After a lunch with some distant cousins of my wife's, we headed to the Broadway Theatre (the only Broadway theater actually on Broadway) to see one of the final previews of a musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Because it hasn't officially opened yet, my critical comments are embargoed, but suffice it to say the production brings to mind F. Scott Fitzgerald's much … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway No. 2: ‘Elephants’ is a big winner
I arrived in a bracingly chilly New York this afternoon after an uneventful flight — always a plus. My first show of the trip was a solid winner, an unlikely stage musical version of Water for Elephants, based on the cult favorite 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and the subsequent 2011 movie version. I call it unlikely because a crucial character is a huge pachyderm named Rosie, … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway No. 1: Off to New York
Tomorrow I fly to New York to sample the Broadway season, which accelerated in April just before the Tony Awards deadline. I'll be seeing eight shows in six days, including new musicals based on bast-selling novels that became popular movies and now stage shows. Among them are The Notebook, The Great Gatsby … [Read more...]
Reviews from a promising Broadway season
Because of my travel plans, I had to schedule my spring Broadway splurge earlier than usual. So I was too early to see Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, Bad Cinderella, Shucked and others. But as you will see below, there were plenty of worthy shows that I caught in what is turning out to be a better-than-expected Broadway season. & Juliet (Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 W. 43rd St.) — … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway No. 6: Quirky musical ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ delights
I finished my week of theater-going in New York on a high note, seeing a quirky new musical called Kimberly Akimbo, with music by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Caroline or Change) and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Good People), based on his play of the same name. Both play and musical center on a teenager named Kimberly who has a rare aging disorder that gives … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway No. 5: A powerful ‘Parade,’ and a joyful ‘Some Like It Hot’
Wednesday is a two-show day on Broadway, and I saw a couple of major productions of the season. At the matinee I saw Parade (after the canceled performance when I first arrived in town on Saturday), and in the evening, I saw Some Like It Hot, the new musical adaptation based on the 1959 Billy Wilder classic film comedy. Parade is a revival of the show that first opened … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway No. 4: A high-energy ‘& Juliet’ captivates
Yesterday’s show was the tongue-in-cheek take on Shakespeare, & Juliet, a jukebox musical with pop hits from the recent past that asks what might have happened if Juliet Capulet had lived instead of taking her own life. The infectious results are a little heavy-handed with its female empowerment message, but is ultimately a winner thanks to some clever plotting and a … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway No. 3: New Broadway museum worth a visit
Those who are envious of my being in New York this week should know that the temperature is in the 30s, and when the wind whips up it is bitter cold. So it is an ideal day to get off the street and into the new Museum of Broadway at 145 W. 45th St., an interactive collection of hundreds of original costumes, props and artifacts that bring Broadway history to life. … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway, No. 6: “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Expectations mean a lot to one’s enjoyment of theater, so I guess it was good that my expectations were subterranean for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. This biographical songfest divides the role of the disco queen into three parts – Diva Donna (LaChanze), Disco Donna (Ariana DeBose) and Duckling Donna (Storm Lever) – a trio of powerhouse vocalists who rip through nearly two … [Read more...]
Postcard from Broadway, No. 5: ‘The Band’s Visit’
There is no better illustration of the gulf between reviewers and theatergoers than this season's musicals on Broadway. The reviews for Frozen and Mean Girls were unenthusiastic at best, but audiences are going crazy for both shows, which are virtually selling out in their early weeks. On the other hand, no musical received better reviews than The Band's Visit, the new David … [Read more...]