Hundred Days Shows the Power of Love by Bill Hirschman

By Oline H. Cogdill Love—no matter how strong, how all-encompassing, how overwhelming—can never last forever, even if we are sure it will. Death, a forced separation, a mental breakdown�…

People You Should Know . . . Lauren O'Brien by Zack Calhoon

(Photo by Becky Yee) Lauren O’Brien has performed regionally in To Kill a Mockingbird (Mayella), Angels in America (Harper), A Wrinkle in Time (Mrs. Whatsit), and The Odyssey (Athena), am…

Sweet 15 My Quinceañera!: Sweet and Whacky by Bill Hirschman

by Raquel V. Reyes Sweet 15 My Quinceañera!, written and directed by award-winning screenwriter Rick Najera, is billed as an interactive comedic experience. Although it doesn’t fully live…

PHOTOS: ‘LITTLE WOMEN’ AT THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM, HO-HO-KUS, N.J. by Robert Shuman

(From the production, Saturday & Sunday, July 20th & 21st, 2024; credit: Frank Farrell.) QR Code for Little Women program:

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST'S A TO Z: W for Natasha Diamond-WALKER and Omari WILES by The Dance Enthusiast

As Broadway ticket prices hit amazing new highs in July 2024: Some of our parodies of premium prices by Fred Landau

Broadway ticket prices hit a new high ($1400 - that was for EACH ticket) in July 2024.  And that's buying from the box office, not scalpers.  To either celebrate or commiserate, depending…

Take a Ride on A Streetcar Named Desire With the New City Players by Bill Hirschman

  By Britin Haller Arguably one of the greatest dramatic play in American theatrical history, and certainly of its time, A Streetcar Named Desire has rolled onto the Island City Stage with …

RICHARD EYRE:  THE PLAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: ‘COMEDIANS GOT ME THE JOB RUNNING THE NATIONAL THEATRE’ by Robert Shuman

(Eyre’s article appeared in the Guardian, 7/17; as told to Lindesay Irvine. Photo: Jimmy Jewel, Dave Hill and Jonathan Pryce in Comedians at the National Theatre in 1975. Photograph: Dona…

CARYL CHURCHILL: ‘LOVE AND INFORMATION’ (LISTEN NOW ON BBC RADIO DRAMA ON 3) by Robert Shuman

Love and Information Listen  Drama on 3 The first audio production of Caryl Churchill’s insightful drama about human relationships in the post-information age. Love and Information is a v…

Hispanic Theater Fest Of Miami Has Everything From Dramas To Mime To Musical by Bill Hirschman

“Celestina,” written by David Piccotto and Julieta Daga (Argentina), will be performed July 26, 27 and 28 at the Carnival Studio Theater at the Adrienne Arsht Center. (Photo: byJuan Pabl…

‘LITTLE WOMEN’ AT THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM, HO-HO-KUS, N.J.: THE PLAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 20TH & 21ST, 2024 7PM by Robert Shuman

Visit The Hermitage Directions to The Hermitage 335 North Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423 From Rt. 17: Take the Hollywood Avenue exit. Bear left after exiting, following signs for Th…

Happy Fourth of July by Jan Simpson

 Wishing you a thoroughly festive holiday

Why "Empire" Failed to Win My Allegiance by Jan Simpson

Those of us who love musicals root hard for each new one that comes along. And we root extra hard when we know that a new creative team is getting its first big break or that the show is bas…

Trying to "glom on" to the Mary Todd Lincoln frenzy on Broadway, re-booting our channel's "Mary Song" by Fred Landau

Trying to "glom on" to the current Mary Todd Lincoln frenzy on Broadway, re-booting our YouTube channel's "Mary Song"   So in parody-tribute to "Oh, Mary!" - cheering on all the Marys in d…

ANNA DEAVERE SMITH/ ‘THIS GHOST OF SLAVERY’: A SOLO READING by Robert Shuman

(Premiered Jul 8, 2024; Illustration: The Atlantic) Anna Deavere Smith Listen Award-winning actress, playwright, and professor Anna Deavere Smith explores performance as a way of knowing in …

HOMEGROWN SHAKESPEARE: ‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’ (RIVER’S EDGE THEATRE CO) by Robert Shuman

HOMEGROWN SHAKESPEARE: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Directed by Jessica Irons Shakespeare never looked so sustainable! Earth conscious actors are assigned their roles 30 days before the perfo…

RUSSIA AIMING TO DESTROY UKRAINE’S CULTURAL IDENTITY by Robert Shuman

(Jason Jay Smart’s article appeared in the Kyiv Post, 7/7.) Incredibly, due to years of Russian occupation, many Ukrainian soldiers do not recognize some of the “classic” Ukrainian son…

As the great Imelda Staunton starts HELLO DOLLY in London, recalling her "scorching Momma Rose" in GYPSY by Fred Landau

 As the great Imelda Staunton takes on HELLO DOLLY in London This parody was of Imelda Staunton's "scorching Momma Rose" in GYPSY: SOME ROSES parody to "Some People" ("Some Roses have pass…

CATS: LET THE MEMORY BE FORGOT by Peter Filichia

Well, they do say that cats have nine lives … so why shouldn’t the musical? Theatrically speaking, the first life...Continue Reading The post CATS: LET THE MEMORY BE FORGOT appeared firs…

O, CANADA! THE BARD IS RIBBED AND REVERED AT ONTARIO’S STRATFORD FESTIVAL by Robert Shuman

(Chris Wiegand’s article appeared in the Guardian, 6/28; Photo: God, I hate Shakespeare … Mark Uhre as Nick Bottom in Something Rotten! Photograph: Ann Baggley.) The side-splitting Some…

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WORLD’S BIGGEST THEATRE FESTIVAL by Robert Shuman

(Eve Jackson’s, Olivia Salazar-Winspear’s, Marion Cheval’s, Natacha Milleret’s , Solène Clausse’s, and Magali Faure’s report appeared on France24, 7/4/2024.) Culture reporter Ol…

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY, 7/2/2024 by Robert Shuman

On 7/2/2024, Director Frank Farrell and playwright Bob Shuman went for a 1:00pm meeting with Dream Up Festival director, Michael Scott-Price, at Theater for the New City (TNC) to have a walk…

People You Should Know . . . Dillon John Collins by Zack Calhoon

Dillon John Collins is proud to once again work with director and mentor Thomas G. Waites on Much Ado About Nothing which is currently running at the landmark Gene Frankel Theatre. Their la…

ISMAIL KADARE, GIANT OF ALBANIAN LITERATURE, DIES AGED 88 by Robert Shuman

(Richard Lea’s article appeared in the Guardian, 7/1;  Photo: Ismail Kadare, pictured in 2005. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian.) His allegorical stories, informed by life under st…

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Candace Thompson-Zachery About the Vital Role of Dance/NYC in the Future of the Dance Industry by The Dance Enthusiast

"We wanted an easy way for people to talk about the issues and take tangible actions to build that vision, and so we bucketed the issues into three areas. One speaks to the fact that dance w…

IMPRESSIOS: Introdans presents "Energy" at The Joyce Theater by The Dance Enthusiast

"Artistic Director Roel Voorinthalt wasn’t kidding when he titled his company’s return to The Joyce Theater after more than a decade “Energy.” High-octane and dynamic, Introdans thri…

For Pride Parade Day: reprising “I’m Still Queer” - Michael Musto in the Voice called it a "Hilarious Gay Spoof of 'I'm Still Here'" by Fred Landau

 For Gay Pride Parade Day:   This was my “I’m Still Queer” -a  parody-tribute of Stephen Sondheim's “I’m Still Here” looking at four decades of New York City theatergoing  ht…

People You Should Know . . . Kaitlyn Mitchell by Zack Calhoon

Kaitlyn Mitchell is thrilled to be playing her dream Shakespearean heroine role in Much Ado About Nothing. Theater credits include originating the Off-Broadway role of Bonnie in Teenagers…

People You Should Know . . . Jordan Elizabeth Gelber by Zack Calhoon

Jordan Elizabeth Gelber is a New York City-based actress, producer, and entrepreneur. An avid lover of the performing and creative arts, she’s grateful and honored to be playing Hero in M…

Theater Books for Summer Reading 2024 by Jan Simpson

Summer has come roaring in this year. Temperatures seem to be setting records everywhere, making many of us (O.K., me) want to kick back and chill out with a cold drink and a cool book. The …

DOUBLE BILL DEBUTS: DOGTEAM THEATRE OPENS WITH FORNÉS AND COLLIER (7/9-8/4) by Robert Shuman

(via David Gibbs, DARR Publicity) Dogteam Theatre Project launches its inaugural Off-Broadway season with two world premieres. “La Viuda,” by Cuban American pioneer María Irene Fornés,…