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

Thursday, December 24, 2015

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century-- a Wow!

 American Dance Machine
#American Dance Machine For the 21st Century - with so many styles beautifully executed by ADM21ers, it's hard to single out any one of these interpreters of astounding ballet leaps, characterizing gestures, jazzy high kicks and synchronized ensemble movements. Suffice it to say that under #Wayne Cilento's direction, this team not only taps into the original context but somehow give even the best known numbers, a newly minted flavor. . .

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Our DC critic raves about this West Side Story


 West Side Story
#West Side Story - The small Signature Max theater has 276 seats, arranged on three sides increasing the intensity of the performance for the dancers and for the audience who are practically in their faces. . .

A Wilder Christmas--2 early 1-acts by Thornton Wilder


A Wilder Christmas
A Wilder Christmas - a family-friendly entertainment tailored to the season and appropriate food for reflection at the outset of a new year

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The Paper Bullets -great fun, great talet


 These Paper Bullets
These Paper Bullets -# Roland Jones' hilarious parody of1 #Shakespeare's Comedy of Error makes a fine landing at the #Atlantic Theater .

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Take Care-- if you don't like audience participation, take care

familiar every day reality. . . . . Read More
Take Care
Take Care - #The Flea takes on modern states of emergency with the help of audience participation. Read More

Monday, December 14, 2015

You don't have to speak or even be Jewish to enjoy The Golden Bride

ar every day reality. . . . . Read More
 The Golden Bride
#The Golden Bride - Super titles mean you don't have to speak Yiddish to enjoy this operetta. And you don't have to be Jewish. All you need is an open heart, a sense of humor and a love of life . . . .

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Invisible Thread: a musical with African-American & Broadway sounds

ead More
 Invisible Thread
Invisible Thread - a traditional book musical featuring a vibrant score with African, African-American, and Broadway sounds. The libretto conveys Griffin's odyssey with utmost economy, one scene blending fluidly into the next. Peter Nigrini's dynamic projections, varied and beautiful to behold, . . . . Read

2 Across: 2 crossword puzzlers ride the same train


 2 Across
2 Across - Jerry Mayer's witty salute to crossword puzzle fans . . . Read More

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

An Annotated List of Plays about Art and Artists

An Annotated List of Plays about Art and Artists Reviewed at Curtainup
. The film Woman in Gold  & # Hannah Rothschild's The# Improbability of Love inspired me to  re-examine   art-related plays at curtainup.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Lazarus:: triple threat creativesBowie-VanHove-Walsh make it a hot ticket


 Lazarus
Lazarus - This collaboration of the famous and formidable Rock composer David Bowie, playwright Enda Walsh and avant-garde director Ivo van Hove has extended and expanded upon the vision of the novel The Man Who Fell to Earth . . . . Read More

Sunday, December 6, 2015

School of Rock hits the stage with a super-talented band of kids


 School of Rock
School of Rock - It's a large, loud show with a totally improbable plot but it;s impossible not to root for its ensemble of super talented kids . . . . Read Mor

Friday, December 4, 2015

China Doll -- Al Pacino is still a presence- likely to make China Doll critic proof


 China Doll
China Doll - David Mamet wrote this play for Al Pacino. While Pacino isn't looking a gift horse in the mouth , all his charisma, verbal and physical quirks can't save this horse from being lame-footed. . . . Read More

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

This Of Kiss Me Katerevival worth a trip to DC


Kiss Me Kate
Kiss Me Kate - Rarely is a revival as perfect as this one now playing at Washington's Shakespeare Theatre/Harman Center. It has all the elements that keep you smiling for days: . . Read More

Monday, November 23, 2015

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Judy Dench & Kenneth Brannagh triumphantly ;aunch his new company




winterstalelon15
The Winter's Tale - #Kenneth Branagh opens the theatre season of his company at the Garrick with the brilliant Dame# Judi Dench as Paulina, in a role made for her, the must see theatre event of the decade. . . . Read

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

2 plays about not so rosy gay marriages


Steve
Steve - midlife crises of two having-it-all gay couples . . . Read More
Dada Woof Papa Hot
Dada Woof Papa Hot - Another affluent group of Gay Dads stylishly staged at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E Newhouse . . . . Read More

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Friday, November 13, 2015

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Monday, November 9, 2015

Lost Girls-- which Curtainup found a find. . .


Lost Girls
Lost Girls - John Pollono explores a blue collar family's pattern of self-entrapment in bad choices.. . . Read

HIR an absurdist look at multiple issues by performance artist Taylor Mac


 HIR
HIR - Performance artist Taylor Mac's wildly ambitious "straight" play . . . . R

Allegiance a musical about a dark chapter in our history

Kudos to George Takei for inspiring Marc Acito, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Throne to turn his family's history into a meaningful original musical . . . .

Friday, November 6, 2015

An originally commissioned play by and at NAATCO-- entertaining and provocative


Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery
Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery - Lloyd Suh's play commissioned by NAATCO evokes plenty of laughter with its portrayal of ignorance and bigotry but, ultimately, in this mystery, it's the age-old stereotypes that are put to death and given the burial they deserve . . . Read More

On Your feet-- the built in audience makes this jukebox bio-musical critic proof


 On Your Feet
On Your Feet - A jukebox musical with heart and the funky rhythm of the Estefan sound that's sure to get you on your feet . . . . Read More

Sunday, October 25, 2015

The Humans- a Thanksgiving dinner stuffed with affection-- and problems



The Humans
The Humans - Stephen Karam returns to a lower middle class family from Scranton, but this time brings them to New York's Chinatown . . . Read More

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Empanada Loca-- A riveting Daphne rubin-Vega worth a visit to Bank Street

 Empanada Loca Empanada Loca - the Grand Guignol concoction brewing at the Labyrinth Theater Company this Halloween season, is a nine-character thriller in which Daphne Rubin-Vega plays all the roles. . . . . Read More

First Daughter Suite- -- the visit to the last suite is best



First Daughter Suite
First Daughter Suite - Michael John LaChiusa's follow-up to the brilliant First Lady Suite. . .

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Paula Vogel's fascinating new play in Ct.

Indecent
Indecent -Paula Vogel's moving, full-scale, sometimes overstuffed, always fascinating new work at Yale Rep . . . Read More

The Gin Game finds 2 splendid new players


The Gin Game
The Gin Game - Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones bring D.L. Coburn's back to its original Broadway home. Read More

Danai Guria' riveting Eclipse



Eclipsed
Eclipsed - Danai Gurira's moving history-based play gets a superb cast at the Public Theater . . . Re

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Fool for Love-- Gripping neew strar-crossed lovers


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Fool for Love
Fool for Love - Its rhythmic quality gives Sam Sheperd's 1983 play the feeling of a musicalized fight dram. . .a R

Friday, October 9, 2015

Barbecue: hilarious and full of surprises--



 Barbecue
Barbecue -Robert O'Hara's uproarious satire is sure to be another hit for the hit-making Public Theater. . . . . 

Monday, October 5, 2015

Caryl Churchill's gender bending satire gets a rare revival


 Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine - Caryl Churchill's early play still worth watching, though the reconfigured Atlantic Theater is likely to put you into a cloud nine comfort zone . . R