By Ron Fassler . . . Actor-Director Brandon J. Dirden has made something of a home for himself at Red Bank's Two River Theatre over the past decade or so. A New Jersey resident himself, he h…
Review by Ron Fassler . . . The first glimpse that this was going to be a special night at 54 Below honoring the 50th anniversary of the original production of Chicago was that everyon…
Review by Ron Fassler . . . "I'm booked and blessed," shouted Stephanie Pope in a joyous moment during her autobiographical show at 54 Below Tuesday night. Having taken a self-im…
Review by Alex Eichholz . . . With no background reading on its subject matter or any expectations, Jordan Tannahill's new play Prince Faggot, which opened tonight at Playwrights Horizons…
Book Review by Samuel L. Leiter... Casual notes on show biz books, memoirs and studies, dust gatherers, and hot off the presses.
Review by Samuel L. Leiter . . . No, Jean Smart, the star of Call Me Izzy, now at Broadway's Studio 54, does not portray a Borough Park yeshivah boy in this one-woman play. The Izzy she p…
Ben Welch's "House of Life" combines elements of a sermon, a rebirth, and a party, all aimed at engaging with the audience to create a unique and euphoric experience.
Review by Ron Fassler . . . The recently closed Broadway production of Othello, which starred Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, had been charging the record-breaking top ticket price…
Review by Ron Fassler . . . If someone was in the mood this week on June 9th to celebrate Cole Porter's birthdate, then if they headed to West 44th Street in Manhattan, their wish would have…
Photos and Video by Melissa Griegel Photography (NEW YORK, N.Y.) " Americans for Prosparody announced the launch of EvilPAC.org, a satirical website that "celebrates" how billionaires have g…
Review by Ron Fassler . . . For more than forty years, playwright Donald Margulies has been delighting audiences with thought-provoking plays on a range of subjects and issues. The recipient…
By Ron Fassler . . . Satirical comedy has been around a long time (Plautus, anybody?) which often means contemporizing Golden Oldies is essential so we can be in on the jokes. Of late, playw…
Review by Carol Rocamora… There are many ways to tell a life story on stage. In this season alone, we have several bio-musicals devoted to show business superstars: A Wonderful Life, w…
Review by Adam Cohen... New Musical by Michael Thurber and Saheem Ali throbs with musical vibrancy thanks to Amber Iman
Book Review by Samuel L. Leiter Casual notes on show biz books, memoirs and studies, dust gatherers, and hot off the presses. Maureen Dowd, Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Fash…
By Samuel L. Leiter... This jumbled fever dream undermines Nat King Cole's legacy with tonal confusion, miscast mimicry, and emotional detachment.
Performing in a cabaret setting can be accomplished successfully in a variety of ways. With someone like Marilyn Maye, who's put in the hours and is still going strong at ninety-seven, you g…
By Samuel L. Leiter... Cracked Open examines the emotional, social, and psychological fractures within a Brooklyn family when their high-achieving daughter suddenly exhibits signs of m…
Cast of Buena Vista Social Club
By Ron Fassler . . . For someone who has put themselves front and center entertaining audiences for nearly fifty years, the question "Who is Richard Skipper?" still has an air of mystery abo…
By Melissa Griegel… Photos and Video by Melissa Griegel Photography Art, music, and technology come together in an explosive and immersive rock experience at ARTECHOUSE, NYC (Chelsea Marke…
Jazz singer Verena McBee unveiled her latest album, "Bird (S)Swing," at Chelsea Table + Stage on May 3rd.
"The United States vs Ulysses" details how the James Joyce masterpiece, Ulysses, came to be published in the U.S. despite a high profile and precedent setting obscenity trial.
By Melissa Griegel…Photos by Melissa Griegel Photography The Chita Rivera Awards celebrate dance and choreographic excellence on Broadway and beyond. Producer Joe Lanteri, the Founder and …
By Marilyn Lester . . . . In the words of W.S. Gilbert, librettist-lyricist of the comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance: "Oh, joy! Oh. rapture!" If audience reaction is anything to go by, th…