Be More Chill
Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis
Book by Joe Tracz
Directed by Stephen Brackett
Lyceum Theatre
June 7, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
I made a big mistake in planning this trip with teenagers.I had thought that the most obvious of shows to take them to – the one that they are obviously jamming to on YouTube would be Be More Chill.I had thought that there wouldn’t be much for me in this production – but I was happy to “take one for the team.” Continue reading Be More Chill→
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Written by Terrence McNally
Directed by Rain Arbus
Broadhurst Theatre
June 6, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
It is an accomplishment to make a two-handed play like Frankie and Johnny work on the big stage on Broadway.But of course, when you have the rough, masculine and unique Michael Shannon, who can do anything, and Audra McDonald, who can do anything while looking gorgeous – – anything is possible.Continue reading Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune→
Safeword
Written by S. Asher Gelman
Directed by S. Asher Gelman
American Theatre of Actors
April 20, 2019 Production website
💉💉 out of 5.
If only this play needed a “safe word”But it clearly doesn’tThe play here is strictly vanilla and actually not very interesting vanilla.I do believe that our playwrights intention here was to introduce the average audience member to the world of bandage, domination, and sadomasochism – but what we get is more housewife with a cute whip.
The play starts out with a most provocative scene at the top of a set where a leather clad “dom” is abusing his willing victim.That got everyone’s attention – but it never back to that powerful first image.Sad when your best moment is the very first one of the show. Continue reading Safeword→
The Play That Goes Wrong
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields
Directed by Matt Dicarlo
New World Stages
April 19, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
The Play That Goes Wrong just keeps on going strong. This zany, wonderful farce had a long full life on Broadway and has recently been planted at New World Stage for one last blast of life before heading out on the road to tour. I was fortunate to see the production in the first few weeks on Broadway and was eager to see what had happened to it – with the necessity of greatly shrinking everything about the show. Here is my take on seeing the show on Broadway: The Play That Goes Wrong
55 Shades of Gay
Written by Jetron Neziraj
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Qendra Multimedia (Kosovo)
La Mama Theatre Workshop
March 15, 2019 Production website
💉 out of 5.
55 Shades of Gay has the very best of intentions.It sets out to be a burlesque production about LGBT politics in the Balkans. At its best, it is is an irreverent and satirical in look at the world the LGBT experience, systemic corruption, crippling unemployment, and crumbling infrastructure in Kosovo.
Be More Chill
