All stories by Jan Simpson on BroadwayStars

Saturday, October 29, 2011

"The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" isn't as Agonizing nor Ecstatic as it Aims to Be by Jan Simpson

Cynics have long said that dying young can be a career boost in show business.  But I doubt that even the most sardonic of them meant that the good fortune would redound on someone othe…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 09:40AM
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

"Milk Like Sugar" is a Bittersweet Treat by Jan Simpson

There’s an audience for Milk Like Sugar, the new play by Kirstin Greenidge that’s currently playing at Playwrights Horizons. But it's clearly not for everyone. About half way through thi…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 09:58AM
Saturday, October 22, 2011

Singing Hallelujah for "Sons of the Prophet" by Jan Simpson

The New York Times critic Charles Isherwood has declared that Stephen Karam’s new play Sons of the Prophet is “the first important new play of the fall season.” That’s quite a compli…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 09:00AM
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

"We Are Here" Ends Up Nowhere by Jan Simpson

It’s not every young playwright who makes her New York debut at the Manhattan Theatre Club.  Or who has that play directed by the hot- director-of-the-moment Sam Gold. Or designed by …

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:59AM
Saturday, October 15, 2011

"Man and Boy" Isn't Ballsy Enough by Jan Simpson

There are at least three obvious reasons that may have prompted the Roundabout Theatre Company to revive Man and Boy, the 1963 drama by the British playwright Terence Rattigan, which opened …

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 04:30PM
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

"The Lyons" Can't Roar Cause It's Toothless by Jan Simpson

People see plays for all kinds of reasons.  I was excited about The Lyons because I wanted to see what made Linda Lavin turn down chances to reprise her terrific performances in two hig…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:59AM
Saturday, October 8, 2011

Autumn, The Algonquin and Other Reveries by Jan Simpson

Not much seen this week—at least not that I can yet write about since I try to keep the opening night embargo that shows ask reviewers to observe.  Besides, it’s promising to be a b…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 09:03AM
Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Why "Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling" Flies by Jan Simpson

I’m going to be honest with you.  I had no idea what to make of Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling, the new Adam Rapp play that the Atlantic Theater Company, its own facilities under …

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:59AM
Saturday, October 1, 2011

A "Lemon Sky" That isn't Vivid Enough by Jan Simpson

Playwrights usually write memory plays at the beginning of their careers, as Tennessee Williams did with The Glass Menagerie and Dylan Thomas with Under Milk Wood. But Lanford Wilson already…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:59AM
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

"The Submission": Sound and Fury About Race by Jan Simpson

The producers of The Submission initially attempted to stir up buzz by suggesting that one character’s identity should be kept secret until people saw the play.  But they didn’t nee…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:57AM
Saturday, September 24, 2011

A "Follies" That Actually Earns Its Applause by Jan Simpson

Sweeney Todd may be Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece but Follies is his most beloved show. There have been at least a dozen major productions since this highly conceptual musical first debut…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:58AM
Saturday, September 17, 2011

Why "Sweet and Sad" Left Me Feeling Sour by Jan Simpson

They say that all politics is local.  But that doesn’t mean it has to be banal.  And, alas, the latter turns out to be the case with Sweet and Sad, the new play by Richard Nelson…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 11:43AM
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

"The Select" is Too Eclectic for Its Own Good by Jan Simpson

Cleverness can be its own curse.  Elevator Repair Service became a critics’ darling with Gatz, the experimental company’s dramatized reading of the full text of F. Scott Fitzgerald�…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:58AM
Saturday, September 10, 2011

My Annual Idiosyncratic Fall Theater Preview by Jan Simpson

This time of year is always bittersweet.  Labor Day has come and gone, which means that while summer doesn’t end until Sept. 23, the golden days of my favorite season are fast dwindli…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:58AM
Wednesday, September 7, 2011

"Completeness" is Chock Full of Smart Stuff by Jan Simpson

Everyone has their biases.  Mine is against what I’ve taken to calling yuppie tragedy: plays in which really great looking, really smart and usually really well-off people with really…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:57AM
Saturday, September 3, 2011

A Labor Day Ovation for All the Real Bit Players by Jan Simpson

My Labor Day weekend post is usually a salute to the people who work hard to make the shows we all love.  Past tributes have been to struggling playwrights and blue-collar actors. …

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:59AM
Saturday, August 27, 2011

Rent Needs More of a Renovation by Jan Simpson

Michael Greif is one of the reigning architects of new musicals. He helped to create Grey Gardens and Next to Normal. And, of course, he did the original production of Rent.  Still, I wish …

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 04:40PM

"Olive and the Bitter Herbs" isn't Tart Enough by Jan Simpson

Is there a perfect time to see a show?  Professional critics go to special press nights before a show opens so that they can tell the rest of us if it’s worth checking out. Those of u…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:58AM
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

"Chasing Heaven" Falls a Little Short of its Goal by Jan Simpson

Talent counts in the theater but luck matters too. There are nearly 200 shows in this summer’s  New York International Fringe Festival and the challenge for their creators is to find …

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:59AM
Saturday, August 20, 2011

"Death Takes a Holiday" Isn't Much Fun by Jan Simpson

Death was indeed on a holiday the first time I tried to see the new chamber musical Death Takes a Holiday that has been playing this summer at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Laura Pels T…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 10:58AM
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Why "HotelMotel" May Be Worth A Visit by Jan Simpson

While I may be an avid theatergoer, I’m not always the most adventurous.   I prefer narrative-driven pieces to experimental ones. I tend to like my theater on a traditional stage…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:57AM
Saturday, August 13, 2011

Tips on the Most Apt Apps for Theater Lovers by Jan Simpson

Like most new smartphone and tablet users, I’ve been loading up on apps since I got my iPad at the beginning of the summer. And, of course, I downloaded a bunch of theater-related ones.&nb…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:58AM
Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Broadway & Me on TDF Stages by Jan Simpson

I know this space has been quiet for a couple of weeks now.  But  I haven’t been entirely slothful.  And I’m delighted to be able to break my silence with the news that a …

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:53AM
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Shifting into Vacation Mode by Jan Simpson

The heat over the last few weeks has slowed everything down.  Including me.   And so, as I did around this time last year, I’m going to shift into vacation mode for the rest…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:25AM
Saturday, July 23, 2011

Joel Grey is Showcased in a Dual Role by Jan Simpson

Theater is such an integral a part of New York that it often overflows into other parts of city life. The windows of the big Fifth Avenue department store Lord & Taylor have recently pai…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:56AM
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

"Master Class" Has a Lesson in Grade-A Acting by Jan Simpson

Some of the people in the audience were as attention-worthy as those onstage the night my theatergoing buddy Bill and I saw Master Class, the revival of Terrence McNally’s love letter to t…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:56AM
Saturday, July 16, 2011

RSC's "Romeo and Juliet" is a Modern Romance by Jan Simpson

 Ever since Joe Papp first set up shop in the East River Park Amphitheater to put on a production of Julius Caesar back in 1956, Shakespeare has been synonymous with summer here in New…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:58AM
Wednesday, July 13, 2011

"Silence!" Sings a Funny but Familiar Tune by Jan Simpson

If you like camp, then you’re probably going to love Silence! The Musical, which just opened at Theatre 80 down in the East Village. The audience the night my theatergoing buddy Bill and I…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:20AM
Saturday, July 9, 2011

"Spider-Man" Continues to Dangle in Midair by Jan Simpson

Regular readers may have noticed that, until now, I’ve barely mentioned the words Spider-Man.  To be honest, what was there left to say?  But I have seen Spider-Man: Turn Off The…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 08:08AM
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

"Zarkana" is a Delighful Extravaganza by Jan Simpson

Get there early if you’re going to see Zarkana, the latest Cirque du Soleil production, which recently opened for a summer-long run at Radio City Music Hall. And make sure to take your cam…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:55AM
Saturday, July 2, 2011

Theater Books for Summer Reading 2011 by Jan Simpson

The thermometer has been hitting the 80s for weeks now and the summer solstice came almost a fortnight ago but the lazy days of summer officially begin this Fourth of July weekend.  Wor…

SOURCE: Broadway & Me at 07:55AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes 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