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.Imean seriously folkshow 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→
Skintight
Written by Joshua Harmon
Directed by Daniel Aukin
Roundabout: Laura Pels Theatre
June 12, 2018 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
What could ever draw Idina Menzel to the stages of NYC without giving her single song to sing?Skintight was the show that did it!I worried that the show was going to somehow ride off of her notoriety with Rent, Wicket or even Frozen, but blessedly I was wrong.This show was rough, crude and certainly a puzzle.Idina’s character has a father who is massively successful in the fashion industry and has recently taken in a 20 year old man as his partner – as she calls him his “boy toy”.This is even more disturbing in that she has a son the same age.And to make it even more, more disturbing she is recently divorced from a husband who decided himself to marry a woman in her twenties.Everyone in the show wants someone in their twenties!Everyone wants someone hot! Continue reading Skintight→
Travesties
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Patrick Marber
Roundabout: American Airlines Theatre
June 13, 2018 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
You are going to get an awful lot when you attend an Wednesday evening seeing Travesties (especially when you see it as your second show of the day).You are going to see a history lesson, farce, educational seminar, musical mixed with some highbrow intellectualism and some lowbrow silly fun and games.It really does become a bit overwhelming.l wished there was a remote on this show, and that I could pause and rewind many moments to figure out exactly what is happening and how exactly I am to feel about it – but forget that!It is more like a roller coaster that, once out of the gate, stops for no one. Continue reading Travesties→
The Boys in the Band
