All stories by Johnny Oleksinski on BroadwayStars

Monday, April 14, 2025

‘John Proctor is the Villain’ review: ‘Stranger Things’ star Sadie Sink leads likable, long MeToo drama by Johnny Oleksinski

Kimberly Belflower’s often entertaining, mostly clever, frequently phony dramedy that opened Monday night at the Booth Theatre could have used another draft. 

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:00PM
Saturday, April 12, 2025

The best Broadway restaurants for a bite, beverage — and an A-List celeb sighting by Johnny Oleksinski

The best part of venturing out into jam-packed Times Square in the busy spring? Venturing inside into a somewhat less jam-packed bar or restaurant for a meal, a martini — and a star spotti…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 01:06PM
Thursday, April 10, 2025

‘Smash’ review: Shocker — Broadway musical based on old flop TV show is terrible by Johnny Oleksinski

“Let’s Be Bad” is a song from the Broadway musical “Smash.” It is also the production's motto.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:30PM
Tuesday, April 8, 2025

‘Old Friends’ review: Bernadette Peters and a glorious cast sing Sondheim by Johnny Oleksinski

It’s a rare and special experience to watch performers of the calibre of Peters and co-stars like Lea Salonga sing Sondheim while backed by a sensational 14-piece orchestra in an intimate …

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:01PM
Monday, April 7, 2025

‘Boop’ review: A Broadway star is born in new musical by Johnny Oleksinski

Jasmine Amy Rogers, a 25-year-old actress, makes a marvelous Broadway debut in the Betty Boop musical “Boop.”

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:00PM
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025

Betty Boop, now on Broadway, was once forced by Hollywood to be less sexy by Johnny Oleksinski

Poor Betty was a victim of the Hays Code, or the Motion Picture Production Code, which in 1934 banned profanity and curtailed violence and sexual content in movies — even animated movies.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 02:54PM
Thursday, April 3, 2025

‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ review: George Clooney makes his Broadway debut in a sleepy newsroom play by Johnny Oleksinski

It comes as a surprise that the impression left by the dusty historical drama as the audience pours out onto Broadway is so small and fleeting. Good Night, and What’s For Dinner?

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:59PM
Monday, March 31, 2025

‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ review: Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk’s play is bleeping underwhelming by Johnny Oleksinski

David Mamet's should-be scorcher of a story about sleazy, lying, ruthless Chicago real-estate salesmen who will commit crimes and ruin lives to close a deal is as laid-back as a work-fr…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:30PM
Thursday, March 27, 2025

‘Picture of Dorian Gray’ review: Sarah Snook wows in technical marvel Broadway play by Johnny Oleksinski

In a flourish of theatrical magic, with the help of mind-boggling technology, the surely exhausted “Succession” star Sarah Snook plays 26 roles in “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” which…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:00PM
Thursday, March 20, 2025

‘Operation Mincemeat’ review: Hyperactive WWII musical comedy got on my nerves by Johnny Oleksinski

Like any Broadway show, the musical “Operation Mincemeat” sells merchandise and drinks at intermission. Might I also suggest Adderall?

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:00PM
Wednesday, March 19, 2025

‘Buena Vista Social Club’ review: Electrifying Cuban music and dance on Broadway by Johnny Oleksinski

“Buena Vista Social Club,” the new musical that opened Wednesday night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, is practically a jumbo jet to Havana.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:00PM
Monday, March 17, 2025

‘Purpose’ review: A hilarious and blistering family clash on Broadway by Johnny Oleksinski

This bombshell-littered house belongs to the Jaspers, a powerful black political dynasty whose controversies and scandals come down faster than the blizzard outside their window.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:00PM
Tuesday, March 11, 2025

‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ review: Paul Mescal sizzles, Patsy Ferran amazes in 4-star revival by Johnny Oleksinski

While the crowd has come for Paul, at the end of Tennessee Williams’ classic play, which opened Tuesday night in Brooklyn, they leave raving about Patsy Ferran.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:00PM
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Thursday, February 13, 2025

‘Redwood’ review: Idina Menzel’s Broadway musical is thin and sappy by Johnny Oleksinski

Too bad the Broadway show named after a giant tree is a toothpick. 

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:00PM
Saturday, February 8, 2025

Betty Boop? Corpses? Robots? Will Broadway audiences go to all these extremely weird new musicals? by Johnny Oleksinski

For starters, there are three new musical comedies about corpses: “Dead Outlaw,” “Operation Mincemeat” and “Death Becomes Her.”

SOURCE: The New York Post at 03:05PM
Saturday, January 11, 2025

‘Titanique,’ a scrappy off-Broadway comedy, has become a giant worldwide success by Johnny Oleksinski

Already playing in New York, London, Sydney and Toronto, when "Titanique" opens its fifth production in Chicago in May, it will have as many concurrent runs as “Hamilton.”

SOURCE: The New York Post at 03:22PM
Monday, December 30, 2024

Linda Lavin, who tickled our funny bones and broke our hearts, is mourned by Broadway by Johnny Oleksinski

Linda Lavin, who died Sunday at age 87, was a captivating Broadway star beloved by audiences for her electrifying contradictions.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:30PM
Sunday, December 22, 2024

‘All In: Comedy About Love’ review: Starry Broadway show’s a big waste of money by Johnny Oleksinski

Ticket-buyers are being charged as much as $800 a pop some weeks for what is little more than a sedate staged reading of New Yorker cartoon captions uttered by celebrities.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 08:04PM
Friday, December 20, 2024

‘Gypsy’ review: Audra McDonald’s Broadway revival is a badly staged letdown by Johnny Oleksinski

With stop-start direction from George C. Wolfe, the musical runs out of gas early on.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 12:00AM
Saturday, December 14, 2024

Elton John’s ‘Devil Wears Prada’ musical is still a haute mess across the pond by Johnny Oleksinski

“The Devil Wears Prada,” Elton John’s horrid musical that crashed and burned two years ago in Chicago, is giving it a second go in London.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 03:30PM
Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Elton John blames Trump’s election win for his huge Broadway flop, ‘Tammy Faye’ by Johnny Oleksinski

For Elton John, Trump’s victory did not make Broadway great again.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:28AM
Saturday, November 23, 2024

Elton John’s embarrassing $25M Broadway flop was predictable — the Rocket Man keeps crashing by Johnny Oleksinski

On Tuesday, the “Crocodile Rock” singer’s “Tammy Faye,” a migraine about mascara set to music, posted its closing notice only five days after opening night. Said a wag: “The shoc…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 12:03PM
Thursday, November 21, 2024

‘Death Becomes Her’ review: Leading ladies’ claws are out in funny Broadway camp fest by Johnny Oleksinski

There is a miracle elixir in the campy musical “Death Becomes Her,” which opened Thursday night at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre: Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:00PM
Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Elton John’s $25 million Broadway show announces closing — just five days after opening night by Johnny Oleksinski

Sir Elton knows his way around a flop. But even his 2006 vampire debacle "Lestat," which The Post's Clive Barnes declared as "bloody awful," ran a little longer.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 12:57PM
Tuesday, November 19, 2024

‘Swept Away’ review: Strange Broadway shipwreck show has pretty folk songs — and cannibalism by Johnny Oleksinski

Something I won’t be saying on my death bed: “I wish I would’ve watched more shows about boats.”

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:00PM
Thursday, November 14, 2024

‘Tammy Faye’ review: Elton John’s Broadway show is a disaster of biblical proportions by Johnny Oleksinski

Unfortunately for Sir Elton, the godawful musical about flamboyant 1980s televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker is a lot more of a “Lestat” than an “Aida.”

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:32PM
Tuesday, November 12, 2024

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ review: Romantic robot musical is glorious on Broadway — really by Johnny Oleksinski

The blissful, boundlessly creative gift of a musical from South Korea opened Monday night at the Belasco Theatre.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:53PM
Monday, November 11, 2024

‘A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical’ review: A lifeless Satchmo show on Broadway by Johnny Oleksinski

What’s onstage at Studio 54 is largely a deflating and cobbled-together wife story that fails to capture Armstrong the artist. 

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:00PM
Friday, November 1, 2024

NY Comedy Festival founder talks Joan Rivers tribute — and Bruce Springsteen’s appearance with wife Patti Scialfa by Johnny Oleksinski

A tribute show honoring Joan Rivers, and the "Stand Up For Heroes" benefit event featuring Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, are all part of the 2024 New York Comedy Festival.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 02:16PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre