Thursday, May 14, 2026

Off-Broadway Review: THE PEOPLE VERSUS LENNY BRUCE (Cause Célèbre at Theatre Row) by Alex Simmons

A TRIAL FOR LENNY—AND SOMETIMES THE VIEWER A courtroom drama that probes language, censorship, and the cost of pushing boundaries Unique among the performing arts, standup comedy is the on…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:29PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Theater Review: BIRTHDAY CANDLES (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble / Glen Ellyn) by Mitchell Oldham

MAKING A LIFE, ONE BIRTHDAY AT A TIME A meditation on aging, loss, and the small rituals that shape a lifetime After leaving Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s sweet little play Birthday Candles l…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:30PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 12, 2026

LOKI – THE END OF THE WORLD TOUR (World Premiere at Lifeline Theatre / Chicago) by C.j. Fernandes

IT’S TIME TO RAGNARÖK ‘N’ ROLL  An exuberant Norse rock opera with enough swagger to survive the apocalypse A corner of a decrepit night club greets you as you walk into Lifeline The…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:17PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: PICASSO: LE MONSTRE SACRÉ (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble / Los Angeles) by Ernest Kearney

THE MINOTAUR IN THE MIRROR A powerful performance anchors a portrait that never fully reveals its subject The journey of Picasso: Le Monstre Sacré to the Odyssey Theatre in L.A. is both con…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:07PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: DARK LIBRARY: THE TIME MACHINE (After Hours Theatre Company) by Michael M. Landman-Karny

The Salon at the End of the Century: The Cardinal Assumption of Dark Library H.G. Wells published The Time Machine in 1895, The Island of Doctor Moreau in 1896, The Invisible Man in 1897, an…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:47AM[SHARE]
Monday, May 11, 2026

Theater Review: SANCTUARY CITY (Chance Theater / Anaheim) by Michael M. Landman-Karny

THE COST OF STAYING A rigorously observed production that grips in silence, even as the play leans toward explanation There is a language people invent when citizenship can vanish with a kno…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 05:58AM[SHARE]
Sunday, May 10, 2026

Theater Review: SWEPT AWAY (SpeakEasy Stage at Boston Center for the Arts) by Lynne Weiss

ADRIFT, AND MORALLY AT SEA A haunting, musically rich survival tale that probes faith, labor, and the cost of living on Directed by Jeremy Johnson and driven by the highly listenable roots-i…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:04PM[SHARE]
Saturday, May 9, 2026

Theater Review: ‘NIGHT, MOTHER (Redtwist Theatre / Chicago) by C.j. Fernandes

MOTHER KNOWS BEST— UNTIL SHE DOESN’T A devastating, clear-eyed revival that refuses comfort and lingers long after the lights go down I first watched ‘night, Mother, the Pulitzer-prize…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:22PM[SHARE]
Friday, May 8, 2026

Theater Review: FREMONT AVE. (South Coast Repertory / Costa Mesa) by Michael M. Landman-Karny

THE HOUSE THAT BUILT YOU A sweeping, structurally ambitious play that grips in the moment even as it searches for its final form There is a moment near the end of the first act of Fremont Av…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:56AM[SHARE]

Off-Broadway Review: BIKE SHOP: THE MUSICAL (Theater for the New City) by Rob Lester

PUT THIS IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE A show that takes its audience on a ride, and shifts gears from drama to comedy and back The oft-heard practical advice to authors hoping that their stories, nove…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:51AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Lyric Stage Company of Boston) by Emily Brenner

HERE’S SOMETHING DECIDEDLY NOT ROTTEN A lively, joy-filled production wins over even the most reluctant musicalgoer I was not looking forward to Something Rotten! I’m not big into Shakes…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:05AM[SHARE]
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]

Off-Broadway Review: KENREX (Lucille Lortel) by Carol Rocamora

A COMMUNITY PUSHED PAST THE LAW An electrifying solo tour de force that turns a town’s nightmare into gripping theater. The largest Off-Broadway cast this season—over a dozen roles—may…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:29PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: HAMNET (Royal Shakespeare Company at American Conservatory Theater) by Chuck Louden

TO GRIEVE OR NOT TO GRIEVE American Conservatory Theater presents Hamnet, the stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi) and dire…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:29PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: WINDFALL (Steppenwolf Theatre Company / World Premiere / Chicago) by C.j. Fernandes

CASH, GRIEF, AND THE COST OF RESISTANCE A gripping, immersive premiere dissolves the line between audience and action Steppenwolf’s excellent 50th season continues with Windfall, the new p…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:27PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: CARNIVAL! (J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company / AMT Theater, NYC) by Rob Lester

UNDER THE BIG TOP, A SMALL GEM ENDURES A tender revival of a vintage musical finds its strength in sincerity, not spectacle Poignancy, Pep, Pizzazz, and Puppets. If the age of 65 equals beco…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:27PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: MJ THE MUSICAL (National Tour / San Diego) by Dan Zeff

MAN IN THE MIRROR, SHOW ON FIRE A dazzling tour delivers the spectacle and the moves, even if the storytelling stays surface-level The national touring production of MJ the Musical is comple…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:08PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: FAULT (Chicago Shakespeare) by C.j. Fernandes

FAULT LINES A glossy production sinks under the weight of a script that mistakes talk for wit Unpleasant, unfunny, misogynistic, and worst of all, boring. Let’s play a drinking game: every…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:36PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: BETTER LATE (rePLAY Series at Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

WHEN LEGENDS READ, YOU LISTEN A star-studded staged reading proves craft, not spectacle, is the real event Some nights in the theater feel important before they even begin. rePLAY’s closin…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:24AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: MEAN GIRLS THE MUSICAL (Ray of Light Theatre / San Francisco) by Chuck Louden

SO FETCH… AND SURPRISINGLY SHARP Ray of Light launches its new stage with a high-energy crowd-pleaser that actually lands It’s an ambitious way to christen a new home: take on a title ev…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:24AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: MORRIS MICKLEWHITE AND THE TANGERINE DRESS (Mosaic Theatricals at Patio Playhouse in Escondido) by Keelyn McDermott

A DRESS FOR SUCCESS A polished TYA production that treats identity and imagination with care. Mosaic Theatricals’ production of Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress at Patio Playhous…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:24AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: HAMLET (National Theatre Company at BAM in Brooklyn) by Alex Simmons

THE DANISH PRINCE, DECODED Focused staging and strong performances bring Hamlet’s inner life into view at BAM. The National Theater’s Hamlet at BAM follows in the tradition of other fine…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:24AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: I HATE HAMLET (Saint Sebastian Players / Chicago) by Mitchell Oldham

TO BE OR NOT TO BE… IN SHOWBIZ A lively revival finds humor and heart in the actor’s eternal struggle Anyone who pursues the arts as a career or avocation knows they’re not well unders…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:55AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Broadway Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Roundabout Theatre Company / Studio 54) by Alex Simmons

LET’S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN AND AGAIN A high-energy revival proves this cult classic still knows how to party Unless you grew up in a monastery, had a severely conservative upbringing, or…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:45PM[SHARE]

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]

Theatre Review: HYMN (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble) by Ernest Kearney

A HYMN WITHOUT THE HALLELUJAH A polished, well-acted drama that never quite ignites Hymn by playwright Lolita Chakrabarti is a well-crafted piece, with detailed characters and dialogue that …

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

Theater Review: MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING MUSICALS (World Premiere at The Colony Theatre) by Michael M. Landman-Karny

DON’T BLAME MILLENNIALS: MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING MUSICALS IS KILLING MUSICALS (OR, WHEN SATIRE EATS ITSELF) An exhausting, vulgar, and unfocused musical that mistakes noise for insight and…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 06:53PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 5, 2026

6 PROBLEMS THAT CAN AFFECT A PRODUCTION by Jim Allen

Audiences usually experience productions only in their finished form. Films, television projects, live events, and commercial productions appear polished and seamless once released, which ma…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:50AM[SHARE]
Sunday, May 3, 2026

Theater Review: OUT HERE (Court Theatre) by C.j. Fernandes

OUT OF THE CLOSET, INTO THE FIRE A messy, ambitious new musical about divorce lands more as play than score— but still entertains Court Theatre closes out its 2025/2026 season with Out Her…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[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]

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