Kander & Ebb's "Scottsboro Boys' by PTC (3rd review)

This time, the boys get a break

The Scottsboro Boys, a reminder of not so distant racial attitudes, deserves more exposure than it received on Broadway in 2010. In its focus on miscarriages of justice, it resembles Kander and Ebb's hit Chicago. But Scottsboro packs more substance.

Steve Cohen

Jan 31, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

Kevin Spacey's "Richard III' in Brooklyn

Slithering to the throne

Anyone who complains about Kevin Spacey's larger-than-life, over-the-top performance as Richard III is just plain jealous. What makes Spacey's Richard so fascinating is the way he seduces the audience along with his amorous conquests onstage.

Carol Rocamora

Jan 28, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

Kander & Ebb's "Scottsboro Boys' by PTC (2nd review)

An idea that's off the rails

What's that you say? You can't get into snappy tap dances and rousing cakewalks about racism and lynching? Hey, where's your sense of humor?

Jackie Schifalacqua

Jan 28, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

Kander & Ebb's "Scottsboro Boys' by PTC (1st review)

The memory of injustice, or: Let's put on a (very different) show

This first-rate production of an ingenious musical appropriately recalls an American racial nightmare of the 1930s. Unfortunately, in its preoccupation with laughing at racism it overlooks or, worse, lampoons some of the real heroes of that Alabama tragedy.

Marshall A. Ledger

Jan 28, 2012 · Articles · 6 minute read

"Porgy and Bess' on Broadway

Porgy, we hardly knew ye

Can you improve on a classic like Porgy and Bess, let alone Shakespeare or Chekhov? Diane Paulus thought she could make Gershwin's classic more relevant to modern audiences. The result is a merely entertaining show, bereft of the passion and grandeur of the 1935 original.

Carol Rocamora

Jan 21, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Memphis' and the real dawn of rock 'n' roll

Blacks, whites and rock ‘n' roll: Memphis vs. the real ‘Bandstand'

As rock 'n' roll musicals go, Memphis seems unnecessary. The subject of racial integration among music lovers was well covered ten years ago in Hairspray. A far more intriguing tale— how Bob Horn's “Bandstand” brought black music to white Philadelphia audiences in the early '50s— has yet to be celebrated on stage.

Steve Cohen

Jan 21, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Ludwig Live' at Kimmel's Innovation Studio

And then in 1822 I wrote…..

Where did Beethoven go wrong? For one thing, he lacked catchy lyrics. For another, he lacked a vivacious sidekick adept at baton twirling and tap dancing. Now he has both.

Steve Cohen

Jan 17, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

"Alexis': Political theater in New York

Where theater and politics meet

How can political theater bring audiences to their feet and change the course of history? Why does it happen in Europe and not here? Motus, a daring new Italian theater company, has provided a vivid model for Americans.

Carol Rocamora

Jan 17, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

Annie Baker's "Body Awareness' at the Wilma (3rd review)

Quest for empathy, or: Who are the people in your neighborhood?

Body Awareness plunks us into a snowbound Vermont household whose inhabitants seem as trapped by their dysfunctional relationships as they are by the frost and darkness outside. Yet by disrupting each other's cherished assumptions, each acts as a positive catalyst on the others. The potential implications for the planet are huge.

Dan Rottenberg

Jan 16, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

Annie Baker's "Body Awareness' at the Wilma (2nd review)

Cabin fever in politically correct Vermont

Mimi Lien's set for Body Awareness permits us to observe the public, domestic and private lives of a family. The snow falling in the background through the windows suggests a cocoon insulated from all foreign forces. It's an effective allusion for Annie Baker's tenderhearted and enjoyable comedy.

Jackie Schifalacqua

Jan 14, 2012 · Articles · 3 minute read