"Ragtime' revived in New York (1st review)

A second chance for Ragtime

The new budget-minded revival of Ragtime is apt and, in some scenes, provides more clarity than the 1998 original. But one particular economy disturbs me.

Steve Cohen

Nov 28, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

"boom' by Flashpoint Theatre

The end of the world (and a better idea)

Biology nerd meets nihilist, comet meets planet, and there's a middle-aged woman pulling the levers. Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's boom is often very funny, but the credit belongs to the actors, not his pretentious script.

Julius Ferraro

Nov 28, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

Who should play Helen Keller?

Blind actors and blind alleys: Who should portray Helen Keller?

Inclusivity advocates are up in arms because a sighted, hearing celebrity actress has been hired to portray the blind and deaf Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. They say they're concerned about creating better art, but their logic suggests otherwise.

Jim Rutter

Nov 24, 2009 · Articles · 5 minute read

Jude Law as "Hamlet' on Broadway

Our latest Hamlet: What a piece of work is Jude Law

Jude Law, the latest in a seemingly endless line of Hamlets, is a deeply emotional Hamlet who wears his heart on his sleeve, holding nothing back. In the process he brings out all the colors and complexities of what it means to be a man today, or any day.

Carol Rocamora

Nov 24, 2009 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Light in the Piazza' by PTC (2nd review)

An emotional Renaissance

This first-rate adaptation of Elizabeth Spencer's novella combines elements that are more original, sensitive, personal, even courageous than we're accustomed to find in musical theater. But The Light in the Piazza suffers from two serious flaws.

Dan Rottenberg

Nov 22, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

"Light in the Piazza' by PTC (1st review)

Hope vs. fear in Florence

The Philadelphia Theatre Company's version of The Light in the Piazza is a unique accomplishment, adapting the look of New York's spacious Lincoln Center production to a smaller stage. It's a great re-interpretation of a gentle musical about fragile people.

Steve Cohen

Nov 22, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

"Oliver' at the Walnut

Oliver and Broadway's underdog ennoblement schtick

What is it that attracts Broadway musicals to urban poverty? Great performances can cover a multitude of sins. But with merely competent performances, like those in this production of Oliver, you begin to notice cracks in the show's underlying structure.

Dan Rottenberg

Nov 20, 2009 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Memphis' on Broadway

Love, sex, race and the birth of rock & roll

In the ingenious and lively Memphis, a white radio DJ falls in love with the music of his soul, and with the African-American woman singing it. These two rich characters from the ‘50s and their equally rich music crystallize the role played by rock n' roll in the downfall of racial segregation.

Julie Morcate

Nov 17, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

Beckett's "Endgame' by EgoPo (3rd review)

Beckett's vision, expanded

Purists object to setting a European work like Endgame in a cluttered South Jersey basement. But EgoPo's idiosyncratic interpretation brings a fresh vision to Beckett's classic: It's no longer about post-nuclear holocaust but foremost a personal play of family relationships gone to rot but still clinging.

Julius Ferraro

Nov 17, 2009 · Articles · 5 minute read

Beckett's "Endgame' by EgoPo (2nd review)

Beckett in South Jersey

EgoPo's latest Beckett production, Endgame, succeeds despite itself, largely due to Ed Swidey's stylized but finely judged performance as Hamm, the play's principal. Director Lane Savadove has given the play an incongruous South Jersey setting, but the text, thank goodness, speaks for itself, and Swidey makes sure that its poetry gets through.

Robert Zaller

Nov 14, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read