“We really pride ourselves on the joy of coming together, inclusivity, and making music that brings people happiness. It’s always important, but right now, we all need pure joy and entertainment. Togetherness.”

“It's daunting for the theater industry to have to reinvent itself. But at this point, it seems an inevitability.”

“On June 10th, the staff at the Old Creamery Theatre Company posted a statement of support for the Black Lives Matter movement and an action plan to do better on their social media platforms. Within days, the theatre’s Board of Trustees demanded they take down the post. Weeks later, the board fired ten of the eleven staff members. While the board is citing budget cuts as the reason for the terminations, the former staff aren’t so sure about that.”

“Allegory, drama, scripture, midrash, passion plays, musical, parable. Adam and Eve, Tevye and Golde. These are stories about our lives. Stories that turn our lives into art. If that isn’t something to worship, I don’t know what is.”

With performers on a press tour, it often feels like answers are rehearsed or over-thought, yet Kevin McDonald's were both exuberant and winding, his words spilling out in an over-caffeinated cascade of ideas and jokes. It turns out, McDonald has a lot to say, which is why it's perfect time for his new one-man show "Kevin McDonald ALIVE on 42nd Street" to premiere Off-Broadway.

When we spoke on the phone, Mr. Cariou was tight-lipped about “Broadway & the Bard,” a show he originated Off-Broadway in 2016. But he calls the concert a “musical memoir” and a chance to review his storied career. It’s clear that at 79, he has many stories to tell and many more songs to sing.

“Rent: Live,” which aired January 27th on Fox, is the third time Jonathan Larson’s landmark pop-opera has been filmed. There’s the 2005 film adaptation (which recently got the Movie Musical Shakedown treatment) and the closing Broadway cast, which was filmed in 2008. The live broadcast stayed true to the roots of “Rent,” while tweaking elements to make it feel fresh and contemporary. Some changes worked, some were expected (you apparently can’t say dildos on primetime TV) and some were downright baffling. To pick apart the good, bad and ugly moments of the broadcast, we enlisted two of our critics Noah Golden, Brittany Strelluf and Erin Karll.

While Noah and Brittany are not super-fans of the show going in, Erin said she’s been a “Renthead for over a decade.” They all agreed that the three “enjoyed this production very much.” As Brittany put it: “‘Rent’ is about finding the joy in a world full of bad, light in a world of darkness, and love in a time of hatred. We need that message now, as much as we needed it when it was written, as much as we will need it in the future.”