Category Archives: Musical

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/.

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.

Monte Cristo: A New Musical

Musical, Off-Broadway March 23, 2026 Leave a comment

In The Count of Monte Cristo, an 1846 book by Alexandre Dumas, revenge is a chef’s tasting menu of dishes best served cold.  In Monte Cristo, a new musical by Peter Kellogg and Stephen Weiner, the story is more of a warming dinner served family style with an emphasis on dessert.  2026 would seem the perfect time to become reacquainted with this clever complex tale about the abuse of power, the influence of the rich, and the self-destruction that can accompany vengeance.  With its false facial hair, a backdrop that flaps in the A/C, and a clownish bi-curious detour, this interpretation bears more of a resemblance to Bugs Bunny’s take on the Barber of Seville: pleasing, diverting and just a little silly.

After a short prologue, the piece flashes back to 1815.  A projection announces that Napoleon has been defeated and he is “not happy”.  As in the classic tale, three men, each with his own selfish motive, conspire to get the well-meaning but naive Edmund out of the way.  Fernand wishes to marry Edmund’s fiancé, Mercedes.  Danglars feels he is entitled to Edmund’s impending promotion to captain.  After the pair hatch a plan to make it appear that Edmund is a traitor, their forged letter falls into the hands of the prosecutor, Villefort. He too has a reason to act dishonorably on what he knows to be false information.  The book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg skillfully handle the brooding years between Edmund’s arrest and the rest of the action, with a tone that often swings between gravity and levity.

Sierra Boggess and Adam Jacobs in Monte Cristo; Photo by Shawn Salley

Songwriter Stephen Weiner has put together a lilting but largely forgettable score.  (My plus-one described it as “groundbreaking for 1955.”)  Though opening with the promising “Dangerous Times” there are no big showstoppers.  Fortunately, casting director Andrea Zee  has secured a top flight ensemble who give their all.  At the helm of this ship is the smooth-voiced Adam Jacobs as Edmund.  He approaches act one with smiling good nature and becomes visibly hardened in the second half.  As the innkeeper’s wife, Carconte, Karen Ziemba, is a standout both lyrically and comically.  Kate Fitzgerald has her fun with the vapid Eugénie.  But disappointingly the former Broadway Phantom Norm Lewis’s talent is squandered as Villefort, participating only in a reprise of “One Small Thing” and then saddled with the fiddly solo “A Great and Noble Man.”  The rest of the cast includes Sierra Boggess as Mercedes, James Judy as Danglars, Jadon Lopez as Albert, Stephanie Jae Park as Princess Haydee, Eliseo Roman as Morrell, Danny Rutigliano who gets the most amusing numbers as innkeeper Caderousse and prisoner Abbe, and Daniel Yearwood as Fernand, the most interesting of the three betrayers.  Those in smaller roles take on multiple parts.

Sense of place is particular well illustrated by Siena Zoë Allen & Amanda Roberge’s costumes which not only denote class, but change from country print to Parisian elegance.  The scenic design by Anne Mundell has three main areas that are repurposed with projections designed by Shawn Duan and roll on set pieces.  Director Peter Flynn uses the spaces and his talent to maximize the pace of storytelling.  Joanna Lynne Staub’s sound includes the slight echo required for the dungeon scenes.  

While not likely destined to be the next Les Miz, Monte Cristo is a satisfactory crowd pleaser.  With its appealing story, easy to assemble set and well utilized cast, I could see it making a terrific touring production.  For now, you can find The York Theatre’s presentation at the Theatre at St. Jean’s, 150 E 76th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues.  The venue is down a short steep flight of stairs, but there is an elevator entrance on the 75th street side of the church. Current running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes including intermission.  The limited engagement through April 5 is quickly selling out. Tickets range from $29 to $85 and can be purchased at https://www.yorktheatre.org/monte-cristo-2025.  

The Opening

Musical, Off-Broadway January 20, 2026 Leave a comment

The lead character of the new musical The Opening is Newton Anderson, a nerdy, sweet 17 year old. When he’s not compulsively playing chess, he’s daydreaming about his classmate Jenny or doing the homework of Jim, his best friend since 2nd grade.  His school class is the type that has a “Hot Josh” and a “Medium Josh.”  Entering a professional chess tournament presents the high schooler with an opportunity to increase his “cool” factor, a goal that feels within reach after he’s crowned as runner up.  Newton’s desire for social status and prize money begins to crowd out his genuine respect for the game.  That’s when Jim’s puerile observation concerning the shape of the bishop spawns a wild plan to beat the long reigning world champion, Carson Marlsen.  Suddenly, Newton finds his black and white world turning an unfamiliar and alarming grey. 

The events depicted in The Opening are based on a very real — though unproven — scandal between American Grandmaster Hans Niemann and Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen that rocked the chess world in 2022 and led to new security measures at live tournaments.  True fans will recognize the names of actual players mixed in with fictionalized counterparts.  Inspired by a meme of the controversy, book writer Brooke Di Spirito and her composer collaborator Mateo Chavez Lewis initially pitched their musical concept as a joke to their writers group.  But the reactions from their creative circle were so buoyant, they moved ahead to complete what is billed as “The Second Most Famous Musical About Chess” with punny lyrics by the pair. In the script’s current form, Di Spirito takes two plot turns that defy logic, but it still provides an enjoyable journey.

A vivacious ensemble of thirteen — many making their Off-Broadway debut — is anchored by a fresh-faced, amiable Ryan Jacobs as Newton.  Dominating the stage like a brunette Thor is Harrison O’Callaghan as the man who suffers from too much excellence, Carson Marlsen.  O’Callaghan also performs the brilliant “My Queen” at Newton’s prom as crooner Marx Clarkson. Rylee Carpenter radiates such stage presence that she attracts attention in the underdeveloped role of love interest Jenny and also just participating in the ensemble.  Jake Faragalli makes the fro-yo obsessed Jim endearing even when he’s leading his friend astray.  Ed Horan and Mitchell Bruce help steer the audience through the layered chess lingo as Commentators Johnny and John.  

Ryan Jacobs (Newton) and Jake Faragalli (Jim) in The Opening;
photo by Dan Shein

According to the Chess Federation, $31,561 was raised on Kickstarter to produce the show and place ads in Playbill.  Given the obvious budget constraints and the compact size of the stage, director Nick Flatto has still gone all out to bring on the splash one hopes to see at a musical.  The rapid paced dialogue, physical humor, and R-Rated double entendres (including the clever pseudonym of a mysterious new challenger on the chess scene) get a boost from Ms. Di Spirito’s choreography which ranges from Gene-Kellylike toppling of furniture to Balanchine-adjacent entrechat.  The sound design by Brian Wedeking is inspired.  A live pit band — keyboard, guitar, drums and bass — performs directly in front of audience left.  (I was not unhappy to have foam earplugs with me.)  Lyrics contain many mentions of chess moves including, naturally, traditional openings.  Although the anthem to “Sixty-Four Squares” is reprized at least three times too often, several of the songs are catchy.  Three days later, the bouncy “If I Cheated” is still on a loop in my head. 

While the humor is juvenile and the storyline ultimately tumbles into the absurd, there is a great time to be had at The Opening.  And though this spirited work is not primarily a morality play, it does have meaningful things to say about the impact cheating can have on the cheater and on the people and things they hold dear.  The production is having its Off-Broadway Premiere through February 8 at The Players Theater, where it won the Self-Producing Residency Award.  The venue is located at 115 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street and Minetta Lane in Greenwich Village.  It is not wheelchair accessible and restrooms are one flight down.  Running time is approximately 100 minutes without an intermission.  Tickets are $53 to $75 and can be purchased at https://theopeningoffbway.mypixieset.com/.  

Friends! The Unauthorized Musical Parody

Comedy, Musical, Off-Broadway November 24, 2025 Leave a comment

My friends will confirm:  I am not a Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha.  I am a Monica.  If that doesn’t conjure up a distinct image, Friends! The Unauthorized Musical Parody is not for you.  If I have to explain that the plot revolves around six 20-somethings living a suspiciously upscale lifestyle in 1990s Manhattan, you are unlikely to be in on the jokes.  From the Smelly Cat cocktail onward, this two-hour jovial send-up is for fans who indulged in repeated TV viewings (thank you streaming).  The current open-ended Off-Broadway run began in 2021 and has spawned productions across the country and overseas.

The current core cast members — Francesco DiFlora, Anthony Gjelaj, Corinne Holland, Piper Loebach, Sam Massey, and Briana Sky Riley — remind us how gifted actors give their all for love of the craft in its myriad forms.  They have wonderfully clear voices and terrific timing beyond what is required for a light-as-a-feather production like this one.  DiFlora in particular must be eating his Wheaties (or whatever kids do these days) taking on a host of supporting roles along with the much beloved Chandler Bing.  And Holland’s Phoebe gets that hopeful opening guitar strum just right every time.  Andie Angel played the suitably thankless role of Gunther at the performance I attended.

The book by Bob and Tobly McSmith isn’t particularly clever, instead leaning into token tributes to every trope and tag line of Friends’ 10 year run.  Their lyrics set to Asaf Gleizner’s music are sharper, with the winking “495 Grove Street – How Can We Afford This Place?,” an ode to Pivoting, and a salute to salaries — set to a tune quite similar to one sung by a very different group of buddies — providing highlights.  The pre-recorded back-up chorus (sound design by John Hartman and Brad Sievers) adds depth in the shallow house.

Director Ryan Barto keeps things moving on the singular set with flipping panels that switch between Central Perk — New York City’s only coffee shop — and Monica’s spotless apartment complete with purple front door. There is not much in the way of character development.  The assumption is you know these people as well as you know your actual friends.  But the wigs by Conor Donnelly do more than the usual share of heavy lifting when it comes to helpful visual reminders.  

Friends! The Unauthorized Musical Parody is to the performing arts as Cheez Doodles are to Époisses de Bourgogne.  It offers suitable bang for the buck and goes down well with a Janice Double Wine.  The show is playing at the Jerry Orbach Theater, 210 West 50th Street, 3rd Floor.  The seats are softer than a sofa found in an alleyway, but the staff is as warm and gracious as the one at the newly reopened Waldorf.  Running time is approximately 2 hours with one intermission.  Content is PG-13 and will be funniest to those fluent in Friends culture.  Tickets are currently on sale through January 1 at https://www.friendsoffbroadway.com/ which often has BOGO offers.

Joy: A new True Musical

Musical, Off-Broadway July 20, 2025 Leave a comment

Tired of not being able to answer the simple query, “how are you?” without sighing? Ken Davenport and AnnMarie Milazzo may have an answer.  Their creation Joy: A New True Musical is a type of musical optimism that has audience members returning from intermission wearing the freshly-purchased official T-shirt.  Its message of resolve and imagination envelops people in a purple and yellow cloud that even has them warmly hugging the mops they’ve been handed by the ensemble.

You may be familiar with Joy Mangano from her book “Inventing Joy: Dare to Build a Brave & Creative Life,” from seeing the 2015 movie simply entitled “Joy,” or maybe even from buying her products through the QVC home shopping network.  She was a young mother with a house full of people depending on her when she was suddenly laid off from a steady if uninspiring job.  In other words, she had much in common with women around the country who are behind in their mortgage and anxious to fully provide for their families.  Using a combination of vivid imagination, determination, and a few lucky breaks, she turned her life around.  

The musical retelling of her tale stars the dynamic Betsy Wolfe, who gained a wide range of fans with her Broadway turns in Waitress and & Juliet.  She’s surrounded by an accomplished cast including Adam Grupper as her well intentioned father Rudy, Jill Abramovitz as her overly cautious mother Toots, and Honor Blue Savage as the daughter Christie who only wants Mom to be able to come to her games.  Along her road to success she has dealings with Paul Whitty’s underhanded Cowboy Eddie, and Charl Brown’s experienced network exec Dan, both of whom are given showy performance numbers.  

Betsy Wolfe (with ensemble members) in Joy: A New True Musical; Photo by Joan Marcus

It is easy to see why Wolfe is so popular that she gets a round of applause before she opens her mouth. Her very presence fills the house and she sings with much appreciated clarity and emotion.  Milazzo’s score isn’t the most varied and the refrains bleed into one another, but it is tuneful, carried along by Andy Einhorn’s arrangements.  The opening “Welcome to My World” does some heavy lifting, rapidly introducing us to a number of important characters and plot points.  The book by Davenport is considerably more assured than Hollywood’s interpretation of Mangano’s biography.  Filled with broad humor that makes a point, the plot gets bogged down in the second Act in part because it’s hard to top the momentum of Act I.  

Director Lorin Latarro uses her actors and limited space well, giving us glimpses of Bigger Show potential.  Likewise the choreography of Joshua Bergasse is muffled by shoulder shrugs and knee bends when it could eventually soar. The creative team has also delivered with vision but to scale.  Scenic designer Anna Louizos takes a lesson from the TV studios that brought Joy fame, filling a generic cityscape proscenium with small rolling set pieces.  Also taking a cue from television is David Bengali whose projections are critical to the storytelling.  Clever props including the co-staring Miracle Mop are designed by Andrew Diaz. Tina McCartney lets a few key outfits shine, and keeps the rest timely and simple. Liz Printz’s wigs and hair design age the lively Abramovitz and allow the ensemble to cover myriad roles.  Shout out to House Manager Dovber Dier and the incredible organization of the venue staff.

Who doesn’t welcome an upbeat story of success under trying circumstances?  Sure to be a crowd pleaser, the show is exactly what you’d expect from something called Joy: A New True Musical.  Performances are at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111 West 46th Street near 6th Avenue.  Running time is 2 hours including a 15 minute intermission.  The limited engagement is currently scheduled to end on August 17.  For more information and tickets starting at $72, visit https://joythemusical.com/.

Camera Ready

Musical, Off Off Broadway July 7, 2025 Comments: 3

Throughout the 1980s, videographer Nelson Sullivan used his developing camera skills and sincere love of the downtown New York art scene to capture and preserve many of the distinctive talents of that special time and place.  In partnership with his childhood friend James “Dick” Richards, host of a long-running access channel LGBT variety show, he put RuPaul on a path to stardom.  As he experimented with newer equipment and continued to evolve his technique, he sometimes included himself in the frame.  When he died at 41 of an apparent heart attack, he left behind a body of work credited with forming the template for the type of short form personal videos that proliferate YouTube.  

Now a behind the scenes look at Sullivan’s life and work has been fashioned into Camera Ready, a new play with music written and directed by his friend, artist/playwright/filmmaker Gary LeGault.  The sprawling cast of twenty much resembles the streets outside with its array of ages, races, and body types.  The ensemble brings unadulterated enthusiasm to each scene such as “Friday Evening in New York,” a celebration of Nelson’s first night out on the town with his camera.  There is a genuine sweetness to Jack Warren Lewis’s uplifting interpretation of the documentarian.  Other standouts include Bryce Payne’s dazzling RuPaul, JC Augustin gravely voiced Jackie Curtis, and a versatile Alexa Echevarria as Sullivan’s mother, musician Rhonda Granger, and a truly horrible Mona Robson in rehearsal at La Mama.  Her performance in the upbeat “All the Money” is a hoot.

Jack Warren Lewis as Nelson Sullivan with the cast of Camera Ready

Though working on an obviously tight budget, creative thought has gone into the design. The majority of the songbook (arrangements by Chris Glik and Michael O’Dell) has a breezy, clubby style that comes through on the solo piano. The backdrop, drawn by LeGault, is reminiscent of Edward Hopper had the artist worked in crayon.  Lola Saenz, under the direction of set designer Lytza Colon, installed bricks which adorn the central staircase. Night scene costumes and wigs by Diana Chaiken have the perfect dramatic flair.  

Oddly, it is LeGault’s obvious affection for Sullivan that flattens the story.  He has recorded history with heart, which makes for a valid but blurry lens. There is too much emphasis on tiny interactions and it is doubtful anyone under the age of 60 would recognize the celebrities about whom Sullivan exclaims.  A key relationship with housemate Choux (Dave Onofre) is underdeveloped and the parade of houseguests doesn’t achieve substantial impact. The current script also skirts the remarkable implications of Sullivan’s legacy. Ultimately the piece gets bogged down in less significant details and crosses the finish line at a hefty 2 ½ hours. 

With the show having completed its off-off-Broadway run on July 6 at Theater for the New City, LeGault has an opportunity to expand his private portrait into a deeper, more meaningful tribute to Nelson’s work.  This would also further highlight the gifts of Drag Queens and trans performers featured in Sullivan’s videos.  A rethinking would likely require LeGault to collaborate with an editor who could provide enough distance to make the appropriate refinements.  However, a more examined celebration would elevate not just Nelson’s legacy but the contributors to the American art scene he so valued.  

EPIC’s Seussical the Musical

Fund-raiser, Musical, Off-Broadway May 11, 2025 Leave a comment

Seussical the Musical was not exactly a hit with the critics when it ran on Broadway about 25 years ago.  Nonetheless, the familiarity of the characters and its themes, including the consequences of cronyism and the importance of staying true to yourself, resonated with audiences.  It continues to be performed regionally with its “junior” version popular in schools throughout the country.  These messages also make it a fitting selection for EPIC’s diverse troupe.  The cast’s palpable joy in performing a work that embraces such a delightful and distinctive population makes for an easy-to-love experience for the whole family.

Horton the Elephant (Gianluca Cirafici) surrounded by the Wickersham Brothers

For those unfamiliar with the script, it is adapted from several children’s books written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss.  Music is by Stephen Flaherty with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.  Two of the plots feature a compassionate elephant portrayed by an endearing Gianluca Cirafici sporting soft floppy ears.  The third story line moves the focus to his love-struck neighbor, Gertrude McFuzz, depicted with pizzazz and warmth by Natalie Kaiser, accompanying herself on kazoo.  To attract Horton’s attention, the self-conscious bird grows an impressive tail with the help of Dr Dake (Ethan Jones).  Other Seuss inventions that make appearances large and small are the famous trickster The Cat in the Hat (Shoshanna Gleich), a bluesy Sour Kangaroo (Emily DeMaio) and her Baby (Anjel Bell), a judicious Yertle the Turtle (Prince Hurst), and the Wickersham Brothers (Miles Butler, Ethan Homan, Nick Moscato, Sven W) who never get tired of literally monkeying around.

Gertrude McFuzz (Natalie Kaiser, center) growing a tail with the help of Dr Dake (Ethan Jones) and encouragement from The Cat in the Hat (Shoshanna Gleich).

The opening is primarily based on Horton Hears a Who. Finding an entire populated planet on a clover, Horton appoints himself protector aided by the Smallest Who of All, Jojo embodied in the tiny but mighty Christine Newberry.  It is she who calls forth a universe of Seussian creations with her unbridled imagination.  Standout Matt Tierney has a wonderful time soliciting both laughs and donations from the audience as her father the Mayor.  Sandy Gladstone Karpe is Mrs. Mayor rendered with overflowing glass of chardonnay in hand.

Jojo (Christine Newberry) with her disapproving parents, Mrs. Mayor (Sandy Gladstone Karpe) and Mr. Mayor (Matt Tierney)

As if the Whos of Whoville and their speck of dust world (Bre Baron, Sami Binder, Miles Butler, Tess Carvelli, Shafer Gootkind, Prince Hurst, Ethan Jones, Genesis Solivan) weren’t responsibility enough, Horton then falls for the manipulations of Mayzie Labird, taken on with sass a-plenty by Kayla Robinson, who tricks him into sitting on her egg.  As is appropriate, all the birds, including Kaiser and Robinson plus the powerhouse “Bad Girls” trio of Alice Frannsen, Rachel Paine, and Elisa Weiss, bring vocal purity to all of their songs. 

Mayzie Labird (Kayla Robinson, second from the left) with the Bad Girls: Alice Frannsen, Rachel Paine, and Elisa Weiss

Scenic designer Christian Flemming has done an admirable job capturing Seuss’s drawing style in three dimensions encircled by an “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” rainbow sidewalk.  Likewise Izzy Kitch’s whimsical costumes and elaborate headgear.  Props by Dana Weintraub include miniature everyday items for the Whos and of course a Red Fish and a Blue Fish.  Against this background, Artistic Director Aubrie Therrien and her Co-Director Meggan Dodd have added their usual high-energy interaction.  Choreographer Travis Burbee provides several effervescent dance numbers. 

The Cast of EPIC Players’ Seussical the Musical

Since 2016, EPIC Players (Empower, Perform, Include, Create) has been dedicated to creating professional performing arts opportunities and a supportive social environment for Neurodivergent and Disabled artists.  With its wonderful range of colorful characters, Seussical the Musical is a perfect match for their talents and mission.  As a Mother’s Day “gift,” on Sunday May 11th their performance will be relaxed with ASL interpretation.  There couldn’t be a better time to deliver the message that “a person’s a person’s no matter how small.”  So if you could use a reminder of How Lucky You Are, head to ART/NY The Mezzanine Theatre, 502 W 53rd St. now through May 18.  Tickets are $35-$65 and can be purchased online at https://epicplayers.ticketspice.com/epic-players-presents-seussical.  

Photos by Zui Gomez

All The World’s a Stage: First Look

Musical, Off-Broadway April 8, 2025 Leave a comment

Only two weeks into previews, the World Premiere of All the World’s a Stage is developing into a warm and enjoyable spring offering.  Though set in 1996 in small-town Pennsylvania, sadly the themes covered could be ripped from today’s headlines.  Adam Gwon’s lyrics are dense and expressive, but despite the many complex subjects he explores — bullying, book banning, religious indoctrination, and the very human need to be seen — it is hopefulness that is heard above them all.  Pair that with a memorable score and a quartet of talented performers, and this tale of a gay math teacher and the unusual student he mentors add up to a winning piece of entertainment.

The actors work together like four limbs of the same magical being.  Eliza Pagelle is wonderfully squirmy, adrift in her baggy cloths as unpopular high school senior Sam.  Matt Rodin embraces both the nerdiness and attractiveness of her protective closeted teacher Ricky.  Jon-Michael Reese and his big bold voice are perfectly suited to self-possessed bookstore owner Michael, who is out accompanied by trumpets and klieg lights.  And Elizabeth Stanley puts a relatable chink in the armor of by-the-book administrator Dede.  

Matt Rodin, Elizabeth Stanley and Eliza Pagelle in All the World’s a Stage at Theatre Row
Production Photography: Richard Termine

Keen Company’s Artistic Director, Jonathan Silverstein, takes the helm as the director of this lovely work.  The effect employed to create the unseen school principal is an example of his clever approach to promoting the big things in this small package.  Set designer Steven Kemp has made the most of the tight space in Theatre Row’s Theater 5, placing a short cinder block wall around the musicians and steps downstage to add more dimension.  Jennifer Paar has built an impressive wardrobe for each of the four central characters giving them even more to work with.   

Gwon’s book is filled with cultural references that have traveled well through time, especially the admiration for Tony Kushner’s Angels in America which was recently revived in New York and London.  Many lines earn a laugh of recognition from the audience.  (Who among us didn’t prefer listening to the cast album of Chess over following the stock market?)  His love for and knowledge of the theater is particularly needed at this time when the art form has been under attack.  The musical numbers cover a wide range of styles from the jingly “Saturday Night in a Small Auditorium”, through the campy “The Show Must Go On,” to the heartfelt “Mirrors” which had the hulk of a man sitting next to me weeping hard enough to wiggle my seat.  The four musicians under the direction of Andrea Grody stay wonderfully engaged with the onstage happenings without calling attention to themselves.

All the World’s a Stage packs a lot of emotion and life lessons into its current runtime of an hour and 40 minutes without getting preachy or losing its humanity.  It’s a compact work with enough heart to feel expansive.  Performances continue at Theatre Row thought May 10.  Tickets beginning at $25 can be purchased  online at www.keencompany.org, by phone at 212-714-2442 ex 45, or at Theatre Row Box Office at 410 W 42nd Street.