Category Archives: Broadway

Spring Awakening

066-kqkrya31Spring Awakening

Brooks Atkinsonย Theatre

Books and Lyricsย by Steven Slater

Based onย the play by Frank Wedekind

Directed by Michael Arden

Production websiteย ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰ 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

Therese Raquin

ThereseRaquin0024rTherese Raquin

Roundabout Theatre

Written by: Helen Edmundson

Based on a novel by Emile
Zola

Directed by Evan Cabnet

Production websiteย ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰ out of 5.

This play has appeared on my Theatre History test for the last 25 years. The question reads, โ€œWhat classic naturalistic novel established the writing career of Emile Zola?โ€ The answer is – – you got it!

I was so anxious to see this almost-never-done play to see if my lectures had any truth to them. To begin, I thought it a bit odd that this production was on Broadway. To me this play just seems to scream Off-Broadway. How in the world did this choice translate to the huge Studio 54 venue? I was more then curious. Continue reading Therese Raquin

A View from the Bridge

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A View from the Bridge

Written by:ย Arthurย Miller

Directed by:ย Ivo van Hove

Lyceumย Theatre

Production website ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰ out of 5.

So much to love about this production and so much to be totally annoyed with! ย I found the idea of taking this quintessential piece of American realism with its walls, floors, furnitures, carpets, doilies and hokie Italian artwork and stripping it down to nothing was really exciting. Gone were all the trappings of the set. Replacing the set was a stark bright white floor looking hard, unforgiving and anesthetic. A ring of black benches circled the square and a simple doorway was placed upstage center. Captivating in the very first minute! As the โ€œboxed curtainโ€ rose around the white square we witness two men, Eddie Carbone (an amazing, haunting Mark Strong)ย and his co-workerย taking a shower under a massive steaming running shower. The masculinity and working class grit was there at the beginning. Continue reading A View from the Bridge

Chicago – My Head is Full of Songs

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John Kander and Fred Ebbย (Music; Book/Lyrics)

Bob Fosse (Choreography)

Ambassadorย Theatre

Production websiteย  ย  ย ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰ out of 5.

Although I do not know all of the words to any ONE song in Chicago, I certainly know some of the words to most songs – – and none of this gets in my way of singing the complete score as I pack my way back to LGA and to Jacksonville. How can Chicago ever be a bad choice? – even if they kept the curtain closed and just played the music, most of us would be more then happy to sit there for two hours and silently sing along. Continue reading Chicago – My Head is Full of Songs

King Charles III

Unknown-1King Charles III

Written by: Mike Barlett

Directed by: Rupert Goold

Music Box Theatre

Production websiteย  ย  ย ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰ out of 5.

โ€œWhat Ifโ€ guides this โ€œfuture historyโ€ play.ย  What if the Queen of England was dead?ย  What if Charles was REALLY up next in line to be king?ย  What if he decided to be more than a figurehead and assert powers that the royal family has not exerted in generations?ย  What if he didnโ€™t sign a bill recently passed by the House of Commons?ย  What if he pulled out dusty old books of royal precedent and found that he could shut down parliament and demand a re-election.ย  What if the King of England just said, โ€œNO.โ€ Continue reading King Charles III