Writer
Fern Siegel is a journalist who has written for MediaPost, Huffington Post, The New York Times and BBC Radio. She believes Sondheim and Gershwin make America great.
Patrick Page, Jason Sanchez, Adrien Rolet, Jake Berne, Kristin Nielsen (Photo: Joan Marcus) Archduke By Fern Siegel on December 2, 2025 The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in 1914 had cataclysmic results — Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia — and unleashed the carnage known as WWI. The assassination was carried out by 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, aided…
Synnøve Karlsen, Carson Elrod and Mark Evans (Photo: Carol Rosegg) Pygmalion By Fern Siegel on November 17, 2025 Sometimes, less is more. Theater aficionados know George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion as the inspiration for the Lerner and Loewe musical “My Fair Lady.” What’s less known is that Shaw based his work on a Greek myth. An…
Daniel Marconi, Michael Hayden, Harrison Tipping. (Photo: Carol Rosegg) The Honey Trap By Fern Siegel on November 3, 2025 For 30 years, Northern Ireland was plagued by “The Troubles,” a civil war between Protestant loyalists, who wanted Northern Ireland to remain in the U.K., and Catholic republicans (IRA) fighting for a united Ireland. The third…
Betsy Aidem, Kristolyn Lloyd, Irene Sovia Lucio, Adina Verson, Audrey Corsa, Susannah Flood (Photo: Little Fang) Liberation By Fern Siegel on November 3, 2025 Feminism in the 1970s fought for recognition. And the issues — pay parity, better child care, economic equality and career advancement — remain. It’s thanks to those pioneering efforts, that many…
Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz lead the 48-actor cast. (Photo: Michael Murphy) Ragtime By Fern Siegel on October 17, 2025 At the turn of the 20th century, America grappled with its identity. Immigration, race, class and cries for social justice were challenging its promise as a refuge where all could succeed. That epic story…
Ethan J. Miller, Dani Stoller (Photo: Carol Rosegg) This Much I Know By Fern Siegel on October 6, 2025 “Once you see, you can’t feign blind.” The line is courtesy of Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, commenting on perception and reality. Played to perfection by Dani Stoller, she is one of several compelling characters in Jonathan Spector’s…
Jamie Allan (Photo: Danny Kaan) Amaze By Fern Siegel on August 21, 2025 Jamie Allan discovered his destiny at seven — when he went with his mother to an antique store. There, he found remnants of a magician’s craft — and that unexpected inheritance sealed his fate. Lucky for his audience. Jamie Allan (Photo: Danny…
Jeremy Jordan (Photo: Joan Marcus) Floyd Collins By Fern Siegel Floyd Collins, the revived musical now at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, is based on a true story. In 1925, a Kentucky cave explorer (Jeremy Jordan) searches Sand Cave, hoping to capitalize on tourist interest. Squeezing through tight spaces that would terrify others, Floyd Collins’…
Robyn Hurder (Photo: Matthew Murphy) Smash By Fern Siegel First, this Smash is a departure from the NBC series. The theatrical focus is on the making of Bombshell: The Marilyn Monroe Musical, not the who-will-play-Marilyn frenzy that accompanied the maligned TV show or what New York termed “appointment hate-watch.” That’s a plus — as this…
Jasmine Amy Rogers and Company (Photo: Matthew Murphy-Evan Zimmerman) Boop! The Musical By Fern Siegel Betty Boop was a Jazz Age creation, known for her sexy body, high-pitched voice and flirty charm. Inspired, in part, by two 1920s jazz singers, Helen Kane and Baby Esther, she made her debut in 1930 in the Fleischer Studios’…