> One of the most heartening developments of the past couple of years has been the spreading popularity in theaters of cultural events presented in HD video. Operas and ballets have become monthly features in many cities, and stage shows are now joining in: Britain’s National Theatre has been presenting several productions on screen for […]
> Few things bring audiences as much joy as the sight of a well-known actor or actress revealing a side of their talent that’s never been seen before. (It’s not just general audiences, either–those roles become instant favorites for Oscar nominations and wins.) It can be as simple as Halle Berry, Julia Roberts or Nicole […]
>Steven Spielberg week on Broadway continues: after War Horse, the director’s next film, we have CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, based on his 2002 comedy-drama (that film was written by Jeff Nathanson). Spielberg’s movie may have been the sleekest entertainment of his career, a near-perfect piece of craft that boasted two great star performances from […]
Even the acceptance speeches are classier on THE TONY AWARDS. Tonight’s telecast featured a eloquent salute to “All those who say ‘Yes’” in the name of theatre from the lead producer of Best Play winner Clybourne Park, and a little later on, an anecdote from Best Musical winner Once‘s producer incorporating Harold Clurman and Constantin […]
> CARRIE the musical is no longer a joke, and since it’s been a reliable punchline for almost a quarter of a century (a book about Broadway disasters was titled “Not Since Carrie“), that’s quite an accomplishment. Carrie carried a load of baggage before it even opened to a paying Broadway crowd. The original novel […]
> For a new play, WAR HORSE has strong movie connections. The play is adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford from the 1982 novel by Michael Morpurgo, and that novel is also the basis of Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film, which will be in theatres for Christmas (the script for which is by Lee Hall […]
> The Producers may have been both the best and worst thing ever to happen to Matthew Broderick. He started his career in the mid-1980s as a fairly smooth, smart-aleck teen mouthpiece for Neil Simon in Brighton Beach Memoirs and John Hughes in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but over the succeeding years, his persona for […]
> Haven’t all the jokes been made? In the history of Broadway, there may never have been a show as relentlessly ridiculed as SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK. At this point, it may be that the only interesting thing that could be said about the show would be if it weren’t as bad as you’d […]