All stories by Jonathan Mandell on BroadwayStars

Saturday, August 23, 2014

2014 Fringe NYC Encore Series, for New York Fringe Shows You Missed by Jonathan Mandell

Sixteen of the most popular shows from the 2014 New York International Fringe Festival will be presented at the 10th annual Fringe Encore series,September 4 to October 5, which (lik…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 01:24AM[SHARE]
Friday, August 22, 2014

Broadway Fall 2014 Preview Guide by Jonathan Mandell

Listed below, chronologically by opening dates, are the shows officially scheduled so far on Broadway in the 2014-2015 season, with basic information and my two cents for the Fall shows. Bot…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:53AM[SHARE]
Thursday, August 21, 2014

Broadway Poll Fall 2014: What Show Most Excites You? by Jonathan Mandell

There are 16 shows scheduled to open on Broadway between September and December, 2014 (as of this writing). Take this poll: Which one are you most looking forward to? The shows are organized…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:48PM[SHARE]

Broadway ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Videos: Newsies (Half Naked) Lion King, Book of Mormon, etc by Jonathan Mandell

Newsies (half-naked) The Lion King The Book of Mormon Once Tagged: Newsies, Once, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:17AM[SHARE]

Kunstler Fringe Review: Reliving The Radical Lawyer's Famous Cases by Jonathan Mandell

In "Kunstler," a fascinating play at the New York Fringe Festival about radical lawyer William Kunstler's most significant cases, playwright Jeffrey Sweet strives to present a balanced portr…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:49AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Andrew Rannells Begins As Hedwig by Jonathan Mandell

Andrew Rannells replaces Neil Patrick Harris in the lead role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch tonight (August 20th) through October 12th. Harris won a Tony for his portrait of the “girlyb…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:34AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Abortion by Eugene O'Neill, Turned Into A Play About Race by Jonathan Mandell

Eugene O'Neill wrote "Abortion" exactly a century ago, shortly after he had decided to become a playwright. Director Heather Lanza and producer Taryn A Wisky have chosen to "adapt" O'Neill's…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 03:21PM[SHARE]
Monday, August 18, 2014

RIP Robin Williams, Lauren Bacall. Fringe Fun: Taylor Swift and The Marx Brothers. Week in New York Theater by Jonathan Mandell

Death was an unfortunate theme this week, with the passing of two performers , Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall, as comfortable on stage as on screen. We are midway through the 18th annua…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:45AM[SHARE]
Sunday, August 17, 2014

Poor Behavior Review: Theresa Rebeck on the Decline of Muffins and Morality by Jonathan Mandell

"Poor Behavior," Theresa Rebeck's comedy at Primary Stages, revolves around a basic question: "What is goodness?" The play begins in the middle of a debate on the subject by two characters w…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 08:06PM[SHARE]

I'll Say She Is Review: A Marx Brothers Musical 90 Years Later by Jonathan Mandell

In the first-ever revival of "I'll Say She Is," the Marx Brothers' first-ever Broadway musical, Harpo honks once again; Chico puns, Zeppo courts; and Groucho, cigar in hand, says things like…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 02:22PM[SHARE]
Saturday, August 16, 2014

Sex With Strangers Review: Love Is Breaking Bad by Jonathan Mandell

"Sex With Strangers," a comedy about a coupling with complications, stars two performers " Anna Gunn, Bryan Cranston's wife Skyler in "Breaking Bad," and Billy Magnussen, the boy-toy Spike i…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:29AM[SHARE]
Friday, August 15, 2014

Mamma Mia in Bryant Park: Watch Dancing Queen, Waterloo, Etc. by Jonathan Mandell

Mamma Mia opened on Broadway in 2001, just a few months after the first Broadway in Bryant Park, a weekly summer series of free lunch-time concerts featuring current Broadway casts. Cast mem…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 12:36PM[SHARE]
Thursday, August 14, 2014

On The Town at Broadway in Bryant Park by Jonathan Mandell

Cast members from the new revival of the musical “On The Town” presented three songs in the last Broadway in Bryant Park lunch-time concert of this summer. Tony Yazbeck and two u…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 05:47PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Theater Review: Revolution in the Elbow of Ragnar Agnarsson Furniture Painter by Jonathan Mandell

It is easy to feel bewildered by a title that sounds as if it is translated from the Icelandic. But as it turns out, the dialogue and the lyrics sound that way as well. "Revolution in the El…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 06:46PM[SHARE]

RIP Lauren Bacall: A Life in Pictures…and On Stage by Jonathan Mandell

Actress Lauren Bacall has died at age 89. Best known as a sultry siren of the silver screen, having made more than 40 films,  Bacall was also a six-time Broadway veteran, winning Tony …

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:39AM[SHARE]
Monday, August 11, 2014

RIP Robin Williams by Jonathan Mandell

Robin Williams is reported to have died today at age 63. He was such a strong performer that his brilliance shines through even when he was just voicing a cartoon character, as in this scene…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:22PM[SHARE]

Fringe Review: 2014, When We Were Idiots. (Weird Walking Tour) by Jonathan Mandell

A hundred years ago, our tour guide was saying, New Yorkers were such idiots that they stopped throwing away their garbage, and the city disappeared under a pile of rubbish, mostly coffee cu…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:51AM[SHARE]
Sunday, August 10, 2014

Seven Seductions of Taylor Swift versus Taylor Swift's Songs of Ex Lovers by Jonathan Mandell

Making art, and sport, out of Taylor Swift's love life is far from original; the popular singer-songwriter has done so herself many times; it's easy to argue that her career is largely built…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:19PM[SHARE]
Saturday, August 9, 2014

Coming to Broadway: Fun Home! Helen Mirren! Larry David! Side Show! Best Little Whorehouse! Week in New York Theater by Jonathan Mandell

As the Fringe begins, the exciting announcements about the Main Stem tumbled out all in two days (See August 6 and 7 below) The Week in New York Theater   4 Piece of My Heart: the Be…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 08:20AM[SHARE]
Thursday, August 7, 2014

Phoenix Review: Julia Stiles in Romantic Comedy With Abortion by Jonathan Mandell

In “Phoenix,” a slight and slightly dark romantic comedy with several twists that theoretically should make it feel like a more substantial play, Julia Stiles portrays Sue, an an…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:49PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Watch 2014 New York Fringe Previews by Jonathan Mandell

The 18th annual New York International Fringe Festival runs Friday, August 8th through Sunday, August 24th, 2014, with some 75,000 theatergoers expected for more than 200 shows. Here is a gl…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 10:24PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 5, 2014

King Lear with John Lithgow in Central Park Reviews by Jonathan Mandell

In the first King Lear seen at Shakespeare in the Park since 1973, John Lithgow plays the king, his two  ungrateful daughters are Annette Bening  making her Central Park debut and Jess…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:40PM[SHARE]
Sunday, August 3, 2014

Stars on Stages To Come. Sex, Crazy, Lightning. The Week in New York Theater by Jonathan Mandell

Many stars made themselves known this week – for shows we’ll be seeing after summer is over.  One Broadway revival alone featured a rotating cast of nine little-seen celebriti…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 01:15PM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 31, 2014

Between Riverside and Crazy Reviews: Stephen Adly Guirgis At His Best by Jonathan Mandell

Walter was shot by a cop ten years ago, and has lived on booze and pie and regret ever since – but it’s more complicated than that. For one thing, Walter was himself a cop. And h…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:35PM[SHARE]

New York Theater July 2014 Quiz by Jonathan Mandell

How well were you paying attention to the theater news in July? Answer these 10 questions to see.

SOURCE: New York Theater at 07:48PM[SHARE]

The Lightning Thief Review: Percy Jackson Olympians on Stage by Jonathan Mandell

It isn’t easy being 12 years old and a demigod with dyslexia. Percy Jackson may be the son of Poseidon, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting expelled from school after school…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 09:40AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Sex With Strangers Reviews and Photographs by Jonathan Mandell

“Sex With Strangers,”  Anna Gunn, who played Bryan Cranston’s wife in “Breaking Bad,” couples with Billy Magnussen, who portrayed sexy, half-naked Spike in V…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 08:58PM[SHARE]

Into The Woods Film: Preview In Photographs by Jonathan Mandell

The film version of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical, “Into the Woods,” is set to arrive in movie theaters on December 25th. Meanwhile, Disney has released the follo…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 01:51PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 29, 2014

An American In Paris Publicity Shots by Jonathan Mandell

When “An American in Paris” opens at the Palace Theater on Broadway in April, it won’t look exactly like these two photographs, which were taken in Paris, where the musical…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 11:56AM[SHARE]
Monday, July 28, 2014

John Leguizamo's Ghetto Klown FREE tonight Central Park by Jonathan Mandell

John Leguizamo is presenting his solo show Ghetto Klown tonight free at  Rumsey Playfield in Central Park starting at 8 p.m. (Get there early.) This is the same show he performed on Br…

SOURCE: New York Theater at 01:18PM[SHARE]

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