All stories by Stephen Holden on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Barbara Cook Could Make You Feel Grateful to Be Alive by Stephen Holden

The cabaret singer’s voice mixed regret with acceptance and consolation. At the end of a song, you’d feel warm — and know that all would be forgiven.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:33PM
Thursday, November 17, 2016

Review: Merrily (and Ruefully) Recalling an Epic Broadway Flop by Stephen Holden

“Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened,” a documentary by Lonny Price, examines the buildup and collapse of “Merrily We Roll Along” in 1981.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:54PM
Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Review: You Ain’t Never Heard a Baritone Like His by Stephen Holden

James Monroe Iglehart, best known for his Tony-winning role as the Genie in “Aladdin,” takes audiences on a genial journey in his show at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:36PM
Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Review: New York Cabaret Convention Slips In Modern Flourishes by Stephen Holden

It represents the conservative uptown wing of a field whose downtown avant-garde is merging music with performance art, political satire and gender and genre bending.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:08PM
Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Review: Christine Ebersole Has a Soundtrack for Starting New Chapters by Stephen Holden

The singer explores the options of a woman who suddenly finds her nest empty in “After the Ball” at Café Carlyle.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:02PM
Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Review: In ‘Acoustically Speaking,’ a ‘Rent’ Duo Returns by Stephen Holden

Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, who starred in the original Broadway cast, team up to pay tribute to musical theater’s relationship with modern pop.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:04PM
Thursday, September 29, 2016

Review: In ‘Girl Asleep,’ Floating Through a Teenage Fantasia by Stephen Holden

Rosemary Myers’s hybrid of film and children’s theater follows Greta, a young wallflower whose social woes turn surreal when she runs into the woods behind her home.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:04PM
Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Review: Laura Benanti Shows Range With Songs and Stories by Stephen Holden

In her show at Café Carlyle, a self-assured and humorous Ms. Benanti displayed a powerful voice as she took on songs from her idols.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:13PM
Sunday, September 25, 2016

Review: Betty Buckley Digs Deep for the Autumn in Her Soul by Stephen Holden

In her stunning new show at Joe’s Pub, Ms. Buckley gave everything she sang the shape and depth of a personal confession.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:49PM
Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Review: Melissa Errico Laughs, but Can’t Let Go, at 54 Below by Stephen Holden

“Funny, I’m a Woman With Children” at Feinstein’s/54 Below was full of Ms. Errico’s humor, though she was unable to fully let go in some numbers.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:53PM
Thursday, September 15, 2016

`: Tammy Faye Starlite, Inverted Country-Star Cliché, Strides Back by Stephen Holden

The persona played by Tammy Lang will hold forth with her blend of fake American wholesomeness and scabrous anti-right satire in a new show at Pangea.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:26PM
Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Review: Warmth of the American Songbook, From 2 Keepers of the Flame by Stephen Holden

Michael Feinstein and Marilyn Maye’s “Summertime Swing” is an old-fashioned variety show, blending standards, Catskills humor and vaudeville shenanigans.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:33PM
Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Review: ‘Kate Plays Christine,’ a Blurring of Fact and Fiction in a Suicide Story by Stephen Holden

This movie is a sequel of sorts to Robert Greene’s “Actress,” which focuses on boundaries between actors playing themselves and fictional characters.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:39PM
Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Review: Tony Danza Reaches for Sinatra With Charisma by Stephen Holden

The actor and singer acknowledges the passing of years in his show “Standards & Stories” at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:33PM
Sunday, July 3, 2016

Review: Rob McClure’s ‘Smile,’ a Glass That’s Always Half Full by Stephen Holden

Mr. McClure wittily explored the meaning behind famous song lyrics and performed comedic hand puppetry, but he saved the very best for last.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:56PM
Thursday, June 23, 2016

Review: Barbara Cook, a Lioness Who Still Has Some Bite Left by Stephen Holden

At 88, Ms. Cook holds forth at Feinstein’s/54 Below in both song and word. She channels the wisdom and humanity of the American songbook.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:56PM
Sunday, June 19, 2016

Barbara Cook on Life Before and After Sobriety by Stephen Holden

The singer discusses her path from Broadway to cabaret to now in an interview about her new memoir and coming performances at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:30PM
Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Critic's Notebook: At the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, a Lot of the Humans Are Women by Stephen Holden

Among this year’s subjects: an Afghan rapper whose mother tried to sell her and Chinese women seeking justice in the reported rape of six children.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:29PM
Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Review: Matthew Morrison, in Concert, Goes Beyond Genres by Stephen Holden

Mr. Morrison was bold, tender and hard driving as he sang show tunes and other standards at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:40PM
Monday, May 23, 2016

Review: A Side of Richard Rodgers Not Often Seen by Stephen Holden

“I Have Confidence: Rodgers After Hammerstein,” at the 92nd Street Y, introduced Rodgers’s more obscure songs, written during the last third of his career.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:18PM
Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Review: Laura Michelle Kelly Brings Her Broadway Voice to Cabaret by Stephen Holden

This actress, known for “Finding Neverland” and “Mary Poppins,” performed pop and show tunes and occasional bold choices at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:26PM
Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Review: Megan Hilty Goes Beyond Daffy, to Sweetness, Even Regret by Stephen Holden

Ms. Hilty featured songs by Irving Berlin as part of her tribute to Rosemary Clooney at Café Carlyle.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:56PM
Thursday, April 21, 2016

Review: For Chita Rivera, Life Is Still a Merry-Go-Round by Stephen Holden

At the age of 83, Ms. Rivera makes her debut at Café Carlyle, singing her favorite songs, including tunes by Jacques Brel and Kander and Ebb.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:22PM

Review: Donna McKechnie Explores Kander and Ebb by Stephen Holden

Ms. McKechnie, who is more a dancer than a singer, delivered an enlightening survey of that formidable Broadway team’s songwriting output.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:55PM
Thursday, April 14, 2016

Review: Lea Salonga Puts on a Show, No Need for Wailing Pyrotechnics by Stephen Holden

Ms. Salonga mixed standards and contemporary songs, digging deeply into the lyrics in a most satisfying cabaret shows, at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:26PM
Wednesday, April 6, 2016

‘Gabriel Mascaro: Ebbs and Flows,’ a Young Director’s Views of Brazil by Stephen Holden

This retrospective at the Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center includes both documentaries and a dramatic feature by this major emerging talent.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:21PM
Thursday, February 11, 2016

Review: John Lloyd Young, Stepping Out With Oldies Beyond the Four Seasons’ by Stephen Holden

Mr. Young, a Tony winner as the original Frankie Vallie in “Jersey Boys,” has broadened his musical horizons in his fourth engagement at Café Carlyle.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:36PM
Thursday, January 21, 2016

Review: Vanessa Williams, Strong and Steady, Without Taking Chances by Stephen Holden

In her concert, which opened Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series, Ms. Williams projected the persona of a hard-working, self-possessed entertainer.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:22PM
Sunday, January 10, 2016

Review: ‘A Funny Thing Happened,’ Insights into What Made the Musicals Sing by Stephen Holden

“Songs From the Road to Broadway” opened the 92nd Street Y’s Lyrics and Lyricist’s series, with Kathleen Marshall hosting and directing.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:19PM
Monday, December 21, 2015

Review: Michael Feinstein, Strolling Down Broadway and His Own Memory Lane by Stephen Holden

Mr. Feinstein, performing at Feinstein’s/54 Below, offers a show tune medley, American Songbook standards and a tribute to Peter Allen.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:22PM
Thursday, November 12, 2015

Review: ‘Our Guy, Cy: The Songs of Cy Coleman’ Pays Tribute to a Man and His Musicals by Stephen Holden

Randy Graff, Cady Huffman and Judy Kaye, three alumnae of Coleman shows, perform an affectionate tribute, directed by Will Nunziata, at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:21PM

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