Brian Rivera

I want to express the deepest gratitude to the director, Igor Goldin, for not directing his actors into a corner with this show. Each and every person onstage had a story to tell, and not just some façade to put on: a worry I typically have when viewing a comedic musical. Even each member of the ensemble had fantastic individuality and characterization that it makes one wonder whether an ensemble needs to necessarily “blend together” – which, in fact, is quite difficult not to do when the show decks out its actors in outrageous costumes that make Betsy Johnson and Alexander McQueen look (I won't be forgetting you, anytime soon, Sausage Dress…). Though, it's the joint effort between the lead players and supporting players that create magic on that stage, and this cast did just that.

Though we encourage each and every person on (and off) the island to go and support as much live theatre as humanly possible all the time, here are some shows to be on the look out for while galivanting around the Long Island Theatre scene, this summer!

The weather was gorgeous, the traffic was more 'meh' than usual, and I was able to not only find a parking spot in Long Island City, but also successfully parallel park in said parking spot. Living in the suburbs of Long Island my entire life, this was a pretty big deal: leading up to my arrival at the Chain Theatre for Variations Theatre Group's production of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' by Dale Wasserman - based on the novel by Ken Kesey, which also inspired the five-time Academy Award-winning film.

On February 19th, I braved the cold and ventured to Main Street in Northport to witness the opening night of Bare Bones Theater Company's production of 'The Pillowman,' by Martin McDonagh. 'With echoes of Stoppard, Kafka, and the Brothers Grimm, THE PILLOWMAN centers on a writer in an unnamed totalitarian state who is being interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a series of child murders. The result is an urgent work of theatrical bravura and an unflinching examination of the very nature and purpose of art.'

The lobby of the Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at CM Performing Arts Center was bustling with excited audience members for the opening night of “Bring It On: the Musical”: its Long Island Premiere. Though the show started about twenty minutes late, that excitement held true through the entire show. Along with the guest I had brought with me, I had never seen the musical nor heard any of its music; but we assumed we would love it because we trust most of Lin-Manuel Miranda's artistry. “How bad could it be?”

Companies like STAR find themselves drowning in a sea of a million and one LI amateur productions thrown together to make a quick buck. In contrast, STAR is adamant in their goal of being innovative with their respective approach to each show, while also creating an aesthetically pleasing theatrical escape for their spectators.