Friday, May 27, 2016

Hatsune Miku: the ultimate geek icon

Can it get any better for a geek than an artificial pop star whose shows consist of high-tech hologram projections backed by a live band? Meet Hatsune Miku, in town to turn the nerd nation into a glowstick frenzy!

Cirque du Soleil tries again in New York

And Cirque du Soleil fails again. I don't understand why they can't leave well enough (in Vegas) alone. My take on Paramour is here.

Stew writes great musicals, doesn't give a f--k about theater

I was a big fan of Passing Strange and was enchanted by Stew and Heidi Rodewald's new one, The Total Bent. It was a treat chatting with Stew, who's articulate, informed and opinionated -- it's so rare to see those three qualities at once! Click here for the chat.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Picks of the week: Turn Me Loose, Daphne's Dive, Skeleton Crew

Lots of good stuff happening off-Broadway right now. In addition to the exquisite Indecent, I recommend Turn Me Loose, Daphne's Dive and Skeleton Crew.

Gays on trial: Indecent and The Judas Kiss

Coincidentally two plays just opened in which homosexuality is put on trial, directly (Oscar Wilde in The Judas Kiss) and indirectly (the 1923 Broadway show God of Vengeance in Indecent). Check out which one you should see.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Tina Charles' weekend

I chatted with the Liberty's center Tina Charles (check here). Clearly it brought them good luck because the team's won its first two games!

Please let this hilarious nun perform at the Tonys

As anybody who follows Broadway (and off) knows, Jennifer Simard killed as a gambling-addicted nun in Disaster! So much so that she nabbed a Tony nomination -- the only one for the show. Now a movement's brewing to get her on the Tonys telecast. More here.

Interview with Gerald Marzorati

It was a delight chatting with Gerald Marzorati about his new book, Late to the Ball. And not just because we appear to have the exact same game (though he plays at a higher level). The convo is here.

Ukraine won Eurovision

For most of the voting it looked as if Australia was going to win the "Euro"vision Song Contest. But then Ukraine lapped Oz and the old continent prevailed. Oh the stares of the Russian delegation! Click here for my insta-review.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Interview with Daniel Dae Kim

Meet the new King in "The King and I"!

May means it's Eurovision time again!

If it's May, it must be Eurovision time! This year the contest is on a U.S. channel for the first time (why didn't they ask me to comment it?) and Justin Timberlake is the pre-vote entertainment. Neither of these things changes the ESC's fundamentally, defiantly European (as in non-American) nature. More here.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Pick of the week: Do I Hear a Waltz?

There were a few great flubs at last night's Encores! but that's par for the course considering how little rehearsal time they have. Overall Do I Hear a Waltz? is exactly the kind of show that the City Center series was invented for. More here.

The unexpected resurgence of Grey's Anatomy

One of the hottest dramas on TV is ... Grey's Anatomy? Yes, that 12-year-old war horse is enjoying a ratings resurgence. Pound for pound, it's a lot more satisfying to watch than most critical darlings of the moment. Click here for my take on the phenomenon.

Monday, May 09, 2016

Goodbye to The Good Wife

I freely admit it: I cried when The Good Wife ended last night. More thoughs on the series finale are here.

Friday, May 06, 2016

Picks of the week: Dear Evan Hansen and Kiki & Herb

What a beautiful surprise Dear Evan Hansen was! And there's a good chance it's going to transfer, so I'm looking forward to seeing it again. As for Kiki and Herb, the only surprise was how well those old cranks have aged. More details here.

Thursday, May 05, 2016

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Gillian Anderson's Streetcar

Gillian Anderson and Ben Foster star in A Streetcar Named Desire at St. Ann's Warehouse. I was a little underwhelmed. My review's here.

Monday, May 02, 2016

Interview with Stephen Mangan

Broadway fans know Stephen Mangan from his playing the title role in The Norman Conquests, but for everybody else (and that's still not that many people!) he's Sean Lincoln on Showtime's Episodes. I talked to Mangan about his new series, Houdini & Doyle.