Exit interview with Donna Marie Asbury

Donna Marie Asbury just left Chicago after 22 years with the show — first in the tour and then in the Broadway company. It was a treat to speak with her a couple of hours before she stepped on the Ambassador stage for the last time. Click here for the goods.

The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda

I reviewed Ishmael Reed's new play about what's missing from Hamilton: click here for the review.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

I've been a fan of Mary Elizabeth Winstead since seeing her in Death Proof, in which she wore a yellow cheerleader uniform (but did not play a cheerleader) and was in that car facing off crazy Kurt Russell.
And earlier this month, I talked to her about doing her first play in New York (Dying City at Second Stage) and a bunch of other stuff. Click here to see if Nikki Swango came up.

The Pink Unicorn

Fans of Alice Ripley may want to check out this show to see her in very close quarters. Others may not be in a rush. My Times review is here.

The Plough and the Stars

I reviewed one third of Irish Rep's O'Casey cycle for the Times — and it was an excellent third. My review is here.

Original Sound

A play about how modern pop music is cooked up? Sign me up! My Times review is here.

Nancy And Beth

I tagged along to Bay Shore with Stephanie Hunt and Megan Mullally's Nancy And Beth. My article in the Times barely scratches the surface of what transpired.

Black Summer

When it comes to the undead, I've always preferred zombies to vampires. And I can watch a lot of that stuff. The Netflix algorithm knows this and recommended Black Summer, which turned out to be amazing. So much so that I wrote about it for the Times. My critic's notebook is here.

Luzia

Cirque du Soleil is back in great, great form with Luzia, which is well worth the trip to Citi Field (the circus is under a big top in the parking lot, a short walk from the 7 subway stop). It was a total pleasure to review the show for the Times.

A listening guide to riot grrrl

What a thrill it was to work on this piece about 25 essential riot grrrl tracks! Wow, that brought me back. As much of a fan of print as I am, the online version moves so right there... Anyway, here's the link. Dig in.

Playing Hot

I reviewed this rambunctious play about jazz musician Buddy Bolden for the Times, and there it is.

Jack & with The Cotillion

Yikes, I'm a bit late posting this one. I reviewed Kaneza Schaal's latest show, at New York Live Arts, for the Times, and it's here.

Marjana and the Forty Thieves

Went down to Sunset Park to catch this Target Margin show for the New York Times — the review is here. Of course I stopped at the Colombian joint ParisCien for a pan de bono on the way.

Katrina Lenk's exit interview

I talked to Katrina Lenk in September 2017, as The Band's Visit was to about to start again on Broadway. It was a pleasure to meet again a few days before the show closed. Click here for the exit interview.

Life Sucks.

Aaron Posner's new one (well, new to us in NYC) is a super-smart adaptation of Uncle Vanya. My review is here.

The Legend of Cocaine Island

I reviewed this colorful documentary for the Times (find my piece here). It's on Netflix, if you want a dose of Florida silliness this weekend.

Smart Blonde

I was really happy to see Andréa Burns in a starring role, even if she's a lot better than her vehicle. My review of Smart Blonde is here.

Southern Promises

A revival of Thomas Bradshaw's Southern Promises, from 2008, comes at time when playwrights look at slavery with renewed urgency (and often with breathtaking artistic inventiveness). My review is here.

Skinnamarink

The Little Lord company harnessed its wild imagination in its most streamlined show yet — which doesn't make it the tamest. It was a lot of fun to review it for the Times.

Imagining Madoff

Deb Margolin uses Bernie Madoff and a scholar who looks a lot like Elie Wiesel to look at faith, conscience and guilt in her new show at 59E59. My review for the Times is here.

Which ski pass is best for you

Epic, IKON and the Mountain Collective have just gone on sale for next season, and I just wrote about them for the Times' travel section. If you're a skier, chances are good you need one of them. Some people I know get two.

Tribute to André Previn

Very excited to be part of the New York Times' collective tribute to André Previn. My contribution is about Valley of the Dolls and you can find it here.

The Price of Thomas Scott

The Mint kicks off its Elizabeth Baker project rather inauspiciously with a play that hasn't been produced since its 1913 premiere — for a reason. Click here for my Times review.

Europe in the off season

There is one way to lower the price of a European vacation: it's to go in the off season. I wrote up a few tips for Newsday.

We Are the Tigers

Cheerleaders, horror and show tunes? What could go wrong? Well…read my review for the answer to that pressing question.

Merrily We Roll Along

I reviewed the Fiasco company's revival of this 1981 Sondheim musical for The Hollywood Reporter. I think my ideal production of this show is still to come. Thataway for the words.

My Very Own British Invasion

Another jukebox musical rolls down the pike and…it's not a prime example of the genre. My review for the Times can be found here.

And let it be said that "Born to Be Wild" was part of the Canadian invasion!

Interview with Isabelle Huppert

Isabelle Huppert is in NY to do a French play — in English — and I talked to her about the project. Click here for the piece.

Master of the Crossroads

What the actor Obi Abili does in Master of the Crossroads is beyond committed. Too bad the play itself just doesn't work. My review is here.

Soni

My latest for the New York Times is not for a theatrical project. It's not in movie theaters, either, but rather streaming on Netflix: my review of Soni is here.

Awake

Check out my review of the omnibus Awake in the New York Times. Yes, Trey Santiago-Hudson appears to be Ruben's son.

LaBute New Theater Festival

Click here for my review of the omnibus LaBute New Theater Festival for the New York Times. Three one-act plays in a minor key.

BroadwayCon

I spent two action-packed days at BroadwayCon last week, and you can read all (well, almost all) about it in my Times report.

Ivo van Hove: Is he all that?

It was great fun to participate in a conversation about Ivo van Hove with Ben Brantley and Jason Zinoman. Click here for the Times article. We also drew up a list of seven other innovative directors,which you can find here.

January festivals

For the Times I previewed a couple of shows from a couple of the festivals hitting NYC in January. First there's "Cowboy," a new short by Gracie Gardner at the Exponential Festival. Then there's [50/50] old school animation at Under the Radar — which I saw on Friday and highly recommend (what a way to start off the year!).

Christmas in Hell

Someone on Twitter brought up my lede for this review so now you really have to read it, right? It's right here.

To Kill a Mockingbirg

Aaron Sorkin's adaptation dilutes Scout's voice to make space for a Grisham-esque legal thriller. Click here for my Newsday review of To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway.

Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken's Christmas Show

It's that time of the year when…you know the rest. I put on my elf hat to check out the American Idol alums' holiday extravaganza on Broadway, and lived to tell the tale here.

Dinner and a show or dinner at a show?

I've been eating out a lot this past fall — at the theater. It's not that concessions have dramatically changed but that a freakishly high number of shows have been serving all manners of food as part of the story. Read more here.

The World Is Yours

Romain Gavras' second feature went straight to Netflix in the US and I reviewed it for the Times. So much fun! Click here for the link.

Chasing the New White Whale

What if the opioid epidemic was the new Moby Dick? That is the idea behind a new show at La MaMa, but alas the production falls short of its ambition. My Times review is here.

Cool ski lodges

Almost as fun as barreling down the slopes is staying in a good ski lodge: it's all part of the Alpine tradition. I picked a few good ones for Newsday and you can find them here.

When women take to the ski slopes

In January I went to a women's ski camps at Alta. To say I learned a lot would be an understatement. I shared some tips in the Times' travel section here, and there's a sidebar about five additional women's camps here.

Bernie and Mikey's Trip to the Moon

In a weird way we're having a Paddy Chayefsky moment in NY: Network is on Broadway and Scott Aiello's debut play made me think of Chayefsky's TV work in the 1950s. My review is here.

Hype Man

I reviewed Idris Goodwin hip-hop play at the Flea for the New York Times, and there it is.

Interview with Heidi Schreck

If you ever want to interview someone smart, articulate and nice, I highly recommend Heidi Schreck. Our chat for The Hollywood Reporter can be found here.

Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes

We had hecklers at the Christmas Spectacular this year! My review for the Times is here.

Four cool ski towns

I wrote about four cool ski towns for The Wall Street Journal. Thataway for the mountain fun!

The three faces of Cher

There is a little something called The Cher Show on Broadway, and it takes three actresses to play the pop star. I was lucky to talk to all three at the Neil Simon Theater last week, and the result is here. Click on that link if only for the fantastic photos!

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The latest from the Public Theater's Mobile Unit is a fast and loose take on A Midsummer Night's Dream. You lose some (the poetry and bittersweet feels) but you also gain some (it's often very funny). Click here for my review.

I'm Not a Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce

What Would Lenny Bruce Do? Doesn't matter: chances are, current progressive activists would not like it. I reviewed Ronnie Marmo's solo show for the Times, and it's here.

Torch Song

There's a lot of talent onstage in Torch Song, but it's not actually doing much for the play itself. I reviewed the Broadway transfer of this revival for Newsday.

Best ski resorts for beginners, northeast division

My latest ski story for Newsday: the best ski resorts for beginners in the northeast. It's never too late to learn, folks! Click here for the article.

Gloria — A Life

My first review for The Hollywood Reporter is of the new bioplay Gloria — A Life, about Gloria Steinem. The show's subject popped up at the end of the performance so year: awe-struck. Click here for the review.

Sakina's Restaurant

I thoroughly enjoyed Aasif Mandvi's solo play, especially for what it tells us about 1998 vs 2018 -- and it's been left pretty much intact from then. Click here for my Times review.

Travisville

William Jackson Harper makes a polished playwriting debut. A bit too polished perhaps -- and yes, there is such a thing. Click here for my review for the Times.

The Evolution of Mann

Max Crumm wasn't the one we wanted back in that Kathleen Marshall Grease revival (a cynical ploy if there ever was one), but he's much better in the otherwise blah new musical The Evolution of Mann. Click here for my Times review.

"Art" in quotation marks

Yasmina Reza's "Art" (quotation marks in the title) is 24 and aging rather well. A reason: we now fight dirty with our friends, exactly as she described it back then. The very entertaining tg STAN/Dood Paard revival only confirmed that. Check here for my New York Times piece about how our perception of the play has changed over the years.

Uncle Romeo Vanya Juliet

Bedlam tries a theatrical mashup and let's just say it didn't quite gel. Click here for my review.

Todd Solondz makes his stage debut

I talked to Todd Solondz about making his stage debut as playwright and director at the Flea Theater. Thataway for my New York Times feature.

Soundstage

Rob Roth's Soundstage at HERE is intriguing but ultimately unrewarding. It did make me wonder what would happen if a director gave Rebecca Hall a siren role in a movie. Click here for my review.

Ingmar Bergman International Theater Festival

I went to Stockholm for the Ingmar Bergman International Theater Festival and wow, what a trip! Click here for the story.

Can critics learn to love the jukebox musical?

A tricky question, isn't it? I'd say jukebox musicals are like all shows: some work and others don't. In any case, it was a real delight to debate with the Times' theater team. Click here for the link.

Red Emma and the Mad Monk

Yay, summer discovery! There's an infectious, eccentric new musical at the Tank and you should see it, especially if you want to discover new voices. Note: I think this was my first use of "post-Michael Friedman." Click here for my review.

R.R.R.E.D.

There is an unfortunate musical about the possible extinction of redheads at DR2, and I was there to review it for the Times.

Pretty Woman: The Musical

I reviewed Pretty Woman: The Musical for Newsday, and compared to most of the other takes, my take-down is almost a rave! Read for yourself here.

Gettin' the Band Back Together

I reviewed this new musical for Newsday and...yikes! How is this even on Broadway when New World Stages is its natural habitat? Click here for the link.

What's in a show title?

Plenty, as it turns out -- whether that title is just one word or two dozen and nine exclamation marks. Click here for my piece in the Times about current trends in play titles.

Inside the Ventriloquist Convention

I was honored to be asked to write a piece for "Inside the Times," the article on A2 (inside the front cover) that goes behind the scenes of a particular feature. Click here to know more about how I heard about the ventriloquist convention and researched it, and the fun stuff that happened at the Holiday Inn bar.

Stephen King and Castle Rock: so many references

The new Hulu show Castle Rock is loaded with hidden (and not so hidden) gifts to Stephen King readers. I came up with a list of movies and shows that'll help you catch up.

The Ventriloquist Convention

I spent a few days at the Ventriloquist Convention and let's just say I'll never forget them. Fortunately I got to write about the experience for the Times, and it's right here.

My Life on a Diet

Renée Taylor is kicking it old-school Off Broadway! Click here for my review.

Fire in Dreamland

My latest for the Village Voice is a review of Rinne Groff's Fire in Dreamland, at the Public.

Let's go car-camping in New York state

Don't feel like backpacking but still want to sleep (almost) under the stars? New York offers a whole bunch of public and private campgrounds where you can just drive up to your spot. I picked a few of them for Newsday, and they're right here.

Marie and Bruce

Jack doesn't often put on revivals but if you're going to do one, Wallace Shawn's Marie and Bruce is quite a pick. Here's my review for the Times.

Laura Bush Killed a Guy

Oops, forgot to link to this review from the Times, of a show about that time Laura Bush (accidentally) killed a man. Also, there are cookies — the real kind, not the kind that track your whereabouts. Thataway for the review.

How the Go-Go's found their beat

OMG there's a new Go-Go's musical on Broadway and I talked to them! That's it, that's all you need to know. Now click here for the article.

Leonard Bernstein's Peter Pan

Turns out in 1950 Leonard Bernstein wrote the score for a staging of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Now that show is back at Bard College, and I wrote about it for the Times. Click here for the amazing photos (and my article, of course).

Radio Delirio

Turns out it's not easy to make a memorable show about a man trying hard to make sure he's not noticed. Click here for my review of Radio Delirio.

Al l Want Is One Night

Jessica Walker does not disappoint with her new show, about the French chanteuse Suzy Solidor. Read my review of this swell cabaret show here.

Marketplace

I was one of the people interviewed by Marketplace about Broadway prices, a subject I feel especially passionate about. Click here to hear the segment.

Tchaikovsky: None but the Lonely Heart

The Ensemble for the Romantic Century is back with this interesting piece about the platonic relationship between Tchaikovsky and his patron, Nadzhda von Meck. Thataway for my review.

The 25 best plays of the past 25 years

Work on this epic supplement about the 25 best plays of the past 25 years started months ago and it was all worth it: looking great online and in print! Click here for the main stem and here for the sidebars.

The Hollower

My review of the new play The Hollower is up at the Times. Thataway!

Harry Potter for beginners

Is it possible to enjoy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway if haven't read the books or seen the movies? I wasn't convinced, and wrote about it for the Times.

Link Link Circus

After Green Porno, Isabella Rossellini is back with another wonderfully eccentric theatrical lecture about animals. My review of Link Link Circus is here.

Disco musicals on Broadway

Broadway has made its peace with rock and hip-hop, and now Summer looks like it could be its first disco hit. I looked at some of its predecessors in the Times in this sparkly disco charticle!

David Zinn's SpongeBob SquarePants costumes

It couldn't have been any more perfect: David Zinn showed me some of his costumes for SpongeBob SquarePants backstage at the Palace. So exciting! But really, it's the photos that make it. Have a look over there, and prepare to be dazzled.

It's Eurovision time!

This year I helped with a New York Times package about that most beloved (by some of us) European institution: the Eurovision Song Contest. Thataway for the goods, and look for the bit about DJ ohRicky..

Fun things to do in the Bronx

My guide to the Bronx is out now with Newsday. Clearly it's just scratching the surface, but if you've never been, this will get you started.

Seagullmachine

I gotta admit I love this title: Seagullmachine. So cool! Alas, I'm less fond of the show itself, an attempt to mash up The Seagull and Hamletmachine. My Times review is here.

Cheapskate's Guide to the Good Life

I contributed a couple of items to the Wall Street Journal's "Cheapskate Guide to the Good Life": Can you find them? The whole (cheap) enchilada is here.

We Live by the Sea

Here's what theater can do: tell a good, simple story in a good, simple way. You'd be amazed how hard it is to pull off, but the Patch of Blue company did just that. My review is here.

Angélica Liddell comes to New Jersey

The Spanish queen of theatrical transgression came to New Jersey: do you really think I'd have missed that show? My review for the Times is here.

My Fair Lady

The Lincoln Center Theater revival of My Fair Lady is such a treat, and I got to review it for Newsday!

The Be More Chill phenomenon

Even if you follow musicals, you can be forgiven for not having heard of Be More Chill: After all, it only had a month-long run in NJ just under three years ago. Last year, however, the cast album took off, fueled by viral fan interest. I tracked it all in this Times feature.

King Lear

The RSC was back at BAM with Gregory Doran's King Lear, starring Antony Sher. My thoughts for the Times.

Yerma

Billie Piper's performance is really all that, but I was also astounded by the level of skill and ingenuity in the sound and set designs. Frankly Yerma makes most NYC productions look a little clunky. Click here for my review.

Live from the Humana Festival

I flew down to Louisville for the Humana Festival and had a blast. What could be better than gorge on theater while staying in a hotel and not worry about cooking or making the bed? I will say that I'm happy Please and Thank You does not have a branch in NYC because their chocolate-chip cookies are now my favorite ever. It's hard to stop at just three, or 30. OK, and now just read my report for the Times.

Abba Gold in Salon

Psyched that Salon is featuring an excerpt from my book Abba Gold!