Category Archives: Off-Broadway

Creation Stories and all the important importants

Drama, Off-Broadway October 20, 2026 Leave a comment

As a child, thegrownwoman promised her mother that she would never waste a moment of precious time.  She had fully absorbed the sacrifices and struggles involved in immigrating from Nigeria and setting up a life in America.  To that end, every day she pushes through pain and disappointment, “latching on” to the music she once savored for pleasure as required nourishment to propel her forward towards her only goal: to have a child of her own.

This is the central character of Mfoniso Udofia’s Creation Stories and all the important importants now playing at Lincoln Center.  It is a most fitting title as thegrownwoman is contending with varying obstacles to her abilities to create a life, an original written work, or indeed anything that is genuine and distinctly hers.  There are positive forces murmuring in her ears — among them her little girl self — but she is too narrowly focused to hear any of them.

thegrownwoman (Abigail Onwunali) shadowed by little girl (Savannah Commodore) in Creation Stories;
photo by Valerie Terranova

Director Tamilla Woodard brings out the lyricism of Udofia’s enchanting script.  The radiant Abigail Onwunali, who previous participated in Udofia’s impressive nine play Ufot Family Cycle in Boston, is equally emotionally compelling as thegrownwoman.  Her exhaustion palpable from the back of the house, she narrates her own story as a walking meditation, step by painful/joyful step.  Savannah Commodore is picture perfect  as little girl/the uncome dressed in bright polka dots by costume designer Sarafina Bush who also provides a massive temperamental pile of separates mid-stage.  Filling out the cast as a squadron of supporters including an eager-to-please Alexa is a zippy Donnetta Lavinia Grays.

Scenic designer Jason Ardizzone-West has built the ideal container for Udofia’s wild and vivid ideas centering the action along a spiral walkway the captures thegrownwoman’s journey in a single shape.  Boxes in many sizes take on the roles of items throughout her home, classroom and doctor’s office.  Projections designed by multimedia artist Katherine Freer depict the energetic images within thegrownwoman’s mind and spirit as well as those of the city surrounding her, often with the look of crumpled paper as a background.

For a short play with a small cast, Creation Stories and all the important importants is filled with Big, Bold and Boisterous ideas that serve as precious reminders.  Performances continue through November 1 at LCT3 at the Claire Tow Theater in Lincoln Center, 150 West 65th Street.  All seats are $35, very comfortable, and available on Telecharge.  Running time is 90 minutes without intermission.  The space includes a pleasant Green Rooftop Lounge.  The performance I attended was frequently interrupted by late arrivals — some more than halfway through the show — making me wish that easy to access seats had been set aside in order to minimize the disruptions.

Slam Frank

Musical, Off-Broadway October 5, 2026 Leave a comment

“Did Anne Frank every acknowledge her white privilege” was the 2022 tweet read and reacted to round-the-world.  The query was head-spinning: an extreme example of liberal ideology gone horribly wrong.   The absurdity of the takes served as inspiration for Slam Frank by Andrew Fox (music and lyrics) and Joel Sinensky (book).  Using the concept of a play-within-a-play, their musical features a trying-too-hard progressive theater company presenting their newest work loosely based on The Diary of Anne Frank.  To satisfy critics like the author of the above tweet, Anne is now Anita, a pansexual Afro-Latina dope hip-hop artist living in a household filled with representatives from a range of marginalized communities.  

To say much about the plot would be to spoil the unfolding of this one-of-a-kind entertainment that lightens bitter herb satire with up-to-the-minute parody and a head-bopping score.  Beginning with the logo poking fun at Hamilton, moving box labeled “Generational Trauma” (props to prop designer Devin Orr) and the hilarious Land Acknowledgement [because honestly, it’s not like anyone’s actually producing a season filled with Indigenous stories much less giving 2nd Avenue back to the Lenape], every creative element exemplifies full commitment to the content warning.  BEWARE: Your sacred cows all have the potential to wind up on a bun smothered in special sauce.

Of course what brings the dissident vision into focus is the dedicated cast. The spirited and nimble Olivia Bernábe repurposes her Very Hungry Caterpillar Show energy into making Anne/Anita our ingenious and eager guide.  Holding down the Frank Fort are an electrifying Austen Horne as Edith and a delightfully neurotic Rocky Paterra as Otto.  Sharing their tight attic space is the comically gifted  Alex Lewis as Peter, John Anker Bow as his patriarchal nightmare of a father and Jaz Zepatos in the staggering role of Mrs. Van Daan.  (It is she who takes the lead in the memorable anthem Herstory.)  Newcomer to the cast is Amelia Louise Barr taking on double duty as Anita’s grandmother as well as Anita’s meeker sister Margo. Completing the line-up is Walker Stovall as an attention-grabbing assistant stage manager. 

Olivia Bernábe as Anita (with ASM Walker Stovall) in Slam Frank; Photo by Shawn Salley Photography

The suggestion of an attic space by scenic design by Adam Koch leaves plenty of room for booty shaking and finger pointing.  Lighting designed by Jamie Roderick, sound by Gage Baker and what-a-shame-if-you-blink-and-you-miss-it videos by Zack Lobel complete the look.  Both stage director Sam LaFrage and choreographer Esosa Oviasu have made impressive use of the narrow space, placing audience members within the set and pushing the action far out into the aisles.  Imaginative costumes design by Sarah Lockwood include Anita’s perfectly prim pinafore.  

If you count yourself among those who would have been outraged when Jonathan Swift suggested that you dine on Poor Kid Stew, don’t buy a ticket to Slam Frank.  But if your taste runs more towards Society and Culture Kebabs, head to https://www.slamfrankmusical.com/ for seats beginning at $50. Performances are currently scheduled through the end of November at the Orpheum Theater at 126 Second Avenue between St. Marks and 7th Street.  The venue’s HVAC is overexcited. Running time is approximately 110 minutes without intermission, so heed the suggestion to visit the restroom before curtain.  Stage seating and rows A-H will put you into the action while the rake is better further back in the house. Please read the special conditions associated with stage seating before purchase.

Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library

Drama, Off-Broadway September 22, 2026 Leave a comment

In Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library, Jenny Lyn Bader uses the brief imprisonment of Hannah Arendt as a vehicle for scrutinizing the rise of Fascism through a sharp political mind.  The playwright puts the philosopher/historian into a cell with Karl, a dedicated German officer eager to make a good impression on his superiors.  He has arrested Arendt and charged her with researching antisemitism and then passing on her findings to the Zionist community.  Set in 1933 before the worst of the atrocities of WWII, the temperature of their encounters isn’t at the boiling point of most dramas featuring the Nazi party.  In fact, Karl quickly grows sympathetic to his eloquent prisoner. 

Those familiar with Arendt know she eventually made her way to the United States where she taught in a number of well-respected universities including New York’s own Bard College.  But in the time leading up to her escape from Germany, her writings, social circle, and Jewish heritage unquestionably put her in danger.  However, Bader fails to include many of the historical details that would give Mrs. Stern’s plot more heft. Instead, she has written a series of two-handers, with intriguing talk that transpires within a gauzy cushion of deep intellectualism.  Director Ari Laura Kreith can do little to turn up the heat on the central duo and often leaves them, like the title says, to wander.  

In some respects, it is understandable that Val Day, the Artistic Director of 59e59 Theaters, would decide to bring this piece back for an encore engagement in Theater A just 2 years after its initial run in the smaller Theater B.   Within the play’s slight structure is the welcome concept that when two people on opposite sides of the political spectrum are forced together, they can eventually find and rationally explore common ground.  A conversation involving Hannah’s lawyer about the consequences of the erosion of the Rule of Law reflects contemporary concerns over some Supreme Court decisions.  There is also a casual exchange about what in 2026 is a minefield: whether the creation of a Jewish State is desirable.  Such resonant material keeps the audience engaged even amid some lost potential.

Brett Temple and Ella Kaille in Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library; photo by Valerie Terranova

The production has retained its two leads throughout its journey from New Jersey’s Luna Stage to New York through Scotland and back again.  Ella Kaille gives Hannah elevated poise and elegance, dressed by costume designer Deborah Caney in a nicely tailored black suit and frilly blush-pink top.  She mellifluously articulates the character’s positions on a range of esoteric topics.  But every time she throws up her hands it’s as if she is not only being submissive to her interrogator but blocking out any approaching jeopardy.  Brett Temple plays Karl with expected precision and rigidity.  The third character of a lawyer provided to Mrs. Stern was performed by an authoritative Daniel Cantor at the press preview.  He is to be replaced by Drew Hirshfield for the remainder of the run.  Around them, the atmosphere certainly hits the right tone.  Lauren Helpern evocatively bleak setting is enhanced by Zachary Connell dampened lighting streaming through barred windows. 

Though there are echos of our own political plight within Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library, this meditative drama ultimately feels maddeningly tame. Performances continue through October 25 at 59E59, 59 east 59th Street between Park and Madison Avenues.  Runtime is an hour and a half with no intermission.  Tickets are $76-$96 and can be purchased at https://www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/mrs-stern-wanders-the-prussian-state-library/.  Theater A has excellent rake, though the view of the door within the set is obscured audience far left.

Disruption

Drama, Off-Broadway September 5, 2026 Leave a comment

Disruption is the Cheetos Puffs of this summer’s theater season.  It’s not exquisitely well-crafted or even particularly good, but it’s satisfying in its familiarity.  Three close college friends and their wives — the type who frequently enjoyed a summer share on Martha’s Vineyard — find their lives and relationships (appropriately) disrupted when their even more successful tech-bro buddy, Nick, returns to New York ready to seduce them into investing in his latest company.  While the gang may have common sense and realistic goals on their side, Nick has a sexy business partner and a wily algorithm on his.  That’s an intriguing nugget that should deliver fresher insights and more meaningful outcomes, but at least it makes an entertaining nosh.

The scenic design by Zoë Hurwitz is the first indication that the AI is going to have the coolest role.  The set resembles a giant LED-framed iPad with a floor that displays key images, words and phrases in video by Yana Biryükova.  While unquestionably eye-catching, the shape often leaves the characters marching around in circles or sitting in the dark under Hersh Ellis’s direction.  A cold and eery anti-stat control room along the north wall is only visible when lit from the inside (lighting by Reza Behjat).

At first blush, it’s difficult to become emotionally invested in a group of well-off professionals whose challenges range from getting their kids into the right private school to purchasing a large enough Brooklyn brownstone.  But the extraordinarily adept cast elevates Andrew Stein’s thin script to a high enough point that when a real calamity (thankfully?) makes an entrance, the audience audibly gasps in anguish.  The actors’ salvaging of this otherwise pedestrian work makes the treatment of their credits all the more shameful.  I’ve accepted (to a point) the dispensing of a QR code just before a request to turn off my phone.  It’s a practice that began post-pandemic when no one wanted to touch icky paper and somehow persisted in the name of trees.  But I’m genuinely shocked that Equity agreed to the play’s official website omitting links to hard earned biographical information.  What exactly is that meant to preserve besides anonymity?

Shaunette Renée Wilson (foreground), Irene Sofia Lucio, John David Washington and Jason Ralph in Disclosure;
photo by Emilio Madrid

The first members of the circle that we meet are Ben (Conrad Ricamora of  Oh, Mary! and Here Lies Love) and his wife Suzie (Shaunette Renée Wilson, Fox’s The Resident and NYTW’s Merry Me).  He gives a chalk outline genuine warmth and a smile that seems to radiate from his soul while she purrs through single syllable words like a lioness eyeing her prey.  Irene Sofia Lucio (Liberation, Slave Play) and Elizabeth Stanley (Jagged Little Pill) play competitive sisters Mia and Jill with such genuine affection for their characters you’ll want to go bake cookies with them.  Joe Tippett’s (Waitress) sense of rhythm makes Jill’s husband Paul’s trite jokes seem hilarious and infuses the most mundane of issues with an air of melancholy.  In Mia’s household, Jason Ralph (Peter and the Starcatcher) lends just enough “aw shucks” to conflicted surgeon Barry to appear vulnerable.  Nick’s increasingly heinous behavior is propelled forward purely by means of John David Washington’s (The Piano Lesson) manner and bearing while his partner, the aptly named Raven, is given some feeling by Emma Kikue’s (My Man Kono) interpretation.

Disruption is empty calories dressed up as a fancy meal.  But don’t you sometimes enjoy that airy crunch?  Performances run through October 4 at The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W 42nd Street.  (Disruption is not a production of Signature Theatre as is stated plainly in dark grey on the black postcard given out at the door.)  Runtime is closer to 2 ½ hours including intermission than the 2 hour published time frame, so watch those parking meters.  Tickets start at $69 for balcony seats and can be purchased at https://www.disruptionplay.com/ or through the TodayTix app.   Arrive early and enjoy a theme cocktail in the lounge.  Seating is on either side of a slightly elevated stage, and this will guarantee you can get to your chair without… disruption.

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/

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.

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.