THE HANGOVER REPORT – Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera’s immersive processional opera PRIMERO SUEÑO is a transfixing marriage of music and setting

On Sunday night, I attended the final performance of Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera’s new opera Primero Sueño at The Met Cloisters. Essentially, the opera is presented as a fever … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In the genre-defying MANY HAPPY RETURNS, Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saez de Viteri revel in our shared humanity

Last night at Playwrights Horizons’ Peter Jay Sharp Theater, I attended one of the extended Off-Broadway performances of Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri’s Many Happy Returns (the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A smoldering cast led by Sondra Radvanovsky and Bryn Terfel elevate the Met’s production of TOSCA

Last night at the Metropolitan Opera, I attended the company’s final performance of the season of Puccini’s Tosca. To say it was one of the most smoldering and exciting evenings … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Relentlessly seeking validation Off-Broadway: Comedian Gary Gulman shows off his smarts in GRANDILOQUENT

Also earlier this week, Gary Gulman’s solo show Grandiloquent opened Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the West Village. For those of you unfamiliar with Gulman, he’s carved a … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The NY PHIL rushes through a wordless Ring, and Muti leads the CSO to produce Italianate heat and a glorious Tchaikovsky

Over the past week or so, I was able to take in a pair of classical music concerts that endeavored to bring heat to these frigid early days of 2025. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – PROTOTYPE 2025 Roundup: Continuing to push form and content in opera and music theater in exciting and unexpected ways

Over the years, Prototype has become an integral platform for presenting new opera and music theater, often time pushing the envelope in terms of form and content in exciting and … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Miguel Gutierrez’s SUPER NOTHING explores our capacity for resilience (as well as our limitations)

This past weekend, I also had the opportunity to attend Super Nothing by Miguel Gutierrez, an established downtown choreographer who is completing a two-year residency at New York Live Arts. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – At 20, UNDER THE RADAR expands its reach with a blast of out-of-the-box theatrical experiences (Part 2)

My Under the Radar 2025 experience continued with a second week of full immersion. As before, read on for my thoughts on my excursions last week. SHOW/BOAT: A RIVERPresented by … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The robustly-voiced matinee idol DEREK KLENA effortlessly appeases his fans at 54 Below

Over at 54 Below, Broadway’s Derek Klena recently concluded a week of sold out performances, to which many of his adoring fans flocked (I attended his final performance on Monday). … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In MINDPLAY, Vinny DePonto finds a human angle to deploy his impressive mentalist trickery

Earlier this week, Vinny DePonto’s immersive mentalist act Mindplay opened Off-Broadway at the Greenwich House Theater. In his latest solo show, DePonto — a relatable, down-to-earth, and imminently likeable talent … Continue Reading →