HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY TONI AND MARTIN SOSNOFF THEATER

by Sam Desmond - February 04, 2026

A musical forged in ambition of set, stage, and stamina, director Tommy Ranieri’s vision of a world only beginning to stand up for their rights was sprawling and spectacular. Unlike other versions of “Newsies,” Rainieri’s production had a maturity that touched the cast’s characters to truly feel the...

by Sam Desmond - February 02, 2026

Teenaged theater kids of my generation (elder millennial) loved “Rent.” It was youth-culture, it was edgy, and introduced to many of us suburban kids the magic of New York City where gay men, lesbian women, drag queens, and matinee-idol heteros could all be friends and love each other as family....

by Sam Desmond - January 28, 2026

The John E. Engeman Theater found not only one, but five such super-talented individuals for their retrospective and introspective production of “Ring of Fire,” a musical based on the life of Johnny Cash....

by Sam Desmond - January 23, 2026

The world of late 1930s Brooklyn is brought to life and elucidated in Theatre Three’s triumphant run of the Neil Simon classic,”Brighton Beach Memoirs.”...

by Sam Desmond - January 15, 2026

The ether of war-torn Britain is all-encompassing in “Alice By Heart,” but director Tony Frangipane’s vision overcomes the Nazi raids to create a personal hell of its own that the young characters escape through a British mainstay—literature....

by Sam Desmond - January 06, 2026

CAP Syosset had their opening night for this winter’s production of “Annie” on Saturday, January 3 and it was a standout version of the classic rags-to-riches musical with a strong, bonded cast....

by Sam Desmond - December 06, 2025

With the magical notion of having a real ice skating rink on a dramatic stage, the Holiday Spectacular on Ice at the Gateway in Bellport creates wonder in the audience from inception and delivers well beyond expectations in person....

by Sam Desmond - December 05, 2025

For some holiday cheer, “Annie” at the Smithtown Performing Arts is the Christmas production to bring families that spirit of generosity and can-do attitude for December....

by Sam Desmond - December 03, 2025

In the perennially winter tale of “Anastasia,” a musical about the young Russian woman with claims to be being the lone survivor of the royal Romanov family’s massacre, The Lighthouse Repertory captured the magic and warmth of a Christmas-time story while creating great dramatic tension....

by Sam Desmond - November 21, 2025

In the world of Dickens, the reader is for the long-haul of human emotions, and Theatre Three’s 41st annual production has perfected conveying that panoply of passions in the classic, “A Christmas Carol.”...