Carol Rosegg News

Nowadays there appears to be an increasing awareness in the theatre about presenting women characters through the aesthetic of male playwrights and directors, much of it involving the movie term 'male gaze' which was coined by Laura Mulvey in the 70s to describe the disproportionately sexualized manner in which women were presented in film.  From that context, it's possible to conclude that this is what playwright/actor Charles Busch has been commenting on all along.

NYC & Company, New York City's official destination marketing organization, in partnership with Mastercard, today announced that NYC Off-Broadway Week 2-for-1 tickets are on sale to the public at nycgo.com/off-broadway-week.

PRIMARY STAGES presents The Confession of Lily Dare, written by and starring Charles Busch (The Tribute Artist, You Should Be So Lucky) and directed by Carl Andress (The Divine Sister, The Tribute Artist). Performances began at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) on January 11, 2020, with opening night set for January 29, for a limited run through March 5, 2020.

It's been only three months since the brilliant lyricist/director Gerard Alessandrini opened the latest edition of his Tony-honored satirical creation Forbidden Broadway at The Triad, but after a brief hiatus, the company has moved their antics east for a stint at The York.

A world-famous director can suffer a creative block during a midlife crisis, an unsinkable ship can go under on its initial voyage and death can even take a holiday. These are just three examples of how, when penned by composer/lyricist Maury Yeston, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE THEATER.

The York Theatre Company presents the Off-Broadway premiere of the new musical revue Anything Can Happen in the Theater: The Musical World of Maury Yeston with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. Directed and conceived by Tony Award winner Gerard Alessandrini, the famed creator of Forbidden Broadway (the longest-running revue in Off-Broadway history) and the smash spoof Spamilton, the production has choreography by Gerry McIntyre (York's Hallelujah, Baby!) and music direction by Greg Jarrett (Pacific Overtures). The five-member cast features Benjamin Eakeley (She Loves Me), Jovan E'Sean (The Secret Life of Bees), Alex Getlin (Slay It With Music), Justin Keyes (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), and Mamie Parris (School of Rock).

'In this town you're either a slut or a snob, no in-betweens,' explains the put-upon wife of a local celeb racecar driver in Abbie Spallen's tryptic of character studies, Pumpgirl, now getting a very well-acted production at the Irish Rep.

There is a firm, but understated strength that permeates the atmosphere during Broadbend, Arkansas, the beautifully realized two-person chamber musical created by composer Ted Shen and librettists Ellen Fitzhugh and Harrison David Rivers, depicting an event during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in one act and its legacy in the next.

The Tony Award winning FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, Gerard Alessandrini's hilarious musical spoof of all things theatre, is now in its last weeks of a strictly-limited engagement through December 1st at the Triad Theatre (158 West 72nd Street) After a five-year absence, this all-new edition, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: THE NEXT GENERATION, received unanimous critical acclaim and was lauded as a 'Critics Pick' by both Ben Brantley and Jesse Green of the New York Times. Roma Torre of NY1 exclaimed 'Seeing Forbidden Broadway back on the boards feels like all is right with the world again'. Feeling 'completely inspired' by the latest crop of Broadway musicals, Alessandrini lampoons The Great White Way's biggest shows and stars in this edition, which he directed. Gerry McIntyre (Spamilton) is the choreographer. The musical is produced by John Freedson, Harriet Yellin, Peter Brash and David Zippel and Gerard Alessandrini, in association with Tzili Charney. www.forbiddenbroadway.com

Set in contemporary Ballybeg, Ireland, the image-laden story of MOLLY SWEENEY commands our attention as we listen closely to visualize what is being described to us from contrasting perspectives. In words and movement, the measured cadence of this economically directed nested narrative metes out minor revelations, each shedding a little more light on how agency and ambition create conflict in an ocularcentric society.

'One Discordant Violin' is an enthralling play adapted by Anthony Black from a short story by Yann Martel, the author of 'Life of Pi.' It is directed by Ann-Marie Kerr and Anthony Black, and features an original score by Aaron Collier and Jacques Mindreau.

Sex, politics, and religion – nothing is sacred – in Westport Country Playhouse's world premiere translation and adaption of Molière's comedy, “Don Juan,” by Brendan Pelsue, directed by Playhouse associate artistic director David Kennedy, from November 5 – 23.  

In celebration of her upcoming induction into the National Theater Hall of Fame on November 18th, I sat down with Broadway legend, Donna McKechnie for a spirited, informative, career-spanning chat.

Transport Group presents its world premiere musical Broadbend, Arkansas, starring Justin Cunningham ('When They See Us') and Danyel Fulton. Broadbend, Arkansas, presented in association with The Public Theater, with libretto by Ellen Fitzhugh and Harrison David Rivers, and music and additional lyrics by Ted Shen, directed by OBIE-winning artistic director Jack Cummings III, opens on Sunday, November 10 at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios, 229 West 42nd Street. 

Utah Lyric Opera, in association with Thunder Media Group, will present the New York Premiere of An Enchanted April, a new musical based on the novel The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim, with book and lyrics by Elizabeth Hansen, music & lyrics by C. Michael Perry and directed by Alice Jankell in a limited engagement (November 1-16) at Theatre Two at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street).

One Performance Only! This Sunday, November 3, 2019! Long ago but not far away at all, there were many TV Variety Shows, Award Ceremonies, Music Centers and Theatre abounding with live Musical Performances, all with massive budgets; and dancers in this town, Los Angeles, made a darn good living, albeit having to work their asses off to do so, but it was a good and plentiful, fulfilling life. Besides myself, there was a plethora of working, professional dancers who ended up bonding together pretty easily, as a dancer's life is one of a nomad, or gypsy, going from one job to another, but in doing so, finding kindred spirits and lifelong connections. Jay Johnson, husband of one of these dancers and artistically gifted himself, was part of the artistic community, as was his wife, Sandi, and, typical with dancers, became close friends and comrades with other dancers, choreographers, and like-minded performers. As Jay was earning international fame as a ventriloquist, actor and comedian, and starring on the hit TV Series 'Soap,' us dancers were slaving away, happy to be able to make a living doing what we loved. Jay is best known for his role on ' Soap' as Chuck Campbell, a ventriloquist who believed his puppet Bob was real and demanded everyone treat Bob as human.

Keen Company announces new accessibility programs for blind or low vision patrons for the acclaimed production of Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney starring Paul O'Brien, Pamela Sabaugh and Tommy Schrider, directed by Keen's Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein. Performances for the limited Off-Broadway engagement of Molly Sweeney will continue through November 16th only. 

BroadwayWorld has the first look at the incomparable Kathleen Chalfant, who is giving an insightful and impassioned tour-de-force performance as Mabel Todd Loomis in Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rebecca Gilman's stunning new play A WOMAN OF THE WORLD.

See what critics thought of IS THIS A ROOM at the Vineyard Theatre. A true story, still unfolding. June 3, 2017. A 25-year-old former Air Force linguist named Reality Winner is surprised at her home by the FBI, interrogated, and then charged with leaking evidence of Russian interference in U.S elections. Let's see what the critics had to say.

On June 3rd, 2017, 25-year-old United States Air Force Intelligence Specialist Veteran Reality Winner was arrested due to evidence that she had leaked to online news source The Intercept a classified government report suggesting that Russian hackers had accessed a voting software supplier, enabling them to interfere in the 2016 United States presidential election.