundtrack and adapting it faithfully into a theatre piece for presentation on the stage. There are also a lot of pe…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:07PM
Thursday, December 5, 2024

National tour of ‘Elf’ is a ‘sparklejollytwinklejingley’ gem by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON Of all the holiday-themed shows that make their way onto stages in December, Elf: The Broadway Musical may be the one most resistant to the Grinch, Scrooge and other humbugs. …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:50PM
Monday, December 2, 2024

Welcome to The Big Dipper: A crash & clash of cultures by Alan Smason

By SCOTTY BENNETT Consider, if you will, a blizzardlike night, a cozy inn on the brink of closing forever, suddenly brought back to life by the arrival of two very different groups of travel…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:37PM
Sunday, December 1, 2024

Costanzi harps on her life in ‘Woman on a Ledge’ by Alan Smason

By SCOTTY BENNETT Woman on a Ledge is an adaptation by Hershey Felder of harpist Rita Costanzi’s writings about her life. Ms. Costanzi is a world-renowned harpist whose life experiences ha…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:31PM

Dance form’s origins imagined in ‘Okuni: The Woman Who Created Kabuki’ by Alan Smason

By SCOTTY BENNETT Okuni: The Woman Who Created Kabuki by Ako Dachs is a limited, fictionalized account of the woman who is thought to have created kabuki. It is generally accepted that the d…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:50PM
Wednesday, November 20, 2024

‘Six: The Musical’ Brings Needed Escapism to the Nation’s Capital by Alan Smason

By ELIZABETH SCHABINGER Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived! The six wives of British King Henry VIII are back in Washington, D.C. at the National Theatre, fresh from thei…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 07:23PM

Uneven ‘Tammy Faye’ can still lift spirits till Dec. 8 by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) Thirty-seven years after the scandal-ridden story of televangelists Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker and their popular PTL Club made he…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:31PM
Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Iglehart respectfully channels Satchmo in ‘A Wonderful World’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) The dark days of the COVID shutdown brought the theatre community to its knees. Unable to perform in front of live audiences or …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:52AM
Friday, November 15, 2024

Nicole Scherzinger’s performance in ‘Sunset Blvd.’ rebrands Norma Desmond in black and white by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Jamie Lloyd has made a reputation for himself as a visionary minimalist director, winning a remarkable collection of Olivier Awa…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 09:22AM
Thursday, November 7, 2024

Rivertown hires live band to accompany ‘Toxic Avenger’ by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) There are a few Off-Broadway shows that rise above the fray even though they are silly in concept or lack the kind of production…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:14AM
Friday, November 1, 2024

‘The Last Yiddish Speaker’ is truly frightening by Aaron Krause

By AARON KRAUSE Forget ghosts and goblins. Deborah Zoe Laufer’s frightening and moving drama, The Last Yiddish Speaker, centers on a real horrific scenario. Specifically, the playwright…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:02AM
Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Underwhelming ‘Mean Girls’ is a trip back to the worst experiences of high school by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Bye Bye Birdie, Hair, Grease, Carrie, 13 (The Musical), Dear Evan Hansen and Mean Girls. What do all these Broadway musicals have in common? They placed the spotlight on teen a…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:51PM

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