Theater
2734 results
Page 230
Shakespeare, Shylock, anti-Semitism— and Al Pacino (1st comment)
Shakespeare (and anti-Semitism) on trial
At least since the Holocaust, Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has been widely reviled as an anti-Semitic screed. But Al Pacino's majestic portrayal of Shylock in New York suggests an entirely different interpretation: of Jews (and Israel too) surrounded by a hostile world.
Articles
11 minute read
"Musical of Musicals' at Walnut Studio 3 (2nd review)
What they did for love (of Broadway musicals)
Unlike satire, which comes out of anger, pastiche comes out of love. The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) is definitely the latter.
Articles
3 minute read
"Musical of Musicals' at Walnut Studio 3 (1st review)
A simple tale, in the hands of five Broadway composers
This complex 2003 parody of Broadway musicals keeps revealing new subtleties, and we can appreciate this superb cast even more when we see them up close in an intimate space like the Walnut's upstairs independence Studio 3.
Articles
5 minute read
A new twist on "Avenue Q'
Truth is stranger: Avenue Q as Reality Street
The Broadway musical Avenue Q finds its raison d'être in contrasting what kids learned from “Sesame Street” with what they experience when they go out in the real world. The untimely death of the troubled former child actor Gary Coleman makes you wonder: Is this really a laughing matter?
Articles
3 minute read
"Survive!': Exploring the future with Swim Pony
Fasten your seat belt
In Swim Pony's brilliantly executed Survive!, we find ourselves venturing through space to answer an intriguing question: Could we understand our own lives without art but solely through science?
Articles
4 minute read
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Cavalia: Man and horse in the Meadowlands
Bring on the dancing horses
Who are the more talented performers— people or horses? This two-hour collaboration between highly skilled horses, riders, dancers, acrobats, aerialists, singers, musicians and sound and light designers will make you wonder.
Articles
2 minute read
Early O'Neill and Williams, together in London
Spring awakening: Young O'Neill/Young Williams
The British director Laurie Sampson had the brilliant idea of pairing the earliest full-length efforts of Eugene O'Neill and Tennessee Williams, and directing, cross-casting and producing them in repertory with a unifying set. The effort reveals many intriguing common characteristics”“ as well as the debt that Williams clearly owed to O'Neill.
Articles
8 minute read
"If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' at the Arden
The perils of appeasement
Arden Theatre's adaptation of Jody Davidson's tale about a boy who attempts to appease an incorrigible mouse is a non-stop delight for all ages, laced with gags inspired by the Marx Brothers, Martin and Lewis and Good Dog Carl.
Articles
1 minute read
Megan Gogerty's "Love Jerry'
Pedophilia: the musical
Megan Gogerty's fatuous and one-sided Love Jerry sympathizes with the struggles of a child abuse perpetrator while ignoring his victim's suffering altogether. And would you believe it's a musical?
Articles
3 minute read
"Sunday in the Park' at the Arden (2nd review)
Sondheim's problem, solved by Nolen
The two acts of Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George have never been as perfectly balanced as they are in Terrence Nolen's new production. Because this is a show about an artist's quest for balance, that's the ultimate compliment.
Articles
5 minute read