The Illusions of Theater Celebrated, Exposed in Dramaworks’ The Dresser by Bill Hirschman

Illusions – those we create for others, those ones we create for ourselves, those we create for survival – are at the heart of Palm Beach Dramaworks' laudatory yet merciless exposé The …

MiND Escorts You Through 3rd Immersive: Lincoln Road Hustle by Bill Hirschman

Miami New Drama's third immersive Lincoln Road Hustle is mounted in, on and around the titular locale -- a logistically and artistically challenging tale reflecting the cultural and economic…

IMPRESSIONS: "Here Now" Presented by LaneCoArts and Abarukas at the Peridance Capezio Center by The Dance Enthusiast

"The two dances presented in Here Now offer multiple perspectives on how we fall into social patterns... Both works remind us to listen to each other, our moral conscience, and our planet." …

IMPRESSIONS: Ayano Elson + Wendell Gray II a shared evening at Danspace Project by The Dance Enthusiast

"Last month at Danspace Project, choreographers Ayano Elson + Wendell Gray II shared an evening-length program infused with mystery. Gray offered in the port’s mouth while Elson brought Pa…

Maybe Happy Ending - Where The Finish May Be The Beginning by Judd Hollander

Reviewed by Judd Hollander “The feeling of love lasts a maximum of 4 years, and then it’s just inertia and fear of being alone that keeps people together,” exclaims a character in the…

Open a New Window in Handle With Care at West Boca Company by Bill Hirschman

1.7 million packages a day get lost or stolen. If it's your new hairdryer, it might not be so bad, but if the lost item is your dead relative’s body, that’s a completely different story.…

IMPRESSIONS: Dorrance Dance’s "The Nutcracker Suite" at New York City Center by The Dance Enthusiast

"I came away wanting to go back and treat myself to the whole thing all over again.  Here’s hoping Dorrance’s "Nutcracker"  becomes an annual New York holiday tradition!" Lisa Jo Sagol…

IMPRESSIONS: "FRONTERA"- Animals of Distinction at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House by The Dance Enthusiast

"Despite the length of the surveillance scanning, Frontera certainly has many arresting images..."Henning Rübsam, New York

Joni Mitchell-Leonard Cohen Revue Freshly Re-Covers Precious Music Of Decades Ago by Bill Hirschman

The magic of Both Sides Now: The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen is that of a time machine. It instantly regenerates feelings and visions a half-century old as if they are…

IMPRESSIONS: PAGEANT Presents "Cavity" by Amelia Heintzelman with Dorothy Carlos by The Dance Enthusiast

"Cavity is a work in response to Heintzelman’s emergency surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst some years ago. I was drawn to her description: “a violence inside my body invisible to every…

IMPRESSIONS: "OBSESSED WITH LIGHT" a Documentary on Loie Fuller at the Quad Cinema by The Dance Enthusiast

IMPRESSIONS: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre at New York City Center by The Dance Enthusiast

"Neither conjuring the sexy virility of the early Ailey dances, nor the athleticism of later ones ,this solo has a wistful quality, danced as though love is out of reach. In A Song for You, …

Once Again, Broadway’s Fifth Our Town Remains A Worthy Tale Despite Time And Place by Bill Hirschman

As the newest New York production of Our Town proves -- yet again over its 86 years –this acclaimed work is a reliable property whether it’s being done by this Broadway cast led by Jim P…

End of a Trilogy, Or Is It? New City Players’ The Last Christmas by Bill Hirschman

New City Players; premiere The Last Christmas by Tyler Johnson Grimes is the supposed final installment in a trilogy of annual holiday comedies revolving around radio station WNCP in Fort La…

Once is Not Enough In ‘Once’ At The Maltz Jupiter Theatre by Bill Hirschman

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Just ask the characters in Once – A Musical who would no doubt agree. At the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Once tells the story o…

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Guest Writer Pia Catton Introduces Us to a Remarkable Dance Artist, Lili Tewes by The Dance Enthusiast

" When I was 10, a Hawai’ian dance company came to Hamburg to perform, and I joined one of their workshops. My feet just knew where they were going! At one point, my now kumu hula (master …

IMPRESSIONS: A Very SWING OUT Holiday at Joyce Theater by The Dance Enthusiast

"The curtain rises to reveal festivities already in full swing and the owners of those feet Lindy-Hopping alone and in pairs. The show, created by dancers Evita Arce, LaTasha Barnes, Nathan …

IMPRESSIONS: ISMAËL MOUARAKI's "Le sacre de Lila" at New York Live Arts by The Dance Enthusiast

"The dancers explore trance by drawing inspiration from the Lila (“night” in Arabic) ceremonies of North Africa traditionally practiced among Maghreb communities" Kristen Hedberg, New Yo…

IMPRESSIONS: Kyle Abraham “Dear Lord, Make Me Beautiful” at the Park Avenue Armory by The Dance Enthusiast

“Beautiful” is not a word I use..." Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Paul Taylor Dance Company's Fall Season at Lincoln Center by The Dance Enthusiast

"But what a “welcome back” it was!  From the moment the curtain went up on Taylor’s Aureole (1962) – kicking-off the first of four performances I attended -- the old sensations came…

Black Santa:  A Timely And Thoughtful Start To The Season by Bill Hirschman

City Theatre’s Black Santa peels the shiny veneer off the holiday season with its clever examination of unconscious racial bias present in America’s cultural traditions The post Black …

IMPRESSIONS: “while I was homegrowing” presented by slowDANCE and Lucia Gagliardone in association with The Tank by The Dance Enthusiast

"Colorful clothing, an extremely varied yet traceable soundscore, and evocative memories spoken by Gagliardone’s father contributed to this rich and nuanced process, but it was the perform…

Did the Butler Really Do It? In ‘The Butler Did It’ At The Willow by Bill Hirschman

Produced by Curtain Call Playhouse,,, The Butler Did It is billed as “an evening of mystery, hoopla, and outrageous hijinks.” They’re not kidding, because it’s all that and more. The…

Time Is A Crucial Element In Dramaworks’ Upcoming Return Of ‘The Dresser’ by Bill Hirschman

Time’s implacability and theater’s ephemerality seem inherently antithetical. Yet time is imbued several ways in Palm Beach Dramaworks’ upcoming production this month of the decades-ol…

IMPRESSIONS: "The Stranger" by Yang Sun & Poets, A Work in Process at Hi-Arts by The Dance Enthusiast

"These questions and themes surrounding identity linger with me after witnessing Yang Sun’s riveting work in process, The Stranger, at Hi-Arts.The interdisciplinary, immersive work set on…

Report From New York: A Wonderful World Begun In Miami Bows On Broadway by Bill Hirschman

To begin with, yes, A Wonderful World is an exuberant trumpet call of a musical tracking the life of the legendary Louis Armstrong that will entertains tens of thousands of people as it rema…

POSTCARDS: Jayda Hazelett of Ballet Hartford On Their "Ceremony of Carols" Winter Tour by The Dance Enthusiast

"We dove into choreography right away, and I’m thrilled with the many opportunities I have to dance. Some pieces, like Weihnachtsbaum, choreographed by Claire, are new, and it’s been ex…

IMPRESSIONS: Nadia Beugré "Quartiers Libres" revisited at New York Live Arts by The Dance Enthusiast

"Beugré, who in an interview with Bill T. Jones admits she has a hard time placing her art in a box, does not specify the work as any one “type of dance or art.” Rather, the performers …

The Dance Enthusiast Asks: David Parker On The Bang Group's "Nut/Cracked" Returning for a 22nd Consecutive Season by The Dance Enthusiast

"I would just go right for the essence of what the winter holidays have meant to us in American culture and in dance culture. Because there's really no place besides the United States where …

IMPRESSIONS: Omar Román De Jesús’ Boca Tuya at 92NY Harkness Dance Center by The Dance Enthusiast

 "Just a couple of minutes into artistic director Omar Román De Jesús’ group work Los Perros del Barrio Colosal, I feel my shoulders relax. This guy knows what he’s doing. While …

IMPRESSIONS: Dances we Dance presents "Acqua" by The Dance Enthusiast

"This corny opener proves to be one of only a few missteps in Acqua, an otherwise engaging program honoring the harmonious confluence of body, mind, and spirit, as exemplified in the works o…