All stories by Alan Smason on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Existential 'The River' runs slowly, but is thought provoking by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO In the late 1950's through the 1980s The Theatre of the Absurd theatrical movement was the intellectual rage.  Based on the concept of Existentialism which asks, "what …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:42AM[SHARE]
Monday, March 6, 2023

NOLA Project takes 'White' to the museum by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") If artists of one cultural or racial extraction are being considered above others for inclusion at a museum or at gallery shows, is it…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:21PM[SHARE]
Saturday, March 4, 2023

A Touching and Funny Tale of Asian Immigrants in America by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI " This Midwest state is currently swept up in a slate of new plays, all part of a project called World Premiere Wisconsin. The project, with multiple sources of …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 07:07AM[SHARE]
Thursday, March 2, 2023

National tour of 'Fiddler' scores high marks during its New Orleans run by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") When it comes to an old chestnut like "Fiddler on the Roof," the biggest challenge may be in keeping the Joseph Stein book fresh and t…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:40PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 24, 2023

About the protests outside 'Parade' by Alan Smason

By JASON ROBERT BROWN February 22, 2023, Nyack, NY So, the Neo-Nazis. There is a website about the Leo Frank case that is not hard to find on Google. It has been around in some form or other…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:25AM[SHARE]
Saturday, February 4, 2023

'Hadestown' impressively directed, conceived and performed, but may confound some by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO When Hadestown, opened on Broadway on April 17, 2019, it was met with critical acclaim. Reviews contained such terms as "inventive," "gorgeous, "hypnotic," "high energy," "utter…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:37AM[SHARE]
Sunday, January 29, 2023

Imagined Conversations: Warhol & Basquiat on Broadway by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Having lived in New York City's East Village for many decades, I know the very neighborhood where much of the action in Anthony McCarten's currently running Broadway play The…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:32AM[SHARE]
Thursday, January 26, 2023

Neil Diamond's out loud life reverberates in 'A Beautiful Noise' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ('Steppin' Out") When A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical opened on Broadway nearly eight weeks ago, there was some bellyaching from first n…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:43AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Farcical, ghostly 'Beetlejuice' at Connor Palace will delight many, confound others by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO As the run of the awe-inspiring Hamilton draws to a close at the Playhouse Square's State Theatre, Beetlejuice, the cult-followed farcical ghostly show appears next door at the …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:24PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Country & Western-themed 'Whorehouse' heats up Milwaukee in January by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI. " January temperatures rarely rise above 30 degrees here, so indoor activities are welcomed. Local theatergoers can watch a foot-stompin,' whooping and hollerin…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:24AM[SHARE]
Monday, January 9, 2023

Victoria Clark, Bonnie Milligan key to success of 'Kimberly Akimbo' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON There are a plethora of plays that have become the basis of successful Broadway musicals. A classic example is Lynn Riggs' Green Grow the Lilacs, which became Oklahoma. …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 11:37AM[SHARE]
Thursday, December 22, 2022

John Kelly's 'Underneath the Skin' closing its extended run by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Billed as "A Penetrating Portrayal of A Queer Giant," performance artist John Kelly's  explosive gay-themed show Underneath The Skin, " bolstered by actor/dancers Hucklefa…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:25PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Not some, but everybody should love 'Some Like It Hot' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot," considered by many film enthusiasts as one of the greatest movies of all time, would seem to be a p…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:55PM[SHARE]
Sunday, December 11, 2022

Dobama premieres original 'The Land of Oz' by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Since 1959, Dobama Theatre has been dedicated to premiering important new plays by established and emerging playwrights in professional productions of the highest quality. The L…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 07:43AM[SHARE]
Saturday, December 10, 2022

Stoppard's brilliant 'Leopoldstadt' extends at Longacre until summer of 2023 by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Tom Stoppard had long established his credentials as One of the 20th century's leading playwrights and authors, Tom Stoppard was a pro…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:28AM[SHARE]
Thursday, December 8, 2022

JPAS presenting final weekend of Irving Berlin's 'Holiday Inn' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") There's no more an appropriate time to present Irving Berlin's 'Holiday Inn' than during the festive season of holiday time. With s…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 11:19AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Encounters of the weird kind: 'Craigslisted' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Sharai Bohannon is an activist playwright who doesn't shy away from tackling issues that some might feel uncomfortable discussing. Whe…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:40AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Rocky royal marriages recalled in spectacular 'Six' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Taking their regal cues from the likes of pop music royalty Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Avril Lavigne and J…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:01PM[SHARE]
Saturday, November 26, 2022

'You Will Get Sick': Surreal, So Real and Otherworldly by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN You Will Get Sick, currently playing Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City through Sunday, December 11, is the most riveting and mind-stretching play that I…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:37AM[SHARE]
Thursday, November 24, 2022

World Premiere of 'The Nativity Variations' leaves 'em laughing in Milwaukee by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI " Some funny anecdotes were once relayed by playwright Catherine Trieschmann to Milwaukee Repertory Theater Artistic Director Mark Clements. They initially led t…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:54PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Ensemble's 'Describe the Night' is a lesson in Russian conspiracy theory with modern day implications by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO Describe the Night, which is now on stage at Ensemble Theatre, is Cleveland Heights native Rajiv Joseph's 2018 Obie Award winner for Best New American Play. Joseph was named …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:39PM[SHARE]
Monday, October 31, 2022

Disney's 'Lion King' continues to wow audiences by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") There is probably no more magnificent opening number in Broadway history than "Circle of Life/ Nants Ingonyama" found in Disney's The …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 06:41PM[SHARE]
Thursday, October 27, 2022

Le Petit's 'The Play That Goes Wrong' is Right On! by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") It's taken a minute, but the only play to ever win both an Olivier Award in London and a Tony Award on Broadway has finally arrivedÂ…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:28PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, October 26, 2022

NOLA Project and Gab Reisman spin Chekhov with 'The Seagull, or How To Eat It' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") It would seem The NOLA Project, those upstarts who came to New Orleans from New York's Tisch School just prior to the landfall of Hurr…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 04:31PM[SHARE]
Monday, October 24, 2022

Modern Politics Creates Sizzling Satire in 'The Totalitarians' by Alan Smason

By ANNE SIEGEL MILWAUKEE, WI " With the mid-term political elections just weeks away, one of Milwaukee's newer theater companies uses that timing to open The Totalitarians, a 2015 political …

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 05:04AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Flying high, 'The Kite Runner' " closing soon " should not be missed by Alan Smason

By EDWARD RUBIN Sometimes, a gripping story with universal relevance sells big. Such was the case of "The Kite Runner," Khaled Hossein's 2003 semi-autobiographical novel which was turned int…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 01:10AM[SHARE]
Monday, October 17, 2022

New production of beloved '1776' sets decidedly feminist agenda by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") Back when I was still in high school, writer Peter Stone and composer and lyricist Sherman Edwards got together to reimagine a patriot…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:50PM[SHARE]
Saturday, October 15, 2022

LES MIZ! still Les Okay in its tour kick-off at Key Bank State Theatre by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO When Les Misérables last came to Cleveland in November of 2018, in part I wrote: "From the very first time I saw Les Miserables, shortly after its opening in London, to the New…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 10:42AM[SHARE]
Thursday, October 13, 2022

Final weekend looms for regional premiere of 'In the Heights' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") It's taken 16 years since it first bowed at the Public Theatre and 15 years after it became a Broadway smash, but In the Heights…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 12:12PM[SHARE]
Sunday, October 9, 2022

Saenger opens season with 'Pretty (Good) Woman' by Alan Smason

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic ("Steppin' Out") There are some classic movies that easily make the transition from the big screen to the stage. Because some have first been independe…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 08:28AM[SHARE]
Friday, October 7, 2022

'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' is well conceived, but… by Alan Smason

By ROY BERKO The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, now on stage in the Senney Theater in the Beck Center complex, is a play by Simon Stephens which is based on British writer Ma…

SOURCE: Theatre Criticsm at 03:07AM[SHARE]

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