All stories by Jonathan Mandell on BroadwayStars

Sunday, July 7, 2019

New York Musical Festival NYMF 2019 Preview by Jonathan Mandell

In the 16th annual New York Musical Festival, or NYMF,  new musicals are inspired both by tall tales and true stories: A Native American sharpshooter who became a silent film actress; …

SOURCE: New York Theater at 03:17PM[SHARE]
Saturday, July 6, 2019

Macbeth by Migdalia Cruz: Shakespeare With A New Gaze by Jonathan Mandell

After she was hired to "translate" Macbeth into an English that is "clear to the modern ear," the playwright Migdalia Cruz took a trip to Scotland with her husband and daughter to visit M…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 02:20PM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 4, 2019

10 Patriotic Protest Songs for the 4th of July by Jonathan Mandell

Watch videos of ten great American protest songs, some of which have become so popular that many people forget their origins in patriotic protest -- just as some seem to have forgotten the m…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 08:19AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Hot Festival Opening Night: Sampling Queer Theater + Six I Want To See by Jonathan Mandell

Six recommended shows from the Hot Festival, which is billed as the oldest queer theater festival in the world I saw 15 of the 45 shows in the Hot Festival on opening night and I can say al…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 01:21PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 2, 2019

July 4th Week Broadway Schedule. Broadway Closings…and Openings: Betrayal. Neil Diamond? #Stageworthy News of the Week by Jonathan Mandell

This week in New York theater: the July 4th week Broadway schedule. List of Broadway shows closing this summer. The 2019-2020 season on Broadway and at The Flea, Ars Nova, HERE Arts Center, …

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:03AM[SHARE]
Monday, July 1, 2019

July 2019 New York Theater Openings by Jonathan Mandell

"Moulin Rouge The Musical" is opening on Broadway this month, and both comedian Dave Chappelle and singer Barry Manilow will have "Broadway residencies," which is a pretentious way of des…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:25PM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 30, 2019

Where Pride Began: Stonewall at 50 by Jonathan Mandell

In front of the Stonewall Inn, on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which gave birth to the modern gay rights movement:

SOURCE: New York Theater at 12:35PM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 29, 2019

Stonewall 50 New York Theater Quiz by Jonathan Mandell

How well were you paying attention to theater in June? How much do you know about LGBT theater history? Find both answers in this 10-question quiz

SOURCE: New York Theater at 03:14PM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 27, 2019

Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise Review: A Kung Fu Musical at The Shed' by Jonathan Mandell

Theater lovers should expect "a spirit of adventure and invention" from the shows at The Shed, according to Alex Poots, the artistic director of this new $500 million arts center on West 30t…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:48PM[SHARE]

Review: We're Only Alive for a Short Amount of Time by Jonathan Mandell

Near the beginning of David Cale's shocking autobiographical one-man show,  he gets a laugh when he explains that Luton, the industrial town where he grew up 30 miles north of London "had…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 08:08PM[SHARE]

FREE Broadway in Bryant Park Concerts Summer 2019 Schedule by Jonathan Mandell

For the 19th year in a row, Bryant Park is the site of free lunchtime concerts by cast members of current Broadway (and some Off-Broadway) shows  on Thursdays in July and August between 1…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:05AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Watch #TheInvestigation, The Mueller Report Adapted by Robert Schenkkan by Jonathan Mandell

A starry cast of 18, including Annette Bening and Zachary Quinto, performed "The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts", a 77-minute adaptation of the Mueller Report by Pulitzer-…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:05AM[SHARE]

The 11th Annual Jimmy Awards by Jonathan Mandell

At the 11th annual Jimmy Awards, Ethan Kelso won Best Performance by an Actor  as Will Bloom in Big Fish at Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Ekele Uke…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 05:31AM[SHARE]
Monday, June 24, 2019

Lin-Manuel Miranda Freestyling on Broadway, BOOMing on Netflix, Vending in the Heights. Mueller Report Play Streaming Live! The Week in New York Thea by Jonathan Mandell

An all-star cast will perform a live reading of The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts, Robert Schenkkan adaptation of the Mueller Report. This one-night only event, beginning…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 10:33AM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 23, 2019

Broadway 2019-2020 Season Preview Guide by Jonathan Mandell

The 2019-2020 Broadway season is still in formation, but there's enough exciting already scheduled to offer this preview: Lin-Manuel is producing his hip-hop improv group on Broadway, and re…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:49AM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 22, 2019

Contradict This Review: "Stonewall 50" Birthday, Funeral and Trial for Walt Whitman by Jonathan Mandell

"Contradict This! A Birthday Funeral for Heroes," by the freewheeling Philadelphia-based group called  The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, is being presented as part of La MaMa's celebration this…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 05:43PM[SHARE]
Friday, June 21, 2019

Puppets in New York City. Where To Get Your Puppetry Fix by Jonathan Mandell

"Avenue Q" is no more, the Bil Baird Marionette Theater died decades ago, but there is plenty of puppetry in New York, as I detail in my article for TDF Stages, 5 Theatres You Need to Know: …

SOURCE: New York Theater at 10:39AM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 20, 2019

Toni Stone Review: The first black woman professional baseball player by Jonathan Mandell

Toni Stone was the first woman to play big-league professional baseball. She succeeded Hank Aaron playing second base for the otherwise all-male Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American Lea…

SOURCE: DC Theatre Scene at 07:54PM[SHARE]

Toni Stone: Pics and Review by Jonathan Mandell

Toni Stone was the first woman to play big-league professional baseball. She succeeded Hank Aaron playing second base for the otherwise all-male Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American Lea…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:00PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 19, 2019

The Secret Life of Bees Review by Jonathan Mandell

"The Secret Life of Bees" " first a 2001 best-selling novel, then a 2008 all-star movie, now a musical written by theatrical all stars Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined), Duncan Sheik (Spring Awak…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:11PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Dylan Musical on Broadway. Something's Coming, Something's Gone. Tony Fallout. #Newsworthy News of the Week by Jonathan Mandell

The first publicity shot from Steven Spielberg's movie remake of "West Side Story," planned for December 2020, came on the same week as the death of Franco Zeffirelli, whose 1968 film of "Ro…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 10:35AM[SHARE]
Monday, June 17, 2019

A Strange Loop Review: Black, big, gay writer gets navel-gazy and tuneful by Jonathan Mandell

"A Strange Loop" is a musical about a big, gay black guy who is struggling to write a musical about a big, gay black guy who is struggling….. Michael R. Jackson, the musical's talented boo…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 10:44PM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 16, 2019

Fairview Review: 2019 Pulitzer Winning Drama About Race and the White Gaze Remounted by Jonathan Mandell

The stunning production of "Fairview," Jackie Siblies Drury's challenging play, is now being remounted with the same extraordinary cast and creative team at the Theatre for a New Audience in…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 08:01PM[SHARE]

It's MOLLY Bloomsday In NYC by Jonathan Mandell

"….I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes," Molly Bloom says, the l…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 02:34AM[SHARE]
Friday, June 14, 2019

Handbagged Review: Queen Elizabeth vs. Margaret Thatcher by Jonathan Mandell

Moira Buffini's inspired, inventive play about Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher " two women born six months apart and forced to deal with one another for the 11 years …

SOURCE: New York Theater at 05:37PM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 13, 2019

Convention Review: Ambitiously Recreating the 1944 "Conspiracy" for Truman by Jonathan Mandell

In 1944, when FDR was running for an unprecedented fourth term as President, the Democrats kicked out his then-Vice President, Henry Wallace, and nominated Missouri Senator Harry Truman to r…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:30PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Free* Tickets to NY Theater: Goldstar's Comp Train by Jonathan Mandell

For the next three days (June 12th to 14th), you can get free tickets for certain seats at various future performances of live theater, concerts, dance, and comedy, courtesy of Goldstar's…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 10:23AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Much Ado About Nothing Review: Danielle Brooks' Brassy Beatrice in All-Black Bard by Jonathan Mandell

As Beatrice in the Public Theater's all-black production of "Much Ado About Nothing," Danielle Brooks proves herself a Shakespearean actress of a high order " and at the same time redefines …

SOURCE: New York Theater at 08:20PM[SHARE]
Monday, June 10, 2019

10 Memorable Tony Moments. Watch All 9 Musical Numbers Plus Taylor Mac. #Stageworthy News of the Week by Jonathan Mandell

From Ali Stroker tearfully dedicating her Tony to "every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability" to Elaine May's wry explanation for her win to Andre De Shields' three rules of lon…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 10:58AM[SHARE]

Watch 2019 Tony Speeches: Ali Stroker, Rachel Chavkin, Andre De Shields, Rosemary Harris, Sergio Trujillo, Judith Light, Terrence McNally, Bob Mackie by Jonathan Mandell

"This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation, who has a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena. You ar…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 01:19AM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 9, 2019

2019 Tony Award Winners: Hadestown, The Ferryman, Boys in the Band, Oklahoma… by Jonathan Mandell

Hadestown won best musical and seven other awards, The Ferryman  best play, the Boys in the Band best play revival of a play, Oklahoma best musical revival musical at the 73rd Annual Tony…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:39PM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off