As we begin a new decade, I look back at my past decade of theatre-going and pick my top 10 favorite plays and musicals.
All tagged David Henry Hwang
FEATURE: Top 10 of 2019
By my count, I’ve attended 234 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2019. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten (ok, eleven) favorite shows I saw in 2019.
"Little Shop of Horrors" extends to March with Gideon Glick; "Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation" to play the York Theatre Company; Johnny Depp producing another Michael Jackson-themed musical in LA; Beth Leavel and Taylor Iman Jones to star in Broadway-bound musical "The Devil Wears Prada"; Jordan Fisher is Broadway’s next Evan Hansen; "Soft Power" will get a cast album; Jo Ellen Pellman will star as Emma in the Netflix film adaptation of "The Prom"; Camille A. Brown joins “Aida” development lab; cast of "Hangmen" announced; "Hustlers" musical might be in the works; RIP Marion McClinton, Valerie Taylor-Barnes, and John Simon
REVIEW: The heartbreak of democracy in “Soft Power”
“Soft Power”, David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s dramaturgically breathtaking new musical-within-a-play, experiments with form while rendering a sort of reverse version of “The King and I”. The resulting satire of American culture and politics brims with an unpretentious intelligence and an unexpectedly penetrating sense of patriotism. If democracy will break your heart, “Soft Power” can mend it.
FEATURE: 2019 Fall Season Preview
The city that never sleeps also boasts a theatre scene that never sleeps. With the summer now behind us, this is an overview of all that’s coming to New York stages this fall (spoiler alert: it’s a lot).
Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon to star in "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" on Broadway; "American Son" to be adapted for Netflix; Michael C. Hall to star in an original musical commercial for Skittles; Broadway's "Frozen" announces new cast; Melissa Etheridge composing "Mystic Pizza" musical; David Henry Hwang penning live action Disney remake of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"; Tony Hawk is spearheading a musical adaptation of Nick Hornsby's 2007 novel "Slam"; Jason Robert Brown's new musical "Farewell My Concubine" to get a reading; "The Band's Visit" marks 500 performances on Broadway; RIP Kaye Ballard
"Network" will play the Belasco; Taylor Mac’s "Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus", starring Nathan Lane and Andrea Martin, will play the Booth; Glenda Jackson-helmed "King Lear" cast announced; "Titanic" and “Pal Joey” revivals in the works; “The Rivals” and “Marie” are Broadway-aimed; Tony Awards to remain on CBS; 2018 Theatre Hall of Fame inductees announced; profile of Jennifer Simard; 72 plays and musicals to see; "Theater Talk" ends after 25 seasons; RIP Marin Mazzie
REVIEW: “M. Butterfly” Revival Lacks Fantasy
This much-anticipated revival of David Henry Hwang’s “M. Butterfly” falls flat, stripped of the ambiguity that feeds the fantasy central to the drama, in a clunky production with uneven performances that doom an otherwise timely play tackling gender, race, and international politics.