“The Gospel According to Heather” a new musical which is now playing at Theater 555 fails to deliver any clear message let alone a gospel, constantly being sidetracked by insignificant subplots and ridiculous situations that try to reflect on the present socio-political turmoil. Just when the audience thinks it may get a grip on the proceedings, the musical switches gears…
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the definition of “cycle” is a permutation of a set of ordered elements in which each element takes the place of the next and the last becomes the first. Using that definition, it seems safe to interpret the new musical production “Los Otros,” now playing at A.R.T., a song cycle. Two characters, Lillian (an enthralling…
What a pleasant surprise to walk into the Studio space at Cherry Lane Theatre and see a fresh, new look developed for the exciting new production “Original Sound” by Adam Seidel. Scenic designer, Justin Townsend has transformed the space into a multi-purpose set used for several different locations but always having the lingering aura of a contemporary, professional recording studio….
The Amoralists (James Kautz, Artistic Director) announce their 11th season, RICOCHET: An Amoralists Anthology about Surviving an American Epidemic. RICOCHET will feature four boundary-pushing original, intersecting plays that follow a community as it copes with the aftermath of a mass shooting. Written by The Amoralists 2018/2019 ‘WRIGHT CLUB playwrights, Gabriel Jason Dean, Charly Evon Simpson, and James Anthony Tyler, the…
The production currently playing at SoHo Playhouse entitled “Bright Colors and Bold Patterns” is a self- absorbed, ostentatious, and highly opinionated rant penned by Drew Droege who also holds court on stage for the eighty-minute overwrought outburst. The premise for the tirade is receiving an invitation to his friend’s gay wedding that states guests should eschew from wearing bright colors…
There have been several media depicting the life of the famed piano virtuoso Liberace; including, novels, documentaries, film, television, interviews and now, following the attempted effort of the stage musical “All That Glitters,” comes “Ben, Virginia and Me: The Liberace Musical” currently running as part of the NYMF Festival. This endeavor concentrates mainly on the relationship between the celebrated showman,…
“Peace, Love, and Cupcakes: The Musical,” currently running at the New York Musical Festival at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row, is a sweet bubble gum musical that, on the surface, addresses the issue of bullying at school and its deleterious effects. Based on the book by the same name (the first in the Cupcake Club series by Sheryl Berk),…
Is it serious or a joke, a love story, a punk rock pseudo opera or possibly a retro piece paying homage to the irreverent, sensational pop musicals of the seventies, which were usually found playing in the then edgy East Village? The fact is it could be all the above, but the problem is, it executes none of them with…
The new musical “The Time Machine,” presented as part of New York Musical Festival, is an overwrought musical adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic, plagued with too many genres, resulting in a enfeebled main plot. Basically, to become more cohesive, the creative team needs to decide what the product wants to be. Is it a love story, a Sci-fi thriller,…
After a successful run at the 2016 Midtown International Theater Festival, “The Crusade of Connor Stephens” moves to the Off-Broadway stage at the Jerry Orbach Theater. There have been changes in this revival – not all of them necessary – but the heart of the play remains intact. Big Jim’s (James Kiberd) Baptist Mega-Church is expanding. More space is need…