64 stories by "Sandra Mardenfeld"
The Etiquette of DeathPhoto by: Ves PittsCaption: Chris Tanner as Joan Girdler (standing) and Everett Quinton as Death.The premiere of Chris Tanner's heavy-handed farce, The Etiquette of Dea…
The Show Showdown review for Company XIV's version of Snow White posted on December 16, 2011 written by Sandra Mardenfeld is a finalist in the Press Club of Long Island Media Award competiti…
Photo by Michael J. LutchWhile watching The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, the newest incarnation of the famed opera, Audra McDonald's performance in the title role continually reminded me of th…
My New Year's resolution is to see more theater. I just joined Show Showdown last spring, and, as a result, only saw about 16 shows last year. That does not qualify me to do a "Best of" list…
Caption: Gracie White as Snow White, Ashley Handel & Laura Careless as the Evil QueenPhoto credit: Steven SchreiberWith two big-budget Snow White films coming out in 2012, the porcelain-face…
A story I once heard kept haunting me during Manhattan Theatre Club's presentation of David Ives' Venus in Fur: when Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel's The Last Judgment, the Pope's…
Composer Steven Sondheim really, really hates the idea of the new version of Porgy and Bess on Broadway (opening on January 12, 2012). In summary, he disagrees with the decision to dub it Ge…
I think Liz stole my best lines in her review of Follies last week"my damn procrastination foils me again! Seriously, though, my colleague and I share much of the same impression of the show…
I never understand the fascination with Ethel Mermen. Her brassy voice on recordings never really impresses me and, yet, she is one of Broadway's most treasured icons(I know. I know. It's he…
Photo credit: Sal Cacciato Caption: Don DiPaolo and Therese PlaehnIt seems we never leave high school. In the revival of Stephen Belber's Tape, the indelible mark of former school days perme…
I admit it. I'm a Steve Burns groupie. With three children under the age of four, "Blue's Clues" gets plenty of airtime on our television. So curiosity to see Steve sans his sidekick dog led…
The most poignant character of Larry Kramer's incendiary The Normal Heart appears silently throughout the action: the growing count of AIDS victims. Character, perhaps, provides an insuffici…
Photo credit: Peter James ZielinskiYou know you're in trouble when the most endearing, magical moments of a musical occur before the curtain ever rises. Much like the looped entertainment ne…
Hello. I'm Sandra Mardenfeld and I'm excited to be writing for Show Showdown! I'm currently working on my PhD in Communication and Information at Rutgers University, specializing in media st…
