18Nov

Guest Post: Review of “Mummenschanz In RE:PLAY” at The New Victory Theater in NYC

Mummenschanz Costumes, Fotoshot on 07.07.2016 at Diogenes Theatre in Alstaetten, Switzerland. Photo Marco Hartmann About the writer: This a guest post written by writer Lisa Gerstel, a diverse and seasoned executive who has spent her career in children’s and family entertainment via Publishing, Live Events and Broadcast before stepping back to take a much earned reprieve from the corporate world in order to reinvent herself and remember why she moved to NYC. She lives in the latest hip neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her Read More

10Jun

The 10 Best Quotes Heard Backstage at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions This year the press room at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards was buzzing with excitement as news of the winning recipients flooded in throughout the evening. The room was full of reporters from around the world, writing for all kinds of publications from print to broadcast. It was an honor to be inside, and I relished my contact with the journalists and performers who came through to speak to us. These are people who love theater as much as I do, if not more. There weren’t too many surprises Read More

11Mar

Review: Ajijaak on Turtle Island at The New Victory Theater

Ajijaak on Turtle Island

Beautiful and Elegant puppetry! My girls were mesmerized by "Ajijaak on Turtle Island," now playing at the New Victory Theater. If only I had been able to capture the amazement in their eyes and could show you their jaws dropped to the floor in wonder. They loved the puppets: the Turtle, the Whooping Cranes, the Buffalo, and the music! As a bonus, there was a song they taught us, a sure fire way into my kiddos hearts. We are just beginning our theater indoctrination and what a great way to start.  The story looks to explain the Chaos Read More

28Jul

“Head Over Heels” is Broadway Set to a New Beat

head over heels

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I grew up with the Go-Go’s. They were one of my first concerts and I truly love their music. From “Vacation” to “We Got the Beat” to “Our Lips Are Sealed” to “Head Over Heels,” their music makes me generally happy, and very nostalgic. So, when I heard about the new show “Head Over Heels” which just opened on Broadway, I was ecstatic. Yet dubious. I knew it was the Go-Go’s music set to an Elizabethan fairytale and the most LGBTQ show ever made, according to my Broadway friends on Twitter, so I had to see Read More

29Jun

Joining 1,300 NYC Public School Students and Teachers at Hamilton on Broadway

EduHamilton

I recently had the amazing experience of joining 1,300 NYC Public School students and teachers at a performance of HAMILTON on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. I hadn't seen the show on Broadway; I had only seen it off-Broadway in its infancy days at the Public Theater so I was very much looking forward to see how it had morphed over the years (and then some, right?). After having spent several weeks in their classrooms studying American history through a special integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation’s Founding Fathers, Read More

27Apr

Editor’s Pick: SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway

donnasummer

Last night this musical theater lover was jumping in her seat. The show that brought to my feet was SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Donna Summer herself once said that she was the soundtrack to many people's youths, and indeed, while watching this show, I remembered how crucial she was to not only me in my earlier years, but to the rest of the world. After the first song, where one of the three actresses who play the role of musical icon Donna Summer (LaChanze, Ariana DeBose, and Storm Lever) are Read More

08Dec

Review: The Parisian Woman at the Hudson Theater

the parisian woman

Beau Willimon wrote "The Parisian Woman, now playing on Broadway in NYC. He is also the creator of Netflix's "House of Cards" and the upcoming series "The First" on Hulu. From what I understand, he is constantly making changes to his new play, which takes place in contemporary Washington, D.C. and revolves around an uncannily familiar President who we don't learn is called Trump near the end of the play. But believe me, it is completely obvious that this play was written to reflect the tumultuous, turbulent, twisted times we are living in. I actually Read More

05Dec

Guest post: Review of “Puffs” at New World Stages

puffs

Guest writer Liat Ginsberg is a mother and former journalist for the Israeli newspaper, Maariv. She has taught at the Film and Media Department at Hunter College. If you or you kids are fans of  the Harry Potter series, the play Puffs is for you. In addition, if your kids have never read the book or watched Harry Potter movies (like my 8 year-old twins), then the play “Puffs” is also for you. The truth is this play may be more for kids than for adults. My kids enjoyed every minute. They could not stop giggling. At times, I was wondering why do they Read More

09Oct

Review: “The Play That Goes Wrong” is Perfect for Teens

playthatgoeswrong

  The Play That Goes Wrong officially opened on Broadway on April 2 at The Lyceum Theatre, after a successful West End run in London. It's a play I've been curious about for some time, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review the play this week, with my 14 year-old daughter in tow. The fun started as soon as we sat down as some of the cast members were interacting with the audience, goofing around. This was very indicative of the sense of humor and type of pranks that would be cast for the next two hours over the course of the show. Read More

29Aug

Revisiting Blue Man Group 30 Years Later and a Giveaway!

bluemangroup

1988.  That was the year I set foot into LaMama to first catch Blue Man Group. At the time, the show was ground-breaking.  I had never seen a show so excellently combine music, technology and comedy to create a form of entertainment that defies categorization and appeals to people of all ages. My memories of the show are quite vivid and that is something to say about my aging memory.  So when my tech-obsessed son recently asked me to take him to see the show, I found the idea incredibly exciting.  For both of us. His interest was also a sign that Read More