Monthly Archives: July 2011

“next to normal” – not your normal musical

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Philip 3 Comments

When Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland said “Let’s put on a show” they weren’t considering a musical about a woman suffering from bi-polar disorder and the effect her malady had on her family. They weren’t, but composer Tom Kitt and … Continue reading →

Blog, Canadian Theatre

ReVision’s Vision of “Xanadu”: Blurry

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Philip Leave a comment

What a pleasure it was at last Friday’s performance of Xanadu to observe a group of 32 youngsters from Camp R.O.B.I.N. as they enjoyed the show from front seats in a section across from me. (Recreation in Old Bridge for … Continue reading →

Blog, Community, Professional, Regional

Before “Glass Menagerie”…

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Philip Leave a comment

…”The Pretty Trap”             The press material for The Pretty Trap describes the play as Tennessee Williams’s “one-act version” of The Glass Menagerie with an 80-minute running time. Uh, uh on both counts. The play does offer a peek at … Continue reading →

NY Theater, Off Broadway

“The Judy Holliday Story” – An Outline

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Philip Leave a comment

Among the people I asked whether knowing the real-life characters portrayed in a play puts one at an advantage or a disadvantage in evaluating the piece, most, after reflection, said disadvantage, where my own opinion had come down during the … Continue reading →

Blog, Professional, Regional

Shadow Lawn Stage at Monmouth U: “Scapino”

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Philip Leave a comment

“Dying is easy; comedy is hard.” It’s ironic that the actor most commonly credited with that deathbed aphorism is Edmund Gwenn, who played Santa Claus in Miracle on 42nd Street. I doubt that being alone makes dying any easier, but … Continue reading →

Blog, Community, Professional, Regional