The Good Parts - 1982 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 2

From Dennis Nielsen to DJ in Don Juan In Soho, to the murderous vicar in the BBC’s Inside Man, David Tennant seems drawn to playing the antihero. As Professor John Halder, in CP Taylor’s 1982 play GOOD, he captures the moral downfall of an ordinary man who gradually embraces the Third Reich.

Broadway Sacramento is closing out their 2022 Broadway on Tour season with the first national tour of Tootsie.  Based on the 1982 film of the same name, Tootsie features music and lyrics by David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and a Tony Award-winning book by Robert Horn.  Rolling Stone called it “musical comedy heaven” and they’re not wrong.   Easily the funniest show of the season, Tootsie is full of one-liners, sarcastic wit, and self-deprecating humor. 

Dear Readers, I’ve said it before, a good ending of a play can forgive a multitude of sins that came before. But how about a cute beginning of a story that finishes off laying there like a dead fish? Unfortunately, that’s the case with “Mrs. Caliban”, the current offering from Book-It Repertory Theatre. This fishy love story has a good hook but lacked a decent tail to swim it on home.

It's getting busier at our theatres, rehearsals, opening nights, the lights coming back on, and our beloved theatres back. Arne Beeker, Linz's very own Dramatic Adviser, texted me after a rehearsal of FANNY AND ALEXANDER, the latest work of Gisele Kverndokk (music) and Øysten Wiik (book and lyrics), based on Ingmar Bergman's 1982 movie, about how special this show is going to be.

The movie An Officer and a Gentleman came out in 1982 to both critical and popular acclaim, but turning this story into a jukebox musical many years later seems like a strange choice.  The cast in this touring production are across the board excellent, but some of the musical choices seem forced, and the plot seems torn between conveying the serious themes of the movie and wanting to lean into the more cheesy aspects of the 80s.  The result is an odd hodgepodge that suffers from an identity crisis, but is still entertaining thanks to the efforts and talents of the cast.

In the oft-repeated words of the character Sandy, sung in a hilarious patter-fest at strategic points in the musical of Tootsie, playing this week only at the Hippodrome, 'I know what's going to happen.' What's going to happen is that you will attend the show and have an uproarious good time.

Soho Theatre has announced their upcoming November programming featuring MUM, SESSIONS, MAKROOH and more. 

My advice for TOOTSIE THE MUSICAL is to distance yourself from the original film, and accept they are taking a dated concept and transposing it awkwardly onto today.  You are going for the exquisite comedy performances that surpass the fact that TOOTSIE has not very much to say about gender that seems substantial.

From new releases to the return of some classics, this month features highly-anticipated new projects, including back-to-back Lin Manuel Miranda releases with his tick, tick...BOOM! film on Netflix and the Encanto soundtrack, to several new albums released by Broadway favorites, and new additions to Seth Rudetsky's online concert series.

TOOTSIE has taken the town as the first National tour of the Broadway musical opened in Buffalo this week. A full house of Covid vaccinated theatre goers packed into Shea's Buffalo theatre. Based on the 1982 movie, this non-Equity  tour has been rehearsing in Buffalo prior to launching it's visits across the country next week.

Stockard Channing and Rebecca Night will perform in the Pulitzer Prize-winning 'night, Mother by Marsha Norman.  This astonishing play, which had its UK premiere at Hampstead Theatre in 1985, will be directed by the theatre's Artistic Director, Roxana Silbert.  'night, Mother will run from 22 October until 4 December 2021.

The Saint Louis University Theatre & Dance Program of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts has announced its line-up for the 2021-2022 University Theatre & Dance Season. The selections for this season consist of traditional and contemporary works, as well as original work from university students.

Today's top stories: Sutton Foster speaks out about Scott Rudin controversy, Jagged Little Pill to open in Sydney, and more.

Inspired by the success from their safe drive-in performances of La bohème in the Fall, which heralded the return of live, in-person, opera to San Diego County since the start of the pandemic, and provided over 300 jobs to many, San Diego Opera has announced a Spring season of safe, socially-distanced, drive-in performances.

Could this August Wilson classic win big at the Oscars?

The 24th edition of the Istanbul Theatre Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by Koç Holding Energy Group Companies Aygaz, Opet and Tüpraş, will be held between 14 November and 1 December 2020 both on stage and online with a hybrid programme.

Happy Gay Pride! BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest LGBTQ songs and anthems from 1920-2020. See if your favorite songs or artists made the grade!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest protest songs from 1939-2020. See if your favorite songs or artists made the list!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest Motown songs from 1960-1994. See if your favorite songs or artists made the list!

The Onassis Foundation presents Week 6 of ENTER, their series of new works commissioned from artists in various parts of the world, created in their homes in 120 hours or less and drawing on experiences through the COVID-19 pandemic and its many transformations of life as we know it. 

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest scenes in cinema from 1901 to 2020. See if your favorite movie moments made the list!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest Beatles songs, including some of the fab four's solo works. They're all here: 'Twist and Shout,' 'In My Life,' 'Helter Skelter,' 'Imagine,' 'Something,' 'Maybe I'm Amazed,' 'Let It Be.' See if your favorites made the grade!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best musical theatre characters from 1940-2020; see if your favorites are on our list of the best characters from Broadway musicals.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the greatest theatrical works (non-musical) from 1920-2020; see if your favorites made the list!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best film musicals since the sound era began; see if your favorites made the list!