80 stories by "Esther"
Chicago, at Broadway's Ambassador TheatreGratuitous Violins rating ***1/2 out of ****When I visit New York City I'm hesitant to use one of my theatre slots on a long-running show because the…
I felt like crying when I read that Borders planned to liquidate its inventory and close its remaining stores.I'm old enough to remember the days when all you had were tiny Walden's and B. D…
Every year there's a summer blockbuster that I end up catching months later on DVD and wish I'd seen it at the movies.I didn't want that to happen with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: …
The Motherf**ker with the Hat, at Broadway's Schoenfeld Theatre Gratuitous Violins rating: *1/2 out of ****A few years ago I saw a Broadway play that I didn't think I'd like. I had an open s…
The Illusion, at the Signature Theatre off-BroadwayGratuitous Violins rating **1/2 out of ****After being blown away by 7 1/2 hours of Angels in America during my April trip to New York City…
The Normal Heart, at Broadway's Golden TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: **** out of ****I saw The Normal Heart and I wept.Larry Kramer's 1985 work, this year's Tony winner for Best Revival …
The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, at Playwrights Horizons off-BroadwayGratuitous Violins rating: ***1/2 out of ****Unfortunately, shows are closing faster than I can write reviews. The la…
Born Yesterday, at Broadway's Cort TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: **1/2 out of ****I saw Born Yesterday during its final weekend on Broadway but for posterity's sake, I figured I'd post a…
Despite a lifetime of reading about the civil-rights movement, nothing prepared me for how I'd feel on Friday night during an actual civil-rights victory. I was in New York City when the sta…
I can't believe Clarence Clemons has passed away, at age 69.I didn't really get into music until college but it was a great time to become a fan of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, w…
I saw Stephen Sondheim's Company with the New York Philharmonic last night and unlike my two previous theatre at the movies outings, this one went off without a hitch. The screening started …
I haven't seen The Book of Mormon, Broadway's newest Tony winner for Best Musical, but Amazon had the cast recording on sale for $1.99 as an MP3 download. With the way tickets are selling, t…
If you're like me and you can't hop on a plane or train to London or New York whenever you want, then seeing some Broadway or British theatre filmed onstage and shown at the movies is a te…
War Horse, at Broadway's Vivian Beaumont TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: ***1/2 out of ****I've been looking forward to War Horse for about two years, ever since I saw a video of the origi…
Today marks the centennial of Hubert Humphrey's birth and I can't let it pass without mentioning my brief but memorable meeting with him.It was in 1976, when I was in high school and visitin…
Dylan is 70!Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Hibbing, Minn., on May 24, 1941, is celebrating his 70th birthday today. His songs are among the first I remember listening to - and lov…
I wasn't going to write about Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah - another pampered, overpaid athlete shows his bigotry in public. But when I saw a video of the antigay slur he uttered during …
WAR IS PEACEFREEDOM IS SLAVERYIGNORANCE IS STRENGTHThose quotes are from George Orwell's 1984 and apparently, they're a source of inspiration for a Minnesota state representative.The Minneso…
Catch Me If You Can, at Broadway's Neil Simon TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: **1/2 out of ****I had such high hopes for Catch Me If You Can. I adore Hairspray and I was excited to hear a …
Jerusalem, at Broadway's Music Box TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: ** out of ****As much as it pains me to say this, Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem made me want to turn in my Anglophile card.…
As someone who feels a connection to Israel and admires playwright Tony Kushner, I think it's shameful that the City University of New York's Board of Trustees vetoed a proposal by John Jay …
Some thoughts on the 2011 Tony nominations, announced this morning:I was shocked (but in a good way) by 12 nominations, including Best Musical, for The Scottsboro Boys, which closed in Decem…
Priscilla Queen of the Desert, at Broadway's Palace TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: *** out of ****I like to think of Priscilla Queen of the Desert as a palate-cleanser: it was the first s…
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, at Broadway's Hirschfeld Theatre Gratuitous Violins rating: **** out of ****The Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Reall…
The House of Blue Leaves, at Broadway's Walter Kerr TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: *** 1/2 out of ****How fitting that Ben Stiller's character in the Broadway revival of The House of Blue…
