‘The Who’s Tommy’ in Norristown

Those old '60s feelings

Who could improve on the Who? A classic rock musical displays new life with the debut of a new theater company.

Steve Cohen

Jul 14, 2014 · Articles · 2 minute read

'Too Much Sun' and 'August: Osage County'

Daughter-devouring mothers on stage and screen

Mother-daughter conflict provides a break from father-son drama, but it's no more fun to watch.

Carol Rocamora

Jul 12, 2014 · Articles · 6 minute read

'Much Ado About Nothing' at Shakespeare in the Park

Merry sparring under starry skies

Every once in a while, a Shakespearean production comes along wherein all the planets align. Such is the case with O’Brien’s marvelous Much Ado About Nothing, a Shakespeare in the Park production.

Carol Rocamora

Jul 05, 2014 · Articles · 4 minute read

‘Evita’ at the Academy of Music

Eva Perón upstaged

Evita concerns a struggle for power. This time around, the balance in that struggle is skewed against the leading lady.

Steve Cohen

Jun 30, 2014 · Articles · 4 minute read

Akhtar’s ‘The Who and the What’ in New York

Where angels fear to tread

Ayad Akhtar has already distinguished himself as a dramatist with the courage to tackle Islamic assimilation in Western society. In The Who and the What, he breaks new controversial ground, focusing on the intimate issues of Islamic women in contemporary America.

Carol Rocamora

Jun 30, 2014 · Articles · 4 minute read

Arden Theatre’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’

Dr. Seuss would have loved this

Dr. Seuss was an educational radical who sought to find ways to get kids excited about reading. The Arden’s recent stage adaptation went a step further: Here actions speak louder than words.

Dan Rottenberg

Jun 28, 2014 · Articles · 3 minute read

'Holler If Ya Hear Me' on Broadway

The mythologization of Tupac Shakur

Holler If Ya Hear Me brings together two types of Broadway musical: the jukebox musical and the poeticization of inner-city life.

Carol Rocamora

Jun 24, 2014 · Articles · 4 minute read

Colin Quinn’s ‘Unconstitutional’ at Suzanne Roberts

Two Founding Fathers walk into a bar . . .

Colin Quinn, who once hosted “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live, likens our America’s Founding Fathers to men on a drunken pub-crawl.

Steve Cohen

Jun 23, 2014 · Articles · 2 minute read

'How to Succeed in Business' at the Walnut Street Theatre (2nd review)

An American Everyman rising

I asked myself why I, who considers the much-touted “American dream” an illusion, would fall for the manipulative fairy tale of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Henrik Eger

Jun 20, 2014 · Articles · 5 minute read

Stoppard's 'The Real Thing' at the Wilma

An intellectual's foray into matters of the heart

The Real Thing is not just a showcase for Tom Stoppard's beautifully crafted language — it has a heart, even if it is well-concealed.

Jake Blumgart

Jun 19, 2014 · Articles · 4 minute read