Review: "Dance of the Holy Ghosts" at Ubuntu Theater Project
From gospel music to sweet potato pie, Marcus Gardley’s play Dance of the Holy Ghosts follows the life of Oscar Clifton through rose-colored glasses. However, the ghosts of his past and present tell the audience a much different story than the life Oscar remembers.
Review: "Office Hour" at Berkeley Repertory Theater
Playwright Julia Cho challenges a pressing issue in our country right now, gun violence, in her new play Office Hour at Berkeley Repertory Theater. Cho’s approach to this topic is one that adds new layers to the conversation, which is fresh in all of our minds.
Review: "Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3" at Yale Repertory Theatre
Suzan-Lori Parks’ first triptych in her 12-part epic journey, Father Comes Home from the Wars, a co-production with the American Conservatory Theater, explores the journey of a slave during the Civil War. It’s part ode to Greek theater, and part racial commentary that leaves you wondering if we’ll ever cure ourselves of the scourge of racial injustice, given our sordid history with slavery.
A U.K. Review In (Exactly) 250 Words: The Dog Beneath The Skin
The Dog Beneath The Skin, originally written by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood and now playing at London's Jermyn Street Theatre, is scattered with enjoyable moments but, overall, misses the mark. The play does sometimes fall into good a rhythm, but it's never long before something jars.
Off-Broadway Review: “Jerry Springer – The Opera”
When one thinks of the Jerry Springer Show (past and present), one might not think of ‘opera.’ However, in 2000, the seeds of that exact concept were planted by Richard Thomas at London’s Battersea Arts Centre with his “Tourette's Diva” and in 2001 with his “How to Write an Opera About Jerry Springer” at the same venue. The success of those productions, and teaming up with Stewart Lee, culminated in “Jerry Springer – The Opera” which has found its way to the New Group at The Pershing Square Signature Center’s Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre.
Review: George Takei Returns to “ALLEGIANCE” for Its Superb Los Angeles Premiere
As we grapple with a 21st Century where our country is still at a significant divide and has allowed fear to take hold, experiencing an important piece like “ALLEGIANCE”—a commanding retelling of a moment when another “other” is forced into a shameful condition that is essentially a sanctioned, lawful way to discriminate solely on the basis of one’s specific ethnicity—is almost required viewing for all to see, if only to be reminded that one should not rush to judgment or make sweeping generalizations about an entire group of people, especially when such actions can significantly affect many lives and families in a terrible, inhumane way.
Is the price of security (for some) the robbing of others of their freedom? No. No it shouldn’t be. After you see “ALLEGIANCE” you’ll likely feel the same, too.
Review: “The Secret Files of Nellie Bly” at Fireside Mystery Theatre
I’ve reviewed a wide and diverse range of shows for OnStage Blog, including on a few rare occasions, staged readings. However, I’m quite positive that I have never reviewed a reader’s theatre podcast, prior to being invited to review the latest live recorded show of Fireside Mystery Theatre, one of the most popular theatre podcasts out there today. Their latest production – a variety show entitled The Secret Files of Nellie Bly about the late-19th-century writer – proved to be quite an introduction to what I found to be a very intriguing project.
Review: “The Dream Project” at the Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center
I will be honest with you: Reviewing Shakespeare adaptations, as a critic, usually isn’t that exciting for me. That’s not to say that I think they’re bad, but usually, if and when I’m asked to go review one, I tend to focus more on the production and performance aspects, and how that particular production of the same story might be particularly enjoyable to OnStage Blog readers. Very rarely do I find a show adapted from a Shakespearean play that truly blows my mind, and screams “originality”. Yet The Dream Project proved to be a rare example of such a show when I saw it performed at the Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center in Brooklyn this past Friday.
U.K. Review: "The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk" at West Yorkshire Playhouse
Love has often been the primary thematic centrepiece in Kneehigh Theatre’s work. It is a stimulus that provokes and inspires beautiful conjurations from the whole of their creative team, whether they’re adapting an existing narrative or crafting something new entirely, and when under the masterful direction of Kneehigh’s former Artistic Director Emma Rice, these pieces have always been nothing short of incredible. Rice has always had a gift when it comes to harnessing the vast facets of human experience that stem from love, whether that be with Kneehigh or in her recent creative ventures at Shakespeare’s Globe. On that note, I was very much looking forward to seeing Rice back to directing under Kneehigh’s banner in her latest piece of work.
Review: “Distant Observer: Tokyo/New York Correspondence” at LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club
Telling unique stories and creating great art is the primary goal of nearly every playwright. However, it’s not always as easy of a goal when two playwrights are collaborating together, as they’re writing the same story that they both hope will resonate with audiences. That’s exactly what was on display during the premiere of Distant Observer: Tokyo/New York Correspondence – a collaboration between Japanese playwright Takeishi Kawamura and American playwright John Jesurun – at the LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club.
Off-Broadway Review: “Hal and Bee”
What are two aging ex-hippies supposed to do when the socio-political environment around them escalates its full-frontal assault on the values they espoused and fought so passionately for in the sixties and seventies? Not only do they continue to feel “stalked” by “corporate bastards” like the cable company, but they are about to be evicted from their rent-controlled apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, so the owner of their building can realize its intention “to restructure a number of rental units to better reflect the market opportunities in [the] neighborhood.” The heated “discussions” around these external topics counterpoint the internal animus between Bee (a supercharged and rascally Candy Buckley) and her longtime husband Hal (a malcontented and “tuned-out” Jeff Hayenga).
Off-Broadway Review: “At Home at the Zoo”
“Hey, I got news for you, as they say. I'm on your precious bench, and you're never going to have it for yourself again.” – Jerry to Peter
Was anyone putting the disparity between “the one percent” and the remaining “ninety-nine percent” under the cultural microscope in the late 1950s? The Baby Boomers were booming and most believed the middle-class was firmly entrenched in an ever-expanding story of financial success. Unfortunately, not enough attention was being paid to the underbelly of this post-war ebullience nor to those clinging to that nether portion of the socio-economic divide.
Review: "Weightless" at Z Space
Straight from the San Francisco Fringe Festival, Weightless is an innovative new musical playing in one of San Francisco’s newest and most innovative theaters spaces, Z Space. A performance combining indie-rock music, technology, and mythology; Weightless redefines what the modern musical can do by reexamining stories from the past.
Review: “Rev. Mary’s Blues Jam” at the West End Lounge
So…I saw a cabaret show this past weekend. The interesting thing about this one, though, is that I was invited to (and allowed to go to) a cabaret show that wasn’t necessarily musical theatre oriented. (At least, not beyond the pre-show music, anyway.) Rather, this was a show that felt like much more of a straight-up, old-school blues jam, as theatrical as it may have still been. I’m talking, of course, about Rev. Mary’s Blues Jam, Mary Micari’s acclaimed, constantly running blues-cabaret show here in NYC.
Review: South Coast Repertory Stages Powerful World Premiere Play “CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND”
The world, unfortunately, is rife with truly horrific examples of inhuman atrocities throughout its recorded history—from the subjugating of entire races into slavery to the mass executions of entire populations for the sake of complete and unchallenged control. In all instances, the human pain and suffering are long-lasting and far-reaching to say the least.
Such was the case in the Southeast Asian country of Cambodia, a region that, for much of its history, has experienced a great deal of hardships and challenges, some of which even continue through today.
Review: "Les Misérables" at Theatre Smith-Gilmour
I thought I had my fill of LES MISERABLES, but Theatre Smith Gilmour’s production left me with a fresh appreciation for this timeless tale of redemption, forgiveness, compassion and love. A truly remarkable evening nicely spent at the theatre. Don’t ‘mis’ out on this LES MISERABLES.
A UK Review In (Exactly) 250 Words: "Suffragette City"
2018 marks the centenary of the year in which certain British women were given the right to vote. In celebration of this, Suffragette City, an interactive experience, has been created by the National Trust (inspired by documents from The National Archives), and can currently be found in the heart of London.
Off-Broadway Review: “Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story” at 59E59 Theaters
This is a not-to-be-missed theatrical event everyone should behold and like Chaya and Chaim possibly be persuaded to look “into the eyes of God.”
Review: “The Melting Pot” at the Access Theatre
About two years ago, during my last semester of college, I had the chance to serve as the dramaturge of a one-act drama called Medusa’s Tale. The play was a fascinating mixture of both Greek mythology, as well as the exploration of contemporary issues of gender and sexual assault. During that time, I came to respect and appreciate this play, as well as its author, Carol Lashof. It’s a big reason why this past weekend, I was intrigued and eager to see Ms. Lashof’s latest work, The Melting Pot, during its premiere at the Access Theatre.
Review: "Animal Farm" at Soulpepper
Some momentary glimpses into oppressive societal norms make this ‘Animal Farm’ noteworthy but, given our current Canadian political climate today in our own country and south of the border, this story should spark more discussion on the political spectrum and it doesn’t.