All in Concert

REVIEW: Jerry Herman’s “Mack and Mabel” at Encores!

REVIEW: Jerry Herman’s “Mack and Mabel” at Encores!

Robert Russo
Review, Concert, Musical, Critic's Pick

After 46 years away from New York, audiences at City Center finally have a chance to see what Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s 1974 flop “Mack and Mabel” is all about thanks to a new Encores! production. The result is bittersweet—both thrilling and sad. Jerry Herman’s score shines, alongside performances by Douglas Sills, Alexandra Socha, Lilli Cooper, and a top-notch ensemble, and the atmosphere of old Hollywood is superbly spun. Still, this is not a musical masterpiece, but a beloved curiosity—a good musical that almost works. Perhaps someday, it might.

REVIEW: City Center Encores! Off-Center presents “Working”

REVIEW: City Center Encores! Off-Center presents “Working”

Robert Russo
Review, Off-Broadway, Musical, Concert

the annual Encores! Off-Center summer season kicks off with a newly re-conceptualized, site-specific production of Stephen Schwartz’s 1978 flop “Working” that interpolates a series of new monologues based on interviews with facilities staff at New York City Center; an admirable concept that makes for a touching tribute to these workers, the effect blunts the power of the show and cuts short its escalating emotional resonance.  A suite of uneven performances and an oversized venue also hamper the effort.

NOTES: “Reich Richter Pärt” and Björk’s “Cornucopia” at The Shed

NOTES: “Reich Richter Pärt” and Björk’s “Cornucopia” at The Shed

Robert Russo
Notes, Concert, Art

The Shed, New York’s newest cultural institution and a crown jewel of the controversial Hudson Yards development, is off to an impressive start with its multidisciplinary arts programming. As part of its initial offerings, I check out the immersive art and performance exhibition “Reich Richter Pärt”, and Icelandic icon Björk’s “sci-fi pop concert” show, “Cornucopia”.

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