All stories by Ja on BroadwayStars

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah to step down as Young Vic artistic director by Naomi Clarke and Jabed Ahmed

Kwame Kwei-Armah became first African-Caribbean director to lead a major British theatre when he took over from David Lan in 2018

SOURCE: The Independent at 08:36AM
Friday, January 26, 2024

Leading Museums Remove Native Displays Amid New Federal Rules by Julia Jacobs and Zachary Small

The American Museum of Natural History is closing two major halls as museums around the nation respond to updated policies from the Biden administration.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:00AM
Friday, January 5, 2024

TV tonight: Sarah Millican’s new standup is foul-mouthed but hilarious by Hollie Richardson, Graeme Virtue, Alexi Duggins, Jack Seale and Simon Wardell

Who else could wring humour out of getting a smear test? Plus: wild childhood pets and more on Would I Lie to You? Here’s what to watch this evening Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:32AM
Monday, January 1, 2024
Friday, October 13, 2023

Review: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s "Mrs. Christie" by Heidi Armbruster: A Page-Turner for the Stage by Lynnette Jackson and Jack Marquez

Agatha Christie takes center stage in a can’t-miss Theatreworks SIlicon Valley production written by Heidi Armbruster and directed by Giovanna Sardelli, "Mrs. Christie" deftly weaves toget…

SOURCE: splashmags.com at 11:02AM
Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Flying High at the Beach: Birds, Dancers, Michelson and Merce by Gia Kourlas and Amir Hamja

This year, Beach Sessions pairs an adaptation of Merce Cunningham’s “Beach Birds” with a response by the choreographer Sarah Michelson.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:05AM
Friday, June 23, 2023

Sales floor Stockholm syndrome by Kerry Reid and Dan Jakes

Remote work, for those fortunate enough to enjoy it, has killed off many aspects of professional life that were long overdue to be put down: Agonizing commutes. $18 cafeteria salads. Ramblin…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 10:37AM
Monday, June 5, 2023

39 Tony-Nominated Performers on Why They Act: ‘It’s Intoxicating’ by Thea Traff, Michael Paulson, Julia Jacobs and Amanda Webster

Each year we photograph Tony nominees, and talk with them about their craft. This year we focused on actors.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18AM
Monday, May 29, 2023

Encore! Surefire shows returning for the Edinburgh festival in 2023 by Chris Wiegand, Anya Ryan, Brian Logan, Mark Fisher, Kate Wyver, Arifa Akbar and David Jays

In the run-up to the festival, our writers will choose new productions that have caught their eye – but here’s a selection of those we’ve already reviewed Richard Marsh has clearly see…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:24AM
Thursday, May 4, 2023

As the world awaits a coronation, we honor the many kings of St. Louis by Valerie Schremp Hahn, Ian Froeb and Jane Henderson St. Louis Post-Dispatch

From Kingshighway to King Louis to the King Burger to the King of Beers to a visit in 1977 from the future king himself, we bow down to our own royalty.

SOURCE: St. Louis Today at 12:00PM
Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The reverend and rabbi who consulted on Broadway’s ‘Parade’ reflect on their experience this season by The Rev. Dr. jacqui Lewis and Rabbi Joshua Stanton

A reverend and a rabbi walk into a Broadway show. The cast and crew are offstage, grappling beautifully with questions of identity, exclusion and the ongoing struggle against white supremacy…

SOURCE: Broadway News Subscription at 11:57PM
Sunday, March 5, 2023

Tennessee Law Limiting ‘Cabaret’ Shows Raises Uncertainty About Drag Events by Rick Rojas, Emily Cochrane, Ava Sasani and Michael Paulson

The measure is part of a wave of legislation by conservative lawmakers across the country against drag performances. Many are wondering how it will be applied.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:52AM
Monday, January 23, 2023

Introducing the ‘Muskologue’: Some of Elon Musk’s most outlandish tweets — turned into theater by Cassidy Brown and Lily Janiak

Elon Musk's Twitter feed is absurdist theater, so we hired a local actor to perform it as a monologue.

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle at 07:00AM
Sunday, January 22, 2023

“Sonne, los jetzt!”: Elfriede Jelinek’s Reversed Heliotropism for the End Times by Zainabu Jallo and Toni Hildebrandt

Sonne, los jetzt!, Elfriede Jelinek’s new theater piece, is imperative with an unknown addressee. Is it the Sun or humanity that needs to make a change? Obviously, this is a first of many …

SOURCE: thetheatretimes.com at 11:40AM
Friday, November 25, 2022

Technology in S.F.’s ‘Frozen’ reduces musicians in live performances, but at what cost to audiences? by Lily Janiak and Joshua Kosman

KeyComp could make it possible for a single synthesizer player to replicate the sound of a large orchestra with unprecedented flexibility.

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle at 07:00AM
Saturday, November 12, 2022

New play puts phở center-stage in a centuries-long cultural appropriation debate by Soleil Ho and Lily Janiak

On one downtown Berkeley block, phở is both dinner and theater for two Chronicle critics.

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle at 02:07PM
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Tuesday, September 27, 2022

The Reader’s guide to World Music Festival Chicago 2022 by Philip Montoro, Leslie Allison, Leor Galil, Aaron Cohen, Jamie Ludwig, Sandra Treviño, Catalina Maria Johnson, Monica Kendrick, Joshua Minsoo Kim, James Porter, Hannah Edgar, Steve Krakow, Bill Meyer, Jacob Arnold, Noah Berlatsky, Kelley Tatro and Mark G

The term “world music” has never been adequate to the task we’ve set it—even in its most benign reading, it implies a division between the listener and the rest of […] The post The…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 09:15PM
Friday, September 23, 2022

Is Little Amal Getting Lost in New York? by Laura Collins-Hughes and Amir Hamja

The hottest celebrity in town right now is an enchanting 12-foot-tall Syrian refugee puppet. She’s drawing masses of admirers, but that’s not always a good thing.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:37PM
Thursday, September 1, 2022

At Lincoln Center, Addicted to Swing and Back on the Dance Floor by Julia Jacobs, Rachel Sherman and Evelyn Freja

After a pandemic hiatus, dancing under the stars has returned, uniting old friends and acquaintances.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:39AM
Sunday, August 21, 2022

Live Performance Is Back. But Audiences Have Been Slow to Return. by Michael Paulson and Javier C. Hernández

Attendance lagged in the comeback season, as the challenges posed by the coronavirus persisted. Presenters hope it was just a blip.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:33PM
Thursday, August 18, 2022

Why comedian Grace Campbell refuses to be silenced about sex – podcast by Presented By Nosheen Iqbal With Grace Campbell; Produced By Natalie Ktena and Rudi Zygadlo; Executive Producers Nicole Jackson, Elizabeth Cassin and Joshua Kelly

Comedian Grace Campbell on why after being raped last year, she worried that her openness about her sex life would be used against her Grace Campbell, comedian and author of Amazing Disgrace…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:33PM
Thursday, July 28, 2022

Photos: 2022 Chicago Pride Parade by Salem Collo-Julin and Michael Jackson

In late June, the Chicago Pride Parade returned to its in-person glory after two years of delay and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of people headed for the north side …

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 04:33PM
Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Amar Ramasar Leaves City Ballet, but Plans to Keep Balanchine Close by Julia Jacobs and Rachel Sherman

The ballet star discusses what’s next in his first interview since he won his job with the company back after a nude photo sharing scandal.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:11PM
Monday, May 16, 2022

Revenge is sweet: the music, TV and theatre about getting your own back by Jason Okundaye, Jessica Kiang, Miriam Gillinson, Hugh Morris and Sam Jordison

From Shakespeare’s dithering Dane to Desperate Housewives’ steely-eyed Bree, our critics serve up the coldest revenge dishes In Desperate Housewives, when her gay son, Andrew, sleeps wit…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:54AM
Tuesday, May 3, 2022

A Dancer’s Farewell, Not as Choreographed by Julia Jacobs and Zachary Small

Abi Stafford Lillo left City Ballet amid a family feud and a dispute over whether a choreographer had body-shamed her or she lacked the strength to dance her final role.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:00AM
Monday, April 4, 2022

Talkin' Broadway Review: "Paradise Square" 4/3/22 by Ja

While the newest iteration gives proof to the old adage that bigger isn't necessarily better, Paradise Square, with its thrilling vocals, virtuosic choreography, and brash declaration of Ame…

SOURCE: TalkinBroadway at 08:58PM
Thursday, December 30, 2021

13 Seattle-area arts-and-culture events to look forward to in 2022 by Brendan Kiley, Michael Rietmulder, Moira Macdonald and Janet I. Tu

Fingers crossed and fervent wishes sent for the end of the pandemic, here are some of the arts-and-culture events we're looking forward to in the new year, from a Billie Eilish concert to na…

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 09:00AM
Saturday, November 27, 2021

Praise for Stephen Sondheim at ‘Company’ and ‘Assassins' by Matt Stevens, Sadiba Hasan and Julia Jacobs

“I would ask you to sit back and luxuriate in his extraordinary words and music,” the director John Doyle said before Friday’s performance of the “Assassins” revival.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:32AM
Friday, November 26, 2021

Stephen Sondheim Tributes Pour In From Stars by Scott Heller and Julia Jacobs

Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters, Andrew Lloyd Webber and others mourned and celebrated the essential composer and lyricist, who died at 91.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:06PM
Monday, September 27, 2021

For a Broadway Torn by a Pandemic, a Split-Personalities Tonys by Jesse Green, Elisabeth Vincentelli and James Poniewozik

The streaming part of the ceremony actually did a better job conveying the electricity of being in a theater than the CBS special billed as “Broadway’s Back!”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:18PM

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