Monthly Archives: December 2015

YO-HO-HO! and a Barrel of Entertainment

The subtitle of “The Pirates of Penzance or, The Slave of Duty,” applies to the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players (NYGASP), whose 40-year devotion to the Savoy Opera of its namesakes has been marked by unflagging loyalty to the … Continue reading

Blog, NY Theater, Off Broadway

A Broadway Christmas Eve Memory

“Marathon ’33” opened on Broadway on December 22, 1963. Produced by Actors Studio and written and directed by June Havoc (with input from Lee Strasberg), the play was about Ms. Havoc’s survival in a dance marathon after shedding her Baby … Continue reading

Blog, Broadway, NY Theater

A Band of Brothers plays The Count & The Duke

About twenty percent of “The Count (Basie) Meets the Duke (Ellington)” consists of 1930s and later tidbits and anecdotes about the musical giants’ relationships with their music, their collaborators and each other. An equal portion features projected stills and clips … Continue reading

Blog, NY Theater, Off Broadway

Falstaff in love by Queenly edict

Tradition holds that Queen Elizabeth, enamored of Falstaff from the Henry IV plays, asked Shakespeare for a play depicting the character in love. The playwright is said to have knocked out “The Merry Wives of Windsor” in a fortnight, portraying … Continue reading

Professional, Regional