With the concept of “winter” an increasing memory, here is overview of all that’s coming to New York stages this spring!
All tagged MCC Theater
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.
REVIEW: Ross Golan’s “The Wrong Man” at MCC Theater
Joshua Henry stars in “The Wrong Man”, a buoyantly rendered original new noir musical about a man falsely accused of murder that is the brain child of multi-platinum pop music singer, songwriter, and producer Ross Golan. A narrative song-cycle set in an intimate, concert-like atmosphere, this musical gets rhythmically rote, and suffers for a lack of specificity, but is nevertheless saved by a great score, fluid choreography, and Mr. Henry’s titanic performance.
"Beetlejuice" plans events for every day of October; "Sea Wall/A Life" to be audio-recorded for Audible; Jason Robert Brown and Robert Horn's "13" musical will be made into a film; "Saturday Night Fever" 20th anniversary reunion event CSC’s "Assassins" casting announced; "Between the Lines" musical to play Off-Broadway; transgender actor Alexandra Billings will join the Broadway company of "Wicked" in January; Caissie Levy and Patti Murin will leave “Frozen” in February; MCC Theater announces a new musical development initiative
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).
"Flying Over Sunset", "The Lightning Thief: the Percy Jackson Musical", "How I Learned to Drive", "A Soldier's Play", "Caroline, or Change", "Slava's Snowshow", "A Christmas Carol", and "Diana" announce Broadway runs; "Harmony" and "Forbidden Broadway" announce Off-Broadway runs; Gideon Glick to step into “Little Shop of Horrors” for Jonathan Groff; film of "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" will be released in October 2020; "What the Constitution Means to Me" filmed for future release ; RIP Bob Ullman
REVIEWS: “Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow”, “The Rolling Stone”, and “Toni Stone”
Three new plays opened at three of Off-Broadways best non-profit theatre companies over the course of the last month. I take a brief look at “Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow” at MCC Theater, “The Rolling Stone” at Lincoln Center Theater, and “Toni Stone” at the Roundabout Theatre Company—all three of which are critic’s picks!
REVIEWS: “BLKS” and “God Shows Up”
Two new comedies opened Off-Broadway in the last week, Aziza Barnes’ “BLKS” at MCC Theater and Peter Filichia’s “God Shows Up” at the Actors’ Temple; I take a look at each.
"Hadestown" leads in Outer Critics Circle nominations, followed by "Tootsie" and "Oklahoma!"; Disney plans revival of "Beauty and the Beast"; “Sea Wall/A Life" headed to Broadway this summer; Phylicia Rashad to direct "Blue" on Broadway next spring; Mel Brooks will play a two night residency at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre; MCC announces 2019-2020 season; "The Boys in the Band" cast to reunite for Netflix adaptation; "Survivor: The Destiny's Child Musical" will premiere in Houston; Noah Galvin to join the cast of "Waitress"; “The Lehman Trilogy" eyes Broadway; "Nowhere Boy" musical in development; "The Prom" to receive YA novel treatment; cast album news update; RIP Harvey Sabinson
REVIEWS: “Alice By Heart” and “Superhero”
Two hotly-anticipated new musicals opened Off-Broadway recently: Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s “Alice By Heart” at MCC Theater, and Tom Kitt and Joshua Logan’s “Superhero” at Second Stage Theater. I take a look at each.
REVIEW: Loy A. Webb’s explosive and exquisite “The Light” at MCC Theater
“The Light” is an urgent and painful story of revelation, redress, and hopeful reconciliation cued at the intersection of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. Tautly and evocatively sketched by playwright Loy A. Webb, this exquisite two-hander starts like a rom-com before embarking on tragic territory, forcing the audience to reckon with its own baked-in biases and assumptions based on race and gender, and to do and be better.
FEATURE: Top 10 Shows of 2018
By my count, I’ve attended 246 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2018. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten favorite shows I saw in New York (including no new musicals and only three Broadway shows!).