THE HANGOVER REPORT – Farah Alvin & Eden Espinosa: A pair of big Broadway belters thrill in a GR42 doubleheader

Last night, I did something I hadn’t done since the pre-pandemic days – that is, to indulge in a cabaret doubleheader. The venue was the Green Room 42, one of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Radial Park’s “cine-mersive” THE BLUES BROTHERS capitalizes on nostalgia and an interactive party atmosphere

Last night, I made the trek all the way out to a remote nook of Astoria to attend the opening night performance of Radial Park’s festive production/screening of The Blues … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Potent weekend excursions: Alice Ripley freewheels at GR42 and Bill T. Jones’s AFTERWARDSNESS chronicles the pandemic and BLM through dance

This weekend, I got to two in-person performances – one an intimate cabaret, the other a large-scale dance piece – both of which I found to be downright beguiling. As … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Basking in an eclectic array of joyous outdoor performances via DOWNTOWN LIVE & RESTART STAGES

Coinciding with some spectacular spring weather this May are a pair of outdoor performing arts festivals, each of which have programmed an eclectic array of acts – all free of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – PARTY IN THE BARDO: Laurie Anderson and Jason Moran’s assaultive sonic memorial for a city in painful transition

Last weekend, I got the opportunity to attend the final performance of the short sold out run of legendary musician-cum-performance artist Laurie Anderson and jazz pioneer Jason Moran’s Party in … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – In Brooklyn, a pair of in-person performances that uniquely and profoundly engage their audiences: 1:1 CONCERTS & ZOETROPE

Currently on view in Brooklyn are a pair of in-person performances that uniquely and profoundly engage their audiences. Here are my thoughts. 1:1 CONCERTSBrooklyn Academy of Music / Silkroad EnsembleIn-person … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Opera Philadelphia’s magnificent concert production of THE DRAMA OF TOSCA meaningfully truncates Puccini’s warhorse

Last night, I ventured down to Philadelphia to attend the opening night performance of Opera Philadelphia’s concert production of The Drama of Tosca at the Mann Center. The Mann seems … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – ICONS/IDOLS: IN THE PURPLE ROOM is a scrappy but ambitious hybrid of choral drama and immersive installation

This weekend at the New Ohio Theatre, I attended Icons/Idols: In the Purple Room presented by Byzantine Choral Project, a music theater company that champions women’s voices (both cis and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Women of hip-hop and musical theater showcase their magnificence: WORD. SOUND. POWER. & Sutton Foster et al. in BRING ME TO LIGHT

Over the past week or so, I had the opportunity of streaming a pair of virtual concerts that – although drastically contrasting – both showcased the magnificence of women. Presented … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The lieder dreamily engages contemporary existential matters in THE WANDERING & WE NEED TO TALK

This week, I encountered two fascinating productions that use the lieder (i.e., nineteenth century art songs, typically set to poetry) – or the form of the lieder – to dreamily … Continue Reading →