By HERBERT SIMPSON I wondered how the old love-rock musical would play these days for an audience of younger folk unfamiliar with Hippie rebellion, flower children, 60s rock music, and a more feminine long-hair style and slovenly tie-dyed clothes-styles. For that matter, I wasn’t so sure how the now-rather-old folks, mostly more establishment, would regard […]
By AARON KRAUSE LAUDERHILL, FL. — “…So hold this moment fast…and make this moment last.” Surely, these lyrics from La Cage Aux Folles are apropos for Stage Door Theatre’s great production of the beloved Harvey Fierstein-Jerry Herman musical, based on a French play. Unquestionably, we want to hold each moment fast and make each moment […]
By ALAN SMASON, Theatre Critic, WYES-TV (“Steppin’ Out”) There is a reason that the current National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s production of Fiddler on the Roof (Fidler Afn Dakh) in Yiddish has been held over not once, twice or three times. It has just been announced that it will be extended until November 18. Obviously, this […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) Producers of Broadway shows oftentimes wait for the passing out of coveted Tony Awards before determining whether they will pull the plug on a production. Receiving one or more awards typically will guarantee that a weak show at the box office will get a second or third […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) There is a point in the resolution of Garson Kanin’s Born Yesterday when the character of Paul Verrall blurts out “I know you. I’ve seen your kind down here for years. What the hell do you guys want, anyway? You’ve got all the oil and all the lumber […]
By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI LAKES — Five Women Wearing the Same Dress may not be the most original play in the feminist/female power/sisterhood genre. But if you’re a woman who feels limited due to society’s expectations of females, this Alan Ball piece will embolden you and make you laugh frequently. One might think of Ball’s character-driven, ensemble […]
By AARON KRAUSE SPRING GREEN, Wisconsin — It’s tucked away amid 110 acres of hilly woods and meadows near this town of about 1,600 in southwest Wisconsin. Indeed, you could easily miss it if you’re not on the lookout for the sign. It points a patron in the direction of the renowned destination. But there’s no […]
By ANNE SIEGEL American Players Theatre, located in rural Spring Green, Wisconsin, has added Ionesco’s rarely-performed 1962 absurdist comedy, Exit the King, to its current line-up. Playing alongside a half-dozen other shows (that focus on Restoration humor and follies, Shakespeare’s timeless themes and a hilarious rendition of Garson Kanin’s Born Yesterday), Exit the King may […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) One of the most misquoted of Shakespeare’s lines is “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” The actual line from Henry IV, Part Two is “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,” but in the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival’s latest production of the Scottish play, […]
By AARON KRAUSE WILTON MANORS, Fla. — You don’t have to be gay to find resonance in Mr. Parker, a funny, touching play receiving its world premiere at Island City Stage in an all-around strong production. Mr. Renaissance Man has penned and stars in the piece. More seriously, the prolific, versatile and immensely talented South […]