THE 2026 TONY NOMINATIONS: CONGRATS AND CONDOLENCES by Ron Fassler

May 5, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron FasslerWell, the 79th Annual Tony Nominations have just been announced and, as usual, theatre fans all over are reviewing the situation. In …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 4:21pm on May 5, 2026[SHARE]

“SCHMIGADOON!” EASILY EARNS ITS EXCLAMATION POINT. by Ron Fassler

Sara Chase (center) and company in “Schmigadoon!”April 28, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler.When I began writing this column ten years ago and titled it “Theatre Yest…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:19am on April 28, 2026[SHARE]

"FOLLIES" OPENED FIFTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TONIGHT (I was there the day before) by Ron Fassler

The original cast of "Beautiful Girls" from "Follies" (1971) with the inevitable Roscoe (Michael Bartlett). Photo by Martha Swope.April 4, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fas…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 9:17pm on April 4, 2026[SHARE]

A FOND FAREWELL TO JONATHAN GROFF AS BOBBY DARIN IN "JUST IN TIME" by Ron Fassler

March 30, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Jonathan Groff at the curtain call of "Just in Time," his final performance as Bobby Darin. Photo by Ron Fassler.Almost a y…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 1:51pm on March 30, 2026[SHARE]

"SONDHEIM: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE" " A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING by Ron Fassler

Dual record set for "Sondheim: A Musical Tribute," or as it's commonly known, the "Scrabble Album" (1973).March 11, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler First published Ma…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 9:43am on March 11, 2026[SHARE]

CHARLIE by Ron Fassler

Charles Durning (1923"2012).February 28, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler An update of a column written and published in 2018. Born on this date more than a hundred ye…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:50am on February 28, 2026[SHARE]

A HISTORY OF "HIGH SPIRITS" " IT'S A GAS, IT'S A GAS, IT'S A GAS! by Ron Fassler

Louise Troy, Edward Woodward, and Tammy Grimes in "High Spirits" (1964). Photo by Friedman-Ables.February 16, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. High Spirits, the musical …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 4:15pm on February 16, 2026[SHARE]

JOHN CUNNINGHAM: AN ACTOR'S LIFE by Ron Fassler

John Cunningham (1932"2026) in "Rose" (1981). Photo by Martha Swope.January 12, 2026: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. It took me a few days to talk to some people, look up…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 2:51pm on January 12, 2026[SHARE]

HOLDING THE MOON IN ONE'S HANDS by Ron Fassler

Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards in Eugene O'Neill's "A Moon for the Misbegotten" (1973).December 29, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler Eugene O'Neill (1888"1953), the o…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 1:41pm on December 29, 2025[SHARE]

"GUYS AND DOLLS" SPARKLES IN A CAPITAL PRODUCTION by Ron Fassler

Julie Benko as Sarah Brown and Jacob Dickey as Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls."December 21, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. As musicals go, Guys and Dolls is a sho…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:48am on December 21, 2025[SHARE]

A FIRST-HAND REPORT ON NEW YORK THEATRE . . . FROM A HALF-CENTURY AGO by Ron Fassler

A FIRST-HAND REPORT ON NEW YORK THEATRE . . . FROM A HALF-CENTURY AGO Alan Bates in the title role of Simon Gray's "Butley," which played the old and venerable Morosco Theatre (1…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:00am on December 10, 2025[SHARE]

THAT TIME MUHAMMAD ALI STARRED IN A BROADWAY MUSICAL by Ron Fassler

The marquee of the now demolished George Abbott Theatre proudly displaying Cassius Clay in "Buck White" (1969).December 6, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Fifty-six …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 9:14am on December 6, 2025[SHARE]

FROM BARTENDER TO BROADWAY: ACTOR MATT KURZYNIEC BUSTS OUT AS "BEETLEJUICE" by Ron Fassler

Matt Kurzyniec outside the Palace Theatre where he recently made his Broadway debut in "Beetlejuice."December 1, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler It doesn't get much bett…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 9:19am on December 1, 2025[SHARE]

"SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS": HOW SWEET IT IS! by Ron Fassler

Raul Esparza as J.J. Hunsecker in MasterVoices' "Sweet Smell of Success."November 25, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Most people have never heard of the musical Sweet …

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 8:20am on November 25, 2025[SHARE]

"TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)": AN UNWIELDY TITLE FOR AN UNUSUALLY WONDERFUL NEW… by Ron Fassler

"TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)": AN UNWIELDY TITLE FOR AN UNUSUALLY WONDERFUL NEW MUSICAL Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts in "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)" (…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:27am on November 21, 2025[SHARE]

IS THERE A BETTER STAGE ACTRESS IN AMERICA THAN LAURIE METCALF? by Ron Fassler

Laurie Metcalf as Sarah and Micah Stock as Ethan in "Little Bear Ridge Road" (photo by Julia Cervantes).November 13, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. In 1984, I attended…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 3:02pm on November 13, 2025[SHARE]

WHEN COMEDY WAS KING by Ron Fassler

Mike Nichols and Neil Simon in an empty theatre in the 1960s, eyes forward towards the stage.November 7, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Mike Nichols, born ninety-fo…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:43am on November 7, 2025[SHARE]

"PUNCH" PACKS A WALLOP by Ron Fassler

Sam Robards, Victoria Clarke, Camila Canó-Flaviá, and Will Harrison in "Punch" (photo by Matthew Murphy).October 13, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler If you've n…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 10:44am on October 13, 2025[SHARE]

ROBERT REDFORD ONSTAGE: HIS EARLY LIFE IN THE THEATRE by Ron Fassler

Robert Redford (1936"2025).September 16, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Robert Redford died early this morning at age eighty-nine. A major film actor, his star never d…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:43am on September 16, 2025[SHARE]

LONDON REPORT: "THE PRODUCERS" IS BACK " JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT! by Ron Fassler

LONDON REPORT: "THE PRODUCERS" IS BACK " JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT! Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom in "The Producers" (2025).September 11, 2025: Thea…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 3:14pm on September 11, 2025[SHARE]

JERRY ADLER: A MAN OF THE THEATRE by Ron Fassler

Jerry Adler (1929"2025).August 25, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. A dozen years ago, I had the pleasure of sitting across the table from the recently departed Jerry Ad…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 12:36pm on August 25, 2025[SHARE]

MURDER IS HARD: THE THRILLER ON BROADWAY by Ron Fassler

John Wood, Marian Seldes and Victor Garber in "Deathtrap" (1978).August 13, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. On this date forty-four years ago, Ira Levin's Deathtrap pla…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 11:57am on August 13, 2025[SHARE]

FOR LOVE OF LIBERTY (AND "1776") by Ron Fassler

The 1969 marquee for "1776" in its original production at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers).July 4, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. This is a re-working…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 2:33pm on July 4, 2025[SHARE]

THE MOST HAPPY LOESSER by Ron Fassler

Frank Loesser (1910"1969).June 29, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler One hundred fifteen years ago today, composer-lyricist Frank Loesser was born on the Upper West Side o…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 1:00pm on June 29, 2025[SHARE]

GOOD GOLLY! "HELLO, DOLLY!" AT 61! by Ron Fassler

Advertisement for the one-night only "Hello, Dolly" in Concert at Carnegie Hall.June 24, 2025: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Last night at Carnegie Hall, those in attend…

SOURCE: ronfassler.medium.com at 6:47pm on June 24, 2025[SHARE]