When the sublime, sophisticated songsmith Cole Porter collaborated with Brits P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton on the enduring confection Anything Goes, the time was 1934, seven years after Show Boat demonstrated that musicals could take on weighty material. Porter and his writing team – which eventually included play doctors Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse – knew perfectly … [Read more...]
Stellar cast, good puppetry bring intriguing angle to Maltz’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Twenty-four years ago, the Disney organization made its first foray onto Broadway with a stage version of its Oscar-winning animated feature, Beauty and the Beast. Reviews were lackluster, often noting how literally the material was transferred to the theater, not unlike a theme park attraction. Still, the show became an extraordinary commercial success, running for more than … [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...]