Isla

Immersive Experience, Musical, Off-Broadway, World Premiere August 17, 2026 Leave a comment

With both the plight of the neighboring island of Cuba and the struggles of refuges worldwide in the headlines, the appearance of the Hit the Lights! production Isla couldn’t be more timely.  Portraying her own aunt, Lulu, HTL Co-Artistic Director Samantha Blain shares the immigration story of the Blain sisters from Cuba to Miami to New York in 1969.  Thanks to the three scrims that make up the set, dragons and mermaids occupy the same space as Russian missiles and mom’s home cooking.  With its blurry time line and illusory digressions, the narrative is as obscure as a genuine human memory. Yet the feelings — love, fear, and determination — remain evident.

A scene from Isla featuring a shadow puppet by Casey Scott Leach; production photo by Rebecca J Michelson

The story begins in 2018 when Blain decided to begin recording members of her family in order to better preserve their legacy.  After introducing the players, Blain transforms in full view of the audience with a simple change of wardrobe and hairstyle (Costumes by L.A. Clevenson).  She is joined onstage by Daniela Delahuerta as older sister Carmen and Tiffany Iris as younger sister Alina, Blain’s mother.  Drawing on HTL’s multi-disciplinary ensemble work, performance occurs both behind and in front of the screens under the co-direction of company members Roman Sanchez and Mikayla Stanley.  Dialogue in both English and Spanish is minimal and some of the recordings are difficult to hear.  But the three women move gracefully, have sweet singing voices, and lend gravitas and sensitivity to the fabulizing.  

The sisters’ private world is expanded by the Latin jazz music of Claron Hayden — who remains on stage throughout — and most strikingly by original shadow puppets designed by Casey Scott Leach.   Though black and white, they are the most colorful characters.  Leach is assisted in his artistry by puppeteers Erica C. Knight and Jessie March as well as by the resourceful lighting design of Vittoria Orlando.  Mia Sempertegui is the understudy for all three principle roles.

With its reliance on evocative imagery, Isla is more a work of art than a play.  It is intended to be a family entertainment, though a certain amount of maturity is highly recommended. One could imagine this work having life as a museum installation.  (Throughout, I was often reminded of “Meta/Physical Therapy,” Shana Moulton’s performance project that was featured at The Museum of Modern Art in the spring of 2024.)  If you are unfamiliar with the Cuban Revolution, Operation Anadyr, and the Freedom Flights from Havana it is doubtful Blain’s work will offer enough history or explanation, but the images of a rich island life brought into decline will linger.

This World Premiere continues through August 29 at the WP which provides discounted space to Women+ at 2162 Broadway, 4th floor.  The performance on August 17 includes a special talkback about shadow puppetry.  Tickets are three “pick your price” tiers from $34 – $94.  Accessible seating is available only in row A.  Running time is approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.  Advanced purchase is available at https://www.hitthelights.org/.  Late seating and rebooking are not guaranteed.

An American Daughter

Comedy, Off-Broadway, Play, Revival August 12, 2026 Leave a comment

A revered doctor and celebrated champion of women’s health is on track to be confirmed in a bipartisan vote as Surgeon General only to see her nomination derailed by an understandable personal oversight and a catty comment made by a conservative friend.  That storyline at the center of Wendy Wasserstein’s play An American Daughter seems ripe for reexamination amidst the hash political climate of Trump Two.  Tragically the bloated, charmless production that opened at the Irene Diamond Stage on Tuesday night will only serve as a lamentable introduction of an often witty and insightful playwright to a new generation.  

Originally presented in 1996, this script was never the strongest in the Wasserstein prize-winning oeuvre.  Despite a worthy cast, it only survived a handful of months on Broadway.  The updated version includes an unpublished Act 2, which does little to solve its structural issues.  Long talky speeches are in need of trimming and supporting characters including an aggressive former student Quincy Quince (Carmen Zilles) and an (inexplicable) family confident Morrow McCarthy (Ryan Spahn) could use more definition and purpose. 

That said, this rendition is singularly problematic.  Executive Director of La Femme Theatre Productions, Jean Lichty,  executes the lead role of Lyssa Dent Hughes with all the ease of The Tin Man prior to the application of oil.  There is no discernible chemistry between her and the rest of the cast.  Tony nominee Montego Glover plays best friend Judith with aplomb, but bafflingly delivers most of her lines directly to the audience rather than to her scene partner.  Tony winner Robert Sean Leonard as Lyssa’s husband Walter keeps shuffling uncomfortably as if he just wants to go home.  Portraying Lyssa’s father Senator Alan Hughes, veteran actor Dakin Matthews fairs better with characteristic wry delivery.  Likewise Mary Beth Peil ( his fourth wife, Charlotte “Chubby” Hughes) is unfaltering even when Spahn’s newly acquainted McCarthy creepily puts his arm around her.

Carmen Zilles, Montego Glover and Jean Lichty in Wendy Wasserstein’s An American Daughter; photo by Joan Marcus

The spacious Georgetown living room set with glimpses of a garden beyond, designed by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, is the artistic highlight.  From there, the 1980s television sitcom style direction of Sarna Lapine dampens whatever stakes are present in the material.  The pacing and emphasis are so far off the mark that my friend thought they’d forgotten to insert the intermission.  The artificial nature of the sound design by Darron L. West often distracts from the dialogue in a “what the heck is that?” manner.  Alan C. Edwards’ lighting queues are poky and entrances consequently delayed causing the audience to clap sporadically in the pauses.  By the end they must have been exhausted.  This is the first time in memory that no one gave the cast a standing ovation.

Due to advanced sales prior to the official opening night, the run has been extended through September 20. It is a shame that the apparent enthusiasm to revisit Ms. Wasserstein’s traditionally snappy dialogue and entertainingly maddening situations is met with this dull and draggy revival.  Performances take place in the The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42 Street.   Presented by La Femme Theatre Productions, An American Daughter is not part of Signature Theatre’s season.  Run time is posted as 2 ½ hours, though the show ran 10 minutes longer when I attended.  Visit LaFemmeTheatreProductions.org for tickets and more information.

The Saviors

Drama, Off-Broadway, World Premiere July 28, 2026 Leave a comment

You can imagine a pitch meeting along these lines: “I’ve written a play that depicts the difference between being religious and acting godly.  Oh, and the lead roles are 13 and 14 year old boys.”  Fortunately for the prospective audience for The Saviors, the pitcher in question was Bubba Weiler who cemented his reputation as a playwright well worth backing with his acclaimed Well, I’ll Let You Go.  Fortunately for Weiler and his go-to director Jack Serio, the producer who picked up the challenge was the Atlantic Theater Company.  Their main-stage, The Linda Gross, is located in a converted church.  To paraphrase a line from The Saviors script, if that isn’t the hand of god, what is it?

A complaint I’ve sometimes made about The Linda Gross is that the performance space is often blocked to be wide and shallow.  This set by David Zinn is gorgeously expansive, with tall delicate stained glass windows and light colored steps leading up to humble statuary and a candle covered altar.  Director Serio also makes use of the aisles as an extension of the upfront interior (necessitating a strict no-late-seating; no-reentry policy).  Sound by Leah Gelpe that accompanies the cast member entrances lets us experience the chilly winter world just outside the heavy church doors.  Stacey Derosier’s shadowy lighting design of the sanctuary nearly qualifies as a fifth character.

Ivan Howe and Julius Rinzel in The Saviors; production photos by Ahron R. Foster

Into this subdued scene of reverence tumble altar boys Michael and Paul.  The young teens are obviously close and have turned each assigned task into a lighthearted contest.  The differences between the two slowly unfold.  Michael has embraced the Catholic teachings with manic enthusiasm.  They give structure to a life that is otherwise filled with anxiety-inducing choices.  Paul is more questioning of the strict prescribed path that seems to lie ahead.  Two adults with disparate views on Christian faith become entwined in the boys’ bond.  Judy, a congregant whom Michael asks to be his Confirmation sponsor, is so devoted to the parish that Michael has come to regard her as a Mary figure. Concurrently, Paul befriends Julian, a homeless man with an unclear connection to the community who comes into the church seeking refuge and comfort.  

Much of the play consists of pairs in hypnotic conversation.  That Weiler began working on the script when he was not much older than the current stars is a factor in making the dialogue so genuine.  There is elegant world-building within the exchanges, with an underlying tension that rivals many psychological thrillers.  

It is nearly impossible not to feel protective of both Ivan Howe’s exuberant Michael or Julius Rinzel’s probing Paul.  Both actors are heartbreakingly brilliant (and neither has an understudy.)  Making his stage debut is an impassioned Stanley Simons as the older but equally vulnerable Julian.  Completing the first-rate company is Crystal Finn who expertly traverses Judy’s rough terrain.

The Saviors will undoubtedly have a different impact on practicing and lapsed Catholics than it did on me, but it doesn’t take a background in religious doctrine to feel its sting.  This World Premiere has been extended through August 15 at The Atlantic’s Linda Gross Theater, 336 West 20th Street.  Running time is a tight 90 minutes without intermission.  Tickets start at $56.50 for standing room and top out at $121 for premium seating at select performances.  To purchase, visit https://atlantictheater.org/production/the-saviors/

Hadestown: The Musical — The Film

Drama, Live Capture, Musical, Theater Event July 23, 2026 Comments: 2

On July 24, Cross Walk (a division of Bleeker Street Films) and LD Entertainment will be releasing their much-anticipated live theater capture of the West End production of Hadestown: The Musical.  The filmed performances took place on February 28 and March 1 of 2025 during the reunion run of the cast that included five of the original principals of the Tony winning Broadway production.  

In the sung-through script, writer Anaïs Mitchell blends two traditional Greek myths — the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice and that of Hades, King of the Underworld, and his bride Persephone — to explore modern themes including class division and climate change.  Along the way she has drastically altered the two heroines and their control over their own fates.  Rather than dying tragically from a snake bite shortly after her marriage, Eurydice willingly chooses to follow Hades to the underworld and signs away her freedom.  And in place of being kidnapped by her uncle Hades and forced into marriage, Mitchell’s Persephone is a boisterous illicit saloon owner who loves her husband enough to feel jealousy towards the younger Eurydice when Hades develops a wandering eye.  

Filmed on location in London’s Lyric Theatre under director Brett Sullivan, there is little attempt to recreate the feeling of sitting in the best seat in the house.  Rather, Sullivan seems to draw from his experience on concert films, attempting to visually bridge the divide between onstage and off.  Opening with glimpses of backstage preparation, Sullivan employs swooping camera work that takes the viewer below, above and beyond the stage. Though the initial descent into hell is dramatic, it is more often quite hard to spot Rachel Chavkin’s Tony winning staging.  David Neumann’s choreography is even harder to detect.  

Eva Noblezada as Eurydice in Hadestown: The Musical; image courtesy of Crosswalk and LD Entertainment

The film’s creative team evidently had Hadestown’s rabid fan base firmly in mind.  Patrick Page tore his achilles tendon shortly before the show’s limited engagement.  In lieu of using Phillip Boykin who performed the role for most of the run in Page’s stead, for the capture, they chose to fit Page with a customized boot and rework the staging to minimize the strain on his injury.  While that choice will certainly thrill anyone who loves his signature combination of menace and seduction, the Lord of the Underworld should not limp.  So while I deeply respect Page as a performer, his inclusion here doesn’t serve the production as fully as a different talented actor with two fully functioning ankles.  

As for the rest of the cast, the legendary André De Shields is our host, sing-talking with emphatic articulation the role of narrator Hermes.  The often drunk and raunchy Persephone is played with verve by Amber Gray who has appeared in every iteration of Hadestown.  Reeve Carney was, by 2025, rather long in the tooth for the Orpheus role, creating an unlikely match for the radiant Eva Noblezada’s Eurydice (The pair are currently appearing on Broadway as Jay and Daisy in The Great Gatsby, so they apparently have great chemistry when experienced in person.)  The Three Fates — Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne and Allie Daniel — are full throated and lively.

Recognized by theater critics and ticket holders alike as an enterprising offering in a season of adaptation and revision, Hadestown became a certified hit, recently crossing 2,300 performances.  With its energetic cast and committed live audience, this release of Hadestown: The Musical on film is sure to be a treat for the devotees of the initial concept album through to those who were able to enjoy any one of the many live performances.  It will be in movie theaters for five nights only beginning on Friday, July 24.  Ticketing information available on https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/hadestown-the-musical-83319.  Running time is 141 minutes.  

A Walk on the Moon: A New Musical

Musical, Off-Broadway July 21, 2026 Leave a comment

After ambling through San Francisco and New Jersey, the musical version of A Walk on the Moon has landed Off-Broadway.  The story is set in 1969 during a summer of great societal change.  America is about to win the space race against Russia with astronaut Neil Armstrong soon to take his first historic steps and anti-war voices are being amplified in a field near Woodstock, New York.  Pearl and Marty, a working-class Jewish couple from Brooklyn, have arrived at Marty’s mother’s bungalow in the Catskills along with their teenage daughter, Alison, and younger son, Daniel.  Pearl tries to keep busy playing mahjong and making pancakes, but her life feels restricted and meaningless.  With Marty working in the city on weekdays, she finds herself attracted to a handsome salesman, Walker Jerome, who introduces her to the writings of Jack Kerouac and vivid visions of a liberated life in California.  

The script is based on playwright Pamela Gray’s recollections of her own eventful summer and the clash of cultures between a family-oriented Jewish resort and the seismic concert being staged just up the road.  The original 1999 film of A Walk on the Moon wasn’t a box office sensation, but it did succeed in pricking many a conscious.  Throughout its metamorphosis into something more family-friendly, much of the emotional jeopardy and steamy content of that previous work has been peeled away leaving a lumpy center.  The many years that have passed since Betty Friedan was on the best seller list haven’t helped keep the required sensibilities relevant to a new generation without that provocative context and detail.

Director Sheryl Kaller’s vision is equally nebulous as seen through designer Tal Yarden’s haze of grainy television clips and a tangle of fairytale tree branches with a cartoonish moon above. Though former Elphaba, Talia Suskauer, gives Pearl a vocal lift, her character arc is stifled in this PG reinterpretation of her journey.  Even her scenes with fellow Wicked alum Sam Gravitte as Walker are tepid.  And with the tender encounter between her husband Marty (Max Chernin) and Walker removed from the rundown, Pearl’s introspection and subsequent shift lose much of their validity. Into this developmental void step Sophie Pollono’s rebellious Alison and Oscar Williams as Ross “the Jewish Hendrix,”  her sweet and funny crush.  There is a much needed charge of energy whenever they are on stage together.

Sophie Pollono and Oscar Williams in A Walk on the Moon; Photo by Joan Marcus

Some composers can write memorable tunes about finishing hats and waving through a window.  AnnMarie Milazzo does not succeed with this work. Just rehashing a line doesn’t give it meaning.  While there are echos of Joni Mitchell and CSNY in some of the melodies, most feel like they are breezing through the theater on their way to the exit.  (My friend called the music “song adjacent.”)  There is also the issue of having the orchestra perched above the stage where the musicians are often distractingly eye-catching.  Of the creative team members, Matthew Armentrout deserves a spotlight for his groovy wigs and hair design.

As an Off-Broadway offering, A Walk on the Moon resembles the featured tie-dyed shirt with a choked off plot-line and muted colors.  But despite everything stated above, the audience obviously didn’t give a fig about my or my fellow critics’ insights.  They were there to have a good time, filling the house and clapping along. Performances continue through August 22 at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111 West 46th Street.  Running time is 2 ½ hours with one 15 minute intermission. Tickets start at a very reasonable $56 and can be purchased at https://awalkonthemoonmusical.com/.

Pied-À-Terre

Drama, Off-Broadway July 2, 2026 Leave a comment

At first glance, John S. Anastasi’s Pied-À-Terre appears to be just another version of an oft-repeated story.  Jack, a middle-aged, financially successful lawyer, picks up Katie, a teen prostitute, and installs her in his New York City apartment away from his Connecticut-based family.  The tale takes an alluring turn when instead of using Katie to indulge in a bit of fun on the side, Jack chooses to focus on the young girl’s educational and cultural development.  Thereafter, we learn that despite her profession, Katie is a devout Christian, while Jack is a religious skeptic.  We see their incongruous relationship progress in a series of flashback scenes while in the present Katie’s residence has been discovered by Jack’s newscaster wife, Julia, whose marriage to Jack has grief as one of its foundational pillars.  

Having completed an Off-Broadway run in 2007 and notwithstanding an intriguing premise at its core, the play’s current production has some obvious strikes against it.  The positive evolution of medical treatment and the shifting views on power dynamics between the genders have poorly aged some of the plot elements.  And even in the TikTok age, the timeline of events strains credulity.  Six months doesn’t seem long enough for even the most ambitious and clever of young women to undergo Katie’s transformation and yet it seems too long for Jack to keep up his deception.  

Director Mitch Poulos, who has worked with Anastasi’s material on multiple occasions, has been put at a disadvantage by being saddled with the stodgy set constructed for the theater’s main occupant, The Perfect Crime.  While this decision no doubt threw the producers a budget lifeline, the fixed doorway upstage right and downstage secretary desk dictate much of the staging. Moreover, the stuffy decor complete with 20” TV and squashed upright piano, is a tonal disaster in the critical  “role” of a Greenwich Village co-op.   There is also an on-going swapping of paintings on the mantelpiece which interrupts the flow with blackouts.  It is unfortunate that Carlo Sabusap’s projections aren’t more creatively employed to modify the atmosphere. 

Jordan Allen Bell (as Jack) and Macy McGrail (as Katie) in Pied-À-Terre; photo by Lee Wexler

Despite this stylistic misadventure, the cast of three is a reminder of the many talented individuals giving their all for intimate audiences in smaller houses across the city.  Michelle Serje (Julia) and Macy McGrail (Katie), both graduates of the famed improv program Upright Citizens Brigade, deftly negotiate the hairpin turns in their dynamic, even when the script piles on superfluous melodramatic details at the 11th hour.   The more seasoned Jordan Allen Bell has a warm Everyman quality that serves the character of Jack Davis well and helps ground some of the dialogue’s odder details. 

With Pied-À-Terre, playwright Anastasi has captured what is intrisically interesting about people in relationship working their way towards a shared truth.  And I appreciate The Theater Center’s General Manager Catherine Russell’s commitment to providing opportunities for the Off-Broadway community.  But I question whether this earnest work — dedicated to the memory of the late Tony-Award-winner producer, Lauren Stevens — is the best fit for the mission.  In the final analysis, Pied-À-Terre pulls on heartstrings and maybe a few purse strings rather than adding imaginatively to the breadth of the summer season.  

Produced by 22Q Entertainment, the open-ended engagement of Pied-À-Terre continues in the Anne Bernstein Theater at The Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street on the 4th floor.  Performances are Wednesdays at 2PM and Sundays at 5PM.  The script contains profanity and descriptions of sexual situations.  Running time is approximately 2 hours including a 10 minute intermission.  Standard admission begins at $60.85 though less expensive options are available for assigned-by-the-box-office seats.  Visit https://www.piedaterreplay.com/ for ticketing information.

Fear & Wonder

Comedy, Drama, Off Off Broadway June 22, 2026 Leave a comment

In the new comedic drama Fear & Wonder, two teen boys meet at a Christian summer camp in Orlando, Florida.  Ryan is an African American with dreams of becoming a Youth Minister.  Jabez — whose name we learn means “he makes sorrowful” — is an amateur musician and Harry Potter fan whose feelings about the church are far murkier.  Initially joking they’ve been thrown together as the two token non-whites males in the program, they strike up a friendship which leads to a genuine and alarming attraction.  The year is 2003 when Anita Bryant and her kind are waging a particularly cruel war against anyone not on the far end of heterosexual on the Kinsey scale.

The simultaneously humorous and deeply sincere script is by queer, non-binary Chinese-American playwright, Jason Tseng, and inspired by their personal experience. Running on two tracks in time, Tseng’s work is laid out like a church Order of Service, with songs, testimonies, and blessings.  Your participation is encouraged from the moment you arrive at the venue.  Buckets of Pride flags and Love is Love bracelets are offered.  There are five interactive stations in the small lobby including an altar with battery operated votive candles, a miniature clothesline on which you can pin a message of encouragement, and a Sacred Texts station with a collection of books that will be donated at the end of the run.

Neil Tyrone Pritchard and Brian Tong turn in fearless performances as Ryan and Jabez.  With music among the binding forces of their relationship, the two also get to show off their singing abilities.  They are warmly encircled by the performance of Tonia E. Anderson as the Transition Minister.  Her character’s function seems to primarily be the creation of a place of safety and reassurance. (She also portrays Ryan’s mother and, for a few glorious minutes, the smooth jazz singer Sade.)  Portions of the play’s “ceremony” are accompanied by Benjamin Balatbat on keyboards stage left.

Neil Tyrone Pritchard and Brian Tong in Fear & Wonder; image provided by Flux Theatre Ensemble

Along with input from intimacy director Braxton Rae, director Emily Hartford also draws on her experience guiding vulnerable and emotional interaction to build the trepidatious intensity between the young men.  The chapel shaped set by Will Lowry embellished with a rainbow of silks facilitates the slight of hand that moves the action between years.  Well chosen props adorn each teen’s bedroom.  Perhaps it was Izzy Fields’ experience on The Righteous Gemstones that inspired the dazzling and fanciful clerical robes that are among her costume designs.  At points, the mostly-game audience is invited to engage with call and response and a sing-along of “Draw Me In” by Brendan J. Fox.  Brian G. Murphy is the production’s Spiritual/Community Engagement Coordinator.

While Fear & Wonder is a perfect addition to the line-up of Pride entertainment, its celebration of love, self-worth, and private revolution are befitting the other 11 months of the year as well.  Produced by Flux Theatre Ensemble, this World Premiere is an Equity approved Off-Off Broadway Showcase.  Performances continue through June 27th at Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres, 502 West 53rd Street, third floor.  Running time is two hours including a 10 minute intermission/communion.  Note that the content includes religious trauma and sexual themes and is intended for mature audiences. 

The wondrously diverse audience is at least in part driven by the company’s Living Ticket model.  There is no financial barrier to entry, though there are suggested ticket prices of $26, $53, or $66.  (Even the bottled water is being sold with a “suggested price” of $2.)  To learn more and to purchase seats, visit https://www.fluxtheatre.org/productions/fear-wonder.

Eureka Day — Boston, MA

Boston, Comedy June 17, 2026 Leave a comment

I don’t remember the last time I attended a play at which everyone was laughing so loudly I couldn’t hear the dialogue… and I didn’t mind because I was laughing too.  That was the most unforgettable element of my visit to the Huntington Theater in Boston to see Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day.  It was my first time experiencing one of their productions live after benefiting from their digital tickets to John Proctor is the Villain, The Heart Sellers, and Leopoldstadt among others.  The evening delivered the kind of communal experience I had anticipated based on the vibes that came through on the stream.

The play’s events take place during the 2018-19 school year at the type of Bay Area progressive educational institution whose website includes a weirdly specific drop-down menu of cultural identities.  Most of the plot revolves around the school’s board meetings overseen by consensus-enthusiast, Suzanne, and the easy-going Head of School, Don.  Equality and inclusion are cranked up so high that little is achieved beyond their customary reading of the mystic poet Rumi.  Their usual give-and-take is knocked askew by the arrival of a newcomer with a distinct perspective. They are then confronted with a different level of problem when some of the children come down with highly contagious mumps.  

I was living in San Francisco at that time and remember the outbreak of whooping cough that hit Marin that winter.  Notably, it was the year in which the now debunked study of a connection between MMR vaccines and autism risk was first published.  I know that vaccination has become a personal issue and that that there is nothing humorous about a sick child. But somehow Spector has found a way to serve up serious themes of medical disinformation and unproductive Zoom meetings with a spoonful of comedic sugar.  And though the script was written prior to the pandemic, given the current state of our Department of Health, Eureka Day’s arrival on stages couldn’t be more timely.

Sasha Diamond, Japhet Balaban, Eunice Woods, Nancy Lemenager and Ken Cheeseman in Eureka Day; photo by Liza Voll

Under the direction of Margot Bordelon, the cast members — Japhet Balaban, Ken Cheeseman, Sasha Diamond, Nancy Lemenager and Eunice Woods — are impressively in tune with one another.  Often their body language screams loudly when their voices are modulated.  Most impressively, they remain committed and connected even when the audience is losing its collective mind.  I imagine that the detailed, unspoken backstories provided in the printed script were useful for their robust character development.  Luciana Stecconi’s classroom set is charmingly detailed with projections by John Horzen & UptownWorks fulfilling a pivotal role.  Lighting fixtures hang beyond the proscenium making us part of the action. Yet, while I admire the level of talent brought to bear, I admit being disappointed that most of this production’s actors are from New York rather than local.  

Eureka Day is a first-rate example of why I go to theater.  I shared a stimulating, funny and happily memorable evening and formed a bond with a group of pleasant strangers.  The run continues through June 28 at the Huntington Theater, 264 Huntington Avenue in Boston, MA.  Running time is 100 minutes without an intermission.  Note that due to the subject matter there is discussion about childhood illness and infant mortality.  Patrons are offered the opportunity to read the script beforehand.  Tickets are available at https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/whats-on/eureka-day/.  Prices range from $29.00 – $185.00, so be sure to check the discount code page to see if you qualify for any of the generous concessions.

Lauder: Scotland’s Kilted King of Broadway

Off-Broadway, Revue June 1, 2026 Leave a comment

Part biography, part musical revue, Jimmy Logan’s Lauder is a jubilant celebration of “Scotland’s Kilted King of Broadway.”  Born in 1870 in Edinburgh, Harry Lauder used laughter, imagination, and a strong sense of self to move up in the competitive world of music hall entertainment to become an international star and an early brand ambassador for Scotland.  As the eldest child of 7, there was tremendous pressure on him to bring money into his household from a young age.  But he was also lucky enough to find enduring love along the way.

From his entrance down the aisle, Jamie MacDougall throws himself into the role of this unforgettable comedian/minstrel with complete joy and commitment.  Trained as a classical singer, he delivers the tunes about bonnie lassies with a soothing voice and a smile.   An interview with an unseen reporter is used as the pretext for sharing highlights of Lauder’s journey beginning around age 10 and ending as the Scottish troops were coming home from the French front.

Jamie MacDougall as Harry Lauder in Lauder at 59E59; Photo by Alan Peebles

Directed by Kally Lloyd-Jones who also helped adapt Logan’s script, MacDougall is relaxed interacting with the audience.  In Janis Hart’s design, a wicker travel chest and clothing rack hold the props and accessories he needs to fill out the images from Lauder’s history.  Music director Derek Clark accompanies on the piano and helps expand the stage patter.

Whether you are familiar enough with the Harry Lauder songbook to sing along or getting introduced to his work, Lauder is a pleasant division from the constant bombardment of controversy and buzz.  The explosive sound effects of war are the only disturbance.  Produced by Scottish Opera and Loch Doune Productions, this offering is part of 59E59’s Brits Off Broadway series.  Performances continue through Sunday, June 7 at 59 East 59th between Park and Madison Avenues in Theater B.  Running time is listed as 75 minutes, though it ran closer to a full hour and a half this past Sunday afternoon.  Tickets are all $44 for non-members and “best seat in the house” is a personal choice.  Those requiring legroom should opt for row AA.

Emma Duncan: In Praise of an Alternate

Musical, Off-Broadway May 25, 2026 1 Comment

It is not unusual for a theatrical production to hire an alternate for a leading role.  Unlike an understudy, who is typically a member of the ensemble, an alternate is cast to play one specific part.  They can either be solely on stand-by or — particularly for a musical — contracted for set performances such as Wednesday and Saturday matinees.  

Animal Wisdom is a very personal piece written by Heather Christian in which she originally played  “Heather”.  It is more like a live performance of a concept album than a traditional musical, with the star singing the lead on every song.  For their revival, Signature Theatre at Pershing Square was lucky enough to find two very different women with powerhouse voices — Kenita Miller and Emma Duncan as the alternate —to take on the central character now known as “H”.  The company’s persistent focus on which performances either did or did not feature Miller struck me as disrespectful not just to Duncan, but to everyone else in the cast and to the work itself.  

I have seen a number of fabulous alternates over the years.  (Hello, Javier Muñoz as Hamilton!)  What I had never seen is an alternate overtly treated like an also-ran.  So incensed was I, I spent over $100 on a ticket to see the “H Alternate”.  Ms. Duncan is a recipient of the prestigious Princess Grace Award which supports outstanding emerging artists.  (Some past winners whose names you may recognize are Leslie Odom Jr, Oscar Isaac, Paul Tazewell, and Patrick Page.)   But rather than saying that it was she fulfilling the role of “H” at the May 23rd matinee, my ticket only said Kenita Miller wasn’t.  Unsurprisingly, over 30% of the house was empty, even though it was a wet and unseasonably cold day.  

The part of H, the “cantor” of this musical ritual, is extremely demanding.  Composer Christian describes it as “an olympian feat of radical empathy.” Not only must whomever embodies H cover multiple song styles but do so at points while singing at a 45° angle, while being spun around a small circle, and for one song, while wringing tunefulness from a hanging condenser mic.  

Though similar in timbre to Christian’s, Duncan’s voice seemingly binds with your central nervous system.  Pouring from her waifish body comes a tone that is a little Joni, a little Janice, a little Xtina and a lot “oh, my goodness!”  If some Miller fans were waiting until the Tony nominee took the stage in the evening, at least they had background for their choice.  But if the clumsy marketing had anyone thinking they would get a lesser experience at 2PM than at 7PM, that’s a tragic loss of Signature’s own making.

This post is not a feature.  I did not interview the playwright about what she thought of the two takes on her persona, or the marketing director to ask why Ms. Miller was made the center of the Animal Wisdom promotional campaign rather than the substance, or Ms. Duncan to ascertain whether she was even a little bit ticked off by the consistent emphasis on her counterpart’s appearances.  This is a rant about an inequity that I can (for once) change. So, I encourage you to support a magical performance with your humming, your bell ringing, or just your sweet selves.  Find a seat on your favorite ticketing site for a Friday at 4PM or Saturday matinee of Animal Wisdom.  And don’t be put off when printed upon it are the words “Kenita Miller will not be performing.”  You are in radiant, nurturing, and capable hands, even if her name is in invisible ink.