Simon McBurney's Magic Flute

It took 11 years for Simon McBurney's Magic Flute to arrive at the Met Opera, and I'm glad it finally did. I went behind the scenes and could have stayed there for hours — I mean, even more than I did, which was several hours! Click here for the story.

Grey House

What scares you? I asked that question to some of the people involved with the Broadway show Grey House, including Laurie Metcalf and Joe Mantello. Read on here.

Anne Bogart and La MaMa have brought us the New York premiere of this Liz Swados musical from 1984 and it was well worth the wait! Head over to E. 4th Street stat, especially since the show is going to be there longer than the usual runs at La MaMa. Thataway for my review.

Unfinished Business

A documentary about the WNBA and the Liberty: that's a lot of ground to cover for a single documentary, let alone one that just runs 1h 30. Click here for my review of the new film.

Five sci-fi movies for May 2023

More sci-fi! Will the well ever run dry? Not a chance. Click here for my latest selection of under-the-radar streaming science fiction.

You Can Live Forever

A Canadian lesbian coming-of-age film set in the 1990s? Happy to review! Click here for my take on this indie effort.

A conversation about dance on Broadway

I discussed the state of Broadway choreography with the New York Times' Brian Siebert and Jesse Green — which is a lot, but we managed to cover a fair amount of ground. Click here for our thoughts.

Eurovision 2023 coverage

I was back covering the Eurovision Song Contest live with the New York Times team for the third year. What a day: I was on deck from 1:30pm to almost 8pm! Now you can relive the madness with our live blog. Oh, and there was a prep article, too.

Talking about Polite Society

The series We Are Lady Parts turned me into a huge fan of the writer-director Nida Manzoor, so I was delighted to talk to her (again) for her new movie, Polite Society. I also chatted with stars Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya for the article. I love this movie so much! Go see it! 

Link to my Polite Society feature in the New York Times.

Clock

Weird coincidence: I wrote about two Dianna Agron movies in recent weeks. The first was Acidman, which I included in my April sci-fi column, and the second is this one, which leans toward horror. Unless you're an Agron completist, pick Acidman. Link to my review of Clock.

New York, New York

New York: the city so nice, they named it twice. Except in the case of the new Broadway musical, which is not so nice. I got to review it for the Times so thataway if you're curious.

A Tourist's Guide to Love

Rachael Leigh Cook is rom-com nobility and can do so much more than what this movie wrote up for her. My review for the Times is here.

The Pope's Exorcist

I admit I didn't have high expectations going into this movie — a single screening a day before the release is usually not a good sign. Spoiler alert: I was pleasantly surprised. Click here for my review. 

Talking about The Phantom of the Opera

The only thing better than watching The Phantom of the Opera is talking about it, especially with such good company. Click here for our New York Times conversation about Andrew Lloyd Webber's most enduring show. 

Five sci-fi movies for April

The science-fiction column continues at the New York Times, and the April installment leans a little more on the artier side than usual. Well, until we get to The Stratum, of course. Thataway for my selection of streaming obscurities.

Covid Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco

Karen Finley is back and of course I was there, with my reviewer's hat on. Her latest outing, Covid Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco, is very much in her usual vein — which feels entirely refreshing these days. Click here for my review.

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

The origin stories we were waiting for: how did the Pink Ladies from Grease come together? A new series has all the answers, and it was a treat to speak to its creative team and stars about it. Click here for my preview.

Smoking Causes Coughing

Quentin Dupieux's movies tend to be short (this one is 80 minutes) but they pack a lot of insanity. His new one is no different, and features his starriest cast yet — apparently French marquee actors love him, and I can't blame them. My review is here.

According to the Chorus

Like most theater lovers, I have a pretty much unlimited tolerance for backstage stories, and Arlene Hutton's play has some nifty ones. Click here for my review.

Día y Noche

David Anzuelo knows a thing or two about teenagers in love in 1984 Texas: he used to be one. His play about them has some good moments — most thanks to Emma Ramos's terrific performance — but it gets a little shaggy. Thataway for my review.

Up Here

I previewed the new Hulu series Up Here, dreamed up Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Bobby Lopez, Steven Levenson, Thomas Kail and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (who joked she was the only one in the group who wasn't anywhere near either having an EGOT or getting one some day). Click here if you want to know how it all came together.

Five sci-fi movies to stream in March

The latest installment of my sci-fi column is all over the place — and that's the whole point! Thataway for the streaming suggestions.

Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu had a blast playing gods

I wish I could have been in the same physical room as these two women, who are very different and thus wonderfully complement each other. Zoom had to do. Click here for our chat.

The Trees

Agnes Borinsky's newest, at Playwrights Horizons, starts with an absurdist premise then proceeds to do little with it. The gap between the extraordinary concept and the timidity of the show is rather deep. Thataway for my review.

Becomes a Woman

Very on brand for the Mint Theater, whose mission is to unearth obscure plays: a premiere by Betty Smith, the author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I wish I'd liked the production more. My review is here.

Eva Green and Vincent Cassel in Liaison

I spoke to two of the most internationally minded French actors, who have joined forces for the first time in the Apple TV+ thriller Liaison. Next: Milady and Athos in The Three Musketeers! My story is here.

Alexander Zeldin

The British theatermaker Alexander Zeldin has a lot to say, and he is exploring it in ways that feel both old-fashioned and radical. My story about his new (to NYC, at least) show, LOVE, can be found here.

Christoph Waltz

 What's great about interviewing Christoph Waltz is the way he engages. It's clear he wants to make the conversation interesting for himself so he's testing, challenging. Great fun. Click here for my interview.