359 stories by "Alan Smason"
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") There's something to be said when a major New Orleans staple like Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is able to been seen with …
By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI " As England prepares for its royal coronation in May, Milwaukee audiences have gotten a glimpse of the upcoming festivities with the arrival of the Six national…
By ROY BERKO In the late 1950's through the 1980s The Theatre of the Absurd theatrical movement was the intellectual rage.  Based on the concept of Existentialism which asks, "what …
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") If artists of one cultural or racial extraction are being considered above others for inclusion at a museum or at gallery shows, is it…
By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI " This Midwest state is currently swept up in a slate of new plays, all part of a project called World Premiere Wisconsin. The project, with multiple sources of …
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") When it comes to an old chestnut like "Fiddler on the Roof," the biggest challenge may be in keeping the Joseph Stein book fresh and t…
By JASON ROBERT BROWN February 22, 2023, Nyack, NY So, the Neo-Nazis. There is a website about the Leo Frank case that is not hard to find on Google. It has been around in some form or other…
By ROY BERKO When Hadestown, opened on Broadway on April 17, 2019, it was met with critical acclaim. Reviews contained such terms as "inventive," "gorgeous, "hypnotic," "high energy," "utter…
By EDWARD RUBIN Having lived in New York City's East Village for many decades, I know the very neighborhood where much of the action in Anthony McCarten's currently running Broadway play The…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ('Steppin' Out") When A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical opened on Broadway nearly eight weeks ago, there was some bellyaching from first n…
By ROY BERKO As the run of the awe-inspiring Hamilton draws to a close at the Playhouse Square's State Theatre, Beetlejuice, the cult-followed farcical ghostly show appears next door at the …
By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI. " January temperatures rarely rise above 30 degrees here, so indoor activities are welcomed. Local theatergoers can watch a foot-stompin,' whooping and hollerin…
By ALAN SMASON There are a plethora of plays that have become the basis of successful Broadway musicals. A classic example is Lynn Riggs' Green Grow the Lilacs, which became Oklahoma. …
By EDWARD RUBIN Billed as "A Penetrating Portrayal of A Queer Giant," performance artist John Kelly's explosive gay-themed show Underneath The Skin, " bolstered by actor/dancers Hucklefa…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot," considered by many film enthusiasts as one of the greatest movies of all time, would seem to be a p…
By ROY BERKO Since 1959, Dobama Theatre has been dedicated to premiering important new plays by established and emerging playwrights in professional productions of the highest quality. The L…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Tom Stoppard had long established his credentials as One of the 20th century's leading playwrights and authors, Tom Stoppard was a pro…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") There's no more an appropriate time to present Irving Berlin's 'Holiday Inn'Â than during the festive season of holiday time. With s…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Sharai Bohannon is an activist playwright who doesn't shy away from tackling issues that some might feel uncomfortable discussing. Whe…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Taking their regal cues from the likes of pop music royalty Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Avril Lavigne and J…
By EDWARD RUBIN You Will Get Sick, currently playing Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City through Sunday, December 11, is the most riveting and mind-stretching play that I…
By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI " Some funny anecdotes were once relayed by playwright Catherine Trieschmann to Milwaukee Repertory Theater Artistic Director Mark Clements. They initially led t…
By ROY BERKO Describe the Night, which is now on stage at Ensemble Theatre, is Cleveland Heights native Rajiv Joseph's 2018 Obie Award winner for Best New American Play. Joseph was named …
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") There is probably no more magnificent opening number in Broadway history than "Circle of Life/ Nants Ingonyama" found in Disney's The …
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") It's taken a minute, but the only play to ever win both an Olivier Award in London and a Tony Award on Broadway has finally arrivedÂ�…
