The Humans
Roundabout Theatre Company
Written by Stephen Karam
Directed by Joe Mantello
Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 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
Spring Awakening
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Books and Lyrics by Steven Slater
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind
Directed by Michael Arden
Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 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
King Charles III
Written by: Mike Barlett
Directed by: Rupert Goold
Music Box Theatre
Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
“What If” guides this “future history” play. What if the Queen of England was dead? What if Charles was REALLY up next in line to be king? What if he decided to be more than a figurehead and assert powers that the royal family has not exerted in generations? What if he didn’t sign a bill recently passed by the House of Commons? What if he pulled out dusty old books of royal precedent and found that he could shut down parliament and demand a re-election. What if the King of England just said, “NO.” Continue reading King Charles III
The Christians
Written by: Lucas Hnath
Directed by: Les Waters
Playwrights Horizons/Mainstage Theatre
Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Along with a good number of New Yorkers, I went to see The Christians fully ready to celebrate a roasting, lampooning and biting satire on those who call themselves fundamental Christians – – but boy did I receive a sit down and shut up moment!
From the first moment that the church choir shuffled their way on stage and that ridiculous electronic “magic organ” played I was armed and ready. The faces of that pudgy, white chorus with their sweet, sweet, oh so sweet faces and women with only reasonable makeup and reasonable shoes started to do their thing, I sharpened my fangs and thought I was in for a treat. Pastors wife was sitting there so composed and elegant with that somewhat superior smile, church elder grasping the bible (the only things older then he) and the pastor went to the pulpit. Ready, set – – oooops Continue reading The Christians
Awake and Sing!
by Clifford Odets
directed by Stephen Brown-Fried
The Public Theatre
July 8, 2015
Production website 💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Here’s a crazy idea! Let’s take the American classic Awake and Sing!, written by Clifford Odets, that tells the story of three generations of an immigrant Jewish family struggling with economic, political and familial issues – – and let’s take this oh-so-Jewish story and cast it with an all Asian cast. Crazy, huh? That is exactly what the Public Theatre did with the combination of Awake and Sing! and the National Asian American Theatre Company!
And it worked! Oh boy did it work! Continue reading Awake and Sing