682 stories by "Wendy Caster"
I saw Liza Birkenmeier's the hollower three days ago and I have been avoiding writing a review because I don't know what to say. Well, yes, I know that the cast is excellent. And, yes, …
About 15 minutes into Hello Dolly, I thought, "I love this stupid show." By the end of the first act, I had eliminated "stupid." Hello Dolly has a silly plot, yes, and so…
Lily Thorne treads familiar ground in her new play, Peace for Mary Frances. Estranged members of a family gather due to the death of a parent. Old grudges are revisited, old wounds are reope…
LIZ: Were I to take awards seasons seriously, I'd join with the city's professional theater critics in wringing my hands over the purported death of Broadway at the end of this weirdly incon…
Before the Internet, daily-newspaper theater critics would see shows on opening night and write their reviews immediately after. Although these reviews often determined the fate of the show,…
When I wrote my first review of the fabulous APAC production of Follies, I was short on details. Then someone on the often-infuriating but also often-invaluable All That Chat…
After all that's been written about Hamilton, one might think that there's nothing left to say. Turns out there's at least 400 pages' worth, as shown in Historians on Hamilton: How a Blockbu…
How much did I enjoy the APAC production of Follies? I've already purchased my ticket to see it again.APAC (Astoria Performing Arts Center) has an excellent reputation and many awards, as we…
No doubt: the York Theatre Company is on a roll. Its last show, Desperate Measures, received a bouquet of nominations for best musical (Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, etc.) and will soon o…
I have identified the problem with the musical Chess. It's bad.You've got Florence, who loves bad boy chess player Freddie and has probably been his lover in the past. Does the show do …
So, I could rave about the writing (joyfully wonderful and silly rhymes by David Ives) or the acting (from a strong, talented, attractive ensemble) or the design (charming) or the direction …
If there is an afterlife, I hope Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., has had the opportunity to look down and watch the Wheelhouse Theater Company's excellent production of his hilarious, incisive farce, Ha…
Edward Albee was not exactly fond of his mother. The headmaster of a boarding school Albee attended was quoted in the New Yorker as saying, "[He] dislikes his mother with a cordial and …
My latest essay is up at Art Times. I would love to hear what you all think about the issues discussed.Periodically, old shows with iffy depictions of women are revived on Broadway. Peo…
What if the most heroic thing any of us can do is simply to survive?[spoilers, arguably, but this is not a plot-driven show]In Good for Otto, David Rabe gives us a microcosm of a small town-…
[spoilers throughout]Yes, curse words sung operatically by incredibly talented people are startlingly funny. And arguments about who's cheating on who, complete with hair-pulling, are also g…
A year ago, a new cabaret space opened at the Yotel on 42nd Street and 10th Avenue (entrance on 10th): The Green Room 42. My first foray there was on February 14th, its first anniversary, fo…
While watching the Gallery Players' highly entertaining production of William Finn's odd but engaging musical, A New Brain, I found my own old brain full of questions. First, about A New Bra…
Who assassinated Malcolm X? The answer remains a matter of debate in some quarters and may never be totally resolved until the New York Police Department releases the files on the case, whic…
My latest piece is up at Art Times. It's about how we can help women in the arts get more power.Almost as far back as I can remember, people have been labeling various time periods as "The Y…
Sex. It's a tricky thing, is sex.Throughout history, including now, cultures have sought to tame sex's complexity via rigid rules, assumptions, and limitations (particularly for women), with…
You may have heard of director Gerald Freedman. You may not have. But you've certainly heard of his work: Freedman assistant-directed the original West Side Story and Gypsy. He dir…
Robert O'Hara's new comedy Mankind, which he also directs, doesn't officially open at Playwright's Horizon until January 8, so it's way too early to review it. But I do have a comment o…
It's that time of the year again. I've limited myself to 10 best shows, since that's the number everyone likes, and I've included "honorable mentions" as well. Shows that I reviewed are link…
The Public Theater's Mobile Unit is presenting a highly entertaining, streamlined version of The Winter's Tale through December 17. It's a lovely evening in the theater, if not quite Sh…
