By EDWARD RUBIN “Every day I read the play, I think, I hear the words these words on CNN as I read them on the page. The play will be falling right around the midterm elections, and it is fitting that it reminds us of the choices that are available to us in relation to […]
By ROY BERKO Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (books and lyrics) developed the creative Shrek: The Musical from DreamWorks Animation’s film and William Steig’s book of the same name. The script, which tells the tale of Shrek, who on his seventh birthday is sent out by his parents into the “Big Bright Beautiful World,” […]
By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI — The woman of the moment rises. She approaches us with purpose, flashes a welcoming smile and waves warmly and enthusiastically to us. Perhaps the suddenly-skyrocketed wattage resulting from her warmth and brightness tempts us to silently hum the opening lyrics to the iconic title song. Of course, that number is “Hello, Dolly!,” […]
By EDWARD RUBIN People on trial, especially women who end up being executed, make good subjects for theater and film, as well as objects of art. The two reigning ladies, whose lives still continue to resonate long after their deaths are Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), the last Queen of France who literally lost her head, and […]
By ANNE SIEGEL NEW YORK – With the Broadway success of The Lion King more than 20 years ago (and still pumping millions into Disney coffers), it was no surprise that “Frozen,” the top-grossing animated film of all time, was soon going to join its jungle-inspired predecessor. In early November, The Lion King was still […]
By AARON KRAUSE NEW YORK, N.Y.– Yes, that really is a live goat on stage. It’s leading its handler toward the audience in the astonishing, breathtaking, visually enthralling, vivacious, but most importantly, healing and life-affirming, current Tony-winning revival of the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical Once On This Island. In fact, the animal’s owner […]
By ALAN SMASON For those of you living under a rock, King Kong opened on Broadway last Thursday (Nov. 8) and, as one would expect, most every critic panned the newest addition to the Great White Way as being shallow or lacking in theatrical achievement in song and dance. In many ways they are right. […]
By EDWARD RUBIN If you want a bit of theatrical heaven, along with a smidgen of hell, a mini primer of late 60s gay history – with the obligatory nod to Stonewall included – and a lot of love, all both literally and figuratively, get thee to Midnight at the Never Get, the York Theater […]
By HERBERT SIMPSON Despite already having knocked people out in splendidly acted versions, this important and enormously appealing play seems to be moving to “National Treasure” status in ever-more-polished versions. Geva’s has nowhere to go after its just-opened, new production, which closes November 16 and will probably sell out. But this one-actor account of the […]
By AARON KRAUSE CORAL GABLES, Fla. — If you wanted to write a truly satiric, but apropos commercial for Joshua Harmon’s unapologetically satiric, scorching play, Admissions, the advertisement might read something like the following: This is affirmative action and white, privileged, albeit liberal guilt on illegal drugs, alcohol as well as prescription drugs…all swallowed together. Then, […]