All stories by David Kaufman on BroadwayStars

Monday, November 22, 2021

Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord  by David Kaufman

But of course, looks are famously and frequently deceptive, if not all the time. Indeed,"Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overload" emerges as one of the most serious-minded plays of all, as it sur…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:17PM
Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Chasing Jack by David Kaufman

“Simon says let the games begin,” and so they do, at the opening of "Chasing Jack," a new play by John S Anastasi, M.D. As directed by Peter J Loewy, "Chasing Jack" is a smart and reward…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:08AM
Friday, September 24, 2021

Neal Brennan: Unacceptable by David Kaufman

If a hallmark of our best stand-up comics is that he or she is unique—think of Whoopi Goldberg, Jackie Mason and Lenny Bruce—a relative newcomer named Neal Brennan belongs in their compa…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:46PM
Sunday, September 19, 2021

Pass Over by David Kaufman

The spartan set design by Wilson Chin features a large tin can, a tall streetlamp, a very large tire, a milk crate, and a high basketball net. The first two actors, Jon Michael Hill (as Mose…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:51PM
Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Mandela by David Kaufman

Nelson Mandela’s inestimable value to humanity in general and to the abolishment of apartheid in particular cannot be thoroughly assessed or overestimated, nor are they in a new play that …

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:19PM
Saturday, March 7, 2020

Incantata by David Kaufman

Some books and movies and poems do not lend themselves to theatricalization, and that’s certainly the case with "Incantata," which is currently being given its American premiere at the Iri…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:25AM
Wednesday, February 19, 2020

The Confession of Lily Dare by David Kaufman

The inestimable Charles Busch has come up with something of a dud, as well as redundant, with his latest play, "The Confession of Lily Dare." Even its title leaves a lot to be desired. Base…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:49PM
Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Frankenstein by David Kaufman

If it sounds challenging to do a two-performer version of "Frankenstein," it proves just that in the current production at the CSC, being performed in repertory with a new stage version of "…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:29AM
Monday, February 17, 2020

The Sabbath Girl by David Kaufman

The trite set-up makes all of the characters one-dimensional, with the Jewish Seth a “knish maker” and shop owner on “Hester Street, Angie groping to find herself--not to mention a par…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:19PM
Saturday, January 25, 2020

How to Load a Musket by David Kaufman

An essay more than a play, with players as opposed to characters, "How to Load a Musket" is a racist diatribe that fails to make its points coherently. The costumes and appointments on the w…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 04:19PM
Monday, October 21, 2019

The White Chip by David Kaufman

Written by Sean Daniels, "The White Chip" is reportedly an autobiographical play, directed with an earnest finesse by Sheryl Kaller who sometimes has difficulty keeping her three different p…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:41PM
Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Bad News! i was there… by David Kaufman

The latest offering by JoAnne Akalaitis, "Bad News! i was there…" is something of a misnomer, since none of us was there for the “bad news” of the ancient Greeks, which is what Akalai…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:04PM
Thursday, September 26, 2019

Betrayal by David Kaufman

Imported from London and directed with finesse by Jamie Lloyd, Tom Hiddleston (Robert), Zawe Ashton (Emma), and Charlie Cox (Jerry), all making their Broadway debuts, are practically choreog…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:59PM
Friday, August 2, 2019

Two’s a Crowd by David Kaufman

Co-written by and starring Rita Rudner (who is not only a playwright and performer but also an author, film writer, producer and director, with many TV appearances to her credit), "Two’s a…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:32PM
Friday, July 26, 2019

“the way she spoke” by David Kaufman

Written by Isaac Gomez, who lives across the border in El Paso, Texas, "the way she spoke" is a one-woman show that fails to speak to us: it’s performed by Mexican film star Kate del Casti…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:49PM
Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Julie Madly Deeply by David Kaufman

Andrews’ worldwide success with the films "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" is well represented here, as is the Broadway musical that established her in the first place, "My Fair Lad…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:54PM
Saturday, June 15, 2019

Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune by David Kaufman

Given references to "Prizzi’s Honor," "Looking for Mr. Goodbar, " Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond, and VCRs, the otherwise effective revival of "Frankie and Johnny"--now on Broadway at th…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:45PM
Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Posting Letters to the Moon by David Kaufman

The epistolary "Posting Letters to the Moon" may, on the face of it, make one think of A. R. Gurney’s "Love Letters" or Helene Hanff’s "84 Charing Cross Road. "But unlike those two memor…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:40PM
Friday, May 3, 2019

Ink by David Kaufman

In the final analysis, "Ink" is too swift and too slick for its own good--or should I say, for our good? Even if you know some of the details it traffics in, they zoom by at such a rapid cli…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 04:03PM
Sunday, April 28, 2019

Burn This by David Kaufman

For one thing, it takes far too long for Pale, Wilson’s most outrageous and flamboyant creation, to arrive on the scene. (Malkovitch was Pale in the original production and Adam Driver is …

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 05:05PM
Thursday, April 18, 2019

White Noise by David Kaufman

After she won the Pulitzer Prize for "Topdog/Underdog," one approached a new play by Suzan-Lori Parks with great expectations--expectations that are strongly rewarded by her latest work, "Wh…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 01:33PM
Wednesday, April 10, 2019

I Carry Your Heart by David Kaufman

Though playwright Kelly strives for poetry at times--in addition to that last quote, consider Josh’s mother calling him a “terminal optimist” and also learning that the play’s title …

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 05:58PM
Saturday, April 6, 2019

The Cradle Will Rock by David Kaufman

Many of Blitzstein’s melodic tunes are plunked out on the piano by several of the players at various points. But the fault is not only due to Doyle’s direction: what’s missing from Bli…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:58PM
Friday, March 29, 2019

Kiss Me, Kate by David Kaufman

While many of the greats have tackled Kate over the years ever since it premiered in 1948, O’Hara brings a subdued charm to the usually more boisterous part of Lilli, even if she is positi…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:39PM
Thursday, March 7, 2019

Hurricane Diane by David Kaufman

Some plays are simply too complicated for their own good, defying comprehension. This is certainly the case with Madeleine George’s "Hurricane Diane," in which the God Dionysus or Bacchus,…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 01:56PM
Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Merrily We Roll Along by David Kaufman

Usually considered one of Sondheim’s lesser musicals, albeit with one of his best scores--and needless to say, that’s saying a lot--this production provides a heft and a story that are s…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:45PM
Monday, February 18, 2019

The Waiting Game by David Kaufman

Welcome to "The Waiting Game," a play by Charles Gershman, which has the makings for a meaningful drama, but never really amounts to much. A large part of the problem is the nondescript and …

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 04:15PM
Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Mies Julie by David Kaufman

Yaël Farber’s adaptation of Strindberg’s classic "Miss Julie," "Mies Julie" shifts the scene and setting from 1880’s Sweden to the Karoo in South Africa on Freedom Day in 2012--or the…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:49PM
Wednesday, February 6, 2019

True West by David Kaufman

Having seen it at least four times before, I can say with certainty that Sam Shepard’s "True West" (1980) is a firm and solid play: a play to be pondered both while you’re watching it an…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 04:30PM
Thursday, January 24, 2019

Trick or Treat by David Kaufman

The lit pumpkin on a ledge in the living room aptly suits the title of "Trick or Treat," a new play by Jack Neary. But despite the skeleton positioned on yet another shelf, the play’s titl…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:25AM
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Choir Boy by David Kaufman

Now playing at the MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway, "Choir Boy" is set at The Charles R Drew Preparatory School for Boys, a Catholic academy for young men of color. Written by…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 01:06PM

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