The main problem with “Tammy Faye,” currently on at the Palace Theatre is not the vapid lyrics by Jake Shears or the bland book by James Graham. Unfortunately, the “New Broadway Musical” has nothing to do with the iconic PTL Club televangelist Tammy Faye. Not even the two-time Laurence Olivier Award winning Katie Brayben’s performance as Tammy Faye, or the…
The Orpheum Theatre is hosting the newest campy musical “The Big Gay Jamboree,” with a book by Marla Mindelle and Jonathan Parks-Ramage. Ms. Mindelle, who is known for the cult favorite “Titanique,” also pens the lyrics and composes the music with Philip Drennen. The show is splattered with pop culture, musical theater, and gay social behavior references that are sure…
The most recent offering at MCC Theater is a new musical entitled “The Lonely Few” with music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak and a book penned by Rachel Bonds. Basically, it can be considered a rom com musical with a simple plot that takes a bit too long to develop especially since the predictability level is very high. The length…
Dave Malloy’s “Three Houses currently running at Signature Theatre’s Linney Theater is a retelling/interpretation of the classic fairy tales “The Three Little Pigs” and “Red Riding Hood” (among other cautionary folklore narratives) in which The Big Bad Wolf appears. Stand-ins for Little Red Riding Hood and those Three Little Pigs are Susan (a manic and hedonistic Margo Seibert), Sadie (a…
There are very few words not sung but spoken in the rock musical “Tommy,” but three that might be relevant are “Brilliant, wasn’t it?” spoken by a local lad that happens to be part of a larger audience, amazed, while watching Tommy play his first game of pinball in a pool hall. Unfortunately, they are not the three words that…
When does “life” begin? Depending upon one’s religious beliefs, or scientific beliefs, or social media threads, the answer to the question is different. Does “life” begin at conception; in utero; at birth; in childhood; in adolescence; in old age; in death; or after death? Seen through the eyes of his older self in “Water for Elephants” (currently on at the…
Only in America, where greed, fame, crime and capitalism reign and members of a civilized society aspire to become part of the materialistic regime, can you discover the story of Elmer J. McCurdy, a futile outlaw who was gunned down in 1911. The new musical, which opened at the Minetta Lane Theatre with a book penned by Itamar Moses with…
The new musical “Back to the Future” is certainly a blast from the past, with Bob Gale penning a book that sticks closely to his original 1985 screenplay written with Robert Zemeckis. Those familiar with the film will once again enjoy the adventures of Marty McFly (an energetic Casey Likes), and his zany, eccentric friend Doc Brown (a loveable Roger…
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) is proud to present Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, written by acclaimed playwright Lanie Robertson with musical arrangements by Danny Holgate. Philadelphia award-winning artists Amina Robinson and Ebony Pullum reunite to stage the production which previews July 19 and 20, opens Friday, July 21 and runs through August 6 in the Schubert Theatre at…
“Notre Dame de Paris” is based on the novel by Victor Hugo and is adapted by author Luc Plamondon with music composed by Richard Cocciante. The musical and dance piece is billed as a musical spectacle and this current production at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater lives up to that righteous claim. Containing fifty-one musical numbers and little spoken…