Why hasn't anybody on Fear the Walking Dead heard of zombies?

Answer: They live in a world where nobody has ever seen a George Romero movie. At least that's was showrunner Dave Erickson's theory when I talked to him. More here.

Colman Domingo talks Fear the Walking Dead

I've seen Colman Domingo in many shows, from musicals to Fugard, so it was quite a shock when he turned up in Fear the Walking Dead last year. I chatted with him about getting a gig with a popular TV franchise.

Theater's biggest stars don't have any lines

Just look at those hardworking couches! This one was a hoot to research.

Pick of the week: Richard II

I was very impressed by David Tennant in Richard II (like everybody else, it seems). I only saw one of the other shows in the Lancaster cycle at BAM, Henry IV Pt. 1, but it left me cold. Antony Sher's Falstaff, in particular, felt by-the-numbers -- Sophie Stanton's portrayal in the Phyllida Lloyd staging at St. Ann's was a million times more inventive, and not just because she was a woman playing a man.

Fun facts you didn't know about Hamilton

Despite the media onslaught accompanying a certain musical, a new companion book managed to uncover new tidbits. I picked a few of them.

Andrew Dice Clay

Yes, I interviewed Andrew Dice Clay -- and it was awesome! Click here to see why it's clear this guy hasn't had media training.

TV shows keep killing their lesbian characters

Ladies are dropping like flies left and right. Why just last night Mimi and Camilla kicked the bucket on Empire. I looked at this lethal spring for the gays.

Jane Lapotaire returns to the stage after a brain hemorrhage

It was a treat and an honor to chat with Jane Lapotaire. Click here for the piece.

Interview with Jeffrey Dean Morgan

I have issues with the way the Walking Dead season finale was handled, but none with the way Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrayed Negan. My interview with him is here.

P.S. Denny Duquette is still dead!

Interview with Lukas Graham

The Danish popster answered some questions. I really want to visit Christiania now! The chat is here.

Picks of the week: 1776 and Head of Passes

I'd never seen 1776 and thoroughly enjoyed the Encores! production that's running until Sunday. My other recommendation this week is Head of Passes at the Public Theater. More here.

The Crucible

Ivo van Hove is usually very good at drawing out a play's deepest meaning but his reading of The Crucible is a little perplexing. Still, I enjoyed the show.

It doesn't really matter who dies on The Walking Dead

If you see The Walking Dead as an exercise in hopeless nihilism, it really doesn't matter who dies on Sunday's season finale. Click here and see if you agree with my reasoning.

One of the most boring Walking Dead episodes ever

I have a very high tolerance for detours on The Walking Dead, but last night's episode was a time-killing dud. My review's here.

Bright Star

I found Bright Star charming but a couple of tonal hiccups really surprised me. As when news of infanticide is greeted with a mellow little ditty. If there ever was an opportunity for a murder ballad -- especially considering that the score is country/bluegrass -- this was it. My review's here.

Dry Powder

Dry Powder scored a deluxe cast: Claire Danes, John Krasinski, Hank Azaria. Too bad the play itself isn't as sharp as it thinks it is. My review's here.

How Mark Ballas stopped smoking

I can't believe Mark Ballas lasted that long on DWTS with a pack-a-day habit. Click here for more.

Denise bites the dust on The Walking Dead

I won't lie: I'm cheesed off that Carl got shot in the eye and got a cool patch, while Denise got shot in the eye and got a fresh grave. As for Carol, can we have any character coherence? Is that too much to ask? My take on last night's episode of The Walking Dead is here.

This week's picks: She Loves Me and The Robber Bridegroom

It was a great week for revivals as I saw She Loves Me and The Robber Bridegroom back to back. Completely different shows, and both incredibly pleasurable. My joint review's here.

Interview with Timothy Olyphant

I've been an Olyfan (sorry!) since 1996, when I saw him in Santaland Diaries. I finally got to talk to him in conjunction with his return to the Atlantic, in Kenneth Lonergan's lovely Hold On to Me Darling. Click here for the interview.

A crowd of morons riled up Whoopi Goldberg

Rarely have I been as pissed off by an audience as I was last night, when a horde of cretins mistook White Rabbit Red Rabbit for an amusement-park ride. Read on for what happened.

This week's Walking Dead

We all thought Carol had fully embraced her blood-thirsty ruthlessness but maybe it's not been that easy on her after all. More thoughts on this week's episode here.

Eclipsed and Blackbird

I saw Eclipsed and Blackbird on consecutive nights, and as bleak as those plays are, it's amazing to see these women's stories on Broadway. My joint take is here.

This week's pick: Disaster!

Disaster! suffers a bit in its move to Broadway — this is the kind of show that belongs in a smaller space — but I still had a very fun time. Not so much at The Royale. Click here for more.

Interview with Julie Delpy

it was a real treat to chat with Julie Delpy, who's smart and opinionated. My feature is here.

This week's picks are Familiar and Red Speedo

This week's picks are Danai Gurira's Familiar and Lucas Hnath's Red Speedo. On the other hand, don't feel like you have to go to Pericles or Dot. Click here for the low-down.

Son of a Backstreet Boy

Baylee Littrell, the son of Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell, is making his Broadway debut in Disaster! How could I not chat with him? Click here for more.

Negan's getting nearer on The Walking Dead

The Negan buzz is getting deafening on The Walking Dead but what I really want to know is why they can find an ultrasound machine but not radios. Seriously? My review of episode 6.11 is here.

Thoughts on Hughie, Nice Fish and Smokefall

Quite a few shows opened this week, and I can't say I cared for any of them. Deets here.

Could Cruel Intentions save Sarah Michelle Gellar's career?

Could it, indeed?

The Walking Dead has been ignoring the comics for years

The Walking Dead has been ignoring the comics for years, so why cry now that Rick's hooking up with Michonne instead of Andrea? Really, does anybody miss Andrea? My case for sticking with the show is here.

A chat with Eddie the Eagle

As much as I love skiing, ski jumping freaks me out. Peering down from the top of Lake Placid's Olympic jump in summer was terrifying so I can't even imagine going down that thing. All the more credit, then, to Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards for competing at the Calgary Winter Games -- even if he finished last. Our chat is here.

My Weekend with Alan Cumming

Well, not literally -- we just chatted about what he likes to do on a perfect weekend. Sexual relations, swimming and cocktail o'clock: it's a charmed life! Click here for more.

This week's picks: Buried Child and Old Hats

This week's picks are both at the Signature Center, and they couldn't be any more different: the New Group's revival of Sam Shepard's Buried Child and an encore presentation of Bill Irwin and David Shiner's vaudevillian clown show Old Hats. More here.

The Humans is now the Tony frontrunner

Stephen Karam's Broadway debut, The Humans, is the frontrunner in the Best Play race. Let's see how the battle with Eclipsed will shape up! My re-review of the transfer is here.

More Walking Dead!

This time, I reflect on Rick's evolution in the winter premiere. Who would have thought this guy could ever say "I was wrong"?!? Click here for the post-mortem (no pun intended).

The Walking Dead's sixth season returns

Glenn fiasco aside, I've been enjoying the sixth season of The Walking Dead tremendously. The winter premiere didn't let me down. My preview's here.

Thank God for Jokes

As a punctual person living with someone blessed with a rubbery conception of time, I really felt for Mike Birbiglia's riff on the difference between people who are on time and people who are late. He belongs to the first category, and about the second, he has this to say: "We hate you." Gently, of course -- this is Mike Birbiglia, not Triumph. Anyway, his new solo, Thank God for Jokes, is one of my picks this week. Click here to discover my skips.

Does the producer behind the feminist tweets live up to his message?

I looked him up, and the result is a half empty/half full type thing.

Interview with Giacomo Gianniotti

The interns keep rolling at Grey's Anatomy, and the latest one is Dr. Andrew DeLuca. I had a chat with Giacomo Gianniotti, the Canadian-Italian actor who portrays him. Click here for more.

Frozen comes to Broadway

Will Frozen be the new Hamilton? Or the new Wicked? Or the new Little Mermaid? More guesswork here.

The return of The X-Files

OK, so that came out a little while ago but I was away on a ski trip and thoughts of work went out the window. The takeaway: Gillian Anderson makes David Duchovny's acting look worse than ever. More here.

Skeleton Crew is my pick of the week

Skeleton Crew leads my picks this week, with a more reserved endorsement of Erin Markey's A Ride on the Irish Cream. You can skip Our Mother's Brief Affair, though. The low-down is here.

Cats is a musical that can end friendships

Cats is back and I'm happy about it! Read my take on why this show is so divisive here.

London Spy

Spying is almost an afterthought in London Spy, an excellent new miniseries on BBC America. Rather, the show looks at the construction of identity, and how said identity helps us construct our lives -- or contributes to ruin our lives. My review's here.

TV characters and their tragic flaws

Of course characters must be multi-faceted, but does one of those facets must include a drug addiction? Some examples and more in my piece here.

Mercy Street

PBS tries its hand at original drama, with unsteady results. Did we really need the brilliant surgeon to have a morphine addiction?!? My review's here.

Noises Off

One of the best things about the new Noises Off is the playbill for Nothing On, the show-within-the-show. As for the rest, this is a textbook example of a production being less than the sum of its sterling parts. My review's here.

Gillian Anderson talks X-Files

I talked with Gillian Anderson again (be still, my heart!), and this time it was about the return of The X-Files. I admit it: I got emotional when I heard that theme music again. Click here for the chat.

Looking back at MADtv with Nicole Parker

I've long been a Nicole Parker fan so it was a pleasure to chat with her about MADtv. Click here for our convo, as well as some choice YouTube clips.

January's theater festivals

What CMJ is to music fans, January is to theater lovers — especially if they go for experimental fare, because Broadway this ain't. I picked five shows that looked promising, at least to me, because in the end the one requirement is: What would I go see? Click here for more deets.

My weekend with Cristin Milioti

Cristin Milioti's in Lazarus until the end of the month, and just finished a stint in Fargo's second season. Busy! Fortunately she still goes out on weekend. See you at Bareburger!

Fiddler on the Roof

The peanut gallery was up in arms about one minute of added material to Fiddler on the Roof -- respectful, silent material! Can you imagine if some truly radical director took a stab at it? Whatever: I loved the respectful new revival. My review's here.

My chat with Mary Berry

If you're as in love with The Great British Baking Show — and even its spinoff, The Great Holiday Baking Show — as I am, you'll get a kick out of my chat with Mary Berry.

The year's best theater flops

Some were atrocious, other simply dull dull dull. Have a look to my top 5 list of theater's worst moments in 2015.

K-pop group Oh My Girl was detained at LAX because...

...well, let's just say this may have been a case of mistaken identity, at least according to the band's management company. Less charitable spirits say it was a stupid lack of visa. Click here for some K-pop fun.

2015's top ten

My favorite shows of 2015 are the ones that surprised me, that made me reconsider what I thought I knew about a play, its characters, their and my emotions, the story -- and storytelling itself. Maybe that's why Hamilton isn't included: It's a very good show, but it never caught me by surprise or made me question things. Here are the finalists.

What to see and skip this week

This week's picks are the Shakespeare-Beatles hybrid These Paper Bullets! along with the revival of Once Upon a Mattress and Staceyann Chin's new solo, MotherStruck!
I was less impressed by Marjorie Prime than my colleagues, though any show with Lois Smith has something going for it. Click here for more details.

review of Luther

I used to love Luther but the show's sick fascination with perverted serial killers is getting old. Still: Idris Elba! My review's of the fourth installment is here.

I tried broomball and lived to tell the tale

The only disappointment is that no spell-casting is involved in broomball. Click here for my exploits on the Prospect Park ice.

This week's picks and pans

This week I recommend Nick Kroll and John Mulaney's Oh, Hello, as well as School of Rock. You can skip Lazarus, unless you're a huge David Bowie fan.

The Color Purple

Jennifer Hudson sings great but has little presence as an actress. Still, the show works as a massager of tear ducts. My review's here.

Is The Good Wife doomed?

I've been a huge fan of The Good Wife from day one, but this season has been trying. Not bad so much as not exciting -- sorry, show, you've trained us to expect a lot! Here's my take on the first half of season 7 before this Sunday's winter finale.

Skiing at Portes du Soleil

My ski trip to the French Alps in January coincided with the non-blizzard that cancelled all the flights in and out of NYC. I'm not complaining: I got extra days in Savoie, which, frankly, I'll take anytime. You can read about my adventures at Portes du Soleil here. This is a follow-up to my adventures at Paradiski.

Lazarus

Statistically you don't have a ticket for Lazarus, which sold out in hours. If you do, chances are you're a huge David Bowie fan and you'll get a kick out of it. Somehow. My review's here.

School of Rock

Great big return to form for Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose School of Rock is a delight. I have some quibbles, sure, but overall I'd recommend this one. My review's here.

The Walking Dead Experience

What's better than watching The Walking Dead? Experiencing its zombie-apocalypse world — for a little while. Also, without getting bitten. Click here for my preview of this immersive new show.

The Great Holiday Baking Show

The first episode of ABC's remake of The Great British Baking Show was surprisingly enjoyable — you could see them trying very hard to capture the original's unique tone. Too bad local baker Grace Langan didn't make the cut. At least she gave us a recipe.

Meet Broadway's latest hunks

I love all four of them! Don't make me choose! Click here for the goods.

This week's picks and pans

This week I recommend Gigantic and Important Hats of the 20th Century (at least the latter's first act). You can skip Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, Invisible Thread and New York Animals -- though the last boasts some gorgeous Burt Bacharach melodies. More details here.

The Wiz Live!

NBC got it largely right with its live telecast of The Wiz. The solution was simple: get people who can sing! Still, I wish the network would just shoot its next musical in front of a live audience. It'll do wonder for the energy. My review's here.

China Doll

Will the debacle known as China Doll mark the end of David Mamet's teflon years? Because I'm not sure how his already damaged reputation could recover. My review's here.

Lin-Manuel Miranda scores the new cantina

Lin-Manuel Miranda's turf has just expanded to a galaxy far, far away: He scored the cantina scene in the new Star Wars movie. Miranda for President 2030!

A Very Murray Christmas

I'm not that into Christmas but I do love variety specials, and Netflix's new A Very Murray Christmas hits the sweet spot. Click here for my review.

Evaluating The Walking Dead midseason finale

Except for the handling of Glenn, I've been loving season 6 of The Walking Dead. But all good things must come to an end, and so they did with an utterly mediocre midseason finale. My take's here.

City on Fire take-down

It's rare that a novel makes me angry but City on Fire did just that. I only refrained from throwing it across the room because 1. it's huge and I didn't want to break something or hurt someone and 2. it was a library copy. So instead, I vented about it here.

The Walking Dead blew it with Glenn

Basically The Walking Dead set itself up for a fail no matter what happened to Glenn. What makes it even worse is that the season's been otherwise stellar. Click here for my take.

My weekend with Andrew Rannells

OK, so it's not literally my weekend with Andrew Rannells -- more like my chatting with Andrew Rannells about his weekend. Click here to see where his favorite spots are so you can happen to run into him.

Mudd Club rummage sale

The Mudd Club is using its iconic name for a good cause with a rummage sale to benefit the Bowery Mission Women's Project. More details here.

Misery

Broadway needs more fun genre exercises like Misery and less hand-wringing couch plays. Click here for my review.

Picks of the week: A View from the Bridge, Henry IV

It was a great week for British imports: A View from the Bridge on Broadway, Henry IV off. Now that's how you do the classics!

On the other hand, I recommend you skip the clunkily earnest Allegiance, as well as Dada Woof Papa Hot and Taylor Mac's surprisingly muddled and bitter Hir. Details here.

Why Walking Dead fans need to stop whining

The series is better than never -- yes, I'm going there -- and yet fans are whining. Too much philosophizing, not enough gore? And Glenn? What happened to Glenn?!? I address these pressing issues and more here.

Theater's having a senior moment

I couldn't be happier than theater is having a senior moment -- who'd complain to see a show where the stars are Marylouise Burke and Holland Taylor? (Yeah, I loved Ripcord.) More here.

On Your Feet!

Now this is a musical that earns its exclamation mark -- and then some. Just when I was thinking this Broadway season couldn't get any grimmer, the show perked me up. My review's here.

Shonda Rhimes must do something right

In her new book, Year of Yes, super-producer Shonda Rhimes has plenty of advice based on her experience saying yes for a year. Admitted, few of us will have her problems: Should I accept Dartmouth's invitation to speak at its commencement? Should I guest-star on Mindy Kaling's show? (I have to say yes to my wife asking me to bring back more milk.) Anyway, the book should be especially fun to fans of Grey's Anatomy because it reads like one of Meredith's monologues. More here.

The British royals: off with their heads!

Of course I'd think that -- any French person would! But my colleague Johnny Oleksinski disagrees, and King Charles III sent us into a spirited debate.

The Great British Baking Show

Why did PBS change the title of The Great British Bake Off to The Great British Baking Show? No idea, but it doesn't matter: This is the only reality-TV series I watch, and here's why.

Which movie stars have fared best on Broadway

Some of them tank, others navigate the stage with ease. Some will never back, others I can't wait to see again. Click here to see who's who.

Go see The Humans and Thérèse Raquin

The Roundabout has two very different versions of drama on offer, and they're both worthy in their own ways. Click here for my critic's picks.

Matthew Broderick: why?

Matthew Broderick's in Sylvia and I wondered why he keeps getting cast in comedies when he flounders in them. Might a drama suit him better? My reasoning's here.

The Walking Dead's Thank You

The Walking Dead's sixth season is up to a fantastic start with three terrific episodes in a row. My thoughts on "Thank You," in which a character died -- really, really died.

Interview with Peaches

What's in the teaches of Peaches? Still plenty, as it turns out. Click here for more.

A short intro to Mark Rylance

Hollywood is discovering Mark Rylance thanks to his scene-stealing turn in Bridge of Spies, but theater fans have known about him for a long time. Click here for my brief intro.

The Gin Game

Man, The Gin Game is a mean-spirited play! Not that you'd know from the Broadway revival I reviewed here.

Eclipsed

Lupita Nyong'o makes a convincing NY stage debut in Danai Gurira's Eclipsed. Click here for the full review.

Stop hating on Mamie Gummer!

In a world awash in children of celebrities, Mamie Gummer is easy to like. Just don't try to make her a star. Click here for my paean to this hard-working thespian.

Old Times

I never thought I'd say that about a Pinter play, but Old Times is hot. Hot as in smoldering and pent-up, not explicit. I still can't tell what's going on in the show, but watching Clive Owen, Eve Best and Kelly Reilly undress each other with their eyes is enough, thank you very much. My review's here.

Fear the Walking Dead post-mortem

After last night's finale, I look back at Fear the Walking Dead. In short: It wasn't that great but I'll keep on watching because zombies.

Philippe Petit's dream weekend

Philippe Petit lives near Woodstock, but here we chatted about his ideal NYC weekend.

Interview with Cush Jumbo

I chatted with the lovely Cush Jumbo about her signing on as a regular on The Good Wife.