SEEING IRELAND: STAGING A CULTURAL COUP IN PARIS 100 YEARS AGO by Robert Shuman

(Billy Shortall’s and Ciarin O’Neill’s article appeared in The Iris Times, 1/26/2022; Photo: Delegates to the World Congress of the Irish Race led by Katherine Hughes, Mary MacSwiney, …

‘COMPULSION’ FOLLOWS THE JOURNEY OF ANNE FRANK’S DIARY FROM THE PAGE TO THE STAGE, WITH MARIONETTES by Robert Shuman

(Celia Wren’s article appeared in The Washington Post, 1/25. Playwright Rinne B. Groff’s semi-fictional tale follows the struggle to turn the Holocaust diary into a stage production. A m…

BRITAIN’S INDIFFERENCE TO MOLIÈRE’S 400TH IS NO SURPRISE BUT IT’S STILL SHAMEFUL by Robert Shuman

(Michael Billington’s article appeared in the Guardian, 1/18; via Pam Green; Photo:  Agile update … Keira Knightley and Damian Lewis in Martin Crimp’s 2009 version of The Misanthrope …

THE MANY VISIONS OF LORRAINE HANSBERRY by Robert Shuman

(Blair McClendon’s article appeared in The New Yorker, 1/17/22; Photo:  With “A Raisin in the Sun,” Hansberry became an emblem of American progress. Photograph by David Attie / Getty.…

‘IT TOOK FOUR MEN AND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO GET THE TIGER OFF HIM’: THE TRAGEDY OF VEGAS MAGICIANS SIEGFRIED AND ROY by Robert Shuman

(Alexi Duggins’s article appeared in the Guardian, 1/17; ‘No one has ever properly examined their story – or the attack – in depth’ … Siegried, left, and Roy onstage with one of …

O’NEILL’S ‘A TOUCH OF THE POET’ COMING TO IRISH REP, 2/26-4/17 (NY) by Robert Shuman

  A TOUCH OF THE POET on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage By Eugene O’Neill Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly With Belle Aykroyd, Robert Cuccioli, Kate Forbes, Mary McCann, Andy Murra…

MOLIÈRE AT 400 by Robert Shuman

(FRANCE IN FOCUS © FRANCE 24 By: Monte FRANCIS|Stéphanie CHEVAL|Camille FEVRIER|Sonia BARITELLO/ France24; Photo: Photograph: Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy.)  He’s known as the …

LIZA MINNELLI–WITH JANE PAULEY ON CBS by Robert Shuman

(via Pam Green; Photo: Frank Beacham’s Journal.) The legendary Liza Minnelli The EGOT-winning entertainer sits down with “Sunday Morning” host Jane Pauley, and with her friend and acco…

EVERY BRILLIANT THING REVIEW: A MAGICAL, UPLIFTING SHOW (IRELAND) by Robert Shuman

(Sara keating’s article appeared in the Irish Times, 1/13; photo: With an implacable smile, Conroy encourages and supports even the most reluctant of audience members to join her on stage.…

PARIS’S ‘HOUSE OF MOLIÈRE’ WISHES HAPPY 400TH BIRTHDAY TO FRENCH THEATRE LEGEND by Robert Shuman

(Laura Cappelle’s article appeared in the Guardian, 1/10;  Gift for improvisation … painting of Molière reading from Tartuffe at the home of Ninon de L’Enclos. Photograph: Heritage …

JULIAN FELLOWES TURNS HALF A SIXPENCE REWRITE KIPPS INTO WINNING FUN by Robert Shuman

(Michael Billington’s article appeared in the Guardisn 12/30; via Pam Green; Photo:  Comic parable … Charlie Stemp in the title role of Kipps: the New Half a Sixpence Musical. Photogra…

SIDNEY POITIER, WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR BLACK ACTORS IN FILM, DIES AT 94 by Robert Shuman

(William Grimes’s article appeared in The New York Times, 1/7/22; via Pam Green; Photo: Sidney Poitier’s Academy Award for the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field” made him the first Blac…

PETER BOGDANOVICH, NEW HOLLYWOOD AUTEUR OF ‘PAPER MOON,’ ‘LAST PICTURE SHOW,’ DEAD AT 82 by Robert Shuman

(Jon Blistein’s article appeared in Rolling Stone, 1/6;  Photo: American director and screenwriter Peter Bogdanovich, UK, 20th February 1973. He directed the film ‘Paper Moon’ that ye…

LOSING IT ALL, ON BROADWAY by Robert Shuman

(Sheelah Kolhatkar’s article appeared in the New Yorker, 1/3 and 1/10; illustration of Joshua Boone by João Fazenda.) The cast of “Skeleton Crew,” Dominique Morisseau’s play about B…

CONSTANT STANISLAVSKI (130) by Robert Shuman

The words and wisdom of Constantin Stanislavski: A work of art born on the stage lives only for a moment, and no matter how beautiful it may be it cannot be commanded to stay with us. (MLIA)

ONE OF FRANCE’S MOST SUCCESSFUL MUSICALS, “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS,” HEADS TO BROADWAY! by Robert Shuman

(via The  Culture  News Agency, www.theculturenews.com ) France’s The Ten Commandments, (Les Dix Commandements) announces its upcoming U.S premiere—and  releases its first single in …

FRITZ LANG (BBC RADIO, IN OUR TIME) by Robert Shuman

Listen Released On: 30 Dec 2021 Available for over a year Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Austrian-born film director Fritz Lang (1890-1976), who was one of the most celebrated film-make…

‘THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH’ FROM JOEL COEN by Robert Shuman

(Odie Henderson’s article appeared on Roger Ebert.com 12/23; via Pam Green; photo: Roger Ebert.com) My high school senior year English teacher, Mr. Kilinski would be proud that I remember…

LET’S PLAY BEAT THE BARD (44) by Robert Shuman

Can you beat the Bard? Questions by Joyce E. Henry, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

LET’S PLAY BEAT THE BARD (44) by Robert Shuman

BROADWAY’S ‘THE MUSIC MAN’ HALTS SHOWS AFTER HUGH JACKMAN TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 by Robert Shuman

(from Breitbart; Photo:  Phil Walter/Getty Images.) Dec. 28 (UPI) — Actor Hugh Jackman announced Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19, as his Broadway show, The Music Man, cancele…

‘THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN’ AND ‘WAITRESS’ GO DARK ON BROADWAY AMID OMICRON by Robert Shuman

(Jesse O’Neill’s article appeared in the New York Post, 12/24;  via Drudge Report; Photo: “Thoughts of a Colored Man” will not resume after its performing shows last week.John Nacio…

THREE SHORT COMEDIES BY SEÁN O’CASEY: SCATHING, WILDLY ENTERTAINING COMMENTARIES ON THE NEW IRISH STATE by Robert Shuman

(Ciara L. Murphy’s article appeared in the Irish Times, 12/20.) Under Garry Hynes’ direction, Druid bring a wide and eccentric range of characters to life THREE SHORT COMEDIES BY SEÁN O…

‘THE MUSIC MAN’ ONCE HAD A DISABLED CHARACTER. THEN HE WAS ERASED. by Robert Shuman

(Amanda Morris’s article appeared in The New York Times, 12/15/21; via Pam Green; Photo:  Michael Phelan as Winthrop Paroo and Rebecca Luker as Marian Paroo in a 2000 revival of “The Mu…

RADIO CITY ROCKETTES CHRISTMAS SHOWS CANCELED DUE TO COVID OUTBREAK—‘HAMILTON’ CANCELED by Robert Shuman

(Luke Funk’s article appeared on Fox5 New York.) NEW YORK – The Radio City Rockettes are canceling their entire 2021 season due to COVID-19 cases. “We regret that we are unable to co…

‘HANGING ON BY OUR FINGERTIPS’: THEATRES FEAR OMICRON’S IMPACT ON FESTIVE SEASON by Robert Shuman

(Chris Wiegand’s article appeared in the Guardian 12/16;  via Pam Green; Photo: The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is the Christmas show at the Bridge the…

TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE OF TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL CANCELED DUE TO POSITIVE COVID TESTS RESULTS IN THE COMPANY by Robert Shuman

(Chloe Rabinowitz’s article appeared in the NY Post, 12/16.) Performances are scheduled to resume on Friday, December 17. Tonight’s performance of TINA – THE Tina Turner MUSICAL (Thu…

YOU IMMEDIATELY TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO CANCEL THEIR TICKETS’ – WHAT’S IT LIKE TO STAR IN A FLOP? by Robert Shuman

(Mark Lawson’s article appeared in the Guardian 12/16; Photo: ‘I miscalculated’ … Ken Stott in The Prince’s Play, which Richard Eyre put on at the National. Photograph: Tristram K…

NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATE: THE WORLD HAS FALLEN OUT OF LOVE FOR DEMOCRACY AND TURNED TO DICTATORSHIP by Robert Shuman

(from JAMnews, 12/14; Photo: Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta. Photo: “Novaya Gazeta”) Russian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dmitry Muradov Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief …

THE FOREMOST CHALLENGE FACING WESTERN DEMOCRACIES by Robert Shuman

(Chilton Williamson Jr.’s article appeared in the Spectator, 12/1; Photo: Sobran’s.) A few philosophers since ancient Greece have been wise, scarcely any humble. None at all, to my knowl…

LINA WERTMÜLLER: A THRILLING LIVE-WIRE WHO DISPLAYED A COLOSSAL BLACK-COMIC DARING   by Robert Shuman

(Peter Bradshaw’s article appeared in the Guardian, 12/9; Photo: Mordant and subversive … Lina Wertmüller. Photograph: Camilla Morandi/AGF/REX/Shutterstock.) Lina Wertmüller dies aged …