Steve

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Pershing Square SignatureΒ Theatre
Written by: Mark Gerrard
Directed by: Cynthia Nixon

Production websiteΒ πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5.

You arrive to a very small theatre at the Signature Theatre building. The moment you enter you notice a nicely dressed man sitting on stage alone with a piano. He is playing show tunes. He is playing lots of show tunes. Then he is joined on stage with the remainder of the cast – – all well dressed – – all gathered up to the piano singing show tunes to each other. A few audience members – including myself – thought that what we SHOULD do is to find this so hooky, so yesterday, so beneath serious theatre audience goers. But Β . . . Continue reading Steve

The Humans

Humans0156rThe Humans
Roundabout Theatre Company
Written by Stephen Karam
Directed by Joe Mantello

Production websiteΒ πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5.

Let me get directly to the point. This play is brilliant. It makes perfect sense why this production is working its way to Broadway in the near future. This play is brilliant – oh, I said this already! Continue reading The Humans

Dada Woof Papa Hot

blogthumbjohnandpatrick.jpg__280x240_q85_crop_subsampling-2Dada Woof Papa Hot
Written by Peter Parnell
Directed by Scott Ellis
Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse

Production websiteΒ πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5.

Gay marriage is a done deal – – now the issue that is up to bat is gay parenting. Β Dada Woof Papa Hot explores the joys and challenges of gay parenting. This is certainly a relevant issue in that the next step on the road to true equality for gay Americans is the right to be parents. The play certainly looks into the many ramifications of this issue from the silly to the naughty to the serious. Continue reading Dada Woof Papa Hot

Mother Courage and Her Children

thumbs_MotherCourage0141-1Mother Courage and Her Children

Classic Stage Company

Written by:Β Bertolt Brecht

Directed byΒ Brian Klick

Production webΒ πŸ’‰ out of 5.

It began in a blackbox. So far so good. Then Mother Courage came out in character and played with the audience trying to sell them watches and buy jewelry off of them. A bit of a gimmick, granted – by my hopes reached up. I thought I was going to see an entirely new take on this literally, war horse of a play. Then the play began, and all was back to the uninspired – – apart from placing the play in the Congo it was what I expected – – but then Tonya Pinkins, as Mother Courage, began to sing and I was right back there in the past with her in the front row of Caroline, or Change. Once she sings you can never forget that voice – – so beautiful, so rich, and so full of soul. NOW, I was in love with this show. Continue reading Mother Courage and Her Children

Spring Awakening

066-kqkrya31Spring Awakening

Brooks AtkinsonΒ Theatre

Books and LyricsΒ by Steven Slater

Based onΒ the play by Frank Wedekind

Directed by Michael Arden

Production websiteΒ πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰ out of 5.

My body tingled from the very first moment – – and all the way through the curtain call. I tingled. The hair stood up on my arms. I was in theatre nirvana. Never for a moment did I disengage from this show. In fact I tried to sit in the audience after the curtain call just to enjoy the high of the show for as long as I was able. Continue reading Spring Awakening