DeLaria Sings Bowie at Birdland
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, October 27, 2017.] Lea DeLaria holds court with passion and grace in her David Bowie tribute show. Twice a night through Saturday October 28 at […]
Melissa Manchester, Her Fellas, and Unexpected Joy
[article as originally published in Theater Pizzazz, September 14, 2017.] “I finally made it to Birdland!” Melissa Manchester, who has had a career of many decades, with more than a score […]
Sugar Sing Along Loses the Beat
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, September 11, 2017.] Tony Roberts, one of the original stars of Sugar, the 1972 Broadway musical based entirely on the Billy Wilder, cross-dressing, Prohibition-era comedy […]
Things Can Really Hang You Up the Most — Inanimate
[article as originally published in Theater Pizzazz, August 31, 2017.] Modern society is packed with machine-crafted and hand-hewn objects intended for display or consumption or decoration. In societies of abundance, we […]
A Happening to Celebrate Birthday Girl Annie Ross
[article as originally published in Theater Pizzazz, July 30, 2017.] July 25, 2017 really is the 87th birthday of Annie Ross and marks the 11th year of regular appearances at the […]
Linda Lavin and the Women Who Haunt Her
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, July 30, 2017.] Linda Lavin is a New York City girl who holds audiences rapt by comedic and dramatic performances on television, film, and stage. […]
Karrin Allyson Swings Low
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, July 30, 2017.] The scene at Birdland this steamy July evening skews young—tables of college-aged pals, a large group of teens from Britain. The bubbling […]
Barb Jungr and John McDaniel Find the Zing in Sting
[caption: John McDaniel and Barb Jungr at Joe’s Pub. Photo: Richard Hillman.] [Original published in Theater Pizzazz, June 30, 2017.] British-born Barb Jungr is often described in creative cross-breed superlatives: Edith […]
Seth Sikes Embraces His Divas
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, June 29, 2017.] I am a fan of the divas that inspire the passionate fandom Seth Sikes revealed in his June 24 cabaret show. I’ve […]
Hal David’s Magic Moments in Memory and Song
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, June 22, 2017.] We make our way to the second floor Buttenwieser Hall at the 92nd Street Y on a sultry June evening without benefit […]
Evangeline – Moves Elegantly But Loses the Plot
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, June 14, 2017.] Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic narrative poem Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie from 1847 (yes, I looked it up) muses poetically on the […]
Karen Mason and Songs of Love Just in Time
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, May 15, 2017.] I’ve spent the past 12 hours melting into the memory of Karen Mason’s voice. Her current show Mason in May runs for […]
Jamie deRoy Hosts the Toast of Broadway Old and New
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, May 11, 2017.] Broadway performances past and present were evoked in the newest “Jamie deRoy & Friends” cabaret show on the intimate Birdland stage. This […]
Fornes Meets O’Neill in Talbott’s Gravedigger’s Lullaby
[Original published in Theater Pizzazz, March 28, 2017.] For the trio of society’s cast-offs at the core of Jeff Talbott’s 90-minute play The Gravedigger’s Lullaby, life is having a pot […]
Chess Match No. 5 – Movement, Light, Sound, a Board Game
[article as originally published in Theater Pizzazz, March 27, 2017.] The experiential onslaught of Chess Match No. 5 begins as you enter the steeply pitched seating of the June Havoc […]
Tulis McCall on Aging, Invisibility, and Regret
[article as originally published in Theater Pizzazz, January 20, 2017.] “When you’re a woman of a certain age,” Tulis McCall impishly informs us, “regret is everywhere.” McCall’s one woman show […]
urban excavations 