THE HANGOVER REPORT – The exquisitely campy but two-dimensional THE CONFESSION OF LILY DARE is vintage Charles Busch

This week, I was able to catch up with Charles Busch’s The Confession of Lily Dare, courtesy of Primary Stages. The production is playing at Off-Broadway’s classic Cherry Lane Theatre … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Young Jean Lee’s tuneful curiosity WE’RE GONNA DIE returns to New York in a slick new form

This week, Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die opened Off-Broadway at the Tony Kiser Theater courtesy of Second Stage Theater. The staging marks the return to New York of the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Lauren Yee’s ambitious, uneven CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND succeeds as a variation on Scheherazade’s tales

Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band opened Off-Broadway this week via the Signature Theatre Company at the Pershing Square Signature Center. Over the last year or so, the play has been making … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Lucas Hnath’s harrowing, mold-breaking DANA H., starring an extraordinary Deirdre O’Connell, unsettles and beguiles

Last night, Lucas Hnath’s Dana H. opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. The psychological thriller comes to New York having previously played Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where it was well-received. There’s … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Iván Fischer and his BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA triumph yet again in their exploration of Dvořák and Mahler

This past Sunday and Monday at David Geffen Hall, as part of Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series, I had the great privilege of experiencing the celebrated Budapest Festival Orchestra perform … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The late Jerry Herman’s thrilling score sparkles in the Encores! revival of MACK & MABEL

This past weekend at New York City Center, I attended the final performance of the Encores! revival of Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s 1974 musical Mack & Mabel. The musical is notable … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – When it rains, it pours: A tale of three (really, four) SWAN LAKEs

As they say, when it rains, it pours. Over the course the past month, New York has seen not one … not two … not three … but four notable … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jaap van Zweden leads his NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC in an eclectic, disorienting program featuring Renée Fleming

Last night, I attended a performance by the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall. The concert was conducted by the orchestra’s music director, maestro Jaap van Zweden, who gamely … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Drew Droege depicts multitudes (again) in the slight but hilariously diverting HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG

Last night, I attended a late night performance of Drew Droege’s Happy Birthday Doug at the SoHo Playhouse. The venue is also where I previously caught Mr. Droege in his 2017 … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Pearl Cleage’s vibrant BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY receives a rock-solid production via Keen Company

Last night, Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky opened at Theatre Row, courtesy of Keen Company. The production marks the play’s long-awaited New York debut, after having premiered at … Continue Reading →