2024 holiday movies

They're baaaaaack! The roundup of new streaming holiday movies has become one of my favorite assignments. And this year, I even got to do a video supplement! The list is here and my NY Times video debut is here.

A week in Jay Wegman's cultural life

In November I shadowed Jay Wegman, artistic director at NYU Skirball, to monitor his cultural diet — which makes me green with envy, of course! Here's the result.

Holiday shows

I wrote a roundup of holiday shows for all ages and tastes. And they're not all in New York! Thataway for a little something that hopefully will give you ideas for the end of the year.

We Are Your Robots

I couldn't help myself and snuck in Devo and Daft Punk references in my review of the new Ethan Lipton musical. Click here for the article.

Five sci-fi movies to stream in November

Wrapping up November with my latest batch of streaming science fiction. The conclusion of Die Alone is one of my favoring endings of the year. Check out the roundup here.

Sabbath Queen

My review of the new doc Sabbath Queen is up at the Times. Thataway for the article.

Baby and Music City

Two reviews in one with a critic's notebook about the music-themed play Babe and the country tuner Music City. I liked one very much, the other less so — which is which? Read on here.

What's your Romeo and Juliet IQ?

My first quiz for the NY Times! To be clear, it's not about the play Romeo and Juliet but about its ubiquity in pop culture. The test was pegged to the revival currently on Broadway, starring Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor. I'm in the minority to have enjoyed Sam Gold's production, though I wasn't crazy about the often confusing double casting. Click here for the quiz.

Tammy Faye

My first visit to the refurbished Palace Theater was for the new musical Tammy Faye, which I reviewed for the Times. For my take on the show, you can click here. For the venue itself, I'll just say that I'm not a fan of theaters where you have to take an escalator to the auditorium (ie the Shed, Perelman, Marquis). It just feels like a fire trap.

Interview with Aldis Hodge

There's a new Alex Cross in town, and this time they got him right. I had the pleasure to talk to Aldis Hodge about taking on James Patterson's creation for Amazon's Cross. Click here for OK McCausland's amazing splash photo (and my article).

In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot

On the one hand, I love seeing any attempt at a science-fiction setting on stage. On the other, I wish Sarah Mantell's play was better. My review is here.

Sci-fi movies keep coming

This list of five sci-fi movies to stream came out in October but I'm posting it the day after the presidential election. I've got to say, it's going to be tough to keep watching all these movies about a dystopian future when we're about to enter a dystopian present. Click here for the list.

Jump scares

I love when the New York Times goes all out with the multimedia stuff, and I love being part of a team effort. Check out this ranked list of some of the best jump scares in movies.

We Live in Cairo

It is possible to do a dull show about fiery revolutionaries: welcome to We Live in Cairo, a new musical at New York Theater Workshop. Click here for my review.

Showgirl

Showgirl singular is Marlène Saldana and Jonathan Drillet's take on Showgirls but also cinema, art and morality. It's a lot more fun that this makes it sound! Read my preview for more, including a reminder than Paul Verhoeven's movie is now a lot talked about than the two prestige Las Vegas movies that came out in 1995. Click here to be reminded what they were. 

The Big Gay Jamboree

I enjoyed Titanique when I saw it, and reviewed it (and had not expected what it would become). I was less keen on Marla Mindelle's new vehicle, The Big Gay Jamboree. Thataway for my review.

Daaaaaalí!

Quentin Dupieux is back! Daaaaaalí! isn't among my favorites by him but I can rest easy knowing he'll have a new movie out in the US soon enough. Click here for my review.

Norman Reedus's culture 10

As an early adopter of The Walking Dead, talking to Norman "Daryl" Reedus was definitely exciting. Cool dude. Click here for his culture picks.

A new batch of sci-fi movies for September

Five new under-the-radar sci-movies to stream this month! Thataway for my selection.

Gabriel Kahane and Todd Almond

Some interesting song cycles happened to open at around the same time Off Broadway: two by Gabriel Kahane and one by Todd Almond. Read on to know which I liked best.

KS6, Medea Re-Versed, The Voices in Your Head, The Ask

Last month I dropped by a few smaller stages to see what was going on. I'm pleased to report that La MaMa is still going strong, hosting Belarus Free Theater once again, that the site-specific The Voices in Your Head is as lovely as it was back in January, and that The Ask definitely was thought-provoking. A bit less enthusiastic about the hip-hop Medea at Sheen but it had some strengths. Click here for my critic's notebook.

Ian McKellen talks about critics and ghosts

Ian McKellen is the living memory of decades of theater and talking to him is just endlessly fascinating. That was one for the bucket list. Click here for my interview.

Counting and Cracking

I recommended this show to soooo many friends, and not a single person who saw it disliked it. Consensus! You can read my review here.

James Earl Jones on stage

A belated link to my look at five important stage turns in James Earl Jones's career. Click here for my contribution to the Times's coverage after his death.

A chat with Norman Reedus

Three rockers with deep gothic roots who came up in my conversation with Norman Reedus: Nick Cave, Gavin Friday and Ian Astbury. Click here for Reedus's 10 cultural picks.

Afraid

The title of this techno-thriller actually is AfrAId, but the NY Times doesn't play typographical games. The movie has some of the worst acting I've ever seen in a supposedly legit production, and it's all downhill from there. Click here for my review.

Ending August with some science fiction

Anchoring my latest sci-fi column, which came out at the end of August, is the South Indian epic Kalki 2898 AD. It is as much of a spectacle as you would expect it to be. Click here for the details.

Profile of Zoe Sarnak

Galileo, The Lonely Few, Empire Records in 2024, and at least four more shows in development: I don't know if Zoe Sarnak is the single busiest musical-theater composer-lyricist right now, but she must be up there. Thataway for the profile.

10 Alain Delon movies

I had to make sure the movies were streaming in the US so there are a couple that I couldn't include, but overall this list is very much what I'd recommend to someone who's never seen any of Alain Delon's work. And people who have seen the biggies will discover some gems, like Once a Thief. The list is here.

Looking back at the Alien franchise

To celebrate the release of Alien: Romulus, I watched all the movies in the franchise and wrote about it for the Times. There's an audio version, too!

Caligula: The Ultimate Cut

If you search this blog, you'll find a couple of entries about the 1980 movie Caligula. I'm back into the fray for this "Ultimate Cut": review thataway.

Ivo van Hove interview

Ivo van Hove has taken the reins of the Ruhrtrienniale for three years. We talked about the programming for his inaugural edition, putting on shows and whether we'll see him originate a show on Broadway again. Thataway for the interview.

Once Upon a Mattress on Broadway

The Encores! production of Once Upon a Mattress is now on Broadway, and the chemistry between Michael Urie and Sutton Foster is even better than it was in January. You can read my review in the New York Times here.

A trip to Wisconsin

Before my weekend in Chicago I'd spent a few days discovering American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin — and the resulting article is here. I'm already making plans to return on vacation next year, possibly in August when they have more shows in rep and I can really binge!

A trip to Chicago

On a recent whirlwind weekend in Chicago, I saw musical adaptations of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Lord of the Rings, as well as the latest Samuel D. Hunter play, Little Bear Ridge Road. You can find my critic's notebook here.

Science fiction for early August

The well of science fiction never runs dry! Here are five more movies to stream when it's too hot outside.

Introducing team handball

For the New York Times Audio, I spoke about team handball. Hint: it's not played against a wall and there are teams and goalies. Click here then put on your headphones.

Pre-Existing Condition

I spoke to all the actresses — Tatiana Maslany, Maria Dizzia, Julia Chan, Deirdre O'Connell, Tavi Gevinson and Edie Falco — who have or are playing the character A in the play Pre-Existing Condition, as well as the author, Marin Ireland. Quite a feat, if I may say so myself, to manage to quote everybody in such a relatively short piece. Click here for the story.

July sci-fi

 July sci-fi: hey, it rhymes! My latest batch of streamable nuggets is here.

A Quiet Place Day One

A Quiet Place is emerging as one of my favorite franchises and even when a movie has problems, like the new prequel, I have a good time. More, please! I reviewed A Quiet Place: Day One for the Times.

A trip to the Jimmys

The Jimmy Awards have become a major scouting ground for casting directors, and the 15th edition did not let anybody down. Check out my report and see what the kids are up to.

Babylon Berlin primer

The great German historical series is finally back to the US with new episodes! It's been a while since the last time we met with Gereon, Lotte et al., so I wrote a primer to prep viewers for Season 4. Click here.

Find Me Here

Crystal Finn's play is middling but its cast is absolutely sterling so I'd say it's a go. My review is here.

Musicians on Broadway

Please, let's have more stories about musicians on Broadway! Not biomusicals — stories about made-up musicians. They give writers, directors and actors a lot more leeway than the hagiography and mimicry required by biographical material. I wrote about a positive new trend for the Washington Post.

R.I.P. Françoise Hardy

I took that loss hard. It was hard to pick just eight songs to trace Françoise Hardy's career arc but you can find my YouTube picks here. I also wrote the intro to a wonderful gallery put together by the photo department, and that's here.

How Suffs changed for Broadway

I wasn't crazy about Suffs at the Public Theater but the Broadway version may well be my favorite musical of the year, tied with Dead Outlaw. I talked to Shaina Taub and Leigh Silverman about the changes they made to their show over the past two years. Click here for my story. 

What to see during Pride month

I rounded up some theater performances of interest for Pride month. Some of them are settled on Broadway but others have short runs so don't sleep on them. Go for it! 

Godzilla leads the sci-fi pack this month

Godzilla Minus One is finally streaming so of course I had to lead the latest installment of my sci-fi column with it! What a great movie. The column can be found here.

The Watchers

Ishana Shyamalan's debut feature has a lot of issues but Dakota Fanning is, as always, a compelling screen presence. Click here for my review.

Becoming Karl Lagerfeld

I became interested in the intersection of fashion and nightlife in 1970s Paris after reading Alicia Drake's great book The Beautiful Fall a few years ago. Many of the same characters, events and settings pop up in this Hulu series. I talked to a few of the principals and recommend watching the show. My feature is here.

The Great Lillian Hall

Catching up with a lot of stories so get ready for a link dump! 

I reviewed this HBO production starring Jessica Lange as an aging theater star, and wow is the movie tailor-made for her. It really made me want to see Lange do The Cherry Orchard, as she does in the film. Thataway for the review.

Usus

Clubbed Thumbed's Summerworks is one of my favorite theater series and even when a show doesn't entirely work, like Usus, I enjoy going. My review is here.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Julia Masli's Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha is impressive in many ways, which is why I wanted it to cut so much deeper. She stops just short of where it becomes really interesting. My review is here.

Nobody Cares

Yes, that title sounds a bit like Laura Benanti is fishing for compliments but she pulls off a really fun show at Minetta Lane, produced by Audible. Click here for my review.

Dungeons and Dragons

I went to Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern and wow, it really brought me back to my role-playing days! It's fun to see the game enjoy a resurgence and extending to new mediums like the theater. Click here for my review.

Crying at Broadway shows

Have you been crying at Broadway shows this season? It's ok — so have I, and a lot of other people too. Click here for my Washington Post story.

Science fiction for May 2024

Here's another batch of under-the-radar sci-fi movies that are new (or at least newish) to streaming and VOD this month.

Eurovision 2024

Once again I joined the New York Times team covering Eurovision. World news have really intruded on that pop stage in the past few years, even more so at this year's edition. You can find our live commentary at this link. I also had separate articles touching on some specific aspects: a guide to the 2024 contest,  how the voting works, the pop powerhouse known as Sweden.

The Miser

I ventured — and by that I mean that I walked —to Prospect Park to check out Molière in the Park's production of The Miser. Like pretty much everybody who grew up in France, I read Molière in school, so I'm always excited to see one of his plays here in the US. You can check out my review here.

Stars on Broadway

Four screen stars, four Broadway shows: I wrote about Rachel McAdams, Steve Carell, Jessica Lange and Eddie Redmayne for the Washington Post — article here.

Orlando

Signature brought back Sarah Ruhl's adaptation of the Virginia Woolf novel, now directed by Will Davis. "Wildly uneven" is the quickest way to describe the production. My review is here.

The Heart of Rock and Roll

Okay, let's face it: Huey Lewis isn't the heart of rock and roll. But the new jukebox drawing from his songs is a lot of fun. Yes, I had a good time. Click here for my review.

Hell's Kitchen

After a middling premiere at the Public Theater, the Alicia Keys musical is now on Broadway. Happy surprise: just like Suffs, it's really improved and now I can wholeheartedly endorse it. My review is here.

Suffs

Having seen its previous version at the Public Theater, I was frankly flabbergasted that Suffs was transferring to Broadway. But the creative team did the hard work and while I still have reservations, I'm happy to report that the show is now very good. Thataway for my review in the Washington Post.

The Outsiders

It's hard to oversell S.E. Hinton's book The Outsiders, which is really remarkable — especially knowing she wrote it when she was 16. I got to review the musical adaptation for the Washington Post, and found the visuals a lot more striking than the music and book. You can read my piece here.

Science fiction for the spring

Under the radar no more: I've unearthed another quintet of obscure or semi-obscure sci-fi movies for you to enjoy this month. The list is here.

It's Only Life After All

I've never really been into Indigo Girls but I loved the new doc about them — which is a sign of a movie well made. The director was incredibly lucky that Amy Ray is such a pack rat! Click here for my review.

An appreciation of Christopher Durang

We lost a good one this week. I threw a few thoughts together for the Washington Post, and you can find them here.

Yannick

Quentin Dupieux strikes again! I got to review his latest, Yannick, for the Times. And by "latest" I mean latest to be released in the U.S.: one more came out since, and his next is premiering at Cannes. I just love him. Click here for the review.

The Who's Tommy

I got to tackle the Broadway revival of The Who's Tommy for the Washington Post. Come for Pete Townshend, stay for the Daft Punk joke! Click here for the review.

Water for Elephants

My first byline in The Washington Post! I am beyond psyched, and honored. It's a review of the new Broadway musical Water for Elephants and I liked the production a lot. Click here for the review (gift link).

Limbo

Simon Baker gives a terrific performance in this new movie by Ivan Sen — a director I quite like. Check it out, but first check out my review for the Times.

March sci-fi movies

My latest sci-fi column is out! 

Meet Elsbeth…again

Longtime viewers of The Good Wife and The Good Fight are familiar with Elsbeth Tascioni, and now this fan favorite is getting her own show! I went to the set on two different days and talked to a whole bunch of people, including Carrie Preston, of course. Click here for the story.

The Hunt

I tend to like Rupert Goold's work but oof — this one is on the nose. Good performance from Tobias Menzies but the show is so overwrought. My review for the Times is here.

A Sign of the Times

I actually love Petula Clark songs, especially the ones she recorded with the brilliant Tony Hatch, but if you're going to do a jukebox of her hits, just do one and not this mishmash. My review is here.

Juliette Binoche interview

Juliette Binoche is of a generation and a personality with no patience or interest in media training, which makes her a wonderful person to interview. As you can read in my piece here.

Science fiction for February

 The latest installment of my science-fiction column is out, with more under-the-radar flicks. Thataway!

I Love You So Much I Could Die

Lucas Hnath's staging is inventive and bold but Mona Pirnot's play and songs just aren't sturdy enough to support it. My review of the New York Theater Workshop production is here.

Interview with Nina Conti

Happy to back on the ventriloquist beat! At long last, I got to interview Nina Conti! I've been a fan of this brilliant comedian for years and the Times finally let me talk to her. Click here for Nina (Monkey was otherwise engaged, I suppose). 

Some mighty fine Chita Rivera videos

As part of the Times's multi-pronged tribute to Chita Rivera, I pulled nine videos from YouTube. They will keep you entertained for while — a mini hommage to topflight American entertainement. Click here for the goods. 

Once Upon a Mattress

Call it typecasting if you will: Sutton Foster, Harriet Harris and Michael Urie are terrific in this Encores! production. It was a pleasure to review it for the Times.

Skiing Wolf Creek

It seems fitting to post this report from Wolf Creek, Colorado, as I wait to board a flight to another ski trip. Come for the photos of magnificent powder and scenery, stay for the reporting about plans that could change Wolf Creek forever. Click here for the article.

Super-duper late post about my return to Creede

I had to look at some of my old articles for a project and realized I hadn't posted my piece about returning to Creede, Colorado, in the summer of 2022! Better late than never, so here it is.

Our Class

I have a few reservations about Igor Golyak's staging of this play, but overall I recommend seeing the show — it's what we need right now. My review is here.

For All Mankind

I talked to Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert, the For All Mankind showrunners, about the series's fourth season. I've got to say, Apple TV+ is making some of my favorite sci-fi series right now: For All Mankind, Halo and Invasion — good stuff. Click here for the interview.

Time to settle down with some sci-fi movies

My latest column is out with five sci-fi movies. The least expected one is probably Meet Cute, starring Pete Davidson and Kaley Cuoco, which is definitely not cute. Click here for the goods.

Why women love Reacher

Jack Reacher, we meet again! I looked at some of the reasons women love reading Reacher books and watching the "Reacher" series. It's not what you think. Click here for an article I had a lot of fun writing.

Edited to add a link to the audio story!