Ben Platt exits "Dear Evan Hansen"; dueling productions of "42nd Street" are eyeing Broadway; "Come from Away" will be a movie; "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" closing in January
REVIEW: “School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play”
“School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play” is a must-see this fall season. Uproariously funny, deeply touching, and quietly heartbreaking, it gives a rare voice to young African women on stage, and marks a stunning New York debut for Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh.
NOTES: The New York Pops celebrate “Women of Notes”
Last night, The New York Pops presented “Women of Notes: In Dedication to Female Composers and Lyricists”, a concert celebrating female composers and lyricists of stage, screen, and the recording studio.
REVIEW: Catch “Brigadoon” before it disappears!
A sold-out “gala presentation” of the hauntingly glorious 1947 Lerner and Lowe musical “Brigadoon” plays New York City Center through Sunday—starring a stunning cast including Kelli O'Hara, Patrick Wilson, Stephanie J. Block, Aasif Mandvi, and Robert Fairchild—and you will want to catch it (if you can) before, like the mythical town of Brigadoon, it disappears for 100 years!
REVIEW: John Leguizamo’s back on Broadway in “Latin History for Morons”
John Leguizamo is back on Broadway in a hilarious and piercing take on the conquest of invisibility that plagues Latin American history; with his singular voice, he teaches some good lessons in “Latin History for Morons”, serving low-brow comedy alongside meaningful, and necessary, social commentary.
"1984" ineligible for Tonys; "Kiss Me, Kate" headed to Broadway in 2019; Lin-Manuel Miranda to play in Puerto Rico "Hamilton"; "King Kong" arrives in New York next fall; new technology coming for theatregoers with hearing and vision loss; columnist Liz Smith dead at 94
NOTES: In defense of “Cats”, why you should see this iconic musical before it closes on Broadway
Why is it that “Cats” the musical is so often dismissed or, worse, even hated? In order to understand, we must first visit the unique origins of this unique musical. If you’ve never done it, see “Cats” on Broadway before it closes on December 30th and becomes a “Memory”.
REVIEW: “The Band’s Visit”—An intimately bold and beautiful new musical
“The Band’s Visit” by David Yazbek and Itamar Moses is an intimately bold and beautiful new musical that is unlike any you’ve seen before; a quiet celebration of the human spirit and the power of music, culture, and humor to connect us all, this show breaks the mold in fascinating and unexpected ways that are deeply moving and satisfying. Do not miss this perfect musical.
"The Boys in the Band" is headed to Broadway with a starry cast; "The Band's Visit" and "Prince of Broadway" will release cast albums; the Shuberts petition to refurbish and expand the Cort Theatre; "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" to play Boston this summer
REVIEW: “Junk”—Ayad Akhtar’s Financial Thriller
“Junk” is a fast paced, financial thriller set in the 1980s that explores how our debt-laden, wealth-obsessed society came to be. There are no heroes and no hope to be found in this excellent new play by Ayad Akhtar (“Disgraced”), only a cautionary tale whose lesson it is too late to learn.
NOTES: A Newly Resonant “Of Thee I Sing” at Carnegie Hall
"Of Thee I Sing", the classic Gershwin musical, was presented by MasterVoices in an abbreviated concert at Carnegie Hall; a political satire eerily on point in 2017, it was fun to enter the world of this silly musical for an evening, before returning to its less humorous reality.
"Angels in America" tickets are on sale; Anthony Rapp alleges sexual misconduct by Kevin Spacey; Trump falsely claim's Michael Moore's show forced to close; "Amazing Grace" and "The Humans" to launch national tours; Robert Guillaume, the first black "Phantom", has died at 89