Theatre Is Easy: “Present Laughter”
BOTTOM LINE: This revival should be funnier. What is the male version of a cougar? Because that’s the crux of Garry Essendine, the lead character in Present Laughter, Noel Coward’s...
Category "Theatre"
How Bad Can It Be?: “It’s Up to Us Alone”
Surprise! Ed Asner is still alive, and his latest project -- the political drama It's Up to Us Alone -- has Jack Feerick asking How Bad Can It Be?...
DVD Review: Robert Altman Adapts “Streamers”
By the early 80s Robert Altman was at an impasse in Hollywood. The success of MASH (1970) and Nashville (1975) was mitigated by numerous critical and/or financial flops, including Quintet...
DVD Review: Spike Lee Films “Passing Strange”
Some stage plays and musicals are adapted into films. Others are simply filmed. That would seem to be the easier gig—but if you’ve suffered through one where the camera never...
Theatre Is Easy: “Memphis”
BOTTOM LINE: A new musical with lots of singing, lots of dancing, and lots of joy. Rarely while watching a musical do I experience a 180-degree turn in opinion. I...
Theatre Is Easy: “Wicked”
Bottom Line: Very few will walk away from this production without a smile on their face. Wicked is a Tony Award winning musical that, for all its Broadway accolades and...
Theatre Is Easy: “Love Child”
BOTTOM LINE: It’s like watching two guys with multiple personality disorder on uppers. Know who the two hardest-working men in show business are? They have to be Robert Stanton and...
Theatre Is Easy: “Ragtime”
BOTTOM LINE: Traditional musical theatre at its best. It wasn’t really time for a revival of Ragtime. The new musical first opened on Broadway in 1998 and ran for two...
Theatre Is Easy: “Circle Mirror Transformation”
BOTTOM LINE: A cleverly written story about five unique people in an acting class. First-rate performances and a touching script make for a quality night of theatre that’s not to...
Theatre Is Easy: “Avenue Q”
The extremely popular "dirty puppet musical" Avenue Q has moved from Broadway to off-Broadway. Has it lost any of its charm? Molly Marinik has the answer in her latest edition...
Theatre Is Easy: “Oleanna”
BOTTOM LINE: A nicely executed production with two great performances. This play is intense in all the right ways. David Mamet is known for writing sharp, biting dialogue and creating...
Theatre Is Easy: “The Royal Family”
BOTTOM LINE: A well-done revival of a very funny play. Some theatrical experiences are just perfect: all of the elements (cast, design, technical aspects) come together is a totally satisfying...
Theatre Is Easy: “Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words”
BOTTOM LINE: There is nothing more ridiculous than reading a celebrity memoir. There is nothing more entertaining than having Rachel Dratch read it to you. Long live the comedians of...
Theatre Is Easy: “Groovaloo”
BOTTOM LINE: An incredible dance show, unlike anything you’ve seen before. The Groovaloos are a dance company from LA. They’re hip-hop dancers with diverse backgrounds who came together a while...
Theatre Is Easy: “The Bereaved”
How does a family cope when one of them is about to die? Molly Marinik explores their absurdly inappropriate methods in her review of the off-off-Broadway play The Bereaved....
Theatre Is Easy: “Burn the Floor”
The long-running worldwide dance sensation Burn the Floor has reached Broadway, and Molly Marinik is here to tell you all about it....
Theatre Is Easy: The New York International Fringe Festival
The legendary New York International Fringe Festival is here, and Molly Marinik has your best bets in today's edition of Theatre Is Easy! ...
Theatre Is Easy: Celebs on Broadway, 2009-2010
It’s no surprise that Broadway producers like to cast celebrities in their shows. If your show, let’s say, is a dramatic British play about horses that wouldn’t attract the average...
Theatre Is Easy: “The Marvelous Wonderettes”
BOTTOM LINE: A G-rated, candy-coated musical revue full of 1950s girl pop. It’s the least edgy show ever, but it’s a great night out if you’re looking for wholesome entertainment....
Theatre Is Easy: “The Europeans” and “Therese Raquin”
BOTTOM LINE: Two plays in rep at Atlantic Stage 2 offer intense productions of socially relevant historical dramas. The mission of Potomac Theatre Project, or PTP/NYC, is to provide audiences...
Theatre Is Easy: “9 to 5: The Musical”
BOTTOM LINE: Check your theatre pretensions at the door. Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, and Allison Janney in 9 to 5: The Musical Dolly Parton’s sassy new musical, 9 to...
Theatre Is Easy: “Rock of Ages”
BOTTOM LINE: It’s nearly impossible to not have a good time at Rock of Ages. Maybe it was the Blue Moon in my hand. Maybe it was my appreciation for...
Theatre Is Easy: “The Wiz”
BOTTOM LINE: Alvin Ailey meets Disney-on-Broadway meets the sale rack at JC Penney. Ashanti and James Monroe Inglehart in The Wiz The Wiz is an urban musical version of The...
Theatre Is Easy: 2009 Tony Wrap-up
Miss the Tonys? Never fear -- our trusty theatre critic, Molly Marinik, is here with the highlights and the lowdown....
The Popdose Interview: Brian Yorkey
With 11 Tony nominations and at least one super-cranky Internet impersonator to his name, Brian Yorkey has plenty to talk about; luckily for all of us, Molly Marinik was happy...
Theatre Is Easy: 2009 Tony Awards Preview
The Tony Awards are next Sunday, and Molly's got reviews for most of the big nominees in this week's Theatre is Easy post....
Theatre Is Easy: “The Norman Conquests”
Situational comedy doesn’t need bells and whistles. Interesting people in amusing situations can be plenty. Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests introduces six characters at their sick mother’s house over one...
Theatre Is Easy: “Mary Stuart”
Molly Marinik finds herself pleasantly surprised by the excellence of the historical drama Mary Stuart....
Theatre Is Easy: “Offices”
Molly Marinik reviews Offices, the new play by Ethan Coen, and finds giggles aplenty....
Theatre Is Easy: “Next to Normal”
BOTTOM LINE: An exciting new musical with a lot to like — and, well, a lot to dislike. Aaron Tveit, Alice Ripley, and J. Robert Spencer in Next to Normal...