THE HANGOVER REPORT – Idina Menzel dares to scale emotional and physical heights in the unsettled new musical REDWOOD

One of the more anticipated events of the current Broadway season is the return to the Great White Way of Idina Menzel in the new musical Redwood, which opened last … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – NAATCO’s modern verse version of CYMBELINE puts a feminist spin on the Bard’s rarely performed romance

Over at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater (many will recognize the venue as Classic Stage Company’s home base), you’ll find the National Asian American Theatre Company (known simply as “NAATCO” … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Black rage courses through Ian Andrew Askew’s multidisciplinary SLAMDANCE GARAGE

Then there’s SLAMDANCE garage at The Bushwick Starr, Ian Andrew Askew’s unclassifiable solo show that’s been produced in association with ¡Oye! Group. In their multidisciplinary piece, Askew plays with disparate … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jordan Harrison’s THE ANTIQUITIES episodically chronicles humanity’s dire future vis-à-vis the rise of A.I.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to catch up with Jordan Harrison’s latest speculative play The Antiquities, which is currently running Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons (the company is presenting … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Epistolary plays that dramatize the lost art of letter-writing: Ken Ludwig’s DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE and Michael Griffo’s PEN PALS

Over the last week or so, I had a chance to catch up with a pair of epistolary plays that dramatize the dying art of letter-writing. As per usual, read … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The hugely entertaining Encores! revival of URINETOWN still tells a cautionary tale worth listening to

Earlier this week at New York City Center, I attended the anticipated Encores! revival of Urinetown. Featuring a score by Mark Hollmann and a book by Greg Kotis, the musical … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Generous, accessible storytelling (and star power) propel Simon Rich’s ALL IN: COMEDY ABOUT LOVE

Earlier this week, I finally caught up with All In: Comedy About Love by Simon Rich at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway (the show is now in the final two … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Irish Rep’s pristine production of BECKETT BRIEFS expertly navigates the playwright’s intentions and specifications

For its current main stage offering, Off-Broadway’s reliable Irish Repertory Theatre has mounted Beckett Briefs, a beautifully-calibrated collection of three short plays by Samuel Beckett. Appropriate fare for these dreary, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The cheerful jukebox musical adaptation of MYSTIC PIZZA is fueled by nostalgia for the 80s & 90s

This past snowy Sunday, I took a field trip out to Millburn, NJ to attend the opening of the stage version of the 1988 flick Mystic Pizza at Paper Mill … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Musings on the state of the arts, then and now: The Civilians’ RADIO DOWNTOWN and Louise Orwin’s FAMEHUNGRY

This past weekend, I encountered a pair of Off-Broadway shows that investigate the state of the arts — both now and in the past — in fascinatingly distinct manners. As … Continue Reading →