Head Over Heels
Songs by the Go-Go’s
Based on The Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney
Conceived & Original Book by Jeff Whitty
Adapted by James Magruder
Music Supervision, Orchestration & Arrangements by Tom Kitt
Choreographed by Spencer Liff
Directed by Michael Mayer
Hudson Theatre
November 21, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.

Sometimes I get the urge to be a total tourist I’m New York.  I want to walk around Times Square and run into people by taking pictures of all the tall buildings.  I want to do that avoidance dance as all of those poorly masked cartoon characters waddle to you to take the pictures with mandatory tips. I want to read each of the jumbo-trons and plan a meal in one of the oversized restaurants.  And to this perfect tourist day, I would get tickets to see Head Over Heels.  This musical, struggling at the box office, is an odd fairy tale like adventure of a kingdom held bound by a curse and threatened to “loose their beat.”  For an out-of-towner this really could be the perfect show. Continue reading Head Over Heels →

The Waverly Gallery
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Lila Neugebauer
Golden Theatre
October 27, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

From its start, I did not think I was going to like this experience at all.  The beginning of the play was so such of an obvious, relentless set of jokes about having a mother that is VERY hard of hearing and goes about repeating herself time after time.  It was funny for a few minutes then it just became relentless.  I thought I was going to be in for entire afternoon of cheap jokes on aging.  But then the play changed. Continue reading The Waverly Gallery →

The Boys in the Band
Written by Mart Crowley
Directed by Joe Mantello
BoothTheatre
August 1, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.

I have always had a morbid fascination with cutters.  Who in their right mind would pick up a sharp object and stab themself in the arm or leg over and over?  Crazy.  I mean seriously crazy.  As best I can tell the cutter wants to FEEL something and to be the one in charge as to why and when it will be felt.  The ORIGINAL Boys in the Band that I saw decades ago felt like that.  Why would gay men put themself in such places of self-hatred and why would they continue to remind themselves how ugly and unloved they are- – – or at least were in this revival of the classic from the gay theatre of the 1970’s. Continue reading The Boys in the Band →

Mean Girls
Book by Tina Fey
Music by Jeff Richmond
Lyrics by Neil Benjamin
Directed and Choreographed by Case Nicholaw
August Wilson Theatre
June 14, 2018
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

Mean Girls was a very loud show.  That is my professional opinion.  Done.  I  mean seriously folks  how loud do you have to mic a belt? This is going way beyond trying to balance the singer with the orchestra.  This is bringing the concert experience into the very small, intimate world of the theatre.  I thought it might be my age showing, but even the teenagers I was with claimed it was getting a bit painful. Continue reading Mean Girls →

Carousel
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Choreographed by Justin Peck
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Imperial Theatre
June 13, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Carousel is such a wonderful,  full meal of a musical.  What is wonderful about this production is that it both works to explore and embrace the darker side of this bad-boy-learning-his-lesson musical.  The director, Jack O’Brien is not afraid to go down a bit of a dangerous road with this musical.  Choreographer, Justin Peck fresh from the New York City Ballet, is truly remarkable – he creates a a blending of classical ballet and harsh, sharp masculine dancing. Continue reading Carousel →