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Beth Hyland to Receive Williamstown Theatre Festival's L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 28, 2024

Williamstown Theatre Festival has named Beth Hyland as the recipient of the 2024 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award for her play SYLVIA SYLVIA SYLVIA. Learn more about Hyland!

David P. Silcox, Writer, Administrator and Deputy Government Minister, Passes Away at 87
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 1, 2024

On Tuesday, David P. Silcox, whose long and distinguished career in the arts made him an influential figure in Canadian culture, died February 27, 2024 in Toronto. He was 87 years old. 

2024 NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup Featuring Q&A's, Panels & More
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 8, 2024

2024 NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival has revealed the full lineup featuring feature-length films, short films, and more. See the lineup and learn how to purchase tickets.

Patricia Lynn's New Play THE MAID & THE MESMERIZER To Have World Premiere At A.R.T./New York
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 19, 2024

Yearning for adventure, a spirited actress falls in love with a stage hypnotist in Patricia Lynn’s new play The Maid & The Mesmerizer.

City Lights Theater Company to Present Ken Ludwig's THE GAME'S AFOOT; OR HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 20, 2023

With glittering 1930s flair, City Lights Theater Company will bring audiences the hilarious whodunit Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot; Or Holmes for the Holidays.

AS YOU LIKE IT Comes to Long Beach Playhouse in September
by Stephi Wild - Aug 22, 2023

William Shakespeare wrote As You Like it in 1599. Themes include class distinctions, family rivalries, love, forgiveness, envy, and gender. Much of it takes place in a place called the Forest of Arden. The show’s director Michael Hernandez-Phillips, adapted the play, moved the forest to Central Park in the 1950s.

City Lights Theatre Company to Present KINKY BOOTS in July
by Blair Ingenthron - Jun 25, 2023

City Lights Theater Company will bring Kinky Boots to San Jose this summer.

Review: CLUE at Syracuse Stage
by Dan and Julie Izzo - Jun 16, 2023

Syracuse Stage closes its 2022-23 season with the madcap farce, Clue. Based on the iconic 1950’s board game of the same name, Clue spoofs whodunit mysteries, film noir, 1950’s pop culture and gothic horror films. The play is adapted for stage from the 1985 film that was a critical flop but has since become a cult classic. Set during McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, a time fraught with suspicion and accusation, the mansion owned by Mr. Boddy becomes the gathering point for six invited guests. These guests we find out are all guarded about their pasts, are all being blackmailed and are referred to by aliases that correspond to the famous characters in the board game. Each guest is then gifted one of the six murder weapons. In all, there are six potential murderers, six weapons and nine rooms in the mansion, 324 possibilities for who, what and where; as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes agree, now “the game is afoot.” The gothic mansion, the dark and stormy night, the suspenseful reality of the play merge with Parker Brothers’ (now Hasbro’s) rule book and the characters become mashups of villains and game pieces. They punctuate the endings of scenes with comic confusion, mad scrambling and a kind of frantic skipping, like game pieces moving on a board after a dice roll. Scenic designer, Czerton Lim, creates the perfect 3-D version of the original board game. Upon entering the theatre, the audience sees a classic gothic foyer, complete with crystal chandelier, mahogany woodwork, marble stairs and a tiled floor fashioned to replicate the spaces on a game board. As the play progresses, the set becomes a character in itself as it transforms into the rooms of the mansion required by both the game and the play. His design is beautiful and functional. It not only provides a setting but also helps establish the humor and tempo of the play. It always surprises and delights. Likewise, original music by Michael Holland and sound design by Todd Mack create a comically suspenseful mood and punctuate the zany exploits on stage. Along with lighting design by Jared Gooding, the cliché of a dark and stormy night permeates the atmosphere and heightens the tension and anxiety of this mock thriller. The production is at its best when the actors are highly choreographed and in tune with the music, sound and light cues. In fact, the funniest moment in the play is prompted by a single gunshot. Director Benjamin Hanna establishes a fast pace from the very beginning of the play. It is so fast and furious that neither the audience nor the actors are allowed to get their bearings. The characters in Clue are obvious stereotypes but the portrayals all share the same frenetic quality without ever establishing basic, underlying traits and motivations. Characterization, for the most part, has been sacrificed to blatant silliness and camp. (There is nothing in the script that requires the beginning to move at such a pace.) Once the first murder occurs and the stakes are raised the speed can and should pickup through the end. For example, Plum is a stereotypical Professor, haughty and cerebral but cursed with an inflated libido. Beethovan Oden has a nice general feel for the character and indicates his personality traits, but he isn’t able to develop those qualities from the onset of the play. If he had, then as the pace became more frantic the audience could have enjoyed watching him first struggle then ultimately fail to keep his composure. Clearly many of the actors are talented. John Taylor Phillips as Wadsworth has a natural presence on stage as well as crisp comic timing but never fully embodies the stereotypical reserved, unflappable and ultimately arrogant butler. Emily Berman as Miss Scarlet is also clean and precise. Miss Scarlet is a stereotypical Madame but the actress is not allowed to explore the cynism and sexuality of the character who should have a slower, more voluptuous pace than some of the others. Henry Woronicz’s Colonel Mustard vacillates appropriately between being doddering and demanding. He sketches out an interesting frame for his character but again seems to fall prey to the tempo of this runaway train. Claire Wilcher makes a strong acting choice to play Mrs. Peacock with the nervous energy of a bird. Her comedy is broad and eccentric while still grounded in reality. Even when she is in the background of the action, she is always in the moment. When given focus, she commands the stage and rate of action. As a result, her portrayal is very funny and very satisfying to watch. Her least successful moments occur when directed to do something out of character simply for a laugh. Less successfully, Eric Sharp’s Mr. Green and Emjoy Gavino’s Mrs. White just seem lost in the silliness and frenetic mayhem. As lovers of farce and broad comedy, we were disappointed that more care wasn’t taken to create an underlying believability before descending into comic chaos. A stock character when presented by an actor still needs to have specificity. Silliness can be funny, comic bits enjoyable and a fast pace exciting, but they need to be balanced and well executed. By the end of the production, it felt like all 324 murder possibilities were explored, but few realities remained. If you are looking for an evening of fast-paced silliness, screwball comedy and sight gags this production satisfies. As a farce poking fun at human frailty and foibles, Benjamin Hanna’s Clue misses the mark. Clue runs through Sunday, June 25th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org or by calling (315) 443-3275 or by visiting the box office at 820 East Genesee Street. did our critic think of CLUE at Syracuse Stage?

Reggie Burrows Hodges Is Inaugural Winner Of New Prize Supporting American Artists
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 10, 2023

The Addison Gallery of American Art has announced that Reggie Burrows Hodges is the inaugural recipient of the Addison Artist Council's Bartlett H. Hayes, Jr. Prize, the highlight of a new initiative the museum launched earlier this year to provide important institutional support to American artists.

New Musical Project THE TEN Currently in Development for Broadway - Listen to a Demo Track Now
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 17, 2022

Producers Ken Davenport and Primary Wave Music announced the development of The Ten, a new musical project inspired by the power and spiritual energy of gospel, featuring music that also draws from hip-hop, bluegrass, R&B, soul, and the blues.

BWW Review: GREASE: THE MUSICAL, The Dominion Theatre
by Abbie Grundy - May 18, 2022

Audiences are in for a treat with this high-energy revival of the crowd-pleasing hit, which welcomes a new generation of talent to the stage.

National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Announces Cast And Cameos In: A YIDDISH RENAISSANCE
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jul 7, 2021

This July, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will bring together more than 140 actors, singers and musicians from across globe for a sensational, one-time event - A Yiddish Renaissance: A Virtual Concert Celebration - filled with music and appearances by some of the most renowned Yiddish performers.

AS YOU LIKE IT �" A Special Online Production is Now Streaming From Long Beach Playhouse
by Stephi Wild - May 7, 2021

Long Beach Playhouse is now streaming a special online production of As Your Like It, running through July 1, 2021.

Primary Stages Announces an Encore Presentation of THE NIGHT WATCHER and ESPAfest Spring 2021
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 2, 2021

PRIMARY STAGES has announced an encore presentation of The Night Watcher by Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee Charlayne Woodard (In Real Life), which was previously streamed in November 2020. 

Itzhak Perlman Chats With Stanford Symphony Orchestra Students Via Video Chat
by Stephi Wild - Jan 14, 2021

Violinist Itzhak Perlman recently spoke to the students of Stanford Symphony Orchestra Online (MUSIC 151D) via video chat.

VOX Pop Films Announces The Los Angeles Premiere Of Remote Live Interactive Theatrical Experience ZOO MOTEL
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 16, 2020

Theatre director, designer and performer Thaddeus Phillips, returns to Los Angeles virtually with 'ZOO MOTEL'.

BWW Prompts: What Was Your Favorite Moment From MISCAST20?
by BWW Prompts - Sep 14, 2020

Today we asked our readers to share their favorite moments from last night's Miscast gala!

#BWWPrompts: What is Your Favorite Broadway Memory?
by BWW Prompts - May 12, 2020

We want to hear from you! We're starting #BwayWorldPrompts, where each day we'll be asking our readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram questions to spark some theater conversation.

VIDEO: EVERYBODY DANCE NOW! A Look Back at Greased Lightnin' From GREASE
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Apr 29, 2020

In this time of social distancing and remaining responsibly indoors, we are all looking for ways to brighten our days and get moving any way we can! In the spirit of celebrating theater and providing motivation to get up and get shakin', we're taking a look back and paying tribute to some of the greatest dance numbers in musical theater history! Today's number, Greased Lightnin' from Grease!

VIDEO: Billy Hipkins Shares His Award Winning Bonnets in the Latest Episode of FINISHING THE BONNET
by Stephi Wild - Apr 20, 2020

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has created the series Finishing the Bonnet to give theater lovers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a Broadway bonnet.

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