Saturday, October 9, 2021

Broadway Theater Review: SIX

Abby Mueller (Jane Seymour), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves) and Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr). Photo: Joan Marcus

SIX
By Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
Directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage 
Choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille
Brook Atkinson Theater

By Lauren Yarger
Laugh-out-loud jokes and loud, pounding music are not exactly what come to mind when pondering the plight of Henry VIII's six unfortunate wives, but you will find yourself laughing and bopping to the beat while enjoying SIX: The Musical,  Broadway's exciting version of the West End hit by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss.

Directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage, these six women finally get their moment in the spotlight, both in the story and on stage. SIX was one of the tragedies of the pandemic, set to open on the night Broadway went dark back in March 2020. Now, back to tell their stories, the wives compete in a reality-TV mode to see who has the most tragic story from her time as one of the wives of Henry. They each have a song (all done beltingly or balladly beautifully) which explain the theme of their experiences: divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.

Here's a short history lesson for those of you who aren't up on the six wives of Henry VIII:
Catherine of Aragon (Adrianna Hicks) was Henry's first wife, but when she couldn't produce a male heir, Henry turned his eye to the bewitching Anne Boleyn (a very funny Andrea Macasaet). When the pope wouldn't grant him an annulment, he declared himself the head of the new Church of England, got rid of Catherine (divorced) and married Anne any way.  Unfortunately for Anne, she too only produced a girl (the future Queen Elizabeth I), so Henry got rid of her (beheaded) and married Jane Seymour (Abby Mueller -- I saw understudy Mallory Maedke). Henry got his desired son and male heir but lost Jane who suffered complications in childbirth (died). 

Next, Henry saw a portrait of Anne of Cleves (Brittney Mack) and summoned her to England to become wife number four. She didn't look all that fetching in person, however, so Henry decided he wanted out of the marriage (divorce), set her up in a nice palace and called her "sister" instead of wife. The king, who was SO good at making spousal-type decisions, decided a child bride would be a good idea and married Anne Boleyn's cousin, Katherine Howard (Samantha Pauly -- I saw understudy Courtney Mack). Plagued by gout, obesity and probably a host of other illnesses, Henry wasn't exactly in prime baby-making condition, but he still expected a spare male heir from young Katherine. She turned to some younger male friends to help seal the deal, but the plan backfired when she was caught cheating.  So long, Katherine (beheaded). Finally, Henry chose mature, pious Catherine Parr (Anna Uzele) for his sixth queen. About five years later, he died. She was the only one who survived. The cast also includes Keirsten Nicole Hodgens and Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert.

In such a tragic story, Marlow and Moss find lots of humor. And they manage to modernize women from the 16th century to create an exciting energizing show that appeals to young audience members (there were lots at the Brooks Atkinson the night I attended) with color-blind casting  for those wanting to see persons of color, rather than historically accurate portrayals on stage. Carrie-Anne Ingrouille's choreography is energetic and hasn't lost any of its oomph with alterations made with Covid safety in mind. Costumes by Gabreiella Slade are bright and brilliant; the set (Emma Bailey, design) is simple and houses the all-female band, the “Ladies in Waiting.” Tim Deiling's lighting design competes the set for the reality-show concert theme, which thankfully isn't overdone. 

The pop music is loud, percussion-driven and fun. I bought the soundtrack after seeing and loving the show in March of 2020 and it's a favorite (Catherine Parr's solo "I Don't Need Your Love" is the weakest, as though after pounding out so many great tunes, the songwriters just didn't have enough energy to come up with one more.) Most of the others are catchy and will have you humming them long after you leave the theater.

Getting the soundtrack in advance isn't a bad idea. The lyrics are quite clever and vital to the storytelling, but the sound on stage (Paul Gatehouse) doesn't always pick them up and if you don't know Henry's story or all the words to the songs, you could feel like you are missing something in this fast-paced 80 minutes with no intermission.  The score features orchestrations by Tom Curran with music supervision and vocal arrangements by Joe Beighton and US Music Supervision by Roberta Duchak.

SIX is currently on-stage at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End and on a UK tour. The show will also launch the US National Tour with a return engagement in Chicago where the show will run at the CIBC Theatre in 2022.  

SIX plays at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W 47th St, NYC. sixonbroadway.com

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FEATURES:
-- Mature themes
-- Some suggestive lyrics

COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOL INFORMATION

Please note the following vaccination and mask requirements for all attendees:

  • MASKS REQUIRED: All guests must wear a properly fitting mask over the nose and mouth in the theatre
  • VACCINATIONS REQUIRED: All guests must be fully vaccinated to enter the theatre and must present digital or physical proof at the door.
  • Children under 12 and people with a medical condition or closely held religious belief that prevents vaccination may show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
  • PHOTO ID: Guests ages 18 and older must present a valid government-issued photo ID. Guests under 18 may also show a school photo ID. Guests under 12 must be accompanied by an adult who meets the above requirements.
  • Guests who do not comply with these policies will be denied entry or asked to leave the theatre. The only exceptions are for guests who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical exception or a sincerely held religious belief. In these cases, guests must provide proof of ONE of the following instead of evidence of vaccination:
    • negative COVID-19 PCR test performed by a medical provider within 72 hours of the performance start time.  The test results must clearly show the date and time of the test.

    OR

    • negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time.  The test results must clearly show the date and time of the test.  This test may be performed by a medical professional or by using an over-the-counter testing kit.

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Off-Broadway Theater Review: Trial on the Potomac starring Rich Little as Richard Nixon

Rich Little as Richard Nixon. Photo: Steve Bergman

Trial on the Potomac
By George Bugatti
Directed by Josh Iacovelli
Theater at St. Clement's
Through Sept. 4, 2021

By Lauren Yarger

We all remember the scandal: Richard Nixon left the White House in disgrace following investigative reports by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and the famous Watergate hearings that exposed corruption and crimes by the president's re-election campaign.

But what if it didn't happen that way?

That is the premise of Trial on the Potomac: The Impeachment of Richard Nixon, a new play by George Bugatti based on Geoff Shepard's book, "The Real Watergate Scandal," and starring famous impressionist Rich Little as "Tricky Dicky." 

What if Nixon wasn't all that tricky, however, but was set up by John Dean (Matthew Hammond) and others who had the press in their pockets and orchestrated the scandalous events to cover up their misdoings and put Sen. Ted Kennedy (Richard Wingert) in power?

So in this alternate explanation of history, instead of delivering the famous announcement of his resignation from office, Nixon shocks CBS reporter Diane Sawyer (Kelsey Lea Jones) and the nation by saying he isn't going anywhere and that he will fight the charges.

Bring on an imagined September 1974 impeachment trial presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Berger (a delightfully acerbic Paul Caliendo) and prosecuted by Peter Rodino (Tom Gregory) and Phil Lacovara (Chris Lazzaro). 

Nixon's defense is headed by James St. Clair (a savvy Troy Sill) and overzealous newbie Geoff Shepard (Nick Mauldin) who, aided by a deepthroat-like source, follow a trail of memos and secretly taped conversations that throw the burden of suspicion of wrong doing and coverup on Dean, Watergate burglar John Liddy (John Ramain), former Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman (Lou Vitulli) and Watergate trial Judge John Sirica (Victor Colicchio) among others. To add credibility to the play,  the real Geoff Shepard, who worked as a lawyer in the Nixon White House, serves as technical consultant. His books are available for purchase in the lobby and the day I attended, he was available to sign.

Director Josh Iacovelli, who also designs the set,  creates the feeling that the audience (nicely socially distanced and wearing masks) are the Senator jurors attending the trial and skillfully takes us through time jumps in presentation. We travel with ease from attending the trial itself to conversation flashbacks to freeze frames, where some characters stop the action to express thoughts directly to the audience. Some movements of the actors seem halted and unnatural in other places, however.

A circle of presidential stars decorates the stage and video projections (designed by Bugatti/Mynerdywebguy) provide backdrop and setting information. Graphics are by Irvin Productions; Sound Design is by INS & OUTS , Ray Schilke. At the end of the performance, the audience is given ballots and asked to decide whether Nixon was guilty or not. The votes are tabulated and posted on the show's website. As of this writing, no audience has cast the 67 votes it would have taken to convict Nixon and remove him from office.

The play, originally scheduled, for May of 2020 was postponed due to Covid. It could use a few cuts. The "who's who"  which includes 14 men might be a little difficult to follow for those who don't remember the cast of characters when television was preempted for the lengthy Watergate hearings and the ensuing news coverage which made Dean, Liddy, Haldeman, etc. household names. Some minor roles could be eliminated and some of the action condensed. Some of the dialogue concerning manufactured news and stolen elections sounds as though it could have been taken from recent news, however, giving us an uneasy feeling that some things never change..... The play clocks in at 90 minutes with no intermission.

Trial on the Potomac marks Little's New York Stage debut.  Little, the man of more than 200 voices, has been doing impressions of Hollywood stars and other celebrities for decades. He has a voice for every administration, including Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, both George Bushes and Donald Trump. In January 2010, the Canadian native became a United States citizen and during his swearing-in ceremony, the Judge asked Little to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance" as John Wayne and he did.

Confession: I was a bit disappointed that Nixon doesn't have more stage time as Little was a draw and I would have liked to see more of him. Here's an idea for Little's next New York stage show: a one-man play incorporating many of the voices and characterizations he does to such perfection. I'm there!

More information:
Bugatti has authored numerous musical reviews (The Wonderful Wizard of Song: The Music of Harold Arlen). Trial on the Potomac is his first play.

Trial on the Potomac plays at Theatre at St Clement's, 423 W 46th St., NYC
Wednesday at 5 pm; Thursday through Saturday at 7 pm. Matinees Saturday at 1 pm and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets:  $78.50 - $98.50 at trialonthepotomac.com

Additional Casting:
James Gavin as Leon Jaworski; Chris Rojas as James Flug


FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- God's name taken in vain
-- Some language

Monday, July 26, 2021

Become Part of the Art at Van Gogh Immersive Experience


By Lauren Yarger
Have you ever gazed at a Van Gogh painting and longed to take a walk inside it? Or wondered what the artist must have seen while painting it. Or wished you could have created it yourself?

Well, wishes can come true at Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, a 360-degree digital art exhibition in New York City that allows you to become part of the impressionist's universe.

Located at Skylight, 300 Vesey St. (and no, this is not the other Van Gogh interactive experience across town -- more about that later), the Van Gogh Experience offers four different kinds of experiences beginning with some reproductions of his most famous (and most pricey-at-auction works) and a lot of information about them and the artist who created them.


My guest gasped with delight at the first 3-D painting of a vestibule, with a trompe l'oeil effect that challenged you to walk inside. I think she would have been content to sit and gaze at that for the duration, but much more beckoned. We took in a video about the artist and watched as a stationary vase transformed into numerous renderings.


The interactive room, a massive space where the four walls morph into various works with the aid of video projection and sound, truly give the feel of having entered into the canvas. Folks enjoy the experience from benches, lounge chairs and mats on the floor. It's lengthy and varied in presentation. A courtyard experience in the rain was so realistic, I began to reach for an umbrella before remembering that I was inside and not in any danger of really getting wet.

Participants meander through the exhibit at their own pace. If you want to get "rained on" again, there is no reason why you can't. Following the immersive room, participants enter a drawing room and can create their own version of Van Gogh's works and hang them on the wall. This seemed particularly geared toward the littlest of visitors. There was a wide range of ages attending the day I was there, from babies to the elderly and all seemed engaged.
  
For an additional fee, guests can take a 10-minute Virtual Reality experience (using Oculus headsets) and stroll through the French countryside for "A Day in the Life of the Artist" and discover the inspiration for eight of his iconic works, including "Vincent’s Bedroom at Arles" and "Starry Night Over The Rhone River."

The whole experience took a little over an hour (we didn't do the drawing). Time slots are available every half hour between 10 am and 8 pm weekdays and between 9 am and 9 pm on weekends. Besides in New York, you can experience Van Gogh in Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington, DC and internationally. For more information, visit  vangoghexpo.com/new-york.

Now, just to avoid confusion, there is a second immersive Van Gogh experience across town at Pier 39. That one is created by Massimiliano Siccardi with David Korins of Hamilton fame serving as Creative Director. I have debated with several people whether there really are two so-similar experiences running in New York. There are! I have not seen the Pier 39 version, but you can find more information about it here: vangoghnyc.com.



Friday, October 23, 2020

Dorothy Lyman Play Gets Zoom Readings

 THE KEYS, a new play by Dorothy Lyman ("Mama's Family," "All My Children"), will have two readings on Zoom, produced by Pat Flicker Addiss and Lauren Yarger.


THE KEYS
, a story of fear, love and hope in the time of Covid, is directed by Elinor Renfield. A talkback will follow the readings scheduled for:

Sunday, Oct. 25 at 4 pm Eastern

Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7 pm Eastern

RSVP to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reading-of-the-keys-by-dorothy-lyman-tickets-125779075601

Slots are limited. Don't delay!

Margaret (Lyman) and Gil (Tim Jerome) meet over the balconies of their condos in the Florida Keys during the Covid lockdown. As their relationship develops, they struggle with memories of what their golden years were supposed to look like while focusing on a fearful, distanced, "safe" reality. The key to happiness might just include letting go and taking some risks.

This timely play is ideal for presentation beginning this spring as theaters begin to re-open. The two actors are separated on one set.

Dorothy Lyman (Playwright, Margaret)

An Emmy award -winning actress, Ms. Lyman is also a theatre and television director (75 episodes of THE NANNY for CBS) and a filmmaker as well as playwright. She is most widely known for her TV roles in "Mama's Family" and "All My Children."

Tim Jerome (Gil) is an actor, singer, Founding President of MainStreet Musicals, National Music Theater Network, and NYMF. He has been performing professionally on-stage since 1968 with 18 Broadway shows (one Tony nomination) and 12 feature films to his credit. He also has performed in regional theaters and on tour throughout the country exclusively in principle roles. e American Guild of Musical Artists.

Elinor Renfield (Director) After completing a scholarship year at The Central School for Speech and Drama in London, she began her graduate work in Theatre and Film at CUNY (Hunter College) where she received an MA. Her thirty year career as a stage director has included work on Broadway, Off Broadway and in Regional Theaters.

Stage Directions: Jeanne Lauren Smith; Technical Director: Brennan Lowery.

Produced by Pat Flicker Addiss (Pat Addiss Productions, LLC) and Lauren Yarger (Gracewell Productions LLC)

Monday, July 20, 2020

CT Chapter of League of Professional Women Toasts the Vote

Emma Palzere-Rae performs an excerpt of her one-woman play, The Woodhull Project, about 1872 Presidential candidate, Victoria Woodhull.

Toast the Vote!
Join the CT Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women for three online play-excerpt readings to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, giving women the vote.
July 22, 2020 -- The Woodhull Project by Emma Palzere-Rae

Aug. 12, 2020 -- Lifting As We Climb by Charlene A. Donaghy. Inspired by Mary Eliza Church Terrell. Commissioned for WomenKind 2020. Reading by Jackie Davis.

Sept. 23, 2020 -- Susan B. by Toby Armour
Each session will be held from 5 to 6 pm (Eastern). Playwrights will be on hand for Q & A following the presentations, which will be moderated by Virginia Wolf. Bring a glass of champagne or your favorite beverage to toast the pioneers who led the way to winning the vote for women. We are looking forward to seeing you online!


You must RSVP for each session you wish to attend. If you are not a member of the League, please enter BWW when prompted for the name of the memebr who invited you. Verified attendees will receive a Zoom link to attend the session closer to the date. If you register, but then find you cannot attend, please cancel your reservation here on Eventbrite so the slot may be given to someone else. Slots for each session are limited.

PLAY INFO:

The Woodhull Project by Emma Palzere-Rae*
July 22
Known as a Free Lover, Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to speak before U.S. Congress, the first woman to open a stock brokerage firm, the first woman to publish a newspaper, and the first woman to run for U.S. president. You won't want to miss the chance to meet this woman who was written out of history as she visits "here and now" from 1872 to reflect on politics and women's rights through a flashback or two of her extraordinary and scandalous life.


Lifting As We Climb By Charlene A. Donaghy
Inspired by Mary Eliza Church Terrell
Aug, 12, 2020
Excerpt will be read by Jackie Davis.

Mary Eliza Church Terrell was a well-known African-American activist who championed racial equality and women's suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th century. An Oberlin College graduate, Terrell was part of the rising black middle and upper class who used their position to fight racial discrimination.

Synopsis: The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting American women the right to vote, is making 1920 a banner year for suffragists. Ratification power sits in the hands of white Tennessee legislators and, in order to appease them, white suffragists have distanced themselves from African American suffragists. Mary Church Terrell, a founding member of the National Association of Colored Women, racial equality activist, and ardent suffragist who has worked alongside her white counterparts, discovers this when she and her sisters-in-arms are asked to curb their activities. Now Mary must decide her future role in the movement and in a relationship with women she trusted, answering the question: did these women break faith for their own sakes or were they acting for the greater good?


Susan B. by Toby Armour*
Sept. 23, 2020
Why did Susan B. Anthony became a suffragist instead of a Quaker minister? Her decision is revealed in the reading of a new play titled "Susan B." by award-winning playwright Toby Armour.

Toby is the national winner of the Lewis Prize and is the playwright in residence at the Fringe Theatre in Key West, Florida. Her plays have been presented in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta as well as London, Edinburgh and Tipperary, Ireland. "Susan B." is the first part of Armour's latest work titled "Aunt Susan and Her Tennessee Waltz." The two-part play will premiere at the Theater for the New City in New York in January, 2020.

* CT Chapter member

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHTS
Charlene A. Donaghy's plays have been produced and awarded from New York to Los Angeles, in Great Britain and Canada. Hansen Publishing Group publishes Charlene's play collection: Bones of Home and Other Plays. Other publications include Best American Short Plays (3x), Best Ten Minute Plays 2018, 25*10-Minute Plays for Teens, and Estrogenius, a Celebration of Female Voices (2x). Charlene is Producing Director of the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival and Festival Director of the Warner International Playwrights Festival. She is co-founder of the Association of Theatre in Higher Education Judith Royer Award of Excellence in Playwriting. She teaches playwriting, fiction writing, and theater at University of Nebraska Omaha, is a founding member of Boston's Proscenium Playwrights, a core member of NYC's 9th Floor Playwrights' and Artists' Collective, a member of The Playwrights Center, and The Dramatists Guild of America where she served as a Regional Representative for six years. Ms. Donaghy is a breast cancer survivor and holds true Tennessee Williams words in "Camino Real" Make Voyages! Attempt them! There's nothing else.

Jackie Davis* is an actor, director and choreographer working primarily on the east coast. She can be seen as abolitionist, Susan Robbins in Colombia Pictures' Film, Little Women (credited as JM Davis). Jackie is a member of Actors Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild. She is currently part of the production team of From a Distance, a web-series, taking place in these days of COVID19. Notable theatrical directing credits include Race, Ruined, and For Colored Girls Who Consider Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. Notable theatrical choreography projects include Dance Nation, The Wiz and Caroline or Change. She is the founding artistic director of New Urban Theater Laboratory, where she produced and directed five years of new works in Massachusetts. Ms. Davis is involved in all three disciplines, theater, television and film. She was most recently seen on stage in Trinity Repertory Company's production of A tale of two cities.

Emma Palzere-Rae Emma Palzere-Rae is an actor, playwright, director, and producer. She spent 15 years in the NYC theater community, where she began producing one-woman plays and founded Be Well Productions and the Womenkind Festival. She is dedicated to telling untold women's stories through theater and believes in the healing power of theater. Emma's plays include Aunt Hattie's House, about what compelled Harriet Beecher Stowe to pen Uncle Tom's Cabin, Live from the Milky Way... It's Gilda Radner!, A Nice Place to Visit, and The Woodhull Project. Her one-woman plays tour throughout the country. Ms. Palzere-Rae is the former Artistic Director of Plays for Living, a theater for social change repertory company formerly located in NYC, and is the current Associate Director at Artreach, Inc. (Norwich, CT), which provides arts programming to adults living with mental illness. She is a member of Actor's Equity and the Dramatists Guild, where she serves as the Regional Representative for New England - West.

Toby Armour has spent much of her life in theater- as stagehand, dancer, choreographer, dance company director, theater director, and playwright. Her plays have been done in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, elsewhere in this country, as well as London, Scotland and Ireland. She holds a doctorate in history and is a national award-winning playwright (The Lewis Prize) and Jerome Fellow, many of whose works are based on oral history and stories of community. Her plays about early New Haven are up on vimeo, as is Zebra telling the story of the famous Zebra in Stubb's painting at the Yale New Haven British Art Center. Part One of Susan B. and Her Tennessee Waltz has been live-streamed by Theater for the New City. The complete play will be presented by Theater for the New City this Fall or as soon as our new world permits.

Virginia Wolf, moderator
Ginny is a member of the Steering Committee for the CT Chapter of LPTW. She is host of “SpotLight, Radio Reveling in the Arts and Entertainment”, Thursdays at 12:30 on WLIS/WMRD (www.wliswmrd.net), covering arts and entertainment throughout Connecticut.  During this “intermission”, she is dedicating the show to storytelling, but looks forward to getting back to normal whenever it’s possible!


In addition, Virginia is founder of Herstory Theater, generally dedicated to bringing to life the unsung heroines of history, as well as producing a host of additional projects that both celebrate women and history, and a simple love of theater and performing (learn more at www.herstorytheater.com); works as a voiceover artist and audio book narrator; steps in as Katy Leary for the Living History Tours at the Mark Twain House and Museum; and can be found on stage whenever/wherever someone casts her!

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Broadway Shutdown to Continue Through June 7


A notice from the Broadway League:

In accordance with guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and under the continued direction of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Broadway shows in New York City will extend the current suspension of all performances through June 7, 2020.

“Our top priority continues to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theater industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals.” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. “Broadway will always be at the very heart of the Big Apple, and we join with artists, theatre professionals, and fans in looking forward to the time when we can once again experience live theatre together.”

Those holding tickets for performances through June 7, 2020 will receive an e-mail from their point of purchase with information regarding exchanges or refunds. Any customers holding tickets through June 7, 2020 that have not received an e-mail by April 12 should reach out to their point of purchase for information regarding exchanges or refunds.
 
 

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Broadway Shuts Down Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Photo: Alex Cy
List of Theater Closings in New York

BROADWAY WILL SHUT DOWN

Release from the Broadway League:
Under the direction of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Broadway shows in New York City will suspend all performances immediately in support of the health and well-being of the theatregoing public, as well as those who work in the theatre industry. Performances will commence the week of April 13, 2020.

“Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. “Broadway has the power to inspire, enrich and entertain, and together we are committed to making that vital spirit a reality.  Once our stages are lit again, we will welcome fans back with open arms so that they can continue to experience the joy, heart, and goodwill that our shows so passionately express every night.”

Those holding tickets for performances through April 12, 2020 should contact their point of purchase for refunds and exchanges.

The Broadway League will continue to closely monitor the evolving coronavirus situation on behalf of the Broadway community and make decisions as circumstances require, in accordance with guidelines from the CDC and state and local health officials.

For further information, please visit broadwayleague.com.

Other cancellations and postponements: (Check back to see the latest.)

NEW YORK:
MORE BREAKING NEWS:

😷The Tony Awards, which were scheduled for June 7 have been postponed. No new date has been announced.

😷Lincoln Center Theater's Flying Over Sunset and Roundabout Theatre Company's Birthday Candles and Caroline, or Change—have been postponed to fall.

😷The Outer Critics Circle Awards scheduled for May 21 have been postponed. A new date has not been determined.

😷Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has canceled the 2020 Easter Bonnet Competition, which was scheduled to take place April 20 and 21 at the Minskoff Theatre.

😷The 76th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony originally scheduled for Monday evening, June 1, 2020 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Circle in the Square Theatre (1633 Broadway) has been POSTPONED until Fall 2020. A new date will be announced soon.

😷The 2020 Olivier Awards scheduled for April 5 have been cancelled.

😷Showscore Shuts Down: Starting this Friday, we will no longer be updating the site, nor accepting new shows and reviews. We will continue to tie up loose ends and are planning to host our members at Socials through the summer and into the fall, when theater is back. 

😷No events scheduled within The Lambs until further notice3 West building is closed.

😷From Mayor Bill de Blasio:
Nightclubs, movie theaters, small theater houses and concert venues must all close. The order will go into effect Tuesday, March 17 at 9 am.

😷The remaining six shows of the Women’s History Solo Show Series co-presented by the 14th Street Y are postponed until a later date. Ticket purchasers will be contacted by the 14th Street Y.


😷TCG is moving to remote operations effective Monday, March 16, and the administrative offices will be closed.

😷All Signature Theatre productions and public events scheduled for March 12–22 are cancelled, but the Center will continue to be open to the public with adjusted hours. Both The Hot Wing King and Cambodian Rock Band have had their runs cut short. 

😷The Commercial Theater Institute's Continued Legal Education seminar scheduled for April 1-2 has been postponed until the fall.

😷The League of Professional Theatre Women's Julia’s Reading Room originally scheduled for March 25 at the Jefferson Market Library has been cancelled.

😷Miranda Theatre Company has postponed the the final two readings of the Liz Smith Reading Series.

😷MCC Theater is announcing changes to 2019/20 productions and events:
The New York premiere of All The Natalie Portmans played its final performance Thursday, March 12.
The World Premiere of Nollywood Dreams will not begin preview performances on Thursday, March 19 as previously announced. The production will be rescheduled for a later date in our 2019/20 Season. New dates will be announced. Contact the MCC Box Office at boxoffice@mcctheater.org.
Miscast 20, the 20th annual MCC Theater gala, previously scheduled for Monday, April 6, will now be held on Monday, June 15 at The Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center. Tickets purchased to the April 6 event will be honored on June 15.

😷Performances of Harry Townsend's Last Stand at City Center Stage II
will continue as scheduled. Per Governor Cuomo's advisement, the show will reduce the seating capacity of the theater by 50 percent to allow for "social distancing."

😷Red Bull Theater has cancelled all public events until April 12, 2020.

😷Repertorio Español has suspended performances through March 31.

😷The McKittrick Hotel which houses the shows Sleep No More, The Woman in Black, Speakeasy Magick and the rooftop Lodge at Gallow Green will close through April 12, 2020.

😷All remaining performances of Gnit, by Will Eno originally scheduled through March 29 at Teana are cancelled.

😷All programming and events at Feinstein’s/54 Below are postponed until April 8, 2020.

😷En Garde Arts is canceling the remaining stops in the Bronx and Brooklyn on their five-borough tour of Fandango For Butterflies (And Coyotes).

😷Transport Group's gala April 6 honoring Lori Fineman and Katherine Marshall has been postponed. A new date will be announced.

😷Abingdon Theatre Company is postponing all programming until further notice.

😷The Play Company's production of Sarah Einspanier's Lunch Bunch had been scheduled to start performances next week. PlayCo is canceling performances March 18-31. Previews are now scheduled to begin April 1, and PlayCo is adding performances April 21-26.

😷Works and Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, has cancelled performances from March through May 2020, to be rescheduled at a later date.

😷Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation and the Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center at York College have postponed their co-production and world premiere of the new musical, DREAMING OF 1975 Saturday, March 21, 2020.

😷About Love has played its final performance Off-Broadway at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture a week-and-a-half earlier than its previously announced limited engagement was to conclude. Ticket-holders for canceled performances should contact their point of purchase for a refund.
Programming at The Sheen Center has been suspended through the end of March. The building is clo0sed to the public.

😷All performances of the off-Broadway production of Drift at New World Stages through Sunday, April 12, 2020 are cancelled. To reschedule your tickets, contact your point of sale.All tickets purchased for the impacted dates will be refunded automatically.

😷Vineyard Theatre announces that starting Friday, March 13  all performances of Dana H. will be suspended through March 31. The theatre will play to 50 percent capacity April 1 - 12. Dana H. will be extending to April 19 in order to accommodate patrons who want to see the production or who must reschedule.

😷Rattlestick Playwrights Theater will suspend performances of The Siblings play as of Saturday night, March 14 until further notice.

😷Playwrights Horizons: All remaining performances of Unknown Soldier are cancelled. Ticket holders will be contacted directly about next steps.The first preview performance of Selling Kabul, slated for March 27, will most likely be delayed to a later date TBA.

😷Atlantic Theater administrative offices, studios, and theaters closed until further notice. All Atlantic staff will be working remotely and reachable via email during that time. Atlantictheater.org.


😷The Public Theater has cancelled all shows and events March 12  through April 12 to support citywide efforts to reduce the coronavirus spread. Current ticket holders have been sent an email with additional details on their cancelled performance but for inquiries, email tickets@publictheater.org or call 212-967-7555.

😷New Victory Theater on 42nd Street announced that the remainder of its 2019-2020 season has been canceled effective March 13 through June 14, 2020. This temporary theater closure affects the remaining five performances of Step Afrika!'s Drumfolk and seven subsequent productions from around the world. 

😷The Actors Fund will transition in-person program offerings to online and phone meetings only for the coming weeks.
You can sign up for online seminars on career enrichment, financial wellness, health insurance, affordable housing and more at 212-221-7300 ext. 119.

😷Episcopal Actors' Guild has postponed all events until further notice. Staff will continue to work remotely, and if you are in need of assistance, contact the executive director at karen@actorsguild.org. With show closures, this may be a challenging time for our community. They are here to help.

😷Playwrights Realm has cancelled its upcoming production of Noah Diaz's RICHARD and JANE and DICK and SALLY, in partnership with The Sol Project.

😷New York Theatre Workshop has cancelled all public-facing events starting at 4 pm March 12.

😷59E59 Theaters will suspend all public programming effective immediately. The building will shut down at 5 pm today (March 12). 59E59 Theaters plans on resuming performances on April 1.

😷Beginning today, March 12, Ars Nova will suspend performances of Heather Christian’s Oratorio for Living Things and close their offices at the Ars Nova Hub (511 W 54th Street) and Ars Nova at Greenwich House (27 Barrow Street) for 30 days. Ars Nova is hopeful that performances will resume in mid-April, pending the status of COVID-19
arsnovanyc.com

😷Beyond Babel at Judson Auditorium will suspend performances for the remainder of March and first week of April 2020. The critically acclaimed production will go on hiatus immediately following the 8pm performance tonight, Thursday, March 12.
Performances from March 13 to April 6 will be rescheduled into May 2020. Beyond Babel is currently scheduled to resume performances on Tuesday, April 7 and will now run through Saturday, May 30. The revised performance schedule can be found at www.BeyondBabelShow.com.

😷Metropolitan Opera: We regret to inform our audience that all Met performances have been canceled through March 31, effective immediately.

😷Amas Musical Theatre has postponed its April 6 Blast from The Past Benefit Concert. In addition Amas Musical Theatre's Off-Broadway production of Romeo and Bernadette: A Musical Tale of Verona, scheduled to begin performances at Theatre Row on March 17 and open on March 26, has been postponed for the time being. The original cast album will be recorded in April.

😷Helpful information about exchanging or cancelling your tickets from BroadwayWorld.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/How-To-Exchange-Or-Cancel-Your-Broadway-Tickets-Due-To-Coronavirus-Travel-Cancellations-20200310

😷The Broadway League highly recommends that all stage door activities be eliminated for the time being. Anyone who is experiencing cold or flu symptoms, or who is not feeling well, is encouraged to stay home and contact the point of purchase for more information about ticket exchanges and policies.

😷As a precaution to help limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and support the City's efforts to promote social distancing, the Library for the Performing Arts has suspended all programming and events at our location through March 31. At this time, our location remains open during our regular hours.

😷Gingold Theatrical Group (David Staller, Artistic Director) today announced that the 2020 Golden Shamrock Gala scheduled for Monday March 16 at Robert Restaurant honoring Maryann Plunkett, Jay O. Sanders and Ethan E. Litwin would be postponed to a later date.


Gracewell Prodiuctions

Gracewell Prodiuctions
Producing Inspiring Works in the Arts
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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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