Off-Broadway Archives

  • The Flatiron Hex

    James Godwin                                  photos by Jim Moore                           By Glenn Giron We find ourselves in a futuristic Manhattan or what eventually comes to be known as NYORG.  Wylie Walker, the hero of our story, narrates the piece in a film noir themed voice over that is not for a moment unappreciated – he is the maintenance man of the…

  • The Gondoliers

    The company in “The Gondoliers” photo credit William Reynolds                                              by Deirdre Donovan Gilbert & Sullivan’s 1889 opera The Gondoliers returns with delicious verve to NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts with the redoubtable New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players (NYGASP).  This comic opera might not reach the exotic heights of The Mikado or…

  • Cool Hand Luke

    Lawrence Jansen In Cool Hand Luke.            Photo by Jason Woodruff                                       By Russell Bouthiller Godlight Theatre’s adaptation of the novel, Cool Hand Luke, offers a gritty atmosphere, sound performances and a hard story to tell.  Based on the Don Pearce novel and adapted for the stage by Emma Reeves, The Godlight Theatre Company presents Cool Hand…

  • Zorba! At City Center Encores!

    John Turturro as Zorba & the cast of Zorba                       photos by Joan Marcus                                              by Julia Polinsky Handsomely staged but with no center, this dark revival tries hard to charm Encores! at City Center started life as concert performances of neglected musical theater. Things change; the series has morphed into cobbled-together almost-revivals, casting an eye on…

  • Guys and Dolls

    Lt. Brannigan, played by David Sitler, questions gambler Benny Southstreet, played by Noah Plomgren.                                                   by Ed Lieberman Move over, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, there’s a new club in town: the Goodspeed Opera House, which is currently hosting the Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in CT!  Rumor has it that the Goodspeed accepted a…

  • Forever

                                by Deirdre Donovan Dael Orlandersmith returns to New York Theatre Workshop with her new semi-autobiographical show Forever.  If you have never seen this gifted author-actress on stage, now is your chance to catch her in a tour de force performance. Forget about gilding the lily!  Orlandersmith goes for the truth here.  She boldly explores…

  • Dinner With The Boys

    Richard Zavaglia, Ray Abruzzo and Dan Luria                                                  by Nicholas Linnehan       What happens when The Sopranos meet The Odd Couple? It’s anyone’s guess. And there you have the premise with Dan Lauria’s dark comedy Dinner With the Boys. Two exiled hit men play house as they “cook up” plans for their futures. Charlie and Dom…

  • West Side Story

    Photos By John Vecchiolla                                               By Ed Lieberman The story of “Romeo and Juliet” has entertained theatergoers since Shakespeare first published it in the late 1590’s. In recent times, playwrights and filmmakers have adapted the story and/or placed it into contemporary contexts (i.e. “Romanoff & Juliet,” by Peter Ustinov [1968]; Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet [1996])….

  • Because of Winn-Dixie

    Kylie McVey and Bowdie     Photo Credit: Matt Urban Mobius New Media.                                By David Schultz Because of Winn-Dixie is based on the beloved children’s book penned by Kate DiCamillo. This still morphing show has been kicking around since 2013. It is in its final stages and is Broadway-bound. The simple plot details the warm and emotional friendship between…

  • Iowa

    Jill Shackner and Karyn Quackenbush          photo by Joan Marcus                                                   by Barry Bassis Iowa begins promisingly with a self-possessed little girl, Kolette Tetlow, singing. The promise vanishes when the music ends. A ditzy divorceé named Sandy (Karyn Quackenbush) suddenly informs her 14-year old daughter Becca (Jill Shackner) that she is going to marry a man…