STALLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

by Sam Desmond - April 01, 2026

The sweeping music and frenetic choreography of a musical and the arrow-piercing drama of a straight play are rarely found together in the same production, but “Jagged Little Pill: the Musical” currently playing at the Smithtown Performing Arts Center through April 19, is a rare melding of those...

by Sam Desmond - March 29, 2026

What did our critic think of THE BODYGUARD at John W. Engeman Theater?...

by Sam Desmond - March 27, 2026

A bucolic tale of a small community—almost like the town square that Belle from Beauty and the Beast goes through—that makes a sharp turn into human rights violations, “Fiddler on the Roof” asks quite a bit from its actors to go from whimsical country life to a terrified ousted community dee...

by Sam Desmond - March 25, 2026

Feisty felines compete for centerstage through dance and song, with nary a meow as this show features no human characters. Currently playing at the CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale is a mammoth of the musical theater repertory, “CATS.”...

by Sam Desmond - March 12, 2026

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s death, theaters across Long Island have been producing great works of the beloved mystery author true to the heritage of Christie and the spirit of her creativity....

by Sam Desmond - March 11, 2026

The opening night production of “Annie” on Friday, March 6 at the Merrick Theatre & Center for the Arts marked the fourth viewing of the scrappy, upstart orphan I’ve seen this winter alone (there was actually a fifth I could’ve reviewed if BroadwayWorld hired me two weeks earlier)....

by Sam Desmond - March 05, 2026

A devastatingly timely production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” by Cultural Arts Playhouse in Syosset brings us to the small, earnest existence of Anatevka, a Jewish town in the Russian empire during the tumultuous turn of the century....

by Sam Desmond - March 04, 2026

With theatre that touches upon the religious, it can be tricky to strike a balance between artistry and accuracy that carries the audience’s imagination instead of accidentally shunning creativity....

by Sam Desmond - February 09, 2026

With exuberant dramatic tension and ballroom fluidity in blocking, the South Shore Theatre Experience’s production of “And Then There Were None” was filled with tension, retribution, and an impressive number of blood packets....

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 trul...