5,850 stories by "JONATHAN MANDELL"
Turkey Lurkey Time comes closest to the official Broadway anthem for Thanksgiving. It is a song with music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David from Act 1 of Promises, Promises, that is…
"A Christmas Story," a musical based on the beloved holiday movie about a Midwestern family during the Depression, does "Annie" one better: It features TWO actual dogs rather than one, and m…
It was a giant week in New York theater, or at least a “Giant” week — one of the shows that opened in this busy week. Three shows opened on Broadway " and one has already c…
The audience applauded David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver but not the other four cast members when they first entered the stage at the performance I saw of Christopher Durang's new play,…
Robert Falls, the artistic director of  the Goodman Theater in Chicago, recalls the way he was able to get good seats with his subscription to the Lyric Opera. One day Danny Newman, who h…
The news out of Texas the night I saw the musical "Giant" was that a Texas school district had \canceled a play about two gay penguins; that  a third George Bush " George P. Bush " was th…
At the end of "Scandalous," the gossip columnist Louella Parsons asks: "Was she a true woman of God? Or just one hell of a woman?" She is talking about colorful radio evangelist Aimee Semple…
As Chuck Wood, the aging porno star in "The Performers," a Broadway comedy about the adult film industry featuring an A-list cast, Henry Winkler becomes sentimental when accepting an award f…
At the very beginning of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," the well-designed revival of Rupert Holmes' inventive musical cleverly adapted from Charles Dickens' last and unfinished novel, a chara…
Is New York City, or New York theater, completely back to normal? Hell no. Because of all the canceled performances, Sandy cost Broadway about $8.5 million and the effect continues. Opening …
Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, by the greatly talented Dave Malloy ends November 17 at Ars Nova" an extension from its original closing date. See it!  This is a s…
Chaim Potok's My Name Is Asher Lev is brought to life Off-Broadway. His daughter, collaborator and star reflect on the late author and rabbi's need to create.
The timing seem ideal for a Broadway revival of "Annie,"  and director James Lapine is attempting a timely approach to this story of optimism triumphing in a bleak era. Lapine's "Anni…
You could not count me an "Annie" aficionado before I saw its third Broadway production, which has opened tonight. "Annie" to me conjured up nothing but "Tomorrow" sung badly by generations …
I’m SICK of sports metaphors in election coverage: slam dunk,Hail Mary, ground game. So I asked for suggestions for theater metaphors instead — and got enough to fill a musical! …
The main character of "The Whale" is 600 pounds, but one of the many pleasures of this funny and affecting new play by Samuel D. Hunter, being given a splendid production with a universally …
Illustration by Adrian Tomine
Sandy, arriving angrily last Monday, shocked New York, leaving much of the city, including most of its theater, in disarray. If New Yorkers have never completely embraced Spider-Man, they su…
This photograph by Iwan Baan clearly shows how Sandy divided Manhattan into the Dark Zone and the Power Zones.
Has Sandy caused hardship for the theater you head, or for you personally as a theater artist? Help may be available. Many small organizations, including theaters and galleries, are eligible…
Broadway shows have been back since Wednesday, just two days after Superstorm Sandy hit the city. Now, with electrical power finally being restored downtown, Off-Broadway is back as wellR…
At the beginning of "The Heiress," the heartbreaking story of an abandoned love, Jessica Chastain descends the staircase of a sumptuous mansion in a dazzling red dress and a glorious smile "…
