Theatre
Shrek The Musical JR. at OPS
Because I like to occasionally spice things up a bit, a sort-of break in tradition here. Sort of, I say, because I’ve decided this still counts. I’ve just celebrated my five-year anniversary writing this blog. It’s brought me a lot of joy, a fair share of aggravation, and work as the main arts contributor for […]
Eighteen Elite
Over the summer, I saw my 200th theatre production in the last thirty years. This covers all qualified stage performances from 1986 thru the first portion of 2016. Most are from Broadway and Off-Broadway, but I’m proud to have attended a number of regional productions (professional & amateur) all around the New York Metro area, as […]
iLuminate Off-Broadway
There’s a lot to recommend concerning “iLuminate”, the impressive Off-Broadway dance/light show, that has flitted around Manhattan for the last few years. Currently it’s showing at the dark and intimate Theatre 80 St. Marks in Manhattan’s East Village (through September 4th), but it also served a stint recently at Midtown’s New World Stages. It’s a […]
The Crucible on Broadway
It’s an earthy play, that’s usually set in the late 17th century, recalling some of the names and actual events of the Salem witch trials of that period. Most theatre people know, that Arthur Miller intended it as a McCarthyism allegory when he wrote it, and its dialogue involving the naming of names makes that […]
2015 Theatre in Review
I made it. It was looking bleak for a while, but I managed to get to the theatre a quartet of occasions this year. You see, that’s my annual goal…four. Pretty modest, I think, especially considering my younger days when I would visit a dozen, or more. But I turned 50 this past October, and […]
Annapurna at the Radburn Players of Fair Lawn
So, I’ve seen some highly touted, top-notch Broadway theater over the last few months, plus I’ll also be attending something Off-Broadway by the middle of December. I’ve made it apparent on the blog recently, that my August experience with “Hamilton” was exceptional, and my October one with “Therese Raquin” was quite fine. Of course, those […]
“Hamilton” cast album…reviewed!
I’ve experienced dozens of Broadway musicals over the years, but three absolutely stand out from the crowd. In 1979, I was a 14-year-old theatre enthusiast, and seeing “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” was a revelation. It’s titanic production (some claimed TOO big) at the then Uris Theatre, was one of the galvanizing forces of […]
Therese Raquin on Broadway
There’s a river onstage at Studio 54 for Keira Knightley’s Broadway debut, in the malevolent “Therese Raquin”. It has to have some depth to it, because three of the lead actors (Ms. Knightley included) tumble into the drink midway through this two-act, sexually charged period thriller. And I don’t know if all of that real […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 