The fall of the Berlin Wall inspires one of the most striking images from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The stage goes black following the searing, heavy metal song “Angry Inch,” and when the lights fade in, Hedwig stares straight into space. And the audience laughs—not out of cruelty, but because, as Hedwig says, “I laugh, because I would cry if I don’t.”

Continue reading “Hedwig and the Angry Inch—Oriental (3/16/17)” →

One of the first shows I saw on Broadway was Beauty and the Beast*.  Even at 15 years old, I remember feeling perplexed by a subplot that did not exist in the movie.  Evidently, the Beast never learned to read, and Belle needs to teach him how to read, and when he is learning to read he transforms into a bratty child.  “Told ‘ya!” is his response to Belle when he correctly predicts a plot twist in the book she is reading to him… a line that always elicits giggles from children in the audience.

Unlike Beauty and the Beast, which forces adults to cringe through that condescending subplot for only two minutes, Finding Neverland is a two-and-a-half hour extension of that legacy started by Beast’s illiteracy.  In short: Broadway musicals marketed toward children are allowed to stunt character development and sacrifice plausibility by creating adult characters that transgress in maturity for the sake of “comedy.”

Continue reading “Finding Neverland—Cadillac Palace (11/25/16)” →

Midway through Thrones! The Musical Parody, I came to a realization.  I have spent more time in Westeros than in any other literary kingdom.

As an audiobook reader, I am through book four (of five).  I have listened to 121 CD’s regaling every strategic move, sexual relation, and torturous murder in George R.R. Martin’s series.  That’s roughly 141 hours, which we can easily round up to 150 hours with the additional time spent on Wikipedia, where I have outsourced my memory of minor characters that disappear for thousands of pages and then reappear as critical players.

Even with 150 hours under my belt, I only caught about 70% of the jokes in Thrones!  The Musical Parody, but my ignorance did not reduce my enjoyment of this Scottish import currently extended at the Apollo Theater through January 15.  The jokes that flew over my head reinforced that the fan worship of Game of Thrones is just as ripe for mockery as the series itself.

Continue reading “Thrones! The Musical Parody—Apollo Theater (11/21/16)” →

On Broadway, since the year 2000, only three of the 16 Tony Award winners for best musical focus on a woman as the main character—Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002); Hairspray (2003); and Fun Home (2015).  Certainly a number of Broadway hit musicals include complex female characters and female-centered relationships, but for every Wicked there are two or three musicals like Spamalot or Gentleman’s Guide… shows where female characters are relegated to flat supporting roles.

Continue reading “Hairspray — Paramount Theater (2/6/16)” →