Modest Mussorgky’s only completed opera is not for the faint of heart; it is not for those who like the Italians and nothing else, the lyrical, the symphonic, the easy ones. Boris Godunov is a difficult piece, at once crass and deep, with, on the one hand, somewhat technically amateurish composition, and, on the other, incredible insight into not only how to musically convey the moods of the characters but how to convey the chaos and horror around them.
Read MoreMaestro is an amazing theatrical tour de force that finds Hershey Felder once more capturing the essence of his subject – this time his passion is for Leonard Bernstein(1918 -1990). Felder nimbly uses his prodigious piano skills, his stellar accents and his deep understanding of Leonard Bernstein – the artist and Bernstein the man.
Read MoreSeascape is a quirky romantic love story filled with raw emotions and strained credulity. Would Ben constantly put up with Tracy’s insults and combativeness? Is the sex with Tracy that good or is he the mensch from heaven? The drama explores fear, joy, pain that comes from the struggle for trust, acceptance and love. Tracy has trouble believing in unconditional love,…
Read MoreRe-Imagined Musicals “Candide,” “Porgy and Bess,” and “The Original Grease” Dominate 43rd Equity Jeff Awards; Chicago Shakespeare Scores Big with
Read MoreBunny dances with bears with chairs, the Cat (Aaron Holland) and the Fiddle (Becky Poole) , and the Cow Jumping Over the Moon (Sara Sevigny). Bunny also takes a trip through the night sky and he dances with the constellations.
Read MoreThis is a slick journey through the roots of both vaudeville and the African-American musical experience…that explains Black history from 1830 to 1930 with emphasis on the Great Migration Era of 1910-1930, Keep A Song In Your Soul is a tuneful expose on American country, blue grass, work songs & chants, gospel, ragtime and jazz styles that shaped 20th Century vaudeville shows.
Read MorePlaywright Harrison offers not enough motivation for Katha and Ryu to drop their contemporary lives for the degrading life of 1955 that finds Katha as a housewife and Ryu (a Japanese-American) relegated as a factory worker who assembles cardboard boxes. Really?
Read MoreIn the early scenes, we meet three small-time gang-bangers: Mimic (Steve Casillas), Shine (Marvin Quijada) and Thug (Jesse David). Mimic attends Shine’s funeral and he expresses his grief. We see the ghost of Shine as we learn that Thug shot Shine as a result of an argument over how drug selling corner is to be maned.
Read MoreMaria teaches the kids to sing (the toe-tapping “Do-Re-Me”) and wins their hearts with her unconditional loving spirit and energy. Maria also falls for the Captain (Larry Adams). The family is forced to flee the Nazi’s before the Captain is forced to join the German navy. The Sound of Music is a charming, heartwarming musical treat containing some of the best know show tunes and filled with enough goodness and purity to entertain all ages.
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