By AARON KRAUSE All Denitra Morgan wants is for her daughter, Noelle, to remain at the high school that she feels will provide the best possible education. But to the Black, working class, single mother, her goal must seem as far-fetched as school integration before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown vs Board of Education […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) It’s taken two years for the darkened stage of Tulane University’s Dixon Hall to be witness to the frenetic work of dozens of dedicated lovers of musical theatre, for the spotlights to find their marks and for the sounds of sweet music to fill that once empty […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) It’s been a year of firsts for Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane’s (SLT) artistic director Michael McKelvey. After a year of shutdowns and failed attempts to mount summer shows in 2020, the always inventive and superb theatrical forces he marshals (which have come together for 53 previous […]
By AARON KRAUSE Young, visionary director Giancarlo Rodaz’s winning approach in Area Stage Company’s (ASC) current unorthodox, yet triumphant production of the classic musical Annie features eight actors playing all roles. That compares to a 25-person cast in the original Broadway production. Also, the ASC production, set in an early 1930’s New York City speakeasy […]
By AARON KRAUSE While watching Drew Droege’s delightfully comic, single-character play, Bright Colors and Bold Patterns, one might wonder: Is the horizontally big fellow at the piece’s center always so boisterous? Further, how much are alcohol and drugs responsible for Gerry’s tirade? And when it comes to the dress code at a gay wedding he plans […]
By ALAN SMASON, Theatre Critic, WYES-TV (“Steppin’ Out”) When Heather Massie arrived on the stage of BB’s Stage Door Canteen after 14 months of postponed performances from COVID safety protocols, she did so in silhouette against a brilliant bright white background. With her back to the audience, one could only perceive a shadowy figure speaking […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) If there were any indication that the worst of the pandemic is now behind us and that a return to what we formerly considered “normal” is around the corner, then look no further than the filled seats, boisterous laughter and deafening applause emanating from the Rivertown Theaters […]
By AARON KRAUSE When it comes to musicals, A Bronx Tale is not one of the great ones. Still, it’s a crowd-pleasing, familiar tale populated by characters we care about. Surely, you don’t have to be Italian or African-American to feel a kinship with folks such as Calogero, Sonny, Lorenzo, Jane, and a host of other colorful […]
By ALAN SMASON Look out! The Little Sisters of Hoboken are back, but you need not reach for your rosary beads or prepare to make an act of contrition. All you need do is head over to Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts for what may be the most up-to-date and fully realized version of […]
By AARON KRAUSE “What are you doing to promote equality?” a black college student demands of her white professor in Eleanor Burgess’s taut, intense, timely drama The Niceties. The professional, non-profit Island City Stage (ICS) is giving the piece a mostly commendable production now through April 25. Those who wish to see the play live and […]