The Red Shoes (Sadler's Wells, London) Based on the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale Directed and Choreographed by Matthew Bourne
What I believe that Matthew Bourne does better than anyone else alive is take the old, the known, the expected and turn it on it's head. His absolutely brilliant Swan Lake in which all of the swans were male, aggressive (as male swans in reality are) and sexy as hell so mesmerized me when I saw it on Broadway years ago that when it returned to City Center several years later I ran to see it again. His Sleeping Beauty had dark, luscious overtones of Stoker and I was sure that his Red Shoes would enchant. I was not disappointed.
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The Carols A World Premiere Musical (1812 Productions, Philadelphia) Written and Directed by Jennifer Childs, Music by Monica Stephenson, Lyrics by Jennifer Childs
I am a sucker for holiday shows and a huge fan of anything written, directed by or starring the ridiculously talented Jennifer Childs so The Carols put me right in my holiday happy place!
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An Iliad (Lantern Theater Company, Philadelphia) adapted from Homer by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare
Is there any better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than as witness to The Poet who moves, ghost-like, between the camps, the worlds, the minds of the men engaged in the final throes of the Trojan War? If you are spending that time watching a mesmerizing Peter DeLaurier as the The Poet, then I would have to say no.
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Party People (The Public Theatre) by Universes: Steven Sapp, Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, William Ruiz a.k.a. Ninja
Although Party People does have fabulous music, a large ensemble cast and some terrific hip-hop beats, it is not about a Saturday night on the town. The Parties in Party People are the Black Panthers, The Young Lords and The Rainbow Coalition.
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Sweet Charity (The New Group at The Pershing Square Signature Center) Book by Neil Simon, Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Charity Hope Valentine, a name that reverberates with an almost saccharine optimism. Leave it to Neil Simon to give it to a character who is in a seamy, dead-end job as a ‘dance hostess’, who’s taken advantage of by every man she comes into contact with, who’s barely hanging on, yet remains almost stupidly upbeat.
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The Pigeon in the Taj Mahal A Modern Fairytale (Irish Repertory Theatre) by Laoisa Sexton
Set in The Taj Mahal Trailer Park in Ireland, this lovely, quirky, funny-as-hell story gives a glimpse into the odd, odd world of Eddie the Pigeon (an absolutely fabulous John Keating). A man adrift in middle age, unmoored by the death of his beloved mother and without the tools, or the will, to live in modernity Eddie is a sort of sappy, yet savvy philosopher.
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Women of Letters (Joe’s Pub at The Public Theatre)
This monthly showcase of talented, interesting women reading letters that they have written on a theme is something that my friends and I get to as often as our calendars will allow.
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Steve Bernstein’s Sex Mob SEXMOB and Guido Brignone’s “Maciste All’Inferno” (Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia)
When my husband saw the meeting planner for Steve Bernstein’s Sex Mob on his calendar his initial, and only, reaction was to ask me what, exactly, I had signed us up for.
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The Cherry Orchard (Roundabout Theatre Company/American Airlines Theatre) by Anton Chekhov/A new version by Stephen Karam
Wow—just wow! Problematically, this isn’t a good wow it’s an “I can’t believe I just sat through that” wow.
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The Victor Café 1303 Dickinson Street (Philadelphia)
We usually go to The Victor Café with a self-described ‘opera nut’ friend of ours. This little place, tucked into a mostly residential neighborhood in South Philly was opened almost a hundred years ago as a gramophone shop which morphed into a bar and then a bar/restaurant.
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The 21 Club 21 W 52nd Street
Having dinner at The 21 Club is like finding yourself cast in an elegant movie from the 1950’s where the men wear jackets to dinner, the women ‘do’ their hair and the wait staff is efficient to within an inch of its life. It’s hard to imagine any conversation taking place over your pristine table that is not rife with witty repartee and the clinking of champagne flutes.
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Holiday Inn (Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54) Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin book by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge
A reworking of the 1942 movie of the same name starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, Holiday Inn is the feel-good, Busby Berkeley-ish confection that is currently ringing out with the sounds of tap shoes and classic Irving Berlin songs on 54th Street.
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A Life (Playwrights Horizons) by Adam Bock
I love, love, love David Hyde Pierce. I will drag my husband, or anyone else who is near, to anything that he is in and I have never been disappointed; until now.
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The Legend of Georgia McBride (Arden Theatre Co., Philadelphia) by Matthew Lopez
Philadelphia has a lively and vibrant theater scene and some very interesting things happen here. The Legend of Georgia McBride is one of those things.
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Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 (Imperial Theatre) by Dave Malloy, adapted from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Having loved this Ars Nova production in its pop-up, dinner theater incarnation in the Meat Packing district several years ago (starring a pre-Hamilton Phillipa Soo as Natasha), there was no doubt that I was going to a new production starring Josh Grobin. The fact that Mr. Grobin was out sick the night we went caused me to hesitate, but I am so glad that we decided to proceed. Scott Stangland did a marvelous job as Pierre and another of the reasons that I couldn’t see Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown enough times, Amber Gray, reprised her wonderfully wicked role as Helene.
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The Encounter (Golden Theatre) Created by and Starring Simon McBurney
I have seen a lot of theatre and I can honestly say that I have never seen, or heard, anything like Simon McBurney’s The Encounter.
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Women of a Certain Age (The Public Theater) by Richard Nelson
Women of a Certain Age takes place on the eve of Election Day, 2016. All of the action takes place around the kitchen table with the actual preparation of a meal occurring, pulling the audience in visually, aurally and through the scents which begin to waft through the intimate theater space.
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Circo 120 W 55th Street
Circo has perhaps one of the most unique interiors of any restaurant in New York. You find yourself in a space that is reminiscent of an old circus tent and the décor dazzles with big-top references. You are greeted upon entering by the delightful maître d and seated in this wonderful circular space.
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