As a proud 90s kid, yours truly can recall more than a few versions which had particular influence (or, is in the case of the VHI TV film, simply pure entertainment) in the retelling of the timeless tale: an 26-minute animated short by Disney (Mickey’s Christmas Carol), which featured Scrooge McDuck as the infamous main character;Continue reading “And to All a Good Night: TITAN Theatre Company & The Queens Theatre presents ‘A Christmas Carol’”
Category Archives: Review
One Final Act: A Peek Behind the ‘Side Show’ Curtain, as it Comes to a Close
It seems as if for years, people have been fascinated by certain anomalies in society — or, as Robert Ripley (yes, that Ripley) would have called them: “oddities.” This fascination would soon evolve from Mr. Ripley’s eventual Believe It or Not! empire and travelling circuses to that most perverse of modern entertainments: reality television. FromContinue reading “One Final Act: A Peek Behind the ‘Side Show’ Curtain, as it Comes to a Close”
The Whipped-Up Delights of Daliya Karnofsky’s ‘And She Bakes, Live’ (FringeNYC)
You know you’re literally in for a treat when, as soon as you enter the appropriately-named Celebration of Whimsy Theatre (The C.O.W.), you are greeted by an extremely perky, polka-dot-apron’d Bakeress who immediately bombards you with a detailed description of the kind of baked good you remind her of (for instance, this critic was describedContinue reading “The Whipped-Up Delights of Daliya Karnofsky’s ‘And She Bakes, Live’ (FringeNYC)”
Snippets: Nicole Maxali’s ‘Forgetting the Details’ is One Show You’ll Never Forget
At the beginning of Forgetting the Details, a one-woman show performed by actress-comedienne Nicole Maxali, she — narrating as a present-day version of herself — turns to the audience and asks: “Are memories enough when people and places are no longer there?” The show, which is featured as part of this year’s New York InternationalContinue reading “Snippets: Nicole Maxali’s ‘Forgetting the Details’ is One Show You’ll Never Forget”
For Art’s Sake: ‘Black Swan’ and ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ Explore the Line Between Art and Self-Destruction
How must one transform oneself in order to be fulfilled as an artist, especially if one is a woman? And what sacrifices must be made in order for that to happen? Welcome to the first installment of FILM STRIPS, where I share with you some of my favorites and hopefully have some fun deconstructing themContinue reading “For Art’s Sake: ‘Black Swan’ and ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ Explore the Line Between Art and Self-Destruction”
A History of Violence: Cryptic Fascinations Theater Company Takes on Sarah Kane’s Explosive Play
The scene is simple: a hotel room in Leeds — the kind, as it is written, that is so expensive it could be anywhere in the world. So begins the most powerful two hours you’ll ever spend in the theater. Set against the tumult of an apocalyptic England, Blasted is a daring work by infamousContinue reading “A History of Violence: Cryptic Fascinations Theater Company Takes on Sarah Kane’s Explosive Play”
Modern Romance: Second Stage Theatre’s ‘The Last Five Years’ Jerks Tears and Tugs Hearts of a New Generation
Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe in “The Last Five Years” at Second Stage Theatre. Photo © Sara Krulwich I’ve always felt that, out of the four seasons, Spring was the perfect time to fall in…and out of love. As many new couples go walk hand-in-hand out on the streets of New York City, blissfully unaware of the day-to-day realitiesContinue reading “Modern Romance: Second Stage Theatre’s ‘The Last Five Years’ Jerks Tears and Tugs Hearts of a New Generation”
Out of the Shadows: PigPen Theatre Company Takes us to a Land of Make-Believe
The cast of The Old Man and the Old Moon, from left: Arya Shahi, Ryan Melia, Curtis Gillen, Ben Ferguson, Dan Weschler, Matt Neurnberger and Alex Falberg. (Photo via Broadway.com) Over the years, New York has seen its fair share of fairy tale- and folklore-driven theatre; from The Lion King and Wicked to the more recent PeterContinue reading “Out of the Shadows: PigPen Theatre Company Takes us to a Land of Make-Believe”
Battle Royale: Jose Perez IV’s Fight Theatre Has a Snow Day
The company of Snowball Battlefield. (Press Photos by Jose Perez IV and Kevin C. Gall) When I got an invitation from Jose Perez IV a few months ago about a new project he was doing involving stage combat, MP3s, and running around the streets of NYC, I didn’t hesitate to RSVP with a resounding HELL YES (Okay,Continue reading “Battle Royale: Jose Perez IV’s Fight Theatre Has a Snow Day”
A Not-So-Royal Family: Everyone’s Favorite Dysfunctional Family Celebrates its 10th Anniversary at NYFF49
For my Film Theory class this past semester, we were required to see a film at the 49th New York Film Festival and review it―you can only guess how excited I was at this assignment. I had originally planned on seeing Martha Marcy May Marlene, but due to rapid word-of-mouth about Elizabeth Olsen’s performance, ticketsContinue reading “A Not-So-Royal Family: Everyone’s Favorite Dysfunctional Family Celebrates its 10th Anniversary at NYFF49”
Jessica Taghap 