460 stories by "Jacob Malizio"
The sharpness of the production's cynicism shines through, assisted by the strength of the musical numbers and the all-around stellar performances, which imbue a palpable love of the form wi…
Hurder shines as a triple-threat of perfect comic timing, stunning vocals, and athletic dance. She expertly maintains vocal stability whether giving high-kicks or being whisked off mid-air b…
For those fans dying for more "Smash" content, this musical will absolutely scratch that (more than seven-year) itch; for those uninitiated, this production offers a high-energy, fun musical…
I'm a sucker for a self-referential theatrical tale. Give me an All That Jazz or a 42ndStreet and I'm happy. But in the version of Smash that made it to the stage, the magic flickers out.
Th…
With its transition to the stage, Smash finally realizes its full potential as a hilarious, pointed satire that both skewers and celebrates the Great White Way.
The post The infamous NBC dra…
It's hard to judge whose decisions are more misguided: those of the back-stabbing, wacky creators of "Bombshell," the fictional musical comedy about Marilyn Monroe we see implode, or the ver…
It's not that the musical all goes wrong, exactly. With a cast as good as this one " Robyn Hurder, The Prom's Brooks Ashmanskas, Krysta Rodriguez, John Behlmann and the invaluable Kristine N…
That quality of surprise, crucial to the best episodes of the TV show, is missing from the new live musical staging, which opened Thursday night at the Imperial Theatre. Especially given the…
Celebrate the life and work of the great Stephen Sondheim, with an irresistible company headlined by none other than Tony Award® winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. Stephen Sondhei…
These gems had been waiting in the 12 tones of the Western scale and the million words of the English language, unobserved, until [Sondheim] came along with his flashlight and pickax. Any op…
"Old Friends" boasts a larger cast than previous Sondheim revues, filled with a mélange of theater stalwarts and newcomers, each finding pockets of comedy, passion and showmanship while mar…
Bernadette Peters " of course! " and Lea Salonga lead a cast of talented singers and hoofers, who make the most of this opportunity to shine.
The post Good Times, Not Bum Times, Will Be Had …
This is no musical shiva for close friends and family. More than a tribute, it's a feast " and one of the most heartfelt and joyous shows of the season.
The post Not Just a Broadway Tribute …
Once you accept the show's limited ambitions, as I gradually did over the course of this pleasant and jauntily staged musical revue, you can let yourself to have a good time. Sure, Steve him…
Old Friends stretches to two and a half hours, counting an intermission, which is both way too long and woefully incomplete. You can't take offense at the concept " it accomplishes exactly w…
It's a rare and special experience to watch performers of the calibre of Peters and co-stars like Lea Salonga backed by a sensational 14-piece orchestra in an intimate room that seats just 6…
To those unfamiliar with Sondheim's oeuvre, Old Friends offers a respectable and professional introduction to the late master's voice, both as a peerlessly witty lyricist and as a unique com…
Unlike what Salonga does with a song, other singers in "Old Friends" tend to overact every song. Beth Leavel sings "The Ladies Who Lunch" from what sounds like a cocktail shaker. The only th…
While [Bernadette Peters'] voice has lost some of its rich timbre, her rendition of "Send in the Clowns" is so deeply infused with soul-searching that any vocal imperfections are quickly for…
Betty Boop longs for an ordinary day off from fame in her black-and-white world. What she finds is an extraordinary adventure of color, music, and love in New York City!
The post BOOP! The M…
The most disappointing subgenre of musical, at least in terms of opportunity cost, is the "why?" show: a well-crafted, charmingly performed, highly professional production that nobody asked …
In "Boop! The Musical," the canonical cartoon recounts stints as a lion tamer, judge and hula dancer " professions lifted straight from her shorts. But evidently, Betty Boop missed a credit:…
The alternating worlds are meant to be playful, but Toontown especially gets exhausting quickly, with characters mugging, clowning and amplifying every limp punchline. But the real world is …
With a zippy score, terrific tap numbers choreographed by director Jerry Mitchell, energetic performances from a top-notch cast, and a plot that doesn't tax your brain, Boop! is one of the f…
We may not know Betty Boop deeply, but we can agree she has that certain "It" quality that has made her stick around for nearly a century, even if just on lunchboxes. I wish, after seeing th…
