100 stories by "Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large"
There are plenty of podcasts dealing with theater and pop culture. (I’ve been a guest on my share of them.) The podcast “Broadway Before Bedtime”—presenting new episodes eve…
Penny Fuller in the recording studio (Photo credit: Chip Deffaa) I drove down to the Bucks County Playhouse, in New Hope, Pennsylvania, to catch “Penny Fuller: A Life in the Theater.” …
I'm sorry to note the passing of Rex Reed. He was 87. And it's startling for me to write that he was 87, because to me he was always the handsome, dashing young man about town whom I first m…
ON THE TOWN WITH CHIP DEFFAA AT “THE PEOPLE VERSUS LENNY BRUCE” On Sunday, May 12th, I attended a press performance of the world-premiere production of “The People Versus Lenny Bruc…
Emmy Award-winner Penny Fuller, who's worked with artists ranging from Glenn Close and Lauren Bacall, to Robert Redford and Jake Gyllenhaal, will cover--in stories and song--a career that's…
Ken Peplowski was not just the greatest clarinet player of his generation; he was a friend I admired for some 46 years"beginning well before he became famous. Oh, he did a bit of work outsi…
The unprecedented, ongoing expansion of television and film production facilities in the New York-New Jersey area should be a boon for New York's whole entertainment community. New York-bas…
I've been passionate about theater for over 60 years. I love the performing arts, and want them to prosper. But everywhere I look, I see developments that are worrisome. Let me tell you abou…
Floyd Vivino honed his comic skills working everywhere from circuses to burlesque shows. When his "Uncle Floyd Show" ended its 24-year run, it was the longest-running New Jersey-base…
On Christmas Eve, a group of New York performing artists gathered outside Irving Berlin's longtime home to sing the songs he loved most. Begun by John Wallowitch in the 1980s, the tradition …
Paced by spirited performances by Max Ryon and Jake Ryan Flynn, Rider University's production of Jason Robert Brown's musical "13" is the best college show I've seen in years. And offers pr…
For my money, 'Ragtime' is the greatest musical of the last 40 years, and the glistening new Lincoln Center Theater production is not to be missed. It is moving, thought-provoking, and inspi…
Some 30 years have passed since I ghost-wrote David Cassidy's autobiography, "C'Mon Get Happy." The book continues to sell, and I continue to get questions from David's fans. If I so…
I don't like the way the new Broadway production of "The Last Five Years" was directed. But that unique Jason Robert Brown musical"long a favorite of mine--still offers rewards aplenty…. …
Once or twice a year, I like to recognize exceptional work at the high-school or college level. The students of New York's Frank Sinatra School of the Arts have outdone themselves with a ma…
It's always fascinated me, seeing how different actors can interpret the same material. In "Sunset Boulevard," Nicole Scherzinger delivers a bold, bravura star turn I'd never have expected …
Audra McDonald is an American treasure"an artist with complete command of the stage. And if you're thinking of going, remember that January and February are often the best time of the yea…
The York Theater Company--which has had only two Producing Artistic Directors in its 55-year history--has chosen Joseph Hayward and Debra Walton to head the company for now, following the r…
Two-time Tony Award-winner Helen Gallagher, who just died at the age of 98, was a terrific musical-theater performer. Oh, she did work in television and film, too--winning three Emmy awards …
His breakout role--the one that made him a "name" in the theater world--was playing "Jimmy Smith," the boyfriend, co-starring opposite Sutton Foster in the Broadway musical "Thoroughly Moder…
A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical" gives Broadway a much-needed shot in the arm. From the clarion call of the first notes we hear to the final strains of the title song, there'…
Whether performers liked him or disliked him, they agreed that Gil Wiest"the last of the great nightclub impresarios"kept them working. He routinely booked artists for long runs"a month, or…
Seeing this presentation of "Ragtime" was the most satisfying theatrical experience I've had in years. I hope a way can be found to bring "Ragtime" back to Broadway"ideally with full sets. …
"Drag: The Musical" has the look and feel of a winner. Production values are first-rate. And the sweet, tender, innocent contributions of a young cast member, Yair Keydar"who sings beautifu…
The show may have been overly long, but I'm very glad I caught it. Because I saw two up-and-coming "unknown" singers"Robert Levey II and Johnny Sullivan"with as much promise and potential a…
