All stories by Sandy MacDonald on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Summer, 1976: An Odd Couple of Midwestern Moms by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Not every woman wants – or needs – a makeover, but plenty of women enjoy initiating them. Toxic or benevolent? You get to decide. The post Summer, 1976: An Odd Couple of …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:54PM
Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Regretfully, So the Birds Are: Clear the Airwaves for a Fresh New Voice by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Fledgling playwright Julia Izumi works out Tolstoy's dictum about families unhappy and otherwise in this loopy portrait of three adult Asian adoptees. The post Regretfully, S…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:00PM
Thursday, April 6, 2023

The Wife of Willesden: Ever Willing, and Then Some by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Chaucer's outspoken, sex-positive "Wife of Bath," as updated by Zadie Smith, has some insights to share, along with a remedial agenda. The post The Wife of Willesden: Ever Wi…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:54PM
Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The Harder They Come: Crime Pays, Up to a Point by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Suzan-Lori Parks musicalizes the 1972 film with a skilled cast and crew but sugarcoats the original's gritty realism The post The Harder They Come: Crime Pays, Up to a Point …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:57PM
Friday, March 10, 2023

Dark Disabled Stories: Bodily Challenges Examined with a Light, Deft Touch by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ A trio of differently abled performers embody Ryan J. Haddad’s rollicking collection of real-life tales. The post Dark Disabled Stories: Bodily Challenges Examined with a L…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:50AM
Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Crumbs from the Table of Joy: Nearly Three Decades Later, This Debut Script Still Feels Fresh by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ With this, her first produced work, Nottage tossed out the rulebook for "well-made" plays and came up with a doozy. The post Crumbs from the Table of Joy: Nearly Three Decade…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:58PM
Monday, March 6, 2023

The Rewards of Being Frank: A Wildean Knock-Off Offers Slim Pickings by Sandy MacDonald

★★☆☆☆ Anyone who attempts to tread in Wilde's footsteps had better be devilishly adroit – sadly not the case in this clumsy exercise. The post The Rewards of Being Frank: A Wilde…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 03:40PM
Thursday, March 2, 2023

Love: This Is No Place Like Home by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ Alexander Zeldin's “you-are-there” study of a London housing shelter delivers edge-of-the-seat impact The post Love: This Is No Place Like Home appeared first on New York…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 12:36PM
Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The Seagull: Not Your Great-Great-Great-Grandmother’s Chekhov by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Hovering midway between parody and homage, this modernist rendering of a justifiable classic proves neither illuminating nor much fun. The post The Seagull: Not Your Great-Gr…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:28PM
Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Hip Hop Cinderella: A Clever Update Leaps Far into the Future by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ Finally, a kiddie show with an on-point message, snazzily presented. The post Hip Hop Cinderella: A Clever Update Leaps Far into the Future appeared first on New York Stage R…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 04:58PM
Monday, February 6, 2023

Lucy: Devil Child or Target of a Demonic Nanny? by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Maybe take a step back if your babysitter offers to "co-parent"? A cautionary tale from the mommy-wars front. The post Lucy: Devil Child or Target of a Demonic Nanny? appeare…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:07PM
Sunday, December 18, 2022

Oh Mary, It’s Christmas!: Justin Vivian Bond brings joy to Joe’s Pub by Sandy MacDonald

Alt-darling Justin Vivian Bond celebrates the true spirit of the season. The post Oh Mary, It’s Christmas!: Justin Vivian Bond brings joy to Joe’s Pub appeared first on New York Stage Re…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 11:03PM
Thursday, December 15, 2022

Eddie Izzard Performing Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations: Prepare to Be Transfixed by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ With words and gestures alone, Eddie Izzard recreates Dickens' beloved bildungsroman. The post Eddie Izzard Performing Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations: Prepare to Be Tr…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:00PM
Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Bridget Everett & The Tender Moments: Boldly O’erleaping the Boundaries of Good Taste by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ What with all the treacle on offer this month, you may savor something a little more spicy. The post Bridget Everett & The Tender Moments: Boldly O’erleaping the Bounda…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:51PM
Monday, December 5, 2022

Ain’t No Mo’: Three Centuries of Oppression, packed with Pathos – and Laughs by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ Traversing the entire Black experience in the U.S., “Mo’” is a bumpy ride – one you don’t want to miss. The post Ain’t No Mo’: Three Centuries of Oppression, pa…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:25PM
Sunday, November 27, 2022

Big Apple Circus: It’s Back and Buoyant, with a Message by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ The inventive, nonexploitative circus flies high in this, its 45th embodiment. The post Big Apple Circus: It’s Back and Buoyant, with a Message appeared first on New York S…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 04:50PM
Sunday, November 20, 2022

The Gett: The Epic Story of Creation, Cut Down to Human Size by Sandy MacDonald

★★☆☆☆ The entire Judeo-Christian creation myth, wrapped in one woman's very trying week. The post The Gett: The Epic Story of Creation, Cut Down to Human Size appeared first on New…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:00PM
Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Boswell: History Comes to Life, Juicily, in This Clever Bio-Play by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ A rare opportunity to hang out with London's witty literary crowd, circa 1770. The post Boswell: History Comes to Life, Juicily, in This Clever Bio-Play appeared first on Ne…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:00PM
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Kimberly Akimbo: A Doomed Teen Valiantly Seizes the Day by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ The last chapter in a young girl's abbreviated life proves heartwarmingly hilarious The post Kimberly Akimbo: A Doomed Teen Valiantly Seizes the Day appeared first on New Yor…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:52PM
Monday, November 7, 2022

Only Gold: At Least the Dancing Shines by Sandy MacDonald

★★☆☆☆ Unimaginatively script aside, this rehashed fairy tale features some spectacular dancing. The post Only Gold: At Least the Dancing Shines appeared first on New York Stage Re…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:06PM
Sunday, November 6, 2022

You Will Get Sick: Laughter Laced with Malaise by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Playwright Noah Diaz probes one salient flaw in the human condition: mortality. The post You Will Get Sick: Laughter Laced with Malaise appeared first on New York Stage Revie…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:58PM
Thursday, November 3, 2022

ALMOST FAMOUS: ALMOST FABULOUS, BUT FLAWED by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Newcomer Casey Likes shines as a 15-year-old rock-journo wannabe, growing up fast in 1973. The post ALMOST FAMOUS: ALMOST FABULOUS, BUT FLAWED appeared first on New York Sta…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:53PM
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Year of Magical Thinking: Kathleen Chalfant Brings Joan Didion Back to Life by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Portraying the acclaimed late author, an equally celebrated actor acclimates us to the inevitability of loss. The post The Year of Magical Thinking: Kathleen Chalfant Brings …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 12:01PM
Sunday, October 30, 2022

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE: THE TITLE IS PERHAPS ALL TOO APT by Sandy MacDonald

★★☆☆☆ Jim Parsons puts in minimal effort in portraying a driven, passionate "nobody." The post A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE: THE TITLE IS PERHAPS ALL TOO APT appeared first on New York S…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 05:58PM
Thursday, October 27, 2022

The Unbelieving: Agnostics Anonymous — Renegade Preachers Confess Their Doubts by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Has God left the building? Nine religious professionals, of varied faiths, suspect that the party may be over. The post The Unbelieving: Agnostics Anonymous — Renegade Prea…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:51PM
Saturday, October 22, 2022

Montag: A Female Odd Couple Sits Out a Crisis by Sandy MacDonald

★★★☆☆ Two women barricade themselves against the outside world and seek refuge in one another's company. The post Montag: A Female Odd Couple Sits Out a Crisis appeared first on Ne…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:55PM
Friday, October 21, 2022

F*ck7thGrade: Singer/songwriter Jill Sobule recalls that trying time by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Relive the agonies of your first romantic entanglements -- prompted by an extraordinarily honest and insightful sympathizer. The post F*ck7thGrade: Singer/songwriter Jill Sob…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:00PM
Thursday, October 20, 2022

Topdog/Underdog: Keep your eye on the winner — but which? by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★★ It's a story as old as Cain and Abel, but Suzan-Lori Parks made it contemporary and compelling -- a neo-classic. The post Topdog/Underdog: Keep your eye on the winner — but…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:54PM
Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Chester Bailey: A Civilian Casualty of World War II by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ Reed and Ephraim Birney (father and son) recreate a doctor-patient relationship from 1945 that delivers equal parts shock and awe. The post Chester Bailey: A Civilian Casualt…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:00PM
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Wuthering Heights: Happily a Bit Extra by Sandy MacDonald

★★★★☆ The course of true love endures some rough -- but riveting -- turns in Emma Rice's imaginative musical rendering. The post Wuthering Heights: Happily a Bit Extra appeared fir…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:00PM
Monday, October 3, 2022

Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge: Verbatim but disembodied by Sandy MacDonald

★★☆☆☆ Why flatten the affect of two powerful orators? Baldwin's points bear repeating; Buckley's condescension rankles as ever. The post Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge: Verbatim …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 06:30PM

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
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 15, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
TBA: Titanic