THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s traditional staging of Wagner’s TÄNNHAUSER returns in a musically sublime revival

Earlier this week, I caught up with the Metropolitan Opera’s current revival of Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Written in 1845, the opera is a transitional work that appealingly straddles traditional grand … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Cabaret Roundup: MAMIE PARRIS sings her face of in an Andrew Lloyd Webber “Thrill Ride”, and BRANDON VICTOR DIXON gorgeously croons the night away

Over the past week or so — in between attending holiday and late fall offerings — I found myself basking in a couple of excellent cabaret acts. As always, here … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In their latest solo show LESS LONELY, comedian Jes Tom presents a slippery sense of self

Last night, Jes Tom’s Less Lonely opened Off-Broadway at the Greenwich House Theater. The new autobiographical solo show finds the transgender comedian updating audiences with the latest occurrences in their … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – For the holidays, Paper Mill stages a timely, generously performed revival of Bock & Harnick FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

For its annual holiday musical, Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ has programmed a revival of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s classic musical Fiddler on the Roof. For those of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Emphatically appealing to mainstream Broadway, HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO introduces autistism to wider audiences

Last night, the new musical How to Dance in Ohio opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre. Based on Alexandra Shiva’s award-winning HBO series of the same name, the production … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Ruth Stage’s expanded LONE STAR brings depth to the material at the expense of satiric edginess

This weekend, I was able to catch Ruth Stage’s Off-Broadway revival of James McLure’s Lone Star at Theatre Row.  Set in the secluded back lot of a Texas bar, the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Lesson learned: Lynette Wallworth serenely reflects on HOW TO LIVE (AFTER YOU DIE)

Last night at BAM Fisher, I took in the the latest offering of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s storied Next Wave Festival – Lyette Walworth’s solo show HOW TO LIVE … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A distinctly African take on Pina Bausch’s THE RITE OF SPRING finds newfound urgency and force in the modern classic

Last night at the Park Avenue Armory, I caught up with a striking double bill — a collaboration between the Pina Bausch Foundation, Sadler’s Wells, and École des Sables — … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Channeling the past through music: Hershey Felder’s MONSIEUR CHOPIN and the Mloteks’ AMID FALLING WALLS

Music has the power for thrilling dramatic evocation when wielded in the right manner. This was the case with two works of theater that I came across this week, both … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Mary Kathryn Nagle’s ambitious new play MANAHATTA draws parallels between two tragic histories

Last night, Mary Kathryn Nagle’s new play Manahatta opened at the Public Theater’s Anspacher Theater. After having had previous regional productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Yale Repertory Theater, the … Continue Reading →