A Think Piece - 1982 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 1

First performed in 1982, Sailmaker is a set text for National 5 English. It remains a powerful and resonant piece for audiences of all ages. The Gaiety is excited to revive Sailmaker for new audiences in association with Beacon Arts Centre, embarking on a Scottish tour concluding at The Gaiety.

Directed magnificently by Elijah Green, with energetic choreography by Katie Powers-Faulk and musical direction by Miki Yokomizo, the totally entertaining and artistically brilliant production pulled me in from the moment it started.

Tanglewood has revealed the details of its 2026 season, opening in late June and continuing to Labor Day weekend. The schedule brings many of the world’s most exciting musicians to the beautiful Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts.

Every once in awhile you go to see a show not knowing what the final product is going to be. The epic musical Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 was one of those musicals that was very specific to its original staging because of it’s tent location. It was totally immersive. When the show moved to Broadway, it didn’t have the same effect.

Pioneers Go East Collective, an artist-driven incubator for thought-provoking art, has revealed the lineup for the fourth edition of the Out-FRONT! Festival. Learn more!

“I haven’t stopped acting since I started fifty years ago, and West Side Story will be my return to Maine State Music Theatre after fourteen years,” notes Ed Romanoff.

Next month, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Tracie Thoms, Jenn Colella and more. See the full lineup here!

Looking for a pre-show cocktail or a nightcap after the theatre? Here are the best 15 spots for drinks in the theatre district.

The terrific new musical Real Women Have Curves brings the story of a Mexican family to Broadway. Ana is a first-generation Mexican-American who dreams of becoming a journalist and must navigate being the only one with American citizenship in her family as she finds her own way in the world. Artists from Mexico have brought great and important work to the Broadway stage over the years.

Stage Left Theatre has announced its spring 2025 production of The Distrikt of Lake Michigun: A Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Ridiculous Tragedy (and also completely factual and also true).

CATS…Now and Forever. That catchphrase of marketing served the blockbuster Broadway musical well. The show ran for over 18 years, and although often maligned, is indelibly chiseled into the canon of classic musicals. It introduced countless tourists to an immersive theatrical experience, never seen before. In 1982 the Winter Garden Theatre was literally transformed into a larger than life sized back alley, with actors dressed as cats crawling through the audience and climbing across the mezzanine rails. The hit song “Memory” earned Betty Buckley a TONY Award for her portrayal of Grizabella, and Andrew Lloyd Weber cemented his role as blockbuster composer. He was fresh off of the success of EVITA and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA would be his next huge hit.

Longevity is becoming rarer and rarer in the performing arts. Today’s subject Jennifer Tipton has been a lighting designer for theatre, opera, ballet, and more for over 65 years and in the process has given us a body of work that is unparalleled. Her current project American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT’s) production of Crime and Punishment will be playing at Kennedy Center in the Opera House from February 12th through the 16th.

Pianist Sarah Cahill will mark International Women's Day on Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 2-8pm with a six-hour marathon performance of music from her ongoing project The Future is Female presented by MetLiveArts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue), in the European Paintings 1250-1800 Gallery 609.

Curated in collaboration with musical director Sy Johnson, acclaimed director Sheldon Epps first staged BLUES IN THE NIGHT in 1980 as a musical revue. The show follows three women and one man, each offering a different take on love and loss. Structured around legendary songs by Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, et al., it debuted on Broadway in 1982 and earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical.

Pianist Sarah Cahill will mark International Women's Day on Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 2-8pm with a six-hour marathon performance of music from her ongoing project The Future is Female.

I was never fond of Cats. But after seeing it performed at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, my viewpoint has changed forever. This production is spectacular!

What did our critic think of NOISES OFF at The Alley Theatre?

Radio show whodunnit blends murder mystery parlor game and old-time radio for old-fashioned family fun.

What did our critic think of JOE JACKSON at At Davidson Theatre?

Nick Ullett’s The Birthday Party: A Theatrical Catastrophe world premiered March 2, 2024 at the Rogue Machine at the Matrix. Lisa James directs Nick in his real-life account of the cancellation of The Birthday Party in 2014. After a successful opening weekend, Nick found some time to answer a few of my queries.

 Windows, a new play written by New York Times Bestselling Author Tawni O'Dell will make its world premiere, in a strictly limited engagement March 25th - 27th at The Town Hall. Learn more about the play and find out who is starring here!

Join Sydney Skybetter as he sits down with Dr. Catie Cuan, a pioneer in the field of choreorobotics, in this episode of the Dances with Robots podcast. Discover her personal and professional journey and delve into the question of why dance with a robot. Available now on listening platforms.

Last night, November 21, 2023, a Kansas City tradition, the 42rd annual (almost) Kansas City Repertory Theatre production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” opened at the Spencer Theater on the UMKC campus for an extended run through Christmas Eve. Except for the Covid year when the live production was replaced by a video version, audiences have gathered for “A Christmas Carol” since 1980. The house lights dim and a cast of Victorian holiday carolers appear complete with an onstage costumed orchestra. Our Storyteller (Nedra Dixon) also dressed in stunning early Victorian garb, welcomes us. Ms. Dixon is elegant and charming in this her first stint as the Storyteller.

Dive into the fascinating world of art, technology, and dance with Dances with Robots podcast. Join host Sydney Skybetter, a choreographer and Dean at Brown University, as he explores interdisciplinary practices and the ways artists and technologists navigate the world.

The Conference for Research on Choreographic Interfaces (CRCI) presents Dances with Robots: a podcast exploring the intersection of art, technology, and activism. Hosted by Sydney Skybetter and Ariane Michaud, the podcast premieres on November 14, 2023. Join them as they navigate the world through interdisciplinary practice.