230 stories from Kritzerland
When producers of American and British musicals book a theater in Amsterdam, Theatre Carre is their first choice. The three-balcony, eight-chandeliered house is where popular hits go to thri…
This winter, when I heard Barry Manilow sing "Can't Take My Eyes off of You" from the stage of the St. James, I realized that this song was now being performed in two Broadway theaters.
Things are coming along nicely for the Broadway revival of the 1975 musical Good Time Charley. And as you've certainly heard, for the last few weeks the production's powers-that-be have been…
A bit more than 60 years ago, a musical called "Wish You Were Here" opened to mostly terrible reviews. The future looked bleak, but then director Josh Logan decided to return to the show and…
It was the month in which Breakfast at Tiffany's began performances on the 4th - which meant that by March 8th, after it had played five previews, it had already outrun the 1966 musical vers…
Wish I could remember the precise story I was telling my buddy Bob Burger at the opening night party of the York's Starting Here, Starting Now. The point of it was that I was in a situation …
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I'm Patti LuPone," says the lady to the packed house - with an as-if-you-didn't-know tone to her voice.
March is coming in like a lion for Rodgers and Hammerstein. When most people think of Dick and Ockie, they recall their 11 musical properties (or at least five of them). Many may not know or…
It was the month that I attended The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for the seventh time - and I've still yet to be in the right place to catch any one of the Fritos, M&M's, Oreos, b…
A movie becomes a Broadway musical? While we think of this as a recent phenomenon, Donnybrook! proves it isn't. Its source, The Quiet Man, hit film screens on Sept. 14, 1952. Fewer than nine…
Congratulations to Fred Abramowitz, AnyaToes, Susan Berlin, Brigadude, Mark Canestraro, Laura Frankos, Ingrid Gammerman, John Griffin, Marc Grossberg, Jack Lechner, Paul Mendenhall, Brian Mu…
On Feb. 17, 1983, I returned to New York from a two-week business trip and met my girlfriend at the O'Neill, where a friend had arranged comps for a preview of a new play. It started out ter…
It was the month that I made Page Six in the New York Post for my altercation with a "Fanilow" at Manilow on Broadway.
Musicals often want to show their audiences a good, escapist time - which may be one reason why so many refer to alcoholic drinks or matters involving spirits.
"Odets is really great," Harold Rome had Marilyn Cooper sing in I Can Get It for You Wholesale 51 years ago. Thanks to Bartlett Sher's fine production Of Clifford Odets' Golden Boy, we see t…
Between Christmas and New Year's Day, critics are seldom if ever invited to see shows. Managements don't want to give away tickets that would otherwise be sold. After all, Christmas Week has…
Forty-four years ago this week, The Fig Leaves Are Falling became the first new musical of 1969.
And forty-four years ago this week, The Fig Leaves Are Falling became the first new musica…
It was the month that I saw a musical revue at the Mark Hellinger Theatre.
Well, in a manner of speaking. On Dec. 21 at 7 p.m., I attended a free concert called Come Home for Christmas at…
So while I was stuck in Cincinnati during Hurricane Sandy, my buddy John Ellis took me to Half Price Books, where I happened to spot a book called 45 RPM: The History, Heroes & Villains of a…
What a golden time it is for theater! The Golden Land, the excellent Zalmen Mlotek musical about immigrants finding their way in America, has met with such approval that it's now been extend…
Before the year comes to an end, let's take a look at the state of musical theater art in late 2012.
It was the month that Jumbo opened at the Hippodrome (well, in 1935), that Don Juan in Hell debuted at the New Century (in 1951) and Anya opened at the Ziegfeld (in 1965).
We're all so lucky to live in an age where Ethan Mordden writes about musical theater.
As I mentioned last week, Hurricane Sandy kept me from posting the Leftovers that I usually relate at the end of each month. Would that that were the worst thing to happen during the God-awf…
Before you know it, there'll be only 12 days to Christmas and not plenty of time to do your Christmas shopping. What to get your literate friends who still enjoy having shelves in their apar…
