Long Day’s Journey Into Night
written by Eugene O’Neill
starring Jessica Lange, Gabriel Byrne, Michael Shannon & John Gallagher, Jr.
directed by Jonathan Kent
American Airlines Theatre
June 23, 2016
Production website

💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

I have seen Long Day’s Journey Into Night. I mean I have really seen Long Day’s Journey Into Night! One goal I have for my theatre going life is to see the DEFINITIVE production of the classics. To be honest when I read the works of the classics (i.e. Chekhov, O’Neill, Ibsen, Strindberg, even Shakespeare) I often get bored – – and worse yet, when I see bad productions I get mad for the waste of time. I know as a theatre teacher I should relish reading these classics – but, come on, they were never meant to be read; they were meant to be EXPERIENCED. Continue reading Long Day’s Journey Into Night →

Fully Committed
written by Becky Mode
starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson
directed by Jason Moore
Lyceum Theatre
June 22, 2016
Production website 💉💉 out of 5.

First I need to apologize for having never seen Modern Family so I have never see Mr. Ferguson’s uptight Mitchell. Often when I go to theatre in NYC, I am reminded how LITTLE TV I actually watch. It’s not that I am “above” TV; I simply do not have the habit.

As the show started, I had a few fears. One: I saw this huge, complicated set placing us in the basement of the ultra-popular restaurant in question. I worried that this set might get in the way of the play, and that I might actually long to see the play in its home at the Vineyard Theatre years ago. I was right. This set just seemed to swallow the actor rather then bring him to the forefront. Continue reading Fully Committed →

Waitress
book by Jessie Nelson
music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles
directed by Diane Paulus
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
June 21, 2016
Production website

💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

I was just a breath away of standing up on my seat and giving a single song a standing ovation. Jessie Mueller simply hits the signature song, “She Used to be Mine” out of the ballpark. That one song alone was worth the ticket price. Not sense the original Dreamgirls have I felt so compelled to give a song a standing ovation. Continue reading Waitress →

School of Rock
book by Julian Fellowes
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
directed by Laurance Connor
Winter Garden Theatre
June 20, 2016
Production website

💉💉 out of 5.

I knew it was going to be loud. I knew that lights were going to bounce out and blind you. I knew that the audience was going to be full of tourists that would be flashing their cell phones, chomping their gum, and and doing live-time commentary on the show as it played out. I knew that the stage was going to have lots and lots of cute kids. I mean seriously cute kids. I mean where in the world did they grow these cute kids? I knew that the electric guitar was going to be the selling point of the evening. And I went. Continue reading School of Rock →

Eclipsed
starring Lupita Nyong’o
written by Danai Gurira
directed by Liesl Tommy
Golden Theatre
June 18, 2016
Production website

💉💉💉 out of 5.

It is hard to believe that a play created as a female-driven drama about sex slavery and genocide could make to the same Broadway that features Dirty Rotten Scoundrels across the street and School of Rock a few blocks away. Much of this success is due to the debut of Academy Award winning Lupita Wyong’o who has stepped away from her Lancome cosmetic ads to tell this story of 5 women trapped in a Nigerian camp where they survive by selling their bodies. What a transition this young actress has made! Continue reading Eclipsed →