"The Inheritance" will close March 15th; "Beetlejuice" eyes the Ethel Barrymore Theatre; "To Kill a Mockingbird" makes history with Madison Square Garden performance; Greg Kinnear is the next Atticus Finch; Tony Yazbeck to direct a Frank Wildhorn’s "The Civil War"; Sophia Anne Caruso abruptly departed “Beetlejuice"; NYTW’s "Three Sisters" will feature an adaption by Clare Barron; Cassie Beck will star in the next segment of the national tour of "What the Constitution Means to Me"; and "Ink" will be adapted for the big screen
All tagged New York Theatre Workshop
FEATURE: 2020 Spring Season Preview
With the concept of “winter” an increasing memory, here is overview of all that’s coming to New York stages this spring!
"Sing Street" will transfer to Broadway's Lyceum Theatre; "What to Send Up When it Goes Down" will return off-Broadway; "Trevor: The Musical" will play Stage 42; ABC will present "Young Frankenstein" live; the New York Musical Festival has shut down; Ciara Renée and McKenzie Kurtz will be the next Elsa and Anna in "Frozen"; Ben Cook departs "West Side Story"; Jake Gyllenhaal to produce and star in “Fun Home” movie; Laura Linney to record a "My Name is Lucy Barton" audiobook
"West Side Story" will now open on February 20th; "To Kill a Mockingbird" will play a special free performance at Madison Square Garden on February 26th for 18,000 students; Daniel Fish will premiere a new production of Frank Loesser's 1956 musical "The Most Happy Fella" at the Bard SummerScape Festival; 2019 Broadway grosses were 3.7% below the record set in 2018, but attendance reached a record 90.51%; Greta Gerwig is writing a new musical that will feature tap dance; RIP composer Allee Willis, playwright Pamela Payton-Wright, composer Jerry Herman, and production designer Peter Larkin
REVIEW: “Sing Street” at New York Theatre Workshop shows promise but underwhelms
“Sing Street” is an undercooked musical (play with music, really) adaption of the 2016 hit indie Irish film. A sweet coming-of-age story with a gorgeous heart, the stage version gets none of the charm or quirkiness of the film right, and the thin, surface-deep story does not sustain its length. Still, it remains a promising property that has the potential to be a knockout on stage, perhaps after more time in development.
FEATURE: Top 10 of 2019
By my count, I’ve attended 234 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2019. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten (ok, eleven) favorite shows I saw in 2019.
REVIEW: Confronting Race, Gender, Sex, and History in “Slave Play” on Broadway
Following a sold-out run downtown, Jeremy O. Harris’ “Slave Play” is now on Broadway. At once hysterical and alarming, this trenchant satire of white fragility, identity politics, racism, psychotherapy, and a certain brand of its crunchy practitioners is a conversation piece to top them all. Thoughtfully written, constructed, and executed; thought-provoking, relevant, and a herald of what can be, “Slave Play” is a must-see of the season.
Tony nominations and Drama Desk nominations; Laura Linney to star in "My Name is Lucy Barton"; "Oklahoma!", "What the Constitution Means to Me", and "Ink" extend; "To Kill a Mockingbird" recoups; "Bandstand" and "The Ferryman" to tour; "Rock of Ages" will return to New World Stages; New York Theatre Workshop season to include a stage version of the film "Sing Street"; "Beetlejuice" and “The Hello Girls” to record cast albums; Moliere in the Park; Rick Lyon's puppets from "Avenue Q" donated to the Smithsonian; Sarah Silverman's memoir "The Bedwetter" is being adapted as a stage musical; RIP Mark Medoff and Jo Loesser
REVIEW: “Hadestown”—an exquisitely crafted musical triumph
Breathtaking and exquisitely crafted, “Hadestown” is easily the most tautly constructed and beautifully realized musical on this side of “Hamilton”—a riveting, heart-wrenching, and sumptuous folk opera that vibrantly renders some of mankind’s oldest and most enduring myths as an epic and compelling piece of modern musical theatre. This musical triumph is a must-see.
REVIEW: Now on Broadway, “What the Constitution Means to Me” is a stirring act of resistance
To see Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me” is to participate in an act of resistance, of reclaiming hope for the future by doing the hard work of grappling with the past. Part civics lesson, part memoir, Schreck recounts her formative experience of wrestling with the constitution’s meaning as a teenager through the lens of her adult self, the women in her family, and the bitterly divided nation it serves. It is the most important play of this or any season—an act of profound social consciousness expanding, community building, and democratic participation—and a must-see.
REVIEW: “Slave Play”
Jeremy O. Harris’s scintillating debut play, “Slave Play” at New York Theatre Workshop, is not what you think it is, packing twists, some heavy satire, graphic sexuality, and an important discourse on race, gender, and sexuality in contemporary America. To write about it is to spoil its surprises, but this sold out run will no doubt inspire future productions.
FEATURE: Top 10 Shows of 2018
By my count, I’ve attended 246 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2018. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten favorite shows I saw in New York (including no new musicals and only three Broadway shows!).