All stories by Judith Mackrell on BroadwayStars

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Alicia Alonso obituary by Judith Mackrell

Star ballerina and choreographer passionately committed to dance in CubaWhen Alicia Alonso was 20, and launched on a dancing career in New York, her future seemed assured. She had just been …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:03PM
Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Cloud Gate avengers: the band of elastic superheroes who transformed Taiwan by Judith Mackrell

Lin Hwai-min has spent 46 years tackling revolt, repression and rice in his fast-changing homeland. Now he is handing over his dance-theatre juggernaut to a former slipper seller It’s a ho…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:03AM
Monday, June 24, 2019

Edinburgh fringe 2019: 10 essential shows by Brian Logan, Miriam Gillinson, Mark Lawson, Mark Fisher, Judith Mackrell, Bridget Minamore and Lyndsey Winship

Jessie Cave’s intimate standup, a beatbox Frankenstein and a twist on the star-crossed lovers are among the Edinburgh shows we’ve previously reviewed. Here’s what we said … Pleasance…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:48AM
Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Ballet legend Alexei Ratmansky: how Shostakovich shook me up by Judith Mackrell

As he takes his celebrated Shostakovich Trilogy to London, the choreographer explains how he was inspired by the Russian composer’s political risks Alexei Ratmansky says he’s been makin…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:04PM
Monday, December 17, 2018

Top 10 dance shows of 2018 by Judith Mackrell and Lyndsey Winship

Romeo and Juliet muddled into middle age, Akram Khan suffered shell-shock, Rambert2 lost control – and William Forsythe gave ballet a stratospheric street shakeupMore best culture 2018 Ove…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:54PM
Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Why I'm riffing on Layla: Yo-Yo Ma on rebooting the lovers who inspired Clapton by Judith Mackrell

It is the ‘Persian Romeo and Juliet’ – a hokey old work full of paper beards, corny wedding tunes and lots of camels. So why has the great cellist teamed up with choreographer Mark Mor…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:12AM
Friday, July 20, 2018

What to see this week in the UK by Andrew Pulver, Michael Cragg, John Fordham, Andrew Clements, Jonathan Jones, Mark Cook and Judith Mackrell

From Generation Wealth to Biodiversity, here’s our pick of the best films, concerts, exhibitions, theatre and dance over the next seven days Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:24AM
Monday, July 16, 2018

Love Chapter 2 review – powerful exploration of passion's aftermath by Judith Mackrell

Sadler’s Wells, LondonDriven by an immersive techno score, this visceral performance by Sharon Eyal’s L-E-V dance company was irresistibly intenseLove Chapter 2 is an extension of OCD Lo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:24AM

Death of the dance dictators: ballet in the wake of #MeToo by Judith Mackrell

With its culture of discipline, control and pecking orders, the dance world has always been plagued by claims of bullying and sexual exploitation. But old hierarchies are being challengedBal…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:18AM
Saturday, June 30, 2018

What to see this week in the UK by Steve Rose, Michael Cragg, John Fordham, Andrew Clements, Jonathan Jones, Mark Cook and Judith Mackrell

From Leave No Trace to Little Mix, here’s our pick of the best films, concerts, exhibitions, theatre and dance over the next seven days Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:06AM
Monday, June 18, 2018

Birmingham Royal Ballet: Polarity and Proximity review – dialogues of desire by Judith Mackrell

Sadler’s Wells, London A virtuoso ensemble wring nuanced emotions from a triple bill that teams two emerging choreographers with a Twyla Tharp classicDavid Bintley has never made a particu…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:04AM
Friday, May 25, 2018

What to see this week in the UK by Steve Rose, Harriet Gibsone, John Fordham, Andrew Clements, Jonathan Jones, Lyn Gardner and Judith Mackrell

From Zama to Tacita Dean, here’s our pick of the best films, concerts, exhibitions, theatre and dance over the next seven days Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:24AM
Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Akram Khan: the master mover who redefined dance by Judith Mackrell

The astonishingly expressive performer, who can conjure both charged stillness and whirling energy, is taking on his final major stage roleWhen Akram Khan was complimented by Mikhail Baryshn…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:18AM
Friday, May 18, 2018

The Royal Ballet's Swan Lake: high-flyer or ugly duckling? by Judith Mackrell

Audiences tweeted their love after live cinema screenings of the Royal’s current production – but others hate the gothic set and costumesAs the Royal Ballet dance the final performances …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:42PM

Swan Lake review – the Royal Ballet's spellbinder leaves you weeping by Judith Mackrell

Royal Opera House, LondonThere are superlative performances – and the world’s most glamorous black tutu – in Liam Scarlett’s new take on the classicFundamentally, what I want from a …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:24AM
Monday, May 14, 2018

Hans Christian Andersen's failed career as a dancer by Judith Mackrell

Hans Christian Andersen's fables have inspired countless ballets. Few people know, however, that he was a failed dancer himself. Judith Mackrell reportsBy the time Hans Christian Andersen wa…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:06PM
Saturday, May 12, 2018

Crave review – Julie Cunningham dances in the darkness of Sarah Kane's play by Judith Mackrell

Barbican, LondonDance and spoken word combine in an evocative retelling of Kane’s violent play about rape, madness and abuseHorrors haunt the text of Crave, the 1998 play by Sarah Kane in …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:18AM
Thursday, May 10, 2018

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre review – exquisitely turbulent testament to Taiwan by Judith Mackrell

Sadler’s Wells, LondonRelentless waves of words wash over the beautiful island in Formosa, the farewell work by visionary choreographer Lin Hwai-minIt will be an epochal moment when Lin Hw…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:48AM
Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Constant craving: Julie Cunningham puts Sarah Kane's dark poetry in motion by Judith Mackrell

The choreographer on staging Crave with an all-female cast and the struggle of performing with Merce Cunningham’s companyJulie Cunningham might have been precision-engineered to dance the …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:24AM
Thursday, April 19, 2018

An artists' boycott of Russia would simply play into Putin's hands by Judith Mackrell

Matthew Bourne is the latest choreographer to refuse to work in Russia. But if more British artists follow suit it might just make life harder for LGBT artists who oppose Putin• Jonathan J…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM

Steps Back in Time review – the magic of young Kenneth MacMillan by Judith Mackrell

Barbican Pit, LondonA programme of MacMillan’s early works by his former ballerina Viviana Durante is brimming with tricksIn the early 1950s, Kenneth MacMillan saw little in the world of b…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:48AM
Sunday, April 15, 2018

Cowpuncher review – postmodern dance outlaws put style over substance by Judith Mackrell

Queen Elizabeth Hall, LondonOutfitted in Vivienne Westwood, the fleet-footed outsiders in Holly Blakey’s subversive new piece are in thrall to their own imageStyled by the Vivienne Westwoo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:17AM
Friday, April 13, 2018

Voices of America review – ENB have a riot with Forsythe's club mashup by Judith Mackrell

Sadler’s Wells, LondonWilliam Forsythe’s new work blends classical steps and disco bounce to a smooth poppy beat – and the dancers are clearly enjoying themselvesWilliam Forsythe’s n…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:08AM
Monday, March 26, 2018

Richard Alston Dance Company review – stillness, serenity and funk by Judith Mackrell

Sadler’s Wells LondonAlston’s latest programme is a touching testament to his half century in the rigorous pursuit of purity in movementFifty years ago Richard Alston was a fierce, skinn…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:00AM
Friday, March 16, 2018

Royal Ballet: Bernstein Centenary review – McGregor and Wheeldon at the top of their game by Judith Mackrell

Royal Opera House, LondonA revelatory tribute to Leonard Bernstein features designs by Erdem and a set by Edmund de Waal, with the music of Chichester Psalms and SerenadeThere’s a kinetic …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:57AM
Sunday, March 11, 2018

Candoco Dance Company review – compelling document of human possibilities by Judith Mackrell

Sadler’s Wells, LondonDisabled and non-disabled performers tackle political correctness and prejudice with mischievous humourIt’s always great to witness the buzz that choreographers get…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:40AM
Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Ballet British Columbia review – party beats and spinning solos by Judith Mackrell

Sadler’s Wells, LondonCrystal Pite, Emily Molnar and Sharon Eyal deliver a triple bill of new works that range from hazardous to poignantTamara Rojo’s all-female programme She Said was p…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:48AM
Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Macbeth review – murder on the dance floor in Mark Bruce's stunner by Judith Mackrell

Wilton’s Music Hall, LondonFrom gibbering witches to cascading horror, this darkly hectic dance adaptation is beautifully executedAs the choreographer of Dracula, The Odyssey and other dar…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:00PM
Monday, February 26, 2018

Sweetshop Revolution: Beautiful review – extreme journeys inside female sexuality by Judith Mackrell

Hackney Showroom, LondonSally Marie’s highly physical work explores women’s experience of their bodies with raunchy energy, tenderness and rage, but communicates less than it couldAs the…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:00AM
Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Murder, menopause and a boy who barks: the startling world of Yvonne Rainer by Judith Mackrell

When the iconoclastic choreographer reinvented herself as a film-maker at the turn of the 70s, she opened up a new world of possibilities for her artWhen Yvonne Rainer made the switch from c…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:25AM
Monday, February 19, 2018

Bourne's Red Shoes and Khan's Giselle triumph at National Dance awards by Judith Mackrell

Zenaida Yanowsky and Liam Riddick take top dancer prizes, while Lez Brotherston wins outstanding contribution awardWe know that certain stories and certain archetypes have a strong hold on t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:30AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards