279 stories by "Elyse Trevers"
photo by Joan Marcus It's hard to imagine a show by Stephen Sondheim that wasn't an immediate hit; yet "Merrily We Roll Along," first produced in 1981, left the critics and audiences unimpre…
Sometimes one performer in a small cast stands out among the rest. That's one of the problems with the revival of "Between Riverside and Crazy," the 2015 Pulitzer-Prize winning play by Steph…
Those who adore Audra McDonald for her magnificent singing voice often forget what a fine actress she is. The six-time Tony Award winner once again puts her talents on display in Adrienne Ke…
photo by Matthew Murphy How would you define an old-fashioned musical? Maybe a show with non-stop singing and dancing, storylines that we accept even when implausible, a love story or two an…
photo by Joan Marcus The day before I attended "Ain't No Mo'," a new comedy by Jordan E. Cooper, the show posted a closing notice for December 18. It is a unique satirical show that played t…
photo by Julieta Cervantes Alfie is a quiet, ordinary man who is a ticket-taker on a bus during the day, but by evening he is the director of the players at St Imelda's Church. The power of …
At the end of Shakespeare's classic play, "Romeo and Juliet," Juliet awakens to realize that Romeo is dead. Heartbroken, she commits suicide. What if she didn't kill herself? What if, instea…
"Kimberly Akimbo" opens with Kimberly approaching her 16th birthday; and nearing the end of her life expectancy. She is a special teenage girl who suffers from a rare condition that causes h…
photo by Emilio Madrid Cancer, type two diabetes, death. Hardly the fodder for comedy " Yet In the hands of Mike Birbiglia, this serious subject matter becomes hysterical in his latest one-m…
Photo-by-Matthew-Murphy A show about rock music should be loud. So loud that you feel the music going through you! When the cast of "Almost Famous: The Musical " took the stage and performed…
photo-by-Julieta-Cervantes The true star of the revival of "August Wilson's The Piano Lesson" isn't Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks or John David Washington. Although the three actors all…
photo by Marc J. Franklin "Keep your eyes on the cards," instructs the young man on stage as he shifts three playing cards around on a makeshift stand. It's not so easy as we get lulled by t…
The word revival suggests a renewal or improvement of something. So each time there's a Broadway revival, the director tries to change something to encourage ticket sales. The recent hit "Th…
photo by Joan Marcus In his most personal work yet, playwright Tom Stoppard tells the story of the Merz family. Somewhat autobiographical, "Leopoldstadt" begins with a tableau of an extended…
photo credit @ Jeremy Daniel The play "Cost of Living" by Martyna Majok will touch your heart and resonate in your consciousness long after you've left the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Deftly…
photo by Matt Murphy / @murphymade When a show moves from a big Broadway stage to an off-Broadway venue, something's gotta give. Whether it's the staging, the size of the cast, or the number…
Photo by Aaron Cobb Do you believe that a person can be hypnotized? How about 20 people at the same time on a stage in front of an audience? As long as you believe or, at least, accept the p…
Often a visit to the theater can be an opportunity for discovery. That's what happened when I attended a performance of The Butcher Boy at the Irish Repertory Theatre. The musical, based upo…
Despite its charms, and there are many, the new musical "BetweenThe Lines" at the Tony Kiser Theater is a show in search of a target audience. Based upon a young adult novel by best-selling …
photo by Joan Marcus Adapting a beloved bestselling book into a Broadway show is not without its challenges. While the show has name recognition and is sure to attract loyal readers, it also…
photo by Matt Murphy Sometimes those of us not easily impressed can be impressed. So it is with Into The Woods, now at the St. James Theater. The revival marks a return to the original, foll…
Photo by Joan Marcus Free Shakespeare in the Park is quintessential New York. If you are lucky enough to score the free tickets and it's a gorgeous evening, theater doesn't get any better. T…
What? Another show about a moody, overweight, young Black man with family issues? Like "A Strange Loop," "Fat Ham" hasan endearing young main character. But "Fat Ham" delivers much more. Pre…
Classics remain classics because they speak to us-no matter when they were written or where they are set. In a newly-imagined version of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard," a family remains stuc…
by Joan Marcus There's something to be said for star power filling theater seats. Despite some tepid reviews for the latest version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the Longacre Theatre was filled.…
