The cast of Parade. (Photo by Joan Marcus) Parade By David Schultz and Julia Polinsky Julia: In the achingly, throbbingly, beautifully sung revival of Parade now on Broadway, Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond sing their hearts and souls out. Parade tells the story of Leo Frank (Platt), a Jewish businessman from Brooklyn living in…
Nancy Robinette, Daniel Oreskes, Richard Masur, Ari Brand, Ethan Haberfield (Photo: Jeremy Daniels) Prayer for the French Republic By David Schultz Complex generational stories are a dime a dozen. Prayer for the French Republic, penned by Joshua Harmon (Significant Other, Bad Jews), is the exception. This play, currently running at Manhattan Theatre Club s Friedman…
Andrianna Hicks, (center, l) J. Harrison Ghee (center, right) (Photo: Matthew Murphy) Some Like It Hot By Fern Siegel The Billy Wilder’s 1959 movie classic “Some Like It Hot” remains the top comedy on the American Film Institute’s list. And for some cinema purists, turning it into a musical comedy on Broadway…
Victoria Clark plays the lead in the off-beat musical. (Joan Marcus) Kimberly Akimbo By Fern Siegel Sometimes the youngest person in the room is the wisest even if she is 16 and looks like a 72-year-old. That s the premise behind the Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo, starring Victoria Clark as the smart, dry-humored New…
The Roundabout Theatre Company’s 1776 cast. (Photo: Joan Marcus) 1776 By Fern Siegel The Broadway musical 1776, which chronicles the founding of the United States, opens with 10 pairs of shoes on an empty stage. And as the cast enters – female, nonbinary and trans – they step into history. When it first debuted in…
The ensemble cast confronts danger in Into the Woods. (Matthew Murphy) Into the Woods By Fern Siegel “Are you certain what you wish is what you want?” asks the Baker in Stephen Sondheim’s masterwork Into the Woods. The interlocking stories of fairy-tale characters offering a treasure trove of psychological insights has its latest Broadway revival…
(l-r) Beanie Feldstein, Ramin Karimloo Funny Girl By Fern Siegel Fanny Brice was a funny girl — a funny Jewish girl who worked in burlesque and was a headliner for the great Florenz Ziegfeld. A hit on radio, the multi-talented Brice was beloved by many at a time when ethnic humor was in…
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical By Rachel Pacelli Lightning doesn’t strike twice in this musical adaptation of a beloved series. It was 2005 when Rick Riordan’s smash children’s book The Lightning Thief was first introduced. In a post-Harry Potter world, young readers were excitedly gobbling up the next fantasy-adventure series, and this…
Bat Out of Hell by Arney Rosenblat In Bat Out of Hell – The Musical which is rocking New York City Center you’ll find vibrant music that will arouse your spirit, visuals that will dazzle your eyes and a story that will dumbfound your brain but for an overall fun time– two…
Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo (Matt Murphy) By Eugene Paul There are no admonishments telling you not to take photos inside the theater which would be useless anyway since the aisles before curtain time are filled with awestruck jostlers clicking away. And besides, director Alex Timbers is ready for just that, so shoot your fill….