Attention this week has focused on theater from abroad. The Canadian theater company Soulpepper is wrapping up its month-long residence at Signature. The first annual Immigrant Arts in America Summit concluded with a rousing concert and resulted in the formation of an Immigrant Arts Coalition. An Israeli play, “To the End of the Land,” opened at the Lincoln Center Festival, greeted by pickets. (Stay tuned for my review.)
Tony Kushner says he’s planning to write a play about Trump set 2 years before 2016 election.https://t.co/yHJHe1NsSm pic.twitter.com/Vlrm0wvDMm
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 19, 2017
Week in New York Theater Reviews
And She Would Stand Like This Review: LGBTQ House of Euripides, Snap
“Greek tragedy meets Harlem ball scene. Fantastic,” RuPaul Tweeted succinctly after seeing “And She Would Stand Like This.” The Harlem-based Movement theater company’s adaptation of Euripides’ “The Trojan Women,” which has opened at A.R.T./NY, is inspired by “Paris is Burning,” the 1990 film documentary by Jennie Livingston that chronicled the elaborate culture of drag balls by LGBTQ+ people of color in the 1980s.
Spoon River Review: The Dead, Singin’ and Regrettin’
In “Spoon River,” we meet a town full of drunks, hypocrites, home-grown philosophers, resentful husbands, frustrated wives, an arsonist, a killer, and dozens more – all of them dead…and all of them singing and fiddling and stomping with glee.
As part of their month-long residence at Signature Center, Canada’s Soulpepper theater company has created a lively, joyful musical adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, the celebrated 1915 book of poems by more than 200 residents of the fictional town of Spoon River, Illinois – or more precisely, residents of the graveyard in the town; the poems are expanded tombstone epitaphs
NYMF Review: Temple of the Souls. A Romeo and Juliet romance in 16th Century Puerto Rico
“Temple of the Souls,” a musical about a doomed, Romeo and Juliet romance in 16th century Puerto Rico between a Spanish conquistador’s daughter and a Taino, begins with a thrill. The cast, dressed in the naguas (loincloths), masks and straw headgear of the indigenous people of the island, dance sensuously and athletically to a tuneful melody driven by an infectious beat….Little in the nearly two hours (without intermission) that follow the opening number in “Temple of the Souls” quite matches it.
NYMF Review: The Fourth Messenger. Buddha as a 21st Century Woman
The story of the Buddha informs this intriguing and well-produced musical at the New York Musical Festival about a modern-day female spiritual leader. But it’s not until the last fifth of the show that we realize what aspect of the Buddha’s life most struck Tanya Shaffer, who wrote the earnest script, and Vienna Teng, who composed the delightfully eclectic score. It was when future Buddha, Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who had been sheltered from the world by his father the king, left his home and family behind to help alleviate suffering in the world.
How would we feel if a 21st century Buddha sacrificed their connections to their loved ones for the sake of strangers? And would we feel differently if that Buddha were a woman?
Week in New York Theater News
Complete list of nominations for the 2017 New York Innovative Theatre Awards, honoring Off-Off Broadway
NYC’s first ever “cultural plan” will link funding of arts groups to the diversity of their staff and board
New @sweeneytoddnyc cast Aug 29:@realhughpanaro as Sweeney,
sweethearts @JaykeBoid & @ErynLeCroy.
(@CaroleeCarmello will stay) pic.twitter.com/JRi4EtYqkI— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 24, 2017
(@normlewis777 plays his final performance as Sweeney Todd Aug 13; @MattfDoyle, @finkeboutit et al Aug 27. ) pic.twitter.com/cabWV3qWIY
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 24, 2017
My review of Sweeney Todd with the first cast
Missed Sarah Delappe’s The Wolves when at Playwright’s Realm? It’s coming to Lincoln Center in November.
New Aaron Burr in @HamiltonMusical on bway starting August 29: @MrDanielBreaker (Passing Strange), who played Burr in Chicago pic.twitter.com/VcMuNAb1Rz
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 21, 2017
.@BushwickStarr community festival w/ free food fun music, then @oyegroupnyc‘s Ghetto Hors D’Oeuvres
July 30
Maria Hernandez Park pic.twitter.com/fIPPw12ZWi— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 18, 2017
PBS Great Performances broadcasts Broadway.
(Links are to my reviews.)
She Loves Me
Friday, October 20, 9 pm-12 am ET
Present Laughter
Friday, November 3, 9 pm ET
In the Heights – Chasing Broadway Dreams
Friday, November 10, 9-10:30 pm ET
A behind-the-scenes documentary
Prince of Broadway – A Tribute to Harold Prince
Friday, November 17, 9-10:30 pm ET
Holiday Inn
Friday, November 24, 9-11:30 pm ET
Hamilton’s America
Friday, December 1, 9-10:30 pm ET
A documentary
Mamet’s ban on talk-backs: Right? Dumb? Legal?@pagepatrick, @gdmosher, critics, & playwrights weigh inhttps://t.co/IoKshaiAGl
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 17, 2017
Is rap the future of musical theater?Maybe! Writer/composer @ho_howard analyzes @HamiltonMusical musicallyhttps://t.co/Moab0HDbIN
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 17, 2017
Alec Baldwin will star as Col. Nathan Jessep in Aaron Sorkin’s play, A Few Good Men, which will be broadcast live on NBC in 2018. pic.twitter.com/HeiUmTFJcd
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 18, 2017
Q & A w/ new @NYMag critic @swholdren by @AmericanTheatre‘s @RobKendt.
https://t.co/xDkkt7tUqZ pic.twitter.com/XX95x4NnDh— ATCA (@Theatre_Critics) July 18, 2017
RIP John Heard,72,”Home Alone” Dad, “Sopranos” corrupt cop, & 4-time Bway veteran (eg Gentleman Caller in 1983 Glass Menagerie) pic.twitter.com/2021JGHXeq
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 22, 2017
