A Funny & Smart Richard III Adaptation at the Public

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

7/30/18, 3:05 PM

I was fortunate to catch the last performance of ‪@MaYiTheater‬ #TeenageDick ‪@PublicTheaterNY‬. This is a smart and very funny riff on Richard III, with especially fine performances from #GreggMozgala #ShannonDeVito & #TiffanyVillarin.

“Head Over Heels” Stumbles

randy kender (‪@randykender‬)

7/29/18, 7:00 PM

#HeadOverHeels the new Go Gos musical has a fine cast but is too pointless and tries too hard to be funny (which for the most part it is not). A misfire.

“The Damned” Is A Powerful Cautionary Tale That Is All Too Real

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

7/29/18, 11:34 AM

#IvoVonHove's disturbingly powerful #TheDamned ‪@ParkAveArmory‬ was stunningly staged and expertly acted by actors from France's Comedie-Francaise. The complicity that enabled the Nazis depicted in the play make this a timely and resonant cautionary tale.

This “House” Is An Entertaining Romp

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

7/29/18, 11:25 AM

Marcus Gardley's "The House That Will Not Stand" ‪@NYTW79‬ is an entertaining Lorca-inspired romp that explores themes of race and freedom in early 19th Century New Orleans. Lynda Gravatt gives another great performance as the family matriarch.

Don’t Miss “Straight White Men”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

7/28/18, 6:21 PM

A perfect cast, led by Armie Hammer and Josh Charles, and meticulous direction (by Anna D. Shapiro) combine to make Young Jean Lee's "Straight White Men" at Second Stage's Hayes Theater a must see production.  I had seen a prior production of this play in 2015, directed by the playwright, at the Kirk Douglas Theater in LA, and found the play to be lifeless and too opaque.  Imagine my surprise when I visited the current Broadway production of the same play (albeit somewhat revised from its 2015 incarnation) and found it enormously entertaining and its powerful themes well delineated.  For me, this play went from a bummer in 2015 to a stunner today. 

"Carmen Jones" Is Smarty Revised and Beautifully Sung

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

7/27/18, 10:20 AM

The smartly revised "Carmen Jones" ‪@classicstage‬ is beautifully sung, perfectly cast and makes a dated and cliched plot entertaining. John Doyle's deft direction and edits allow the score's operatic beauty to shine.  Anika Noni Rose is an enchanting Carmen who commands the stage for every moment of her presence.