THE HANGOVER REPORT – Magic and mentalism return to New York in its latest guise with Peter Brynolf and Jonas Ljung’s STALKER

Magic, illusions, and mentalism are absolutely no strangers to the fabric of New York’s live entertainment industry. For years new, acts from the likes of The Illusionists collective, Penn and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Scoping out some downtown theater: Nicholas Brooke’s TEN TRANSCENDENTAL ETUDES and Raja Feather Kelly’s THE ABSOLUTE FUTURE

Before the onslaught of spring theater openings in Midtown, I was able this past weekend to catch some multidisciplinary experimental downtown theater. Here are my thoughts on two of them … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In TRAVELS, James Harrison Monaco pushes the boundaries of music theater and storytelling

Earlier this week, Ars Nova’s production of Travels by James Harrison Monaco opened Off-Broadway at the company’s cozy Hell’s Kitchen home base (for a while, the company was mounting shows at the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At The Public, Clubbed Thumb remounts its acclaimed production of GRIEF HOUSE by Liza Birkenmeier

One of the highlights of last year’s Summerworks series — Clubbed Thumb’s essential summer mini-festival of adventurous new works — was Liza Birkenmeier’s Grief Hotel. Having been recognized at the Obie … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Sutton Foster and Aaron Tveit put their own stamp on the magnificent Broadway revival of SWEENEY TODD

One of the hit musical revivals currently gracing the boards of the Great White Way is the magnificent production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jeremy Strong leads the captivating Broadway revival of Ibsen’s still relevant AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

One of the big hits of the spring theater season thus far has been the captivating Broadway revival of Henrik Ibsen’s still relevant An Enemy of the People. Staged persuasively at … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jesús I. Valles’s scattered, farcical BATHHOUSE.PPTX is an artful memorial to gay bathhouses

Over at The Flea Theater in Tribeca, you’ll find the world premiere production of Jesús I. Valles’s BATHHOUSE.PPTX. The play was the recipient of the 2023 Yale Drama Series Prize, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The audacious musical satire TEETH continues Michael R. Jackson’s obsession with the pitfalls of religion

Michael R. Jackson has made a name for himself as a sort of disruptor of musical theater. Starting with his shattering semi-autobiographical musical A Strange Loop — which both the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In Laurence Fishburne’s LIKE THEY DO IN THE MOVIES, the film star unpacks his identity and bares his soul

Also opening last night at the super-flexible, newly-constructed Perelman Arts Center in Lower Manhattan was Laurence Fishburne’s soul-baring Off-Broadway solo show Like They Do in the Movies. Despite his status as … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The musical adaptation of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is powered by sturdy storytelling and smart, poetic staging

Last night, the new musical Water for Elephants opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre. Adapted from Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel of the same, the musical tells the story of the Benzini … Continue Reading →