Curtainup Founder & Editor Elyse Sommer's Epilogue -- I've passed the torch for reviewing and editing new theater productions on and off-Broadway and elsewhere. However, I'll continue to sound off here with my take on Live and Onscreen Entertainment. As for Curtainup's extensive content since 1996-- it's all sill available at www.curtainup.com

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Chicago has a sizzling revival of Albee's famous fighting couple

Who's Afraid of Viriginia Woolf?
Amy Morton and Tracy Letts in Who's Afraid of Viriginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?- Tracy Letts and Amy Morton make this latest visit to George and Martha riveting. . .

Monday, December 20, 2010

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical in DC

Sunset Boulevard-Florence Lacey
Florence Lacey
Sunset Boulevard- This revival, like its main caracter is now nothing more than faded glory. . . .

A Lincoln Center bound not-to-be-missed Shakespeare

The Winter's Tale
Greg Hickas As Leontes and Kelly Hunter as Hermione (Photo: Alessandro Evangelista)
The Winter's Tale- this Royal Shakespeare production will be at New York'sLincoln Center next summer . . .

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Classical music and theater make for a fun mash-up


Three Pianos- this hard to classify 3-man show is probably one of the most unusual approaches to serious music as theater . . .

New Jersey revels in amusing mystery drama

Carmit Levité and Vince Nappo
(Photo: SuzAnne Barabas )
The Tangled Skirt- This pulp fiction drama's primary virtue is in its ability to keep us glued to and amused by every cliché that comes from the mouths of its two purposely enigmatic characters.. . .

For London Farce Lovers-- Fedou's classic

A Flea in Her Ear
Jonathan Cake as M Tournel and Tom Hollander as Monsieur Chandebise (Photo: Manuel Harlan)
A Flea in Her Ear- Fedou's farce at the Old Vic . . .

Friday, December 17, 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010

King Lear now at the Donmar-- soon at BAM

London
King Lear
Derek Jacobi as Lear (Photo: Johan Persson)
King Lear- Derek Jacobi make Shakespeare's tragedy life changing and unmissable. . . .

Erik Segal's famous weepie romancce musicalized

Love Story
Emma Williams as Jenny and Michael Xavier as Oliver (Photo: Manuel Harlan)
Love Story- if you are not afraid of sentiment or if you adored the film, this 90minute long musical adaptation will probably charm. . . .

Willy Russell's perennially popular solo play at Long Wharf

Shirley Valentine
Judith Ivey
(Photo: T. Charles Erickson )
Shirley Valentine -Judith Ivey is the latest bored Liverpoolhousewife to renew herself on a Greek Island holiday .

Friday, December 10, 2010

sci-fi with puppets, masks and imagination aplenty


Baby Universe
Baby Universe
(Photo: Jim Baldassare )
Baby Universe: A Puppet Odyssey- If you think puppet entertainment is limited to children's shows don't miss . Wakka Wakka's story of a dying universe reborn.. . .

Candide still all glitter and be gay-- in DC

Candide- Mary Zimmerman brings her distinctive, style to a fine revival of the often troubled but enduring musical. . . .

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy this musical game. . .


Golf: The Musical- Having played throughout the United States andaround the world, this sport-y revue returns to the city of its birth. . .

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Brenda Blethyn makes Haunted haunting. . .


Haunted- Edna O'Brien has captured a sad trio of characters, each with solitary desires, but she lightens the dreariness with appealing injections of humor

a 12-play marathon about the Afghanistan quagmire


The Great Game: Afghanistan-This dramatic political smorgasbord makes for a lengthy meal with much to chew on and digest. . .

London musicalizes Dumas swashbuckler

The Three Musketeers-There's talk of bringing this swashbuckling musical to the West End and it certainly deserves a wider audience. . . .

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

London does HGWells proud. . .

The Invisible Man
John Gordon Sinclair as the invisible man & Maria Friedman as Mrs Hall

The Invisible ManThe most refreshing entertainment for the holiday season is the Chocolate Factory's production of Ken Hill's adaptation of HG Wells's story . . .

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lord of the Flies for girls in new London play

Kin-Coming out of the Royal Court Young Writer's programme, EV Crowe's first full length play gets a showing in the studio space in Sloane Square. . . .

Les Miz 25th tour at Paper Mill Playhouse

Les Miserables-This 25th anniversary touring revival proves that it can make the rounds even without a turntable. .

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Peter Sellers solo show-- not a Mr. Nice Guy


Being Sellers
- He was most appealing to us, and himself, wearing his masks and portraying blundering Inspector Clouseau, Chance the gardener, Dr Strangelove and the zany characters from The Goon Show . . .

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Many view Rosmersholm this as Ibsen's Masterpiece


Rosmersholm
-In Rebecca West Ibsen created a woman every bit as complex as the better known Hedda Gabler and the Pearl production of this rarely produced play is well worth seeing . . .

Monday, November 22, 2010

Andre deShields plays W. E. Dubois


Knock Me a Kiss- an enormously entertaining show but one wishes it were a bit more challenging and a bit less predictable.. . .

X-Files Star on stage. . .


The Break of Noon
- Film and TV actor David Duchovny makes an auspicious stage debut as one of Neil LaBute's Everymen in need of toning their moral muscles. .

A double bill of Pinter plays beautifully staged


The Collection & A Kind of Alaska-a pair of playlet given Pinter-perfect interpretions by actors who know how to make those by now well known pauses speak volumes . . .

Lots of fine actors. . .but also lots of problems


Free Man of Color- this spicy theatrical gumbo evokes all the gusto of Mardi Gras. But, alas, the production is incohesive . . .

The heck with cell phones-when the show sings so well


Bells Are Ringing-Encores! brings back the telephone switchboard.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Great cast-- may not help Eling succeed on Broadway


Elling- Despite a stellar cast, this very un-Broadwayish production may be too quirky and foreign to be a Broadway crowd please
r . . .

Jerseyites asked to "get" this show's insider allusions

[title of show]- Jeff Bowen's and Hunter Bell's contemporized spoof on the old Mickey and Judy let's put on a show theme at George Street Playhouse, . .

Ibsen's long play trimmed down in London


The Master Builder- California director Travis Preston brings a metaphysical, quintessential production of Ibsen's play to the Almeida.. . .

Tennessee Williams first big hit-- once again


The Glass Menagerie- Tennessee Williams' classic at the Young Vic. . .

In London real life spouses play Wilde's spouses

An Ideal Husband— Oscar Wilde�s play features in the main roles real life husband and wife Alexander Hanson as Sir Robert Chiltern and Samantha Bond as Mrs Cheveley

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A worthy entry in the Brits Off-Broadway Festival


Lingua Franca
- worth seeing for the well portrayed characters and the opportunity to revisit an era straight out of octogenarian Peter Nichols' own youth. . .

A tour de-force play about a play


Mistakes Were Made
- The title of Craig Wright's new comedy refers to a play a small-time producer is desperate to get on stage, but it's clear.that the mistakes in question exist on many levels. . .

Sunday, November 14, 2010

No Will Ferrell but songs for Elf-like Xmas cheer


Elf- Whether or not there is any good reason to encourage it, this musical adaptation of the popular movie will presumably join the roster of other perennial holiday shows

Dostoyevsky in the viewed as a You Tube drama


Notes from Underground- Bill Camp's Underground Man pushes Dostoevsky's anti-hero right into the You Tube era. . .

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Fun's the word and Pee-Wee fans are having it


The Pee-Wee Herman Show - Director Alex Timbers has assembled a crew of theatrical artisans to re-create the funtastic atmosphere that once made the show such a hit. . .

Sometimes lost plays are best left undiscovered


Personal Enemy
- an interesting artifact by a still emerging young playwright, but don't expect a lost masterpiece . . .

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

An old-fashioned family drama-- old-fashioned in a good way


After the Revolution-Amy Herzog's three-generation family saga is a treat: A beautifully staged and performed, intelligent play . . .

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Quinn's performance a win-- but will people pay Broadway prices for a 75-minute standup?


Colin Quinn: Long Story Short- Quinn's motor-mouthed oral thesis may not always be uproarious, but it is consistently rib-tickling. .
.

Monday, November 8, 2010

High expectatons not met by this musicalized movie


Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
- The problem with this film to musical stage adaptation can be summed up in a single word: onkepatchket, a Yiddishism for too busy and overly decorated costume and home decor. While Catherine Zuber's costumes and Michael Yeargan's set capture Pedro Aldomar/s zany spirit, this production overall is indeed too onkepatchket. . . .

an off-off broadway review worth checking out


The Nanjing Race- Reggie Cheong-Leen's compelling story is effectively staged and performed

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Old musical made new again at newly renovated Arena Stage

Eleasha Gamble and Nicholas Rodriguez
in Oklahoma!
(� Carol Rosegg
Eleasha Gamble and Nicholas Rodriguez in Eleasha Gamble and Nicholas Rodriguez in Oklahoma!
(Photo: Carol Rosegg )
Oklahoma! - Just when you think you might be tired of a corny old classic such as Oklahoma! along comes a production that is fresh, charming and bursting with energ

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Vaclev Havel's early play remounted by TACT


The Memorandum-Time marches on, and plays, even substantial ones like this one by Vaclav Havel don't always keep in step . . .

Sarah Kane's work lives on


Danny Webb as Ian and Lydia Wilson as Cate (Photo: Simon Kane)
Blasted -Sarah Kane's first play is certainly not for the easily offended. but Sean Holmes's production is so crisp, beautifully constructed and well thought out that you can appreciate the professional perfection of this production . .

Imagine the House of Atreus Myth on You Tube. . .

Electra In A One-Piece- Isaac Oliver excavates a new entrance into the House of Atreus tale by using the media, internet and YouTube as a dramatic backdrop. . .

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

A dat and time specific "disposable"


That Hopey Changey Thing - Richard Nelson's election day dinner party is about as timely as you can get -- perhaps a bit too precociously so. On the other hand,you don't need stimulus money to see it six top of the line actors . . ..

Monday, November 1, 2010

Lisa Kron's new play needs less talk more entertainment


In the Wake
- Finally a new play focusing on Lesbians. . .if only Lisa Kron had made it less polemic and talky . . .