A chat with Suranne Jones

Suranne Jones is best known in the US for Gentleman Jack but she's always great — and so she is in the new Vigil. Fun fact: I called her from my brother's old bedroom in our family home in Corsica, as our interview got delayed until after I left for vacation. Suranne is thataway.

Arcane mood board

I chatted with Christian Linke and Alex Yee about the inspirations behind their Netflix series, Arcane. Fun stuff! Click here for the goods.

Five sci-fi movies to wrap up 2021

 My sci-fi column for The New York Times wraps up for 2021 with this latest installment.

Mr. Saturday Night

No, not the Billy Crystal movie: I reviewed this HBO doc about Robert Stigwood, whose producing credits include Saturday Night Fever. Thataway!

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

The Jim Henson special, which premiered in the US in 1978, comes to the New Victory Theater in December. This gave me a golden opportunity to talk to Paul Williams. Click here for my preview of the show.

Best theater 2021

 It was a pleasure to contribute to the New York Times' roundup of great moments in 2021 theater.

Interview with Paul Verhoeven

You know what's not streaming right now? Showgirls! But hey, Paul Verhoeven has a new movie out, Benedetta, and we chatted on the phone. Click here for our conversation.

2021 Netflix holiday movies

This is starting to feel like a tradition: Once again, I ranked all the new Netflix holiday originals — well, the ones available by our deadline. Jingle all this way!

Non-Netflix streaming holiday movies

First, there were the Netflix holiday movies. Then, there were the holiday movies on streamers other than Netflix. Behold, another roundup!

Exit interview with Jennifer Nettles

Is there anything Jennifer Nettles can't do? I talked to her as she was about to wrap up her run in Waitress on Broadway. Thataway for our chat.

Celebrating Sondheim in piano bars

I'm sure there will be starrier tributes — lord knows there have been plenty in the past — but I can't think of better places to celebrate the art of the late Stephen Sondheim than at Marie's Crisis and the Duplex last night. Check out my report.

The Alchemist

If only the Red Bull company's production of The Alchemist had carried its first-act momentum after intermission! Still, it feels good to laugh at silly antics. My review can be found here.

More science fiction to stream

I picked another batch of under-the-radar science-fiction movies to wrap up November. The list is here.

Jagged

I can't say I was a huge fan of Alanis Morissette when Jagged Little Pill blew up in 1995, but this new doc is a compelling look at an influential album. Check out my review for the Times here.

Discover the Indy Pass

The past couple of seasons, I wrote about the big multi-resort passes, Epic and Ikon, that have upended the ski industry. This time I turned to a newish network of mom-and-pop hills, the Indy Pass. Read and get your skis ready!

Preparedness

The Bushwick Starr and HERE teamed up to present Hillary Miller's new play. Thataway for my review.

While You Were Partying

Soho Rep has returned in fine form with this unsettling new show, which seems to have become a bit of a cult hit — it's just been extended. I fed the hype with a critic's pick, which you can read here.

Neal Brennan's Ten

I'm going to come right out and say it: Neal Brennan has supplied one of the funniest entries the "My 10" column has ever published. You want to read it.

October's streaming science fiction

My latest batch of under-the-radar science-fiction movies is up and you can find it here. I managed to sneak in a big-budget production that I feel didn't get a fair shake. 

Chatting with ABBA

A couple of weeks ago I flew to Stockholm to chat with Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus's about ABBA's return. It was a pleasure and an honor rolled into one, and now you can read all about it here.

The Mother

The Wooster Group took on Brecht's The Mother and the results are worth talking about. My review is here.

Golshifteh Farahani

Golshifteh Farahani + aliens = win! I interviewed the great Iranian actress about her star turn in the new series Invasion. More thataway.

Designing Women

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason brings back her classic characters in a brand-new play. The production is in Arkansas but thanks to the magic of streaming I was able to review it for the Times. Click here.

Todd Haynes talks music and films

Todd Haynes is such a smart guy that when you interview him, you look smart by association!  It was an absolute pleasure to talk music and film with him, pegged to his new doc about the Velvet Underground. Click here for the feature.

Needle in a Timestack

 I reviewed this stupefyingly bland time-travel rom-dram (what else to call it when it's not funny?). Not a critic's pick, obviously. More thataway.

Maryann Plunkett's exit interview

Maryanne Plunkett was in all 12 plays of Richard Nelson's Rhinebeck Panorama cycle. I talked to her about what it was like, and closing a period of her life. Click here for the article.

Adrian Lester

Adrian Lester is finally making his Broadway debut, and I'm there for it! I talked this wonderful actor for the Times. 

A chat about Ganglands with Julien Leclercq

I love Julien Leclercq's movies and I'm happy to report his first series, Ganglands, is excellent as well. We talked about how it came to be and how he adapted his lean-and-mean style to an extended running time. Click here for the article.

Never Let Go

 There's still time to catch Michael Kinnan's solo retelling of Titanic at the Brick! My critic's pick is here.

This month's overlooked sci-fi movies

And we're back with five more science-fiction movies you might not have heard of. If you think of sci-fi as just galactic epics, these will surprise you. Click here for the list.

A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet

In-person theater is coming back to life and I trekked to Union Square for this new musical. I wish I'd liked it more. Click here for my review.

Talking Tonys

It was great fun to discuss CBS' Tonys broadcast (rather than who or what got awards) with the Times' Jesse Green and James Poniewozik. Read on.

Only an Octave Apart

 I talked to Justin Vivian Bond and Anthony Roth Costanzo about their show at St. Ann's Warehouse. I love that they were inspired by Beverly Sills and Carol Burnett's TV special from 1976! Click here for the goods.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie

A film adaptation of the West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie is now on Amazon, and I reviewed it for the Times. Fun fact: Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood sings the big Richard E. Grant number. Click here for my review.

Come from Away

Just like the stage musical, the capture of Come from Away is hard to hate and hard to love. My review of the new Apple TV+ stream is here.

There is still theater to stream

As in-person theater returns, my streaming column in the New York Times comes to an end, at least in this incarnation. There are some real goodies in that last installment so click here.

10 from Jean-Paul Belmondo

I was actually surprised by how many Jean-Paul Belmondo hits are available in the U.S. — and if you're lucky enough to have a Kanopy account, there are even more. I put together a list of 10 for the New York Times. Get reading and then get streaming!

Come From Away

I returned to Gander and the good folks of Come From Away, which is now streaming on Apple TV+. It's pretty much like the Broadway show (itself returning soon), which means that it's hard to hate and hard to love. Click here for my review.

Some science-fiction movies for September

 My latest column on streaming science-fiction movies has landed. Dig in!

Interview with Liza Birkenmeier and Katie Brook

These two collaborators are back with Islander, which combines two things I'm particularly interested in: pro sports and fandom. We met at Ocean's 8 on Flatbush — you know the place. Click here for the enjoyable (if I may say so myself) Q&A

What will happen to streaming theater?

As in-person theater returns, what shape will its streaming version take? Is it here to stay? What should we call it anyway? This and more on my new piece.

More streaming theater to finish up the summer

The delta variant is complicating things for IRL theater but guess what? It's not affecting streaming! My latest column is here.

A starter kit for NYC cyclists

It was super-fun to write this starter kit for the many people who got bikes last year. (And yes, I actually love riding in NYC.) Click here for the two-wheel goods.

A trip to the Tabor Opera House

Last month I spent a week in Colorado and researched two stories. The first was about the Creede Repertory Theater and the second is about the Tabor Opera House in Leadville. Both are packed with history and unforgettable characters. Click here for Leadville.

And remember: a breakfast burrito a day is part of a balanced mountain diet.

August's science-fiction column

Digging deep for the latest installment of my column about streaming science-fiction movies. Click here then start watching.

Friday Night Footlights: The story of Creede Repertory Theater

A few weeks ago I flew to Denver, then drove hours in a woefully underpowered Nissan Versa to reach Creede, Colorado. What's going on there? Read on! This is definitely in my top 5 or maybe even top 3 of my favorite articles ever.

More theater to stream

In-person shows are coming back but streaming theater is not letting on! Here's the latest selection from my Times column.

Exit interview with Blanka Zizka

I first met Blanka Zizka in 2018, when I did a story about the Wilma Theater's acting company, the HotHouse, a few years ago. So when I heard she was retiring from the Wilma, I had to talk to her. She was just as sharp and candid as I hoped. Click here for our chat.

The Boy Behind the Door

I wrote about this new movie streaming on Shudder, an abduction slasher in which the heroes are 12-year-old boys. Click here for the review.

Woodstock 99

It's hard to wrap your head around not just what happened at this festival in 1999, but also how John Scher talks about it in 2021 — I had to replay a couple of scenes to make sure I heard him right. Click here for my review.

The Two Noble Kinsmen

 Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is back — though I caught its show not, technically speaking, in a parking lot but in Bryant Park. Click here for my review.

July's Science-fiction column

 My latest New York Times column covering streaming science-fiction movies is out and I found some goodies for the fans out there. Click here for five links.

More theater to stream

 I have been traveling and working on a time-intensive stories so I've fallen behind on posting links to my stories. Here's my latest theater-streaming guide, just as I start working on the next one, which is running next week!

Mood board with Nida Manzoor

We Are Lady Parts is one of my favorite TV shows of the year so talking to its creator, Nida Manzoor, about her influences was a wonderful treat. Thataway for Virginie Despentes et al.

50 Years of The Ed Sullivan Show

The TV show's official YouTube channel is a treasure trove, and I spent hours and hours going through it to select some of the most interesting numbers. Sorry, no Beatles. Click here for a portal to Vanilla Fudge, Harry Belafonte and Ethel Merman.

Torrey Townsend and Robert O'Hara

Another fascinating meeting with two opinionated creators: playwright Torrey Townsend and director Robert O'Hara, discussing their show Off Broadway (the title is a search-engine nightmare). Read what they have to say.

Ann Dowd and Robert Icke

As soon as I saw how Ann Dowd and Robert Icke interacted in our conversation about their project, Enemy of the People, I knew my article had to be done as a Q&A. Two lovely, smart people having an exchange of ideas. Thataway.

Streaming theater: live from Britain and Greek classics

 Theater is back IRL but streaming offers are still plentiful. A harbinger: British companies are now streaming select performances of their IRL offerings. They are ahead of American ones in that respect. Click here for more.

Lupin is back

Nobody saw Lupin coming in January; we're better prepared now, as Part 2 just dropped. I talked to a few people about the success of the Netflix series. Thataway for the goods.

Indonesian superheroes and Korean zombies

I found some goodies for my latest column about streaming science-fiction movies. There's even a good Gerard Butler movie! Click here for more. 

Awake

 Humanity may be struck with insomnia in this disaster of a disaster movie, but viewers won't have that problem. Click here for my review.

Streaming theater: special Pride edition

 It's June and you know what that means: lots of shows coming in for Pride. This installment of my streaming-theater column is packed with goodies. Click here and start streaming.

chekhovOS /an experimental game/

What I didn't realize I wanted to see: Jessica Hecht in The Cherry Orchard. It happens, sort of, in this high-concept virtual production from the Arlekin Players. My Critic's Pick is here.

Touching the Void

 My latest review for the Times is of Touching the Void, based on Joe Simpson's memoir of escaping a death trap in the Andes. Click away!

Interview with Mike Faist

I watched Mike Faist in Dear Evan Hansen and Days of Rage, then I watched him in the Amazon series Panic, and next I'll watch him as Riff in the West Side Story movie. I just didn't expect to hear about an existential crisis when I interviewed him in Park Slope recently. Read on.

Streaming theater: concerts and classics

Streaming theater shows no sign of flagging and I unearthed some gems for this installment of my column.

The Serpent mood board

What a treat to talk to Tom Shankland about the Netflix series The Serpent! I just love doing those "mood board" articles for the Times because they're about what really interests me: the art that influences the art. Click here for more.

Live Eurovision

I spent most of yesterday covering the Eurovision Song Contest for the New York Times. It was great fun to work with Matthew Anderson, Alex Marshall, Thomas Erdbrink and what felt like a veritable army of editors to deliver a live feed of the event. You can relive the magic here.

This month's obscure streaming science fiction

I continue to navigate the nooks and crannies of the Interweb to find obscure sci-fi nuggets that you might have missed. Click here for the latest installment of my column for the Times.

Streaming theater: Miscast and more

Streaming theater: there is so much of it! If you had told me in January 2020 that one day I'd be watching a reading of Bad Jews on Zoom with most of the original cast… There it is, and more, in my latest streaming column — which came out last Wednesday but the vast majority of the listings are available. Check it out here.

Taxilandia

I really enjoy Modesto "Flako" Jimenez's work and his new piece measured up. Click here for my review of Taxilandia.

More streaming theater

I've been following the streaming-theater scene for since its birth — which means just over a year, basically — and it's been fascinating to watch it grow. My latest roundup for the Times is here.

Jared Mezzocchi

 The pandemic was a terrible time for live performance, but Jared Mezzocchi buckled up, rolled up his sleeves and thrived. Here's my interview with him, pegged to his new show at the Geffen Playhouse.

A year of streaming international theater

Touring may have stopped but in the past year I was able to watch a lot of subtitled theater thanks to increased streaming, peaking with the Golden Mask festival in April. And then I wrote about it all for the Times.

Enter the science-fiction column

 Honored to be one of four columnists now tackling streaming genre movies for the Times! My turf is science fiction, and my first installment is here.

Robert Kirkman mood board

 After all these years being obsessed with The Walking Dead, I finally talked to Robert Kirkman — but it was for Invincible. A great treat to hear about his influences. Click here if you want to know what landmark movie Kirkman's dad introduced him to on VHS.

Assassins and Romeo and Juliet

 No, not in the same show — unfortunately. Those are just a couple of the entries in this week's streaming column, which is packed to the gills with goodies. Dive in!

The Jackson C. Frank Listening Party w/ Special Guests

An interesting concept for this new streaming play: the listening party. In this particular case, of the one and only album by Jackson C. Frank — and honestly I hadn't heard of him until the show. My Times review is here.

Streaming theatrical double bills

Starting off April with more streaming theater, including a double bill that feels so right that I refuse to believe the companies didn't plan it that way. Details? Thataway.

The Michael Mann project

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Michael Mann's first feature, Thief, the New York Times asked some fans to choose their favorite scene from his oeuvre. It was hard to narrow it down — Mann's movies are packed with great scenes, obviously — but I settled down on something from The Keep. Check out all the entries out here.

Sky Rojo

 Too much is not enough for Sky Rojo! This new series from the couple behind Money Heist will knock your socks off. Loved talking to these guys — and tip of the hat to Fabiola, who translated for us. Thataway for the feature.

LCT and Goodman are now streaming

 My latest column about streaming theater kicks off with Lincoln Center Theater and the Goodman finally making some archival shows available. Worth the wait! Check them out and more in my latest.

Genius: Aretha Franklin

I jump on every opportunity to do research, especially if pop music is involved, and this one was a real treat — I learned a lot. Check out my feature about the new series Genius: Aretha Franklin.

J Blakeson mood board

I love doing those mood board features because it's everything that interests me in how art comes out: what went into it. After George Kay for Lupin, here's J Blakeson for I Care a Lot. So. Much. Fun. I could have talked to him for hours!

Click here for the full article.

Boss Level

 Frank Grillo has long been a mover in the world of B action so it was fun to write about his latest, Boss Level. I just wish I had liked it more. Thataway for the review.

P.S. I'm pleased with that kicker.

Interview with Derek DelGaudio

 I loved Derek DelGaudio's show In & Of Itself and talking to him about his new memoir was just as bracing and intellectually exciting as I hoped it would be. Thataway for the Q&A.

Letter to My Father

 I got on Twitch to watch the latest show from the M-34 company, a multichannel staging of Kafka's missive to his dad. Click here for the review.

Streaming theater: star-studded digital shorts and escape rooms

 Forget what you thought you knew about theater: in 2021, all bets are off. For more on what's on offer, check out my latest streaming column in the Times.

Sin Eaters

 Lots of potential in Anna Moench's play Sin Eaters, which I checked out for the Times, but it doesn't quite come to fruition. Click here for the review.

Shook

 In the horror movie Shook, a killer targets social-media influencers. Oh how I wish it was better. Thataway for the review.

Streaming theater: anniversaries

 My latest column about streaming theater leads with two big anniversaries: 35 years for The Colored Museum and 25 for Rent. Check it out here.

Streaming theater for February

 Streaming theater continues unabated and here's my latest roundup.

Blood Meal

 Scott R. Sheppard wrote a play for Theater in Quarantine. Not only is it good, but the technical aspects of the staging blew me away. Read more here.

Barbara Sukowa

 Strike another one from the dream list of interviews: I chatted with Barbara Sukowa for the New York Times. Profile is here.

In & Of Itself

 I reviewed the Hulu version of Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself for the Times. Loved it! The link is here.

What influences can be found in 'Lupin'

 I talked to George Kay about what he influenced him when he was working on the Netflix hit Lupin — he is the creator and showrunner. Click here for what I think is quite a fun piece. 

A look at 'Call My Agent'

 The fourth and final season of Call My Agent! is dropping on Netflix today. A good opportunity to look at what made this series so good. Without spoiling anything, I'll say that it ends on a low that's also a high. Click here to read more.

Streaming theater, not slowing down

 At this point streaming theater has become its own art form, and it shows no sign of slowing down. Here's my latest column, with a new batch of shows. 

Overflow

Yep, these days I can review London productions without leaving my couch. Click here for my take on Overflow, at the Bush Theater.

Welcome to Averno

Prepare to step into a rabbit hole of content when you read my story about Averno, the setting for several musicals — and so much more. Click here for the entryway.

Who is Lupin?

Most American viewers haven't heard of the title character of the new series Lupin — which didn't stop them from sending the show to the Netflix top 10 last week. I wrote about Lupin the man, Lupin the myth and Lupin the series with showrunner George Kay, director Louis Leterrier and star Omar Sy. Thataway!

Swingin' the Dream

 Louis Armstrong, Moms Mabley, Dorothy Dandridge, Benny Goodman, Agnes de Mille and many others walk into a theater: what could possibly go wrong? I wrote about the 1939 Broadway flop Swingin' the Dream for the Times. Click here and be amazed by the swing-tacular that failed.

The January festivals are happening

It takes more than a pandemic to stop experimental theater and to my great joy the avant-festivals of January are happening this year. Thataway for my preview.