Arthur Laurents (1917-2011).By Hap ErsteinWhen two-time Tony Award-winning writer-director Arthur Laurents died on Thursday, the theater and film world lost one of its great creative talents. And one of its most difficult.He died at his home in New York at 93, after a short illness. There will undoubtedly be an outpouring of praise for Laurents, particularly for his two most … [Read more...]
New York postcard No. 4: ‘West Side Story’ tweaks don’t hurt, or help, a great show
Cody Green as Riff, with the Jets, in West Side Story.(Photo by Joan Marcus)Editor's note: Palm Beach ArtsPaper's Hap Erstein is on assignment in New York.By Hap ErsteinNEW YORK -- It was a gray, drizzly day, with the weather threatening to break out into a rainstorm, but never mustering the energy to do so.You know how umbrella vendors pop up on the street here whenever it … [Read more...]