By: Paulanne Simmons

British cabaret dynamo Barb Jungr grew up in Rochdale, Lancashire, just a few miles from Liverpool. So it’s not surprising she has a special attraction to the Beatles. In fact, she told the audience at Don’t Tell Mama on Jan. 9 that growing up in the 1960s, she was convinced her country had produced no modern popular icon. Then the Beatles came along and Great Britain was back on the map.

By: Paulanne Simmons

In1957 Edith Piaf gave her second and last concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert included “La vie en rose,” “Padam Padam,” and “L’Accordéoniste.” Sixty years later, on Jan. 6, Anne Carrere dazzled the audience at Carnegie Hall with her brilliant performance in Piaf! The Show. She sang many of those songs the audience longed to hear again.

By: David Sheward
If the recent presidential election has taught us anything, it’s that racism and stereotyping are still prevalent despite polite wrist-slapping by the media elite. A spate of new productions address prejudice in various forms with varying degrees of creativity and imagination. It should come as no surprise that the Broadway entry in this round-up is the softest and least dangerous of the three while the Off-Broadway shows are edgier and more honest.

The moment you enter New York Theatre Workshop for Sam Gold’s searing production of Othello, you know it will be a startlingly different interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy of the noble Moor. Set designer Andrew Lieberman has reconfigured the normally spacious playing area into a tight, claustrophobic army barracks.

By: Isa Goldberg
“Smash everything.” “Be ruthless,” opines the central character in Richard Greenberg’s new play, set in an adult creative writing class. Indeed, It’s of no great surprise to find that Richard Greenberg’s The Babylon Line, currently at The Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, is all about writing. Metatheater being Greenberg’s forte, his works thrive on esoteric wordplay, windy narratives, and literary metaphor

By: David Sheward
Transportation plays a part in two new stage productions in NYC and while they both have a few pleasant stops along the way, the ride is over familiar territory.

 A captivating solo concert, “My Love Letter to Broadway,” at the Lunt
Fontanne Theatre through Nov. 13 is an eclectic selection of songs and personal reminiscences.

By: Patrick Christiano

Sgt. Stubby, The Great American War Dog Musical

By: Patrick Christiano
The best thing about Sgt. Stubby, The Great American War Dog Musical is that the show sheds light on a remarkable canine and his heroic efforts during World War I. Stubby, the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry, was a stray that served in the military for 18 months participating in 17 battles on the Western Front, while ultimately becoming a decorated war hero and being promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the process. At home his feats were front-page news documenting how he saved his regiment from a surprise mustard gas attack, rescued the wounded, and once even caught a German soldier by the seat of his pants holding him prisoner until American soldiers found him.