By ALAN SMASON Anyone who knows Theresa Rebeck’s writing knows she has a devilish sense of humor that has an odd way of popping up at the most opportune, yet unexpected moments. Her writing style has been marked by very taut scripts that say what is absolutely necessary with no countenance given for extra phrases […]
By EDWARD RUBIN The first name that comes to mind whenever the name Hershey Felder comes into play is that of actor Sacha Baron Cohen. Not only do both men physically resemble each other, are somewhat similar in age, but both are wizards, albeit at different ends of the spectrum, at being somebody other than […]
By ALAN SMASON, Special to Theatrecriticism.com For the past two decades, Stogie Kenyatta has researched, performed and perfected his one-man show The World Is My Home – The Life of Paul Robeson on stages across the globe. With a running time of nearly three hours including a 15-minute intermission, the two-act vehicle permits Kenyatta to perform […]
By JACK LYONS, Special to Theatrecriticism.com (Desert Local News) – When the movie “Casablanca” merged the powerful elements of love, war, and destiny in 1942, the film and its producers never saw the phenomenal appeal or its success coming until it won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1943. Seventy-seven years later it still […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It might be easy to dismiss Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist as another in a continuing procession of holiday fare we’ve gotten used to seeing each December. With dozens of new movies and specials streaming or broadcasting on various platforms, discerning viewers might be […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) The third entry in the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s season using the Aubible platform was released in late December. This world premiere of Animals by Stacy Osei-Kuffour is an ear-opening, gut-wrenching and comedic examination of the pitfalls of today’s interracial dating experience and identity. Directed by Obie Award […]
Rebecca Luker, a three-time Tony Award nominated actress, whose crystal-clear soprano voice and stunning presence established her as a star in some of Broadway’s more noted musicals of the past three decades, died on December 23, 2020. She was 59. Luker, who had been cared for by her husband, fellow multiple Tony nominee Danny Burstein, […]
Ann Reinking, a Tony Award-winning choreographer who performed on Broadway for 30 years, making a name for herself particularly through her work in the musical Chicago, has died at age 71. Reinking died in her sleep in a hotel room near Seattle, while visiting her older brother, said her sister-in-law, Dahrla King. Authorities have not yet […]
By ALAN SMASON Ever since the words “novel coronavirus” began to make the news circuits and theaters began what was hoped to be a relatively short downtime, the ingenuity of resourceful and creative producers and protective unions began to put on their thinking caps. With an eye towards safety, but a tentative and calculated fiduciary […]
By EDWARD RUBIN Of all the celebs channeled by drag queens and female impersonators, Bette Davis, like flies to honey, has always been at the top of every performers list. Her mannerisms, her clipped New England cadences, her famous lines like “Fasten your seatbelt; this is going to be a bumpy ride,” and the forever […]