When director Jonathan Van Dyke first moved to New York in 1990, the hot show off-Broadway was Closer Than Ever, a revue of “the anguish, amazement and human comedy of contemporary living” by lyricist Richard Maltby Jr. and composer David Shire. Van Dyke has fond memories of its intricately personal story songs, so when MNM Theatre Company’s plans to produce Bye Bye Birdie … [Read more...]
Streaming theater abounds for us shut-ins
Chances are, if you are reading this, you are an avid fan of the arts and are going through withdrawal pains, since all area theaters, concert halls, performing arts centers and movie houses have been closed by the dreaded COVID-19. And although internet-streamed performances are a poor substitute for the live stuff, a lot of writers, actors, singers and assorted … [Read more...]
Sluggish pace mutes the laughs in MNM’s ‘Forum’
Stephen Sondheim was a mere 32 years old when the first show with his music and lyrics, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, opened on Broadway. A farce based on a convoluted storyline by the ancient Greek jokester Plautus, the audience-friendly musical has none of the psychological complexities that Sondheim would become known for, but plenty of his quirky melodies … [Read more...]
‘I Love You, You’re Perfect …,’ no better in update, but MNM performers make it work
A lot has changed in the past 22 years, and much has remained the same. Take, for instance, a modest musical revue about relationships, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, which opened off-Broadway in 1996 and ran 5,003 performances. Along the way, the show became an international hit too, translated into at least 17 languages and entertaining audiences in dozens … [Read more...]
MNM’s brings care, skill to edgy ‘Avenue Q’
As long as there is latent racism, widespread fixation on internet porn and young people stumped by their purpose in life – three subjects explored in bouncy, infectious songs – then Avenue Q, the adult Sesame Street-inspired show populated by puppets, will probably be around. And if it is produced with the care and skill that MNM Theatre Company brings to the task, … [Read more...]