Finish the fight, and other adventures in streaming theater

 Time for another column about streaming theater, and there was a lot this time around. Click here, then click on all the links!

Ice Factory festival

 Undaunted by Covid-19, the Ice Factory festival took place this year — online, obviously. I wrote about it for the Times, and you will see why Zoom can be so gosh-darned confusing. Click here for my Critic's Notebook.

La Cinetek

We can't watch the movies on the French streaming platform La Cinetek from the US but most are available here and the main point is the directors' lists, and those we can check out. Hours of fun! Click here for my article for the Times.

Another roundup of streaming theater

Who would have thought back in March that we'd still be talking about streaming theater? And yet here were, and likely here we will be for the next several months. Here's my latest streaming column for the Times.

The Persians

You had to be there. No, really, you had to watch The Persians on Saturday at 2pm ET because the show, while livestreaming, is gone from the web. And it truly was fantastic, as I say in my review for the Times.

The enduring greatness of Columbo

What a treat to be able to write about Columbo, a show I started watching literally decades ago. I was happy to see it has actually aged well. Click here for my love letter to the sneakiest detective of them all.

Theater keeps on streaming

Belatedly posting my latest streaming column just as I'm working on the next installment! A lot of it is still available to get going.

The Copper Children

Oregon Shakespeare Festival is now streaming its production of The Copper Children, which I watched for the Times. Click here for the review.

The Beach House

Don't touch that gelatinous thing that washed up on the beach! Seriously, why did you have to touch it? My review of the vacation-horror movie The Beach House is up.

The She Kills Monsters phenomenon

Nobody could have predicted that Qui Nguyen's Off Off Broadway show would turn into a megahit on campuses across the country. I looked at the little show that could, and why so many theater students and teachers love it.

Why there aren't more Broadway shows online

Hamilton, yeah, sure: You can now stream it. But why are there so relatively few Broadway shows available online? And what's up with the performing arts library's collection of recordings? I answered those pressing questions and more in this primer for the NY Times.

More streaming theater

I can't believe I forgot to link to this roundup of streaming theater! But hey, better late than never, especially since quite a few selections are still available. Click here for the article.

The new David Adjmi memoir

If you need a bracing chat, I highly recommend the playwright David Adjmi, whom I interviewed about his memoir, Lot Six. My Q&A is here.

Lost Bullet

French directors are doing to action movies what an earlier generation did to horror: they're brushing up the genre cobwebs. As American actioners have grown bloated and ridiculous, the French ones stick to 90 lean minutes. And the new Lost Bullet is a nifty example of the new school. Read my review then head to Netflix. Or vice versa.

Liz Garbus, true crime and women

Before talking to Liz Garbus for the Times, I did a deep dive into her career. It was often tough going — she tends to go for dark subjects — but never less than compelling. Click here for our chat, pegged to the new HBO series I'll Be Gone in the Dark.

Why you need to watch The Bureau

S5 of the French series The Bureau has just started streaming on Sundance Now. I talked to some members of its team — including Eric Rochant, Jacques Audiard and Mathieu Kassovitz — about what makes the show, and this season in particular, so special. Click here for the spy goods.

Gay films that are not about coming out

The great arc of gay (in the widest sense of the word) characters over decades roughly goes like this: villain or pathetic characters, then coming of age/self-discovery, then the world is your oyster. I wrote about 9 films in the last category for the Times — and they're all from this decade. Click here, then stream away.

Tony's greatest moments

A few of the Times' finest theater mavens got together for this list of favorite moments from the Tony Awards. Prepare to click on a lot of YouTube links!

Streaming theater: underground and foreign edition

One of the very few upsides of lockdown is the opportunity to see shows that would have been difficult or even impossible for us to see — because they happened in Europe or because they had short, under-publicized runs in tiny spaces. I found some really good ones for my latest roundup so head thataway.

How to sing duets online

In good times and bum times, people like to sing together — but it's not so easy on Zoom. I wrote up a few tips for the Times' At Home section (first piece there!). Click here and sing out, Louise!

Seacoast Rep Theater goes live

The Seacoast Repertory Theater, in Portsmouth, N.H., almost went under five years ago so when the pandemic rolled around, these guys weren't going to go without a fight. I talked to them about what it means to put on a full production in a state of emergency. Click here for an uplifting story.

You'll Never Walk Alone

You'll never sing alone with "You'll Never Walk Alone": I tracked the stunning popularity of this Rodgers and Hammerstein song from Carousel all the way to its current status as a coronavirus anthem of sorts. Click here for a lot of videos.

Streaming French movies

There's a recent French movie for every taste, and I unearthed some under-the-radar gems in addition to higher-profile entries like Portrait of a Lady on Fire (which very much deserves its hype, by the way). Click here and then get streaming.

Streaming roundup 4

As we settle into a weird new normal, some businesses talk about reopening. Theaters, on the other hand, are still months away from welcoming audiences back into physical venues, so for now we have to do with streaming. Fortunately, there is more and more of it, and the quality keeps improving. My latest roundup for the Times has quite the range.

Streaming roundup, part 3

The virus is not going away, and neither is streaming theater. I gathered some of what's available out there for the Times. Click here then follow the yellow link roads.

Acting classes go online

A lot of things have gone online in the past months, including acting classes. I dropped by several Zoom sessions at HB Studio and Carnegie Mellon to see how that works. Click here for my piece.

Blood Quantum

I reviewed the zombie movie Blood Quantum for the Times. I'm always game for twists on the undead formula, so read on here to see what this Canadian flick pulls out.

My favorite cast album is Hair

I've loved the Hair cast album since I was a teenager. Needless to say, I listened to it on repeat while writing this article.

Docs that rock

There are music docs and then there are rock docs. I've put together a list of my favorites in the second camp, and they're all streaming. Read and watch!

Why I continue watching Grey's Anatomy

There are hot TV shows and there are long-running workhorses, still at it after many years. My go-to is Grey's Anatomy and I can't see myself ever dropping it. Why should I: the show has done everything to make me stop, including getting rid of some of my favorite characters, and I'm still there. Thataway for the good.

The Plagues of Breslau

Serial killers and body horror go together like blade and flesh. I reviewed this gory Polish thriller — which sports a degree of murderous imagination that's downright Scandinavian — that's now streaming on Netflix for the Times. Click here for the article.

More streaming theater

Another roundup of streaming theater for your stay-at-home pleasure. Click here for the goods.

What to watch on Quibi

I updated my iOS just so I could watch Quibi. Was it a mistake? Time will tell. In the meantime, here are the shows I deemed Quibi-good.

Kathy Valentine's Top 10 cultural picks

Trust the Go-Go's bassist to come up with some left-field answers for the Times' weekly "My Ten" column. Head thataway for the fun.

A tribute to Terrence McNally

Frankly, approaching these people to ask for their memories of Terrence McNally wasn't easy. And it must have been exponentially harder for them to answer. I'm grateful they did, and now you can read their testimonies here.

12 subtitled TV series you can stream right now

Best thing about subtitles: they force you to look away from the phone and focus! Here's my selection, and believe me, it was hard to pick just 12.

My tribute to Slings & Arrows

Delighted to write this short tribute to the Canadian series Slings & Arrows, as part of a weekly roundup of cultural offerings. It hasn't aged one bit. Click here.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

The Rosie O'Donnell Show came back for a one-night-only telethon to raise money for the Actors Fund. I watched it all then wrote about it.

Theater enters the age of streaming

I'm so derelict in posting my links here! And now this piece, from the early days of the NY lockdown feels like a letter from long ago. And it was just about 2 weeks ago.

Anyway, theater has been dabbling with streaming for a while but now the situation has changed. A lot. So, what to do? Here's what some people are experimenting with.

A roundtable about movie streaming

It was a pleasure to participate in this roundtable about the quality of streaming originals. I think we're cautiously optimistic? Click here for the goods.

The 2020-21 ski passes are out

I broke down what's new for Epic, Ikon and the Mountain Collective for next year. The news that Grand Targhee is finally joining a pass definitely made my day. Click here for the details.

Spenser Confidential

Mark Wahlberg headlines his new collaboration with Peter Berg, but the movie's real draw is Winston Duke. As long as he's on board, they can turn this into a franchise. My Times review of Spenser Confidential is here.

Coal Country

Not going to lie: I cried a lot at Coal Country at the Public. Another critic's pick — hey, it's just a really good time of the year! — and you can find it here.

Tumacho

Ethan Lipton's Tumacho is back for another round, which is great since I'd missed it at Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks a few years ago. My critic's pick review for the Times is here.

Celine Dion at Barclays Center

I've now seen Celine Dion live three times: at her first NYC show, which was at Town Hall in 1994; at Madison Square Garden in 2008; and last night at Barclays Center. So pretty much every dozen years or so. My account of the Town Hall concert was for the now-defunct New York Newsday and is not online, but the Times just put my review of the Barclays gig online.

Please, meet Bob Dylan

I asked members of the cast and creative team of the Girl From the North Country musical about the first time they heard Dylan. Needless to say, there was a drastic breakdown by generations: You could tell people's ages from their answers. Click here for the feature, which is the Times' Spring Preview.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

There is such a thing as too much upbeat, even in a musical — as evidenced by Dick Scanlan and Kathleen Marshall's revisal of this Meredith Willson show, which left me completely drained. My review is here.

The Sabbath Girl

I have to admit I initially misread playwright Cary Gitter's name as Gary Gitter, and thought he must be getting a lot of redirects from a certain glam rocker on Google. What a difference a C makes. Anyway, my review of his play The Sabbath Girl can be found here.

How Killington makes snow

I love teaming up with a photographer for a story, and it was a pleasure to work with Caleb Kenna for this visually driven piece about Killington's snowmaking and grooming operation. Click here for the white stuff.

Happy Birthday Doug

Drew Droege set a high bar for wicked social satire in Bright Colors and Bold Patterns. His new one, Happy Birthday Doug, comes up a little short but it's still a good night out. My review is here.

Valentine's Day streaming

I'm glad to have been invited to join a team of elite New York Times snipers assigned to choose some streaming movies (or episodes) for Valentine's Day. Va day may have come and gone, but romance is evergreen, right? Click here for our selections.

Ski instructions for adults

My latest for the Wall Street Journal: ski school — it's not just for kids. In which I praise the benefits of ski instruction for adults of all ages and all skill level. Click here for the article.

Brats and burritos at Taos Ski Valley

Taos Ski Valley has one of the most idiosyncratic backgrounds of any North American hills, and it was so much fun to research this article — my first for Condé Nast Traveler.

Interview with Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino is back on the NY stage for the first time in six years and I talked to her for the Times. As the headline says, she has range. The article is here.

Stew

I reviewed Zora Howard's new drama (dark comedy?) for the Times so head thataway for the goods.

Q&A with Harlan Coben

Unlike most of his thriller peers, Harlan Coben gets TV. It was a pleasure to talk to him for this Q&A.

The Transfiguration of Benjamin Banneker

The East Village's theatrical freak flag still flies at La MaMa! Thataway for my review.

Oscar Wao at Repertorio Español

A thorough adaptation of Junot Díaz's novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao would take hours. The one at Repertorio Español is much more compact, meaning there are shortcuts, but the first act is pretty rocking. My review is here.

Miss America's Ugly Daughter

I reviewed Barra Grant's exorcism of a solo show for the Times. New Yorkers of a certain age will remember Bess Myerson well. Click along here.

Cartography

It's always a pleasure to go to the New Victory Theater, one of my favorite New York institutions. This time, it was to review Christopher Myers and Kaneza Schaal's Cartography. How was it? Click here and find out.

Interview with Charles Busch

After years of fandom, I finally got to write about Charles Busch. What a treat! I'll say no more, just head over to the article.

One Cut of the Dead

My first review of a movie streaming on Shudder! Expanding my palette every day. Actually, maybe not all that much: One Cut of the Dead is a comedy masking as a zombie movie.

Anything Can Happen in the Theater

I'm happy to report that this Maury Yeston revue does feature "Home," one of my favorite musical-theater songs of the past 30 years. Read more about the show in my Times review here.

Sleeping Car Porters

Sleeping Car Porters is well worth the trip to Williamsburg — if you're not already there, that is — and the price is absolutely right: $20 well spent. My Times review is up and can be found here.

The L Word: Generation Q

In some way, my review of The L Word: Generation Q has been 15 years in the making. Was it worth the wait?

Harry Townsend's Last Stand

Len Cariou is in fine form as a cantankerous Vermonter in this comedy about serious matters. The review is here.

My contribution to the New York Times' theater best

It was such a pleasure to write about three terrific comic performances I saw this year. Thataway, then scroll down for the funny business.

Netflix's original holiday movies

Netflix is dropping a lot of original holiday movies this season, and I watched them all (except for the straggler dropping after my deadline, that is). Who made it to the top? Click here and find out.

Going on a ski road trip

Now that many of us skiers have a multi-resort pass, how can we make the most of them? I hit the road for the Times' travel section in February and lived the dream: ate breakfast burritos, skied bumps and powder, locked myself out of the car… Oh, now you want to read the article?

Musicals need to go bigger

I wrote in praise of big, broad, possibly nonsensical musicals for the Times — and why Moulin Rouge! doesn't cut it, unlike We Will Rock You and Bat Out of Hell. Thataway for the fun.

The Half-Life of Marie Curie

Lauren Gunderson's latest opens in NYC with a great cast: Francesca Faridany and Kate Mulgrew. My NY Times review is here.

The Inheritance

I reviewed Matthew Lopez's very long play for Newsday and in short: just see the first part. Click here for the full review.

Lady and the Tramp

I wrote about the live-action remake of this 1955 movie for the Times. Come for the CGI-enhanced dogs, stay for the Margaret Keane joke. Thataway for the review.

Reparations

It was a great pleasure to be able to walk from my house to the Billie Holiday Theater in Bed-Stuy (even if Google Maps underestimated how long it would take and I barely made it) for this review.

Interview with Jeanine Basinger

It was great fun talking to Jeanine Basinger about her new book on the American musical for Kirkus. She made such a convincing case for Coppola's One from the Heart that I went out and watched. Er…the jury's still out on that one. Anyway, click here for our chat.

Fear

Many people assume critics enjoy writing pans, perhaps because they can be fun to read (case in point: Pete Wells' recent review of Peter Luger). I can guarantee I did not take any special pleasure in writing about Fear, but I hope you'll enjoy the review anyway.

Seared

I checked out Theresa Rebeck's latest, Seared, which is now at MCC in a fancy production that allows for cooking onstage. Thataway for the Times review.

Two takes on Judy Garland

Two takes on Judy Garland impersonation, that is. I talked to Peter Mac and Sasha Velour about Garland's enduring appeal, what she means to them and how they perform her onstage. So much fun! Their respective shows couldn't be any more different but I love how they represent a certain continuum of queer culture. Click here for my Times feature.

Profile of Constanza Macras

It was a pleasure to talk to Constanza Macras, who's part of the Arts at MIT program this semester. Click here to discover someone who's pretty well known on the European dance-theater scene, yet still under the radar in the US.

Alia Shawkat's exit interview

Alia Shawkat's New York stage debut opened one day and closed the next. But it wasn't a flop destined to the wall of shame at Sardi's — The Second Woman was a 24-hour-long performance piece. I was lucky to talk to Shawkat immediately after the marathon ended. Click here for the amazing photos (and some words, too).

Chasing Rainbows

This musical at Paper Mill Playhouse looks at the little girl who would go on to become Judy Garland — yes, it's an origin story. I went to New Jersey and brought back the deets for the Times, so step on the Yellow Brick Road right here.

Swan Lake

No, not that Swan Lake, precisely, but Michael Keegan-Dolan's very loose take on it. The show opened the Next Wave season at BAM, and it's pretty obvious that read as a statement of intent, it means we have flummoxing, genre-hybrid days ahead of us — which is good! Click here for my review.

Notes on My Mother's Decline

Uploading a link to this review from last week. I know, I know, I'm late, but life happened. Andy Bragen's play didn't entirely work for me, but I did like its dry, unsentimental — yet affectionate — tone. Thataway for the review.

Little Monsters

You'd think an Australian zombie comedy would be just right for me but unfortunately Little Monsters just isn't very good. Except for Lupita Nyong'o, that is. My review for the Times is here.

Dublin Carol

I reviewed Irish Rep's revival of Conor McPherson's Dublin Carol for the Times. Thataway please!

Why'd Ya Do It

Tammy Faye Starlite pays tribute to Marianne Faithfull's masterpiece, Broken English, with an erudite and often very funny show at Pangea. Click here for my review.

jazz singer

How do you deal with The Jazz Singer in 2019? A new play with music attempts an answer at, serendipitously, the Abrons Arts Center on the Lower East Side. My review is here.

Tall Girl

I reviewed Netflix's Tall Girl for the Times and I was less than impressed. Aside from the movie itself, I was bugged by the production notes where the creative team crowed about how they had the guts to cast an actual tall girl in the title role. As opposed to casting a name and digitally elongate her? It's a low bar for artistic bravery. Anyway, my review is here.

Opening Nights

This fall, New York is getting not one but two stage adaptations — very loose adaptations — of John Cassavetes's Opening Night. I talked to the shows' principals so you know what to expect. Although frankly I think the only way to get an idea will be to attend. My preview is here.

Dust

Milly Thomas's Dust is harrowing. Read my review for the Times then go buy a ticket.

Interview with Anna Torv

Oops, forget to link to this one. How could I!?! I talked to Anna Torv about Mindhunter, and also a little bit about Secret City. By the way, it took me a while to realize that Damon Herriman, who plays Manson in Mindhunter, also plays Torv's transgender ex-husband in Secret City! (She doesn't have scenes with Manson so I didn't bring it up.) Click here for the Q&A.

House

I admire Theater Mitu's ambition but its shows keep coming short. You can do a lot of background research but it needs to translate into something palpable on stage. My review of House (or how to lose an orchard in 90 minutes or less) for the Times is here.

Celebrity memoirs for Kirkus

I wrote a roundup of upcoming musical-minded memoirs for Kirkus' fall preview. Fun! Here's the link.

On tour with the Benny Anderssons Orkester

I tagged along to four shows by the Benny Anderssons Orkester and lived to tell the tale in the New York Times. Click here for the feature — with its great photos by David B. Torch.

Little Gem

A little late posting this review but I have a good excuse for the delay: I was traveling for a story due to be published next week. Stay tuned! In the meantime, here's the link to Little Gem.

Point Blank

Let's see, which Point Blank should you watch today? Just make sure it's not the one I just reviewed for the Times!

Havel: The Passion of Thought

The Potomac Theater Project has unearthed a trio of Havel plays for its annual summer residency at the Atlantic 2. Was it worth it? Check out my Times review to find out.

Interview with Michael R. Jackson

What fun it was to write this feature about Michael R. Jackson — starting with seeing Liz Phair in Prospect Park with him. The concert himself was great but watching it next to him added a whole extra layer of entertainment. Click here for the piece.

Lesbians on Broadway (or not)

I wrote a critic's notebook for the Times about the fact that lesbian theater isn't doing too badly Off and Off Off Broadway, but once it's time to make it into the big, lucrative league known as Broadway — well, that's another matter.

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages is back, smaller (it's now at New World Stages) but also bigger (the show finally has songs by Def Leppard). My Times review is here.