All stories by Tony Frankel on BroadwayStars

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Off-Off-Broadway Review: THE ART OF KILLIN' IT (Future Proof in East Williamsburg) by Tony Frankel

LETTER FROM ONE INDUSTRY INSIDER TO ANOTHER Hullo Mick. Lady Antoinette here. Boy, I gotta thank you for inviting me to Jordon Waters and Stephanie Marrow's label influencer/release party th…

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Friday, March 10, 2023

Off-Broadway Review: ENDGAME (Irish Repertory; Extended to April 16, 2023) by Tony Frankel

IT WOULD BE ABSURD TO MISS THIS THEATER In Endgame, the end of the world is upon us. But so, too, is the end of Ciarán O'Reilly's superlative production at Irish Rep, which has been ex…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:08PM[SHARE]

Recommended Book: MY REGARDS TO NOWHERE (Richard Engling, Polarity Ensemble Books) by Tony Frankel

BACKSTAGE COMEDIC CAPERS Chicago "storefront" theaters have produced some of the most amazing productions that I have ever scene. Usually started by a ragtag group of friends or a brave indi…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:39PM[SHARE]
Saturday, March 4, 2023

Theater Review: FOR THE LOVE OF A GLOVE (Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan Theater, Center For Inquiry West) by Tony Frankel

OFF TO NEVERLAND! It is common knowledge in the theater world that the most difficult show to create is a musical. The second is a parody. But both together?And yet, success has arrived in L…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 12:18AM[SHARE]
Friday, March 3, 2023

Theater Review: CARDENIO (City Garage, Santa Monica) by Tony Frankel

HERE'S ANOTHER PLAY THAT SHOULD BE LOST In Cardenio, now playing at City Garage, a character states in Latin, "De gustibus non disputandum est," which means "There's no accounting for taste.…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 27, 2023

Highly Recommended Cabaret: LARRY OWENS' SONDHEIMIA (Pasadena Playhouse) by Tony Frankel

SONDHEIMIA: IT'S A STATE OF MIND In this curated concert, musical theater actor Larry Owens explores time, love, and ambition through the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, with music dir…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:05PM[SHARE]

Highly Recommended: RRR Fan CelebRRRation LIVE (Theater at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles) by Tony Frankel

ARRRE YOU RRREADY FOR THIS CELEBRRRATION?! Anyone who hasn't watched RRR yet, do yourself a favor and see this masterpiece. Sure it's available streaming, but the best way to watch this auda…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Highly Recommended Theater: GREY GARDENS (Musical Theatre Guild at The Alex in Glendale: One Night Only, Monday February 27) by Tony Frankel

MUSICAL THEATRE GUILD GOES DARK (WELL, GREY) WITH THE STUNNING MUSICAL, GREY GARDENS One Night Only: Monday, February 27 at 7:30pm The 2006 Broadway musical version of the cult 1975 Maysles …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:45AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Highly Recommended Cabaret: LILLIAS WHITE WITH SETH RUDETSKY (The Wallis in Beverly Hills) by Tony Frankel

GET YOURSELF SOME HAPPY So, which Lillias White is your favorite? Is it the bluesy, searching, achy soul singer? The sassy sweetheart of standards? The darling diva of Broadway showtunes? Th…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:58PM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 16, 2023

Theater Review: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (A Noise Within in Pasadena) by Tony Frankel

SWINGTIME SHAKESPEARE Everyone will make much ado about Guillermo Cienfuego's delightful take on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing which opened last weekend at A Noise Within. This comedy…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:55AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Extras / Theater: FIVE DAYS OF BROADWAY CAMP (Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa) by Tony Frankel

BROADWAY SUMMER CAMP IS COMING June 19"23 | Students ages 11"13June 26"30 | Students ages 14"19                                   As a part…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:09PM[SHARE]
Saturday, February 11, 2023

Highly Recommended Theater: TRIAL IN THE DELTA: THE MURDER OF EMMETT TILL (Collaboraction at The DuSable Museum in Chicago) by Tony Frankel

REAL LIFE TRANSCRIPT MAKES FOR RIVETING THEATER Collaboraction Theatre's Emmy-winning teleplay, Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, is back at The DuSable Museum as a live, intera…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 5, 2023

Highly Recommended: THE CLAYTON-HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA with SAMARA JOY (The Soraya) by Tony Frankel

THIS CONCERT WILL BE ONE FOR THE BOOKS The jazz world has been abuzz about 23-year-old Bronx New Yorker Samara Joy since she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 201…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:05AM[SHARE]
Saturday, February 4, 2023

Broadway Extension: LEOPOLDSTADT (Joshua Malina Joins Cast on March 14, 2023; Show Extends to July 2,) by Tony Frankel

As the Broadway sensation continues to extend its run (tickets available through July 2, 2023), actors Arty Froushan, David Krumholtz, Caissie Levy, and Tedra Millan will be leaving…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:10PM[SHARE]

Recommended Cabaret: SEVEN LOVES (Getty Villa) by Tony Frankel

A CABARET TO LOVE SEVEN TIMES MORE THAN ANY OTHER Getty Villa Museum presents Seven Loves, a Valentine's cabaret that brings together well-known, amazing performers singing songs from Broadw…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:06PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 3, 2023

Highly Recommended Cabaret: MELISSA ERRICO & THE TED FIRTH QUINTET (A Noir Romance, Birdland) by Tony Frankel

WHERE THERE IS MELISSA ERRICO, THERE IS LOVE In the Valentine's no-brainer department, you can't do better than celebrate your love (whether it's you or someone else), by attending A Noir Ro…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:02PM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 2, 2023

Highly Recommended NYC Cabaret: JULIE BENKO AND HER BAND EUPHONIC GUMBO (Birdland) by Tony Frankel

JULIE BENKO BIRDLAND CONCERT SOLD OUT BUT A LIVESTREAM IS AVAILABLE FOR $25 BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB brings back Julie Benko " direct from Broadway's smash hit revival of Funny Girl " with h…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Theater Review: THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI (The Old Globe in San Diego) by Tony Frankel

Boy, did I feel numb leaving The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci at the Old Globe. This co-production with Goodman Theatre is a creation of Chicago's own Mary Zimmerman, who has perfected daz…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:39AM[SHARE]
Monday, January 30, 2023

Highly Recommended NY Theater: BROADWAY BARES 2023 (Hammerstein Ballroom, Pride Week) by Tony Frankel

THE HOTTEST SHOW ON EARTH The incomparable sass, class and full-out dance of Broadway Bares will once again kick off Pride week in New York City with two sizzling performances featuring m…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:45PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Highly Recommended Concert Tour: PATTI LUPONE: DON'T MONKEY WITH BROADWAY (Segerstrom) by Tony Frankel

Patti LuPone is hitting the road with her new tour Don't Monkey with Broadway, which kicks off in Orem, UT on February 4 before heading to California, New Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma, and more. …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:47PM[SHARE]
Monday, January 23, 2023

Off-Broadway Recommendation: WHITE GIRL IN DANGER (Second Stage and Atlantic at the Tony Kiser) by Tony Frankel

GIRL, YOU IN DANGER: THIS WILL DEFINITELY SELL OUT Beginning March 15 (with an official opening on April 10, 2023), you can tune in to the epic and viciously funny new musical White Girl in …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:44PM[SHARE]
Friday, January 20, 2023

Theater Review: GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER? (Theatre 40) by Tony Frankel

GUESS WHAT SHOULD BE ON BROADWAY? A hit at their home theater on the Beverly Hills High School campus, Theatre 40's production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? has been remounted at the gorg…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:35PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: BROTHERS PLAY (Legacy LA) by Tony Frankel

A LOST TRIBE OF BROTHERS Because a child who has been sexually abused often knew and trusted the perpetrator, only about a third of the cases are reported. Many remain silent. As if the act …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Recommended Theater: INTO THE WOODS (Pasadena Unified School District and Pasadena Unified School District at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium) by Tony Frankel

DON'T MISS GOING INTO THESE WOODS The kickoff event for Pasadena Playhouse's six-month celebration of Stephen Sondheim begins next week with Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods at the…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:00PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Recommended Theater: EXTRA YARN (Lifeline Theatre) by Tony Frankel

One of my favorite theater companies is also one of the best at putting on what we used to call "Children's Theater." I was hooked almost 10 years ago with my first: The Emperor's New Thread…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:57PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Theater Review: THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK (Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood) by Tony Frankel

IT'S OK TO GET SAUCED FOR STUNNING SAUCY STRIPPERS AND SPECTACULAR SAUCERS Forget about Broadway or the latest Marvel Comic movie. The fun, hip and cool burlesque Star Wars parody " which…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:20PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Theater Recommendation: YOUR OWN THING (Red Bull Theater at Peter Norton Symphony Space) by Tony Frankel

RED BULL THEATER'S ALL-STAR BENEFIT PERFORMANCE OF YOUR OWN THING PLAYS THIS MONDAY DECEMBER 12 This Monday, December 12, 2022 at 7:30 at the Peter Norton Symphony Space " FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:31PM[SHARE]

Broadway Review: A BEAUTIFUL NOISE (Broadhurst) by Tony Frankel

NEIL DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH OK, we all know who Neil Diamond is. The singer/songwriter Neil Leslie Diamond born of Jewish immigrant parents in Brooklyn has released 39 albums, with 100 million…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:26AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Dance Recommendation: DORRANCE DANCE AT THE JOYCE (3 World Premieres: Rhythms of Being, 45th & 8th, A Little Room) by Tony Frankel

TAPPING TROUBLES AWAY Michelle Dorrance, founder and artistic director of Dorrance Dance, is one of the most sought after tap dancers of her generation. Her imaginative work, which continual…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:55PM[SHARE]
Friday, December 2, 2022

Off-Broadway Review: HOAGY CARMICHAEL'S STARDUST ROAD (The York Theatre Company) by Tony Frankel

HEART AND SOUL, INDEED Forget Broadway, this is where the hits keep coming. One of the most vivacious revues to come along since Ain't Misbehavin', Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust Road is a smas…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:09PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Theater Recommendation: AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' (Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura) by Tony Frankel

ONE OF THE ALL-TIME FEEL-GOOD MUSICALS COMES TO RUBICON Ain't Misbehavin' is a sizzling celebration of Fats Waller's music " songs that he made famous in a career that ranged from uptown …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 11:59AM[SHARE]

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