All stories by Tony Frankel on BroadwayStars

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Theater Preview: MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT (Vineyard Theatre, NYC) by Tony Frankel

POLITICS, IN FULL DRAG: A CAMPAIGN LIKE NO OTHER Wayne Brady leads a wild, urgent, and unexpectedly timely ride through queer history and unfinished business. There have been outsider candid…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:29PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Theater Review: EELPOUT! (Shattered Globe at Theater Wit) by Tony Frankel

ICE FISHING, MALE BONDING, AND ONE VERY TALKATIVE FISH An uproarious and unexpectedly poignant Midwest comedy that finds connection in the unlikeliest of places. “There are only two or thr…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:53PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: FOR WANT OF A HORSE (Echo Theater Company, Atwater Village Theatre) by Tony Frankel

HOLD YOUR HORSES A provocative subject that proves hard to recommend—and harder to ignore Olivia Dufault’s For Want of a Horse tackles a subject most plays wouldn’t dare touch—and to…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:53PM[SHARE]
Friday, May 1, 2026

HOOP DREAMS: THE BIGGEST OSCARS SNUB IN MODERN HISTORY? by Tony Frankel

Ask anyone to talk about the greatest Oscars snubs in history, and you’ll likely get a long litany of grievances. There’s Alfred Hitchcock, five times nominated but never picking up a Be…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Sunday, April 26, 2026

Theater Review: COCKROACHES (World Premiere at Revolution Stage Company, Palm Springs) by Tony Frankel

THIS SHOW BUGS ME A Southern Gothic that hints at something deeper but never quite gets there For all its promise, Cockroaches, the 2024 Del Shores Foundation Best Play winner by Emma Schill…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, April 24, 2026

Theater Review: TEEN BEAT LIVE | 80s MOVIE MIXTAPE (CineVita, Inglewood) by Tony Frankel

I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE A high-energy 80s mixtape that actually leaves you wanting more For The Record has built a reputation on remixing cinematic nostalgia into immersive, high-octane theatri…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:37PM[SHARE]
Thursday, April 23, 2026

Theater Review: THE PRICE (Pacific Resident Theatre, Venice) by Tony Frankel

THE COST OF LOOKING BACK With a soaring first act, I’m willing to pay the price for a second that can’t quite keep up Arthur Miller’s The Price has always been a talky, introspective p…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 11:43PM[SHARE]

Event Preview: FUNDRAISER FOR SENATOR JON OSSOFF (Lin-Manuel Miranda Hosts Virtual Fundraiser) by Tony Frankel

BROADWAY GOES POLITICAL A starry virtual event blends music, activism, and marquee names If you’re going to tune into a political fundraiser, it might as well come with a Broadway-caliber …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:54PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Theater Review: “MASTER HAROLD” …AND THE BOYS (Geffen Playhouse) by Tony Frankel

MASTER PRODUCTION During the last half-hour of the exquisitely produced “Master Harold”…and the boys, the Geffen Playhouse becomes theatre as a temple: a transcendental, spiritual, em…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:25AM[SHARE]

Theater Preview: A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (The Bent, Palm Springs Cultural Center) by Tony Frankel

SMALL MUSICAL, BIG HEART An intimate Irish story about courage, community, and the quiet power of living truthfully There’s a certain kind of musical that doesn’t announce itself with sp…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:30AM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 18, 2026

Theater Preview: 43RD ELLIOT NORTON AWARDS: NOMINATIONS & CEREMONY (Boston Theater Critics Association, The Huntington) by Tony Frankel

The Boston Theater Critics Association has announced nominations for the 43rd Annual Elliot Norton Awards, a wide-ranging snapshot of the current theater season in Greater Boston. The ceremo…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:50AM[SHARE]
Monday, April 13, 2026

Dance Preview: PARSONS DANCE (BroadStage, Santa Monica) by Tony Frankel

HIGH VOLTAGE DANCE, NO SAFETY NET A company built on athleticism, musicality, and sheer momentum returns to BroadStage Few choreographers have maintained the kind of sustained, high-energy a…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:58AM[SHARE]
Sunday, April 12, 2026

Preview: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Palm Canyon Theatre, Palm Springs) by Tony Frankel

DESIRE, DANGER, AND A SONG TO SURVIVE Palm Canyon Theatre dives into one of Kander and Ebb's most intoxicating musical Palm Canyon Theatre brings bold heat to the desert with Kiss of the Spi…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:13AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Theater Review: KIM'S CONVENIENCE (Ahmanson) by Tony Frankel

A SMALL SHOP WITH A BIG HEART A delightful, tender surprise arrives at the Ahmanson"and quietly wins you over Sometimes the most unassuming shows sneak up and steal your heart. Kim's Conveni…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:25PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Theater Review: YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Morgan-Wixon Theatre in Santa Monica) by Tony Frankel

BIG CAST, BIG LAUGHS, BIG HEART A  joyful Morgan-Wixson production proves this classic still delivers the goods Community theatre rarely aims this big"or lands this charmingly. The Morgan…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:30AM[SHARE]
Thursday, March 19, 2026

Theater Review: THE BEST BOARDING HOUSE IN DELAWARE (Electric Lodge) by Tony Frankel

HOME IS WHERE THE HORROR IS A boarding house of quiet menace and killer detail Writer/director Marja-Lewis Ryan is back, and her latest show arrives at The Electric Lodge in Venice with a ki…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 05:00PM[SHARE]
Thursday, March 12, 2026

Theater Review: GUYS AND DOLLS (CV Rep) by Tony Frankel

A BEAUTIFUL DOLL CV Rep's production is one bet you can't lose It's amazing. Were this masterpiece from Broadway's golden age an actual guy or doll, he or she would be scoring Social Securit…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Deep Dive into "Death Becomes Her" on Broadway: Review, Tickets, and Everything You Need to Know by Tony Frankel

The wait is finally over for fans of the dark, fantastical comedy as "Death Becomes Her" on Broadway officially makes its immortal entrance. The musical adaptation of the 1992 cult classic, …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Theater Review: GOD OF CARNAGE (South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa) by Tony Frankel

CIVILITY CRUMBLES, BUT THE COMEDY NEVER BUILDS South Coast Rep's revival exposes how thin satire needs sharper direction to truly sting Melinda Page Hamilton and Kim Martin-Cotten The first …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:56AM[SHARE]
Monday, March 2, 2026

Dance Preview: STILL/HERE (Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company on Tour at Royce Hall) by Tony Frankel

STILL HERE, STILL ESSENTIAL The tour of Bill T. Jones's landmark dance comes to Royce Hall with undiminished force The first time I saw Still/Here, it was at BAM. It was 1994, the year of St…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:59AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 23, 2026

FROM PAGE TO STAGE: HOW THEATRE AND CINEMA SHAPE THE BOOKS WE READ by Tony Frankel

In an era when content moves fluidly across mediums, the relationship between stage, screen, and page has never been more dynamic. Theatre productions become films, films inspire novels, and…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:45AM[SHARE]
Monday, January 26, 2026

Theater Review: BROWNSTONE (Open Fist Theatre Company at Atwater Village) by Tony Frankel

THREE ERAS, ONE MISSED OPPORTUNITY Brownstone collapses under unfocused, baffling staging Catherine Butterfield's Brownstone (2008) is built around a solid, even enticing idea: we have three…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 11:57AM[SHARE]
Saturday, January 24, 2026

Cabaret Interview: JASON BROCK (Appearing in IF THIS IS LOVE, "Help Is on the Way" REAF Benefit) by Tony Frankel

REAF'S IF THIS IS LOVE " A ONE-NIGHT CABARET VALENTINE Big voices, big heart, and Jason Brock right in his element Since 1995, REAF (Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation) has been bringing amazing…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Friday, January 9, 2026

Highly Recommended Concert: MARTIN CHALIFOUR & FRIENDS: THE ART OF CHAMBER MUSIC (The Music Guild at St. Alban's, Westwood) by Tony Frankel

CHAMBER MUSIC IN AN IDEAL SETTING Glorious acoustics, a resonant space, and musicians who know how to listen to one another. There are few places in Los Angeles better suited to chamber musi…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, January 2, 2026

Theater Review: SIX (2025 National Tour, Boleyn Cast) by Tony Frankel

SIX QUEENS BEAT A FULL HOUSE A Clever, Electrifying Concert That Sometimes Overwhelms Its Own Story History serves us well in stories for musicals. From 1776 to Evita to Hamilton, all the pl…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:11PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Theater Review: BABY (Hollywood Fringe / The Elysian) by Tony Frankel

WHEN CLOWNING, THERAPY, AND TRAUMA COLLIDE Rachel Troy's fierce, genre-breaking solo triumph is fully realized, ferociously smart, and genuinely exhilarating. I receive thousands of invitati…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Saturday, December 27, 2025

Theater Preview: SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (La Mirada Theatre, Starring Will Swenson and Lesli Margherita) by Tony Frankel

REVENGE AS ENTERTAINMENT With Will Swenson and Lesli Margherita, La Mirada goes all in for this major revival Some shows you make time for. Others you plan around. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Ba…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:17PM[SHARE]
Thursday, December 18, 2025

Theater Preview: URBAN DEATH XMAS: SHOW SPOOKTACULAR & MAZE! (Zombie Joe’s in NoHo) by Tony Frankel

A DELICIOUSLY VERY WRONG WAY TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS Santa's dead, the carols are cursed, and Zombie Joe wants your soul for Christmas If you survived Urban Death: Tour of Terror in Octobe…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, December 8, 2025

Opera Review: LA BOHÈME (Los Angeles Opera) by Tony Frankel

HERBERT ROSS'S BOHÈME RETURNS Beauty polished, questions still lingering Puccini's tale may be endlessly familiar, yet the recent Los Angeles staging shows how even the most well-trodden …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:59AM[SHARE]
Thursday, November 27, 2025

Theater Review: HEISENBERG (Skylight Theatre) by Tony Frankel

A PRINCIPLED PRODUCTION Simon Stephens' deceptively simple romance finally reveals its cosmic heart in close quarters at Skylight Theatre Director Cameron Watson delivers a remarkably authen…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:56PM[SHARE]
Monday, November 24, 2025

FROM THE ARCHIVES " Theater Review: JEWTOPIA (Greenway Court Theatre in West Hollywood) by Tony Frankel

DON'T JEW HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO? {From the Archives " Back in 2010, when Facebook was still fun and Broadway still flirted with stereotypes like they were going out of style (which they…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 12:44PM[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