Toby Zinman is professor of English at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she was awarded the prize for Distinguished Teaching. She lectures internationally on contemporary drama, including a semester as Fulbright professor in Israel and another as a visiting lecturer in China. She is the recipient of five grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her third book, Edward Albee, was published by University of Michigan Press in 2008, and her newest, on Arthur Miller, has just been published by Methuen Press in London. That’s her day job.
Her night job is theater critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as reviewing New York theater for BSR; she is also the regional reviewer for Variety, the show business newspaper.
Her third career, as an adventure travel writer, has taken her all over the world, doing ridiculous things like dogsledding in the Yukon, ziplining the rainforest in Belize, walking coast-to-coast across England, and rounding up cattle on horseback in the Australian Outback. Several of her travel articles can be found in BSR’s “Cross Cultural” section. (See the list of her articles below.)
| London theater roundup— II |
June 20 2011 |
This is a summer of revivals in London; it’s also odd how many of these productions require American accents. But some rare birds— from Odets to Mamet— brighten this revival flock even if they demonstrate clearly why they’re rarely revived.
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| Two ‘Much Ados’ in London |
June 13 2011 |
Two delicious and hilarious productions of Much Ado About Nothing are currently playing in London: one at the Globe, where “original practices” rule, and one on the West End, where high profiles, schlock and schtick are the order of the day.
Much Ado About Nothing. By William Shakespeare; Jeremy Herrin directed. Through October 1, 2011 at Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, London, U.K. www.shakespearesglobe.com.
Much Ado About Nothing. By William Shakespeare; Josie Rourke directed. Through September 3, 2011 at Wyndham’s Theatre, London, U.K. www.londontheatre.co.uk.
All’s Well That Ends Well. By William Shakespeare; directed by John Dove. Through August 21, 2011 at Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, London, U.K. www.shakespearesglobe.com.
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| Kushner’s ‘Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide’ in NY |
May 06 2011 |
Tony (Angels in America) Kushner has done it again with a rich, nourishing stew that clocks in at just less than four hours. Unlike other family dramas, Kushner’s revolves around serious, intensely held positions on the political theories and socioeconomics that shaped the 20th Century.
The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures. By Tony Kushner; Michael Greif directed. Through June 12, 2011 at Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., New York. (212) 539-8500 or www.publictheater.org.
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| Sharr White’s ‘The Other Place’ in New York |
April 12 2011 |
Sharr White’s The Other Place is a terrifying play, illuminated by an astonishing performance by Laurie Metcalf as a middle-aged scientist struggling with dementia.
The Other Place. By Sharr White; Joe Mantello directed. Through May 1, 2011 at MCC Theatre at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., New York. (212) 279-4200 or www.mcctheater.org.
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| ‘The Motherf**ker With The Hat’ on Broadway |
April 12 2011 |
Stephen Adly Guirgis knows street talk and can write dialogue of astonishingly funny mad-dog ferocity. But somebody has to speak that dialogue onstage, and Chris Rock, the crass standup comedy star, isn’t the actor to do it.
The Motherf**ker With The Hat. By Stephen Adly Guirgis; Anna D. Shapiro directed. Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th St., New York. www.Telecharge.com.
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| Adam Rapp’s ‘Hallway Trilogy’ in New York |
February 26 2011 |
A Lower East Side hallway set in the past, present and future is the site of three plays by the allegedly daring Adam Rapp. The net result is five hours of sloppy, empty playwriting and schlock shock tactics, signifying nothing.
The Hallway Trilogy. By Adam Rapp; directed by Rapp, Daniel Aukin and Tripp Cullman. Through March 20, 2011 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, 224 Waverly Pl., New York. ( 212) 627-2556 or www.rattlestick.org.
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| ‘The Milk Train’ in New York |
February 01 2011 |
The Milk Train may not be a great play or even a good one. But for Tennessee Williams fans, it has to be seen. And with the astonishing Olympia Dukakis in the central role, this is the production to see.
The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore. By Tennessee Williams; Michael Wilson directed. Roundabout Theatre production through April 3, 2011 at Laura Pels Theatre, Steinberg Center, 111 West 46th St., New York. (212) 719-1300 or www.roundabouttheatre.org/pels.
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| Neil LaBute’s ‘Break of Noon’ in New York |
November 28 2010 |
The protagonist of The Break of Noon is another in Neil LaBute’s self-absorbed fraternity of creeps. In this new drama, the creep finds God. And if God can forgive him, why can’t we?
The Break of Noon. By Neil LaBute; directed by Jo Bonney. Through December 22, 2010 at MCC Theater at Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., New York. (212) 279-4200 or www.mcctheater.org.
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| ‘The Scottsboro Boys’ on Broadway (2nd review) |
November 23 2010 |
This dazzling musical treatment of an American racial injustice— full of wild singing and dancing, passion and outrage and history— is a revelation on several levels.
The Scottsboro Boys. Book by David Thompson; music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb; Susan Stroman directed and choreographed. Closed December 12, 2010 at Lyceum Theater, 149 West 45th St. (between Broadway and Sixth Ave.), New York. (212) 239-6200 or scottsboromusical.com.
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| Enda Walsh’s ‘Penelope’ in Brooklyn |
November 02 2010 |
In this existential tragic burlesque, the powerhouse young Irish playwright Enda Walsh redefines the unnamed suitors of Homer’s Odyssey. Here they emerge as minor, vile characters— men we never even thought about until now.
Penelope. By Enda Walsh; directed by Mikel Murfi. Druid Theatre production through November 14, 2010 at St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water St., Brooklyn, N.Y. (718) 254—8779 or www.stannswarehouse.org.
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| Mamet’s ‘A Life in the Theatre’ on Broadway |
October 19 2010 |
David Mamet’s play about an older actor and his protégé-rival is full of snippets and in-jokes celebrating life on the stage but bereft of Mamet’s signature ferocity and danger.
A Life in the Theatre. By David Mamet; Neil Pepe directed. Through January 2, 2011 at Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, 236 West 45th St., New York. (800) 432-7250 or www.broadwaysbestshows.com.
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| David Hirson’s ‘La Bête’ on Broadway |
October 19 2010 |
La Bête is a wild Molière parody/homage, nearly two hours of rhyming couplets delivered at breakneck speed. The effect is jawdroppingly amazing— and very, very funny.
La Bête. By David Hirson; Matthew Warchus directed. Through February 13, 2011. At Music Box Theater, 239 West 45th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or www.labetetheplay.com.
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| Lee Hall's 'Pitmen Painters’ on Broadway (1st review) |
October 02 2010 |
Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters, a play about English miners who learn to paint, contains enough ideas—political and aesthetic—and enough charm to please any crowd, although the second act becomes less charming and more preachy.
The Pitmen Painters. By Lee Hall; directed by Max Roberts. Live Theatre Newcastle/National Theatre of Great Britain co-production through december 12, 2010 at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 267 West 47 St., New York. www.broadwaybox.com.
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| Word feast at Canada’s Shaw Festival |
July 20 2010 |
The treat of Canada’s Shaw Festival, held annually in the charming, flower-filled town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, is that it offers productions of plays you rarely get to see— not only by George Bernard Shaw, but by his contemporaries like Chekhov, Wilde and Barrie.
Shaw Festival. Through October 31, 2010 at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. 800-511-SHAW or www.shawfest.com.
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| August Wilson’s ‘Fences’ in New York |
May 01 2010 |
When a big movie star like Denzel Washington plays an often-unlikable character, the audience is determined to love the character regardless. So blame the audience for degrading August Wilson’s complex Fences into a sit-com.
Fences. By August Wilson, directed by Kenny Leon. Through July 11, 2010 at Cort Theatre, 138 West 48th St., New York. (800) 432-7250 or www.Telecharge.com.
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| ‘The Addams Family’ in New York |
April 08 2010 |
The macabre incisiveness of The New Yorker’s legendary cartoonist Charles Addams is betrayed in this middle-of-the-road, feel-good musical that merely tips its hat to weirdness.
The Addams Family. Lyrics and music by Andrew Lippa; book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice; directed and designed by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch. At the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 West 46th St., New York. (212) 307-4100 or (800) 755-4000 or www.ticketmaster.com.
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| ‘When the Rain Stops Falling’ in New York |
April 03 2010 |
Andrew Bovell, an Australian playwright, and director David Cromer combine with a luminous cast to provide a searing and extraordinary theatrical experience.
When the Rain Stops Falling. By Andrew Bovell; directed by David Cromer. Through April 18, 2010 at Mitzi Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, 150 West. 65th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.lct.org/showMain.htm?id=191.
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| John Logan’s ‘Red’: Mark Rothko on Broadway |
April 03 2010 |
Red, based on two years in the life of the Abstract Expressionist painter Mark Rothko, is a daring play about making art. In 90 minutes it shows us what a monster of self-absorption and narcissistic contempt our art-god can be.
Red. By John Logan; directed by Michael Grandage. Through June 27, 2010 at John Golden Theater, 252 West 45th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or www.newyorkcitytheatre.com.
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| ‘The Book of Grace’ in New York |
March 20 2010 |
Suzan-Lori Parks's new play, The Book of Grace, is determined to bludgeon every shred of hope, optimism and cheerfulness out of us until we succumb to her grim view of human beings, event outcomes and life generally.
The Book of Grace. By Suzan-Lori Parks; directed by James MacDonald. Through April 4, 2010 at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., New York. (212) 967-7555 or www.publictheater.org.
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| Bill Cain’s ‘Equivocation,’ Off-Broadway |
March 09 2010 |
No equivocating about Equivocation: This superb Off-Broadway production of Bill Cain’s smart, complex play, directed by the brilliant Garry Hynes, satisfies on every level— emotional, intellectual, theatrical. It’s funny, too.
Equivocation. By Bill Cain; directed by Garry Hynes. At Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City Center, 131 West 55th St., New York. (212) 581-1212 or www.nycitycenter.org.
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| ‘A Behanding in Spokane’ on Broadway |
March 06 2010 |
A Behanding in Spokane is less provocative and less political than Martin McDonagh’s previous brand of Irish lunacy. But with the wildly unsettling presence of Christopher Walken, it’s a great show.
A Behanding in Spokane. By Martin McDonagh; directed by John Crowley. Through June 6, 2010 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th St, New York. (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or www.behandinginspokane.com.
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| Campbell’s ‘The Pride,’ off-Broadway |
February 16 2010 |
Alexi Kaye Campbell's The Pride is a deeply engrossing play contrasting the closeted gay world of 1958 to the wide-open scene of today. It’s enlivened by four fine actors but marred by excessive speechifying.
The Pride. By Alexi Kaye Campbell; directed by Joe Mantello. Open run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. (Greenwich Village), New York. (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com.
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| ‘Time Stands Still’ in New York |
January 29 2010 |
The playwright Donald Margulies likes to flirt with serious social issues. His trouble is, as Time Stands Still reminds us, that he isn’t serious about any of it.
Time Stands Still. By Donald Margulies; directed by Daniel Sullivan. Manhattan Theatre Club production through March 21, 2010 at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 West 47th St., New York. (800) 432-7250 or www.Telecharge.com.
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| Sam Shepard’s ‘Ages of the Moon’ in New York |
January 29 2010 |
Ages of the Moon finds Sam Shepard in a meditative mood, ruminating on life, hilariously and painfully. His reunion of two aging Western geezers is classic American dramatic metaphor— a long day’s journey into night if ever was one.
Ages of the Moon. By Sam Shepard; directed by Jimmy Fay. Abbey Theatre of Dublin production through March 7, 2010 at the Atlantic Theater, 336 West 20th St. (between Eighth and Ninth Aves.), New York. (212) 279-4200 or www.atlantictheater.org.
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| Winter getaway: Peru |
January 23 2010 |
Peru, I discovered, is a place where Conquistador palaces coexist with thatched-roof huts, Catholic churches are built over Incan temples, and a physician practices alongside a half-naked tribal shaman. And in what other airport terminal can you purchase shots of oxygen alongside cell phones?
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| ‘A Little Night Music’ revived in New York |
December 15 2009 |
A Sondheim musical is always a balancing act between the big commercial demands of the Broadway stage and the intimate, understated demands of the author’s subtlety. This splendid revival achieves both.
A Little Night Music. By Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler; directed by Trevor Nunn. At the Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 West 48th St., New York. (800) 432-7250 or www.broadwayticketscenter.com.
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| David Mamet’s ‘Race’ on Broadway |
December 15 2009 |
David Mamet’s new play about sex and race, currently receiving a vigorous Broadway premiere under the author’s direction, reprises a familiar Mamet theme: betrayal, especially by women.
Race. Written and directed by David Mamet. At Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 West 47th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.broadwaysbestshows.com.
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| Rebeck’s ‘The Understudy’ in New York |
November 06 2009 |
As its title suggests, Theresa Rebeck’s pointy comedy The Understudy concerns unappreciated people. Rarely is a comedy this entertaining also so human.
The Understudy. By Theresa Rebeck; directed by Scott Ellis. Through January 3, 2010 at the Laura Pels Theatre Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111 West 46th St., New York. (212) 719-1300 or www.roundabouttheater.org.
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| ‘Finian’s Rainbow’ on Broadway |
November 02 2009 |
Finian’s Rainbow, now in gorgeous revival on Broadway, possesses all the old-fashioned charm that can make musical theater such a pleasure.
Finian’s Rainbow. Music by Burton Lane; lyrics by E.Y. Harburg; book by Harburg and Fred Saidy; directed by Warren Carlyle. Through January 17, 2010 at the St. James Theater, 246 West 44th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.FiniansOnBroadway.com.
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| Mamet’s ‘Oleanna’ revived in New York |
October 13 2009 |
Still aggravating, still shocking, still engrossing after all these years, David Mamet’s Oleanna is receiving a fierce and fine revival on Broadway starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles.
Oleanna. By David Mamet; directed by Doug Hughes. At John Golden Theatre, 252 West 45th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.playbill.com.
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| ‘Two Unrelated Plays By Mamet’ in New York |
October 02 2009 |
Four plays by David Mamet open in New York this fall, three of them new. Of the first two, School is a lame skit about recycling, and Keep Your Pantheon offers dismaying evidence that the great Mamet isn’t above recycling old material himself.
Two Unrelated Plays By David Mamet. Directed by Neil Pepe. Through November 1, 2009 at the Atlantic Theatre, 20th St. between Eighth and Ninth Ave., New York. (212) 279-4200 or www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/productiondetail.aspx?id=520.
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| Canada theater festival roundup |
August 18 2009 |
In two charming Ontario towns through early November, you’ll find theater as good as New York’s or London’s. At the Shaw and Stratford Shakespeare Festivals, I managed to squash eight plays and a hippy-dippy folk concert into five days. Here’s what I saw.
Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Through November 1, 2009 at five locations in Stratford, Ontario. www.stratfordfestival.ca.
Shaw Festival Theatre. Through October 31, 2009 at two venues in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. www.shawfest.com.
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| The Czech Republic on foot |
August 02 2009 |
I’ve been a traveler on foot for many years. My latest long-distance walk took me from Vienna to Prague. It’s amazing what surprises you can stumble across when you forsake planes, trains and cars.
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| ‘Coraline’ off-Broadway |
June 19 2009 |
Coraline, based on the young adult novel by Neil Gaiman, is musical proof positive that you don’t have to be cynical to be sophisticated.
Coraline. Book by David Greenspan; music and lyrics by Stephin Merritt; based on the novel by Neil Gaiman; directed by Leigh Silverman. Through July 5, 2009 at Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., New York. (212) 279-4200 or www.lortel.org.
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| Ayckbourn’s ‘The Norman Conquests’ on Broadway |
May 11 2009 |
Alan Ayckbourn’s very British 1973 trilogy, The Norman Conquests, is still funny after all these years. But there’s less to this eight-hour marathon (plus meal breaks) than meets the eye.
The Norman Conquests. By Alan Ayckbourn; directed by Matthew Warcus. At Circle in the Square, 235 W. 50 St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or normanconquestsonbroadway.com.
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| Lynn Nottage’s ‘Ruined’ on Broadway |
May 04 2009 |
Lynn Nottage’s Ruined is an intense and searing play about the endless civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose primary victims are not soldiers but women. It’s filled with robust, individualized characters who— despite their scars, their limps, their deformities— reveal their stamina and their humanity.
Ruined. By Lynn Nottage; directed by Kate Whoriskey. Through June 28, 2009 at Manhattan Theatre Club, 131 W. 55th St., New York. (212) 581-1212) or www.nycitycenter.org.
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| ‘Waiting For Godot’ on Broadway |
May 02 2009 |
The new Broadway production (the first in more than half a century) of Waiting for Godot, under Anthony Page’s rollicky direction and with its surprising casting, works by driving home Samuel Beckett’s existential truths with laughter as well as pain.
Waiting for Godot. By Samuel Beckett; directed by Anthony Page. Through July 5, 2009 at Studio 54, 254 West 54th St., New York. (212) 719-1300 or www.roundabouttheatre.org.
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| Schiller’s ‘Mary Stuart’ on Broadway |
April 23 2009 |
The acclaimed London production of Mary Stuart arrived on Broadway with its two acclaimed English stars, Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter, supported by an able American cast. But the actors, dwarfed by the huge stage and vast distances between them, make the audience feel removed from these monumental events.
Mary Stuart. By Friedrich Schiller, in a new version by Peter Oswald; directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Through August 16, 2009 at Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com.
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| ‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone’ in New York |
April 21 2009 |
With Lincoln Center’s magnificent production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, August Wilson has tapped us on the shoulder. In director Bartlett Sher’s hands, Wilson’s evocation of a bygone world filled with operatic longings and grudges mingles with the pots and pans of realism and provides an extraordinary theatrical experience.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. By August Wilson; directed by Bartlett Sher. Lincoln Center production at the Belasco Theatre, 111 West 44th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com.
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| ‘Impressionism’ on Broadway |
March 28 2009 |
Michael Jacobs’s soggy play isn’t drama; it’s chick lit, an inspirational sitcom masquerading as a highbrow play about Art. If Oprah had a theater club, Impressionism would be her pick.
Impressionism. By Michael Jacobs; directed by Jack O’Brien. At Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.Telecharge.com.
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| Reza’s ‘God of Carnage’ on Broadway |
March 23 2009 |
Yasmina Reza’s venomous play about two modern couples, billed as “a comedy of manners without the manners,” gives us the kind of laughter that’s about five seconds from just totally losing it. The Lord of Misrule is in fine form here, as is a cast that nails every line, every look, every gesture.
God of Carnage. By Yasmina Reza; translated from the French by Christopher Hampton; directed by Matthew Warchus. At the Jacobs Theatre, 242 West 45th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.godofcarnage.com.
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| Kaufman’s ’33 Variations’ on Broadway |
March 10 2009 |
Moisés Kaufman’s 33 Variations is about obsessions: Beethoven’s with the little waltz Diabelli wrote and Kaufman’s with Beethoven’s “Diabelli” Variations, which are generally considered Beethoven’s supreme contribution to the piano repertoire. Unfortunately, Kaufman’s characters feel underdeveloped, existing more as vehicles for the play’s themes than as interesting, complex people.
33 Variations. Written and directed by Moisés Kaufman. Presented by Tectonic Theatre Project at Eugene O’Neill Theatre, 230 West 49th St., New York. (212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com.
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| ‘Guys and Dolls’ revived on Broadway |
March 03 2009 |
Guys and Dolls, that beloved musical fable of Broadway, is back on Broadway again— enjoyable but oddly disappointing: kind of flat, kind of oomph-deficient. Under director Des McAnuff, this is a very busy, gaudy production, without a human center.
Guys and Dolls. Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling; directed by Des McAnuff. At the Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st St., New York. (212) 307-4100 or www.Ticketmaster.com.
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| Letter from Beijing |
April 12 2008 |
Like everything else in China these days, the art market is booming. Artists fresh out of school demand $25,000 US per painting. And who knew there was radical cool in China?
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