By: Paulanne Simmons
October 15, 2020: A few years ago, Eric Ostrow inaugurated The Lucille Lortel Theatre’s series “Live at the Lortel,” which was inspired by the chatty atmosphere of the The Dick Cavett Show. In the midst of a pandemic, the series has been revived as a virtual experience.
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Conrad Ricamora Reflects on a Season That Said Good-Bye to Power and Murder
By: Iris Wiener
The Public Theater’s Soft Power closed in 2019, but David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s story left such an impact on its audiences that it has now been nominated for eleven Drama Desk Awards. Conrad Ricamora, a beloved performer known for his award-winning turn as Aquino in Here Lies Love and his ground-breaking, heartfelt work as Oliver on ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, nagged one of the Drama Desk’s nods for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. As Soft Power’sChinese movie producer Xūe Xíng, Ricamora’s talent was on full display; he sang, danced, and even charmed Hilary Clinton in the farcical yet poignant “play in a musical.” On the eve of How to Get Away with Murder’s final episode, Ricamora spoke with Theaterlife about saying goodbye to the show that made him a television star, and Soft Power’s continued resonance and emotional impact.
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David Alan Grier Dishes on His Drama Desk Nod for A Soldier’s Play
By: Iris Wiener
May 7, 2020: David Alan Grier prides himself on variety; he has left no genre or medium untouched, ranging from theater (both plays and musicals) to television and film (comedy, drama, and everything in between), to stand-up comedy and improv. His long career has even afforded him three opportunities to work on A Soldier’s Play, which is currently nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Revival of a Play.
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Jennie Garth Previews New Tour and Chats All Things 90210
By: Iris Wiener
November 14, 2019: Jennie Garth & Tori Spelling Live: A Night to Remember promises to live up to its title. On November 19th, the ladies of 90210 will make a stop at Long Island’s Theatre at Westbury as part of a multi-city tour to share an evening filled with laughs and memories. Garth spoke with Theaterlife about her latest venture, reflected on the Beverly Hills 90210 reboot, BH90210, and contemplated taking a try at Broadway.
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By: Paulanne Simmons
October 31, 2019: Being an anchor partner at The Flea Theater has many advantages, says Tiffany Mills, choreographer and artistic director of the New York City-based Tiffany Mills Company. It means rehearsal space, assistance with marketing and development, and a performance venue. This season The Tiffany Mills Company will present Not then, not yet, an evening-length work that explores states of transition and transformation.
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Moulin Rouge! Set Designer Derek McLane Knows How to Make Theatergoers Gasp
By: Ellis Nassour
August 2, 2019: One thing that the Hirschfeld Theatre ushers can always count on at Moulin Rouge! when they open the orchestra doors a volley of gasps and exclamations as ticketholders first grasp the set. Smart Phones are out as they roam the aisles capturing snaps of the colorful stage with its depth of heart-shaped portals, the 14.6’ replica of the windmill that sits atop the Moulin Rouge in Paris and that’s mounted in the box at the left, and the 18’ high blue elephant in the box at right.
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Comedy Icon Rita Rudner Returns
to the Boards in New Musical, Two’s a Crowd
By: Ellis Nassour
July 19, 2019 — Dancer, singer, actress, New York Times best-selling author, Vegas top-draw headliner, TV and film star, playwright, and, above all else, one of our top comedy icon Rita Rudner returns to the New York stage after a much-too-long absence (40 years) in the new musical comedy Two’s a Crowd, which she co-wrote with husband Martin Bergman, who’s directs.
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The Ferryman/Torch Song: Young Actor on the Rise, Jack DiFalco
By: Ellis Nassour
May 15, 2019: Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman is one of the most acclaimed plays of this or any season. In its London West End debut, the sprawling family drama won numerous awards, including the coveted Olivier for Best Play and director Sam Mendes.
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Rachel Bloom’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Lives On
By: Iris Wiener
May 14, 2019: There is no stopping Rachel Bloom, the co-creator, writer and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend; the energizer bunny of the entertainment business, Bloom is currently touring with the cast of her CW musical comedy, in which they perform the hysterically poignant numbers that made the show a cult-hit for four seasons.
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Be More Chill’s Stephanie Hsu: A Comedienne on a Journey to Inspire
By: Ellis Nassour
May 3, 2019: Broadway’s newest musical, Be More Chill, had a storied path. The show, at the historic Lyceum Theatre, is adapted from the late Ned Vizzini’s 2004 young adult novel, joins New York’s already-crowded field of tales of teenage angst with huge youth appeal: Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls, and The Prom.Like those musicals, audience members are polling quite young, with a huge sampling of high school to post graduate students.
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: James Synder Heads the New American Cast
By: Ellis Nassour
April 22, 2019: The two-part epic Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and the first official Potter story to be developed for the stage. Following a blockbuster premiere in London, the show and cast crossed the Atlantic for the U.S. premiere at the totally renovated Lyric Theatre on West 43rd Street, which now has been turned into a Harry Potter fantasy experience.
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By: Iris Wiener
April 5, 2019: Though he had been performing and tap dancing since he was 5 years old, it was working on a high school production of Me and My Girl that changed the path of Danny Gardner’s life. The musical combined physical comedy, singing and tap dancing, all skills the Pennsylvania native would later demonstrate in Broadway’s Dames at Sea and the New York Spectacular at Radio City Musical Hall..
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Gloria: A Life: Feminist Activist Christine Lahti Channels Feminist Activist Gloria Steinem
By: Ellis Nassour
December 10, 2018: In a superb, don’t miss performance, stage, TV veteran, and Oscar-winning film star Christine Lahti is starring as her mentor and friend Gloria Steinem in Tony-winning playwright Emily Mann’s Gloria: A Life, an affecting, rich tapestry about one of the most inspiring and remarkable women of our time. For over five decades, Steinem has raised her voice for women’s equality.
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Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga Approached Working Together As Equal Partners
By: Ellis Nassour
October 8, 2018: Lady Gaga is as mega as you can get as a rock star and Bradley Cooper knows the best and worst about the movie business. She’s got the vocal chops; he’s got the acting chops. You might wonder in making A Star Is Born if she was putty in his hands or if he just let her loose to run wild.
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When Change Comes: A Movement Forward
Mark Stuart discusses the evolution of the dance phenomenon as it sets to premiere on Long Island.
By: Iris Wiener
When Change Comes: A Movement Forward is a poignant dance musical that asks the question: Can the act of “seeing” each other without judgment or fear break the cycle of intolerance? Featuring a cast of world-renowned dancers, singers and musicians, Change takes audiences through a century of music, movement and human connection in the shadow of our nation’s most defining moments. Known as Standard Time throughout its prior Off-Broadway and regional runs, the newly re-worked show will open for audiences on September 7th at Madison Theatre at Molloy College with special Broadway guest stars Laura Osnes (Bandstand, Cinderella) and Dan DeLuca (Newsies national tour), and on September 8th with Adam Kaplan (A Bronx Tale, Newsies). Change moves to New York Live Arts September 13th through September 16th. Director and co-producer Mark Stuart (Bandstand, ABC’s Dirty Dancing) spoke with Theaterlife about his show’s second life, and how he aims to make an impact with the important piece.
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