5,870 stories by "Jonathan Mandell"
In the dog days of August, we glance at the Broadway 2012-2013 season in formation; so far, there is a list of some two dozen shows with theaters and set opening dates. We also learn the…
Bring It On is not just about cheerleading acrobatics, as the last summer concert of Broadway in Bryant Park 2012 made clear. Here are 40 seconds of Nicolas Womack as Twig rapping in the mid…
Stay tuned for a detailed preview of the whole Broadway season Bring It On: The Musical (August 1) Chaplin (September 10th) An Enemy of the People (September 27th) Grace (October 4th) Cyrano…
A Christmas Story, the 1983 movie in which Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940′s, has been made int…
Jeremy Jordan, who has played Jack in Newsies since its pre-Broadway try-out, is leaving to focus on his role in the NBC television series Smash. Replacing him starting on September 5, 2012 …
Those of us smitten two years ago by "The Orphan's Home Cycle," the Signature Theater Company's epic production of nine of Horton Foote's plays taking place in a small Texas town he called H…
This week in New York theater began in sorrow, and ended in absurdity. Inbetween were openings and glimpses of what's to come In the week ahead:  Noël Coward in New York Festival with …
Former Congressman Anthony Weiner may wish to reconsider his reported plans to stage a political comeback, thanks to "Tail!Spin!" which eviscerates him and three other politicians at the cen…
Fringe show "Night of the Auk" is a campy revival of Arch Obler's 1956 drama about mankind's first trip to the moon, originally directed by Sidney Lumet.
Maxim de Winter brings his new wife home to his estate, Manderley. There she learns of the mystery of his first wife, now dead… Rebecca. Based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier …
Some 1,200 young men auditioned to be the newsboys of Newsies, the members of the ensemble who dance, act and sing. For Playbill, I profile two of the extraordinary performers who made it &#…
"Shakespeare and Sondheim in the Park," it says on the new logo used in posters and programs and t-shirts for the Delacorte Theater's 50th season, and it is a slogan one can happily embrace …
The story behind "Bullet for Adolf," an aimless comedy co-written and directed by Woody Harrelson that has now opened at New World Stages, surely helps explain why the actor decided in his 5…
For its 16th year, the New York Fringe Festival will be presenting 187 shows from August 10 to August 26th in 20 theaters in Lower Manhattan. It seems a daunting taks to pick what shows to s…
How some fancy footwork (and many stairs) made stars of the Newsies newsboys, including Ryan Steele and Ephraim Sykes
Marvin Hamlisch, best-known as composer of “A Chorus Line” and “The Way We Were,” has died at age 68. A child prodigy, he was the youngest student ever admitted to th…
August is a time for Broadway closings –Â Fela (Aug 4), Memphis and Harvey (Sun Aug 5) Ghost (Aug 18), Sister Act (Aug 26th) — but this week, two shows actually opened on Broad…
Two months ago, I got the scoop from “Slings and Arrows” co-creator Bob Martin, who Tweeted during his Twitter conversation with me: “Slings may live again.” They …
As predicted, nobody could resist making puns about “knockouts” and “heavyweights” in reviewing Mike Tyson’s one-man show, “Undisputed Truth,” which…
Twenty-seven cast members of Mamma Mia sang four ABBA songs from the hit musical. Below are four of them. And then I spend about 27 seconds interviewing one of the long-time cast members, Al…
Three of the main cast members of “Chaplin The Musical,” a new Broadway show about the life of Charlie Chaplin, which is opening at the Ethel Barrymore on September 10, sang thre…
An excerpt of my review of Bring It On is below. (The full review) Meanwhile, here are some pictures I couldn’t include in the review he first surprise of "Bring It On The Musical," wh…
"FDR was a cheerleader….Madonna was a cheerleader…Michael Jordan," sing the cast of "Bring It On," a musical based on a movie about two competing high school cheerleading squads, adapted…
Test how much you were paying attention this month to New York theater news — questions about Katie Holmes,Celeste Holm, Ernest Borgnine,….Claire Tow, Gilligan’s Island,…
New York Musical Theatre Festival has completed its ninth year, with “A Letter to Harvey Milk” and “Baby Case” (based on the Lindbergh baby abduction) dominating the …
