More Matt Windman reviews and interviews

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Not a Happy 'Fela'

It's never a good sign when you need not only a plot synopsis, but also a glossary to understand a show. Yet even if you are not familiar with the life and times of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, you'll find more than two and a half hours worth of songs, stories, multimedia, modern dance and Afrobeat culture in this exciting but fundamentally flawed documentary-musical.

'Summer Breeze': tangled up in cliches

Long before August Wilson emerged as a leading African-American playwright, and a bit after "A Raisin in the Sun" stormed Broadway, the historic Negro Ensemble Company provided an essential outlet for the development of African-American drama. NEC alumni include actors such as Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington.

Origami as drama

Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, permeates the background of Rajiv Joseph's play "Animals Out of Paper." The set is peppered with arts and crafts supplies and completed models of three-dimensional paper animals, including a giant hawk, hang everywhere.

'Around the World' falls flat

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Irish Repertory Theatre must be writing a love letter to "The 39 Steps," Broadway's winking, small-scale send-up of Hitchcock's 1935 black-and-white thriller.

What a piece of work is 'Hair'

4 Stars Rain cannot stop "Hair." At our performance, the audience eagerly waited almost an hour in Central Park for a thunderstorm to pass that had interrupted the show. It even bonded the cast with the audience. But more importantly, time cannot stop "Hair." Though dated in 1960s countercultural folklore, "Hair" has lost none of its political fervor and intense emotions.

Stay away from 'Flamingo Court'

Not only is "Flamingo Court" the equivalent of very bad community theater, it literally comes to us courtesy of the Boca Raton Community Theater. To enjoy this, you'd have to do more than merely turn your thinking cap off. You'd have to smash it apart with a hammer.

Dinosaurs on the catwalk at MSG

Fifteen years ago, there were real rumors that "Jurassic Park: The Musical" would eventually become a reality. We're not kidding!

'August' still hot as hell

It's hard to believe that exactly one year ago, no one knew anything about Tracy Letts' family tragicomedy-melodrama "August: Osage County."

'Some Americans' has some problems

Richard Nelson doesn't have a high opinion of American tourists. In his satire "Some Americans Abroad," a so-called "American Man" obnoxiously accosts the main character during intermission of a matinee, showing off his souvenirs and loudly complaining at how the program has no pictures of the actors in their costumes.

Kicking a Dead Horse

No one can accuse "Kicking a Dead Horse" of not living up to its title.

[title of show]: Love it or hate it

When Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen announced last year on the "[title of show] show," their internet television series, that they intended to take their hit Off-Broadway musical "[title of show]" to Broadway, no one took them seriously.

Talkling to Emily Skinner

Emily Skinner, who has performed in numerous Town Hall concerts in addition to Broadway, will co-direct "Broadway's Rising Stars," a concert showcasing recent graduates from performing arts conservatories, at Town Hall on Monday night.

Bette and Boo: Hellacious marriage made in comedy heaven

"I don't think God punishes people for specific things," Christopher Durang existentially muses in "The Marriage of Bette and Boo." "I think he punishes people in general, for no reason."

A 'Damn' Good Time

Way back in 1955, baseball players turned to Faustian magic instead of steroids to get ahead. And today, while the Yankees are demanding $350 million in tax-free funds for their new stadium, the Washington Senators are offering a far better deal at City Center. Like last year's "Gypsy," the Encores revival of the 1955 musical comedy classic "Damn Yankees" is not so much a staged concert but a full-scale Broadway mounting.

Mario Lopez Joins 'A Chorus Line'

It seems ironic for any well-known actor to enter the cast of "A Chorus Line," the musical designed to celebrate the chorus instead of the star. But until the current Broadway revival closes next month, the lead role of Zach, the god-like director who ultimately chooses which dancers stay or go home, is being played by "Saved By the Bell" hunk Mario Lopez.

Run Away from the 'Cirque'

Don't be misled by the title. Cirque Dreams is not Cirque du Soleil. In fact, Cirque du Soleil even sued Cirque Dreams for trademark infringement. But in fairness to Cirque Dreams, the court found that "cirque," French for circus, is too generic for Cirque du Soleil to claim possession.

Albee’s ‘Occupant’ is useless

When many of us attend an absurdist drama by Edward Albee, we spend most of the time attempting to decipher the cryptic but somehow brilliant nature of the piece. But at the pretentiously titled "Edward Albee's Occupant," one is more likely to sit in bewilderment over how Albee could have penned such a seemingly inconsequential, didactic two-character biography play. Did Albee really write this?

Moldy, messy Gilbert & Sullivan

The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, which plays City Center every January, is making an unexpected two-week summertime return. The operetta company is offering performances of the entire "Big Three" satire canon ("Pirates of Penance," "The Mikado," "H.M.S. Pinafore") plus "The Gondoliers" as a bonus rarity to attract the die-hard fans.

'Saved' gets serious

Most stage musicals based on films replicate not just the plot, but the film's general attitude and atmosphere. A few, like "Xanadu," instead spoof the original film.

A 'Pretty' intense play

Just as the Fringe Festival takes place in August and Richard Foreman's avant-garde spectacles start in January, the premiere of the latest Neil LaBute drama every June at the Lucille Lortel Theatre has become a new tradition in downtown theatergoing.

'Rafta Rafta' delivers

"Rafta, Rafta," which is Hindi for "slowly, slowly," is the title of both a Bollywood film song and this new sitcom-style comedy about a pair of working-class Indian families in suburban England. It has the same plot as the 1963 comedy "All in Good Time," except that here the characters are South-Asian instead of Caucasian.

'Good boys and True'

At first glance, the plot of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's drama "Good Boys and True," which concerns a sex tape that is found on the premises of an all-boys Catholic high school, feels less than shocking. After all, it's been four years since the online premiere of "One Night in Paris." Perhaps that is why the play is set in the late 1980's.

Clever staging in '39 Steps'

Late last month, something incredible happened on Broadway. Two plays, neither a revival, neither a star vehicle, in response to critical and commercial success, transferred from one Broadway theater to another. Each move cost about $600,000 and was necessary since new shows were already booked into their current theaters.

Not an 'Affair' to Remember

Based on a 1956 film with Bette Davis and Ernst Borgnine, "A Catered Affair" centers on an Irish-American Bronx family that must decide whether to spend its savings on a new family business or to launch their only daughter's marriage with an expensive, lavish catered affair.

Not a good 'Girl'

The critics cheered two years ago when "Awake and Sing," Clifford Odets' leftist drama about a Jewish family in the Depression, received a long overdue Broadway revival. Odets' "Golden Boy" will be revived in the next two years, and some theater company is bound to bring back his agitprop masterpiece "Waiting for Lefty."

Shed No Tears for 'Cry-Baby'

Stars As of 8pm, we had high hopes for "Cry-Baby." In the overture, the band sang to the crowd to shut its cellphones off. But when we heard the awful lyric "It's a beautiful day for an anti-polio picnic" at 8:02 pm, we got worried. By 10 pm it was official: "Cry-Baby" had completely failed to knock our bobby socks off.

No glory in 'Glory Days'

We guarantee that anyone who sees the new Broadway musical "Glory Days," which was written by two lucky 23 year olds, will be stunned. But not in a good way. After enduring all 90 painful minutes of this undercooked, horribly amateurish show, you'll be wondering how the hell it got to Broadway.

Sex, Cruelty and Theater in 'Liaisons'

Christopher Hampton's "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" is a total anomaly in modern dramatic literature. Based on the 18th-century French novel of the same title, it is a dark comedy-cum-erotic thriller that observes two pre-Revolutionary aristocrats who use sex as weapon in a vicious game of humiliating and destroying their friends and enemies. This involves seducing a 15-year-old virgin in one scene followed by a happily married, fervently religious wife in the next.

Meet Thurgood Marshall

Though the one-person show has become an increasingly complex genre of live performance, we still get plenty of old-fashioned one-person shows built on the tried, true and tired "Meet George Washington" style of biography. After all, what producer wouldn't want to achieve the success of " Mark Twain Tonight" or even "Golda's Balcony"?

In love with a wonderful 'Pacific'

"Grease," "Gypsy" and "Sunday in the Park with George" are receiving strong Broadway revivals, but none is so enchanting as Lincoln Center's revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific."

'Wild Party' in Brooklyn

2000 was one of the worst years in musical theater. So bad, in fact, that the Tony for Best Musical went to "Contact," a dance play that was not a musical in any conceivable way. But it did feature one of the most bizarre incidents in musical history -- two separate musicals based on "The Wild Party," an obscure 1928 narrative poem in the public domain, premiering on top of each other.

'Sheba' gets well-deserved revival

We never actually see the title character of "Come Back, Little Sheba," that being the missing dog. As you probably guessed, the dog has symbolic value, representing the lost sexuality of Lola, an anxious, occasionally bubbly housewife and former beauty queen. It is not until the end of the play, following the near-destruction of her marriage, that Lola can finally come to terms with the fact that her youth is gone -- and so is Little Sheba. Time to move on.

'Steps' spoofs Hitchcock

We tend not to remember Alfred Hitchcock for "The 39 Steps," a 1935 film so musty that it's fallen into the public domain. Its plot is a stereotypical thriller: an innocent man learns too much about a covert spy ring, gets chased across Scotland, meets an uptight pretty girl, and finally returns to London in order to foil the villain's dastardly plans. You can watch the movie online for free, but it's barely worth your time.

Disney flops 'Under the Sea'

Please be advised that this review was not written by a ten-year-old girl. They were all too busy buying Ariel tank-tops at the gift shop.

Stritch brings 'Liberty' to the Carlyle

At the top of her Tony-winning bio show "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" in 2002, Stritch entered while hauling an oversized stool on and offstage, as if to demonstrate the hustle and bustle of being a Broadway diva.

Broadway Notes

'Blithe Spirit' Set for Broadway Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" is performed not nearly as often as "Private Lives," but it's still a favorite among light old-fashioned comedies. Its crazy plot follows an English socialite who is haunted by his late wife after unexpectedly conjuring her spirit during a séance. It was revealed this week Michael Blakemore will direct a Broadway revival in the spring. No word yet on the casting.

Musical conquers Queens

"The condition of Queens is the condition of the world," says playwright Charles Mee. "People from lots of different places, different countries, cultures, memories values, ways of seeing things, understandings – figuring out how to get from day to day with each other. There's no other place like it on earth, except for the whole earth itself."

Saget brings melancholy to 'Drowsy'

This is not the gleefully perverted Bob Saget that we have come to know from his numerous comedy specials. This also isn't the compulsively clean, family friendly Danny Tanner that we grew accustomed to on "Full House." To play the Man in Chair in the crowd-pleasing musical-within-a-play "The Drowsy Chaperone," Bob Saget has transformed himself into the closeted, musical theater-obsessive nerd originated brilliantly by Bob Martin.

A messy 'Yellow Face' opens

Look up "yellow face" in the dictionary. It says "a yellow stylized representation of a smiling face." But for playwright David Henry Hwang, it refers to the practice of having a Caucasian pretend to be an Asian individual, rather like the infamous blackface practice that we now associate with minstrelsy and Al Jolson movies.

The Devil and 'The Seafarer'

Whether Broadway will bounce back financially following the two-and-a-half week stagehands strike remains to be seen. But in any event, it shot forward like a rocket artistically this week with the opening of four impressive plays: "Cymbeline" at Lincoln Center, Aaron Sorkin's "The Farnsworth Invention," Tracy Letts' "August: Osage County," and now Conor McPherson's "The Seafarer."

Making the most of Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline'

"Cymbeline" hasn't been seen on Broadway since 1923, when it played 15 performances at Al Jolson's 59th Street Theatre. One of Shakespeare's least popular plays, it belongs in the romance category alongside "The Winter's Tale," "Pericles" and "The Tempest."

Review: 'The Grinch' is a bore

It was the kind of human-interest story that journalists only dream about. On Saturday morning at 10AM on November 10, the Broadway stagehands unexpectedly began their strike at "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," leaving adults confused and kids crying. The cast, in turn, tried to entertain in the streets, a display that made it on to every made news channel. And depending on whose side you were on, the Grinch seemed to symbolize the greed of the stagehands or producers.

'Radio City' puttin' on the glitz

Regardless of whether you even like "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular," we must confess that this is easily the most handsome, lavishly produced edition of the revue in years. In honor of reaching its 75th anniversary, its producers have truly gone the extra mile in exceeding expectations.

"Peter and Jerry' revisits 'Zoo Story'

3 Stars Edward Albee's "Peter and Jerry" is a show 50 years in the making. It combines "The Zoo Story," which is not only one of Albee's best plays, but the most compelling one-act in any dramatic literature textbook, and an all-new prequel that takes place about an hour before the start of "Zoo Story."

'Young Frankenstein' is a monster disaster

We won't even bother addressing whether "Young Frankenstein" is worth $450. This is a theatre review, not a financial report. But any way you look at it, "Young Frankenstein," Mel Brooks' highly anticipated Broadway musical sequel to "The Producers," is a grossly disappointing disaster.

Palminteri brings 'Bronx' to Broadway

Chazz Palminteri's "A Bronx Tale" is exactly what its title implies – an exercise in autobiographical storytelling that happens to be painted with a Bronx character. As a one-man show, it's not much more than that, for better or worse.

'Rude Awakening' for Broadway

Few, if any, theater reviews survive for posterity. And few, if any, musical revues survive in their entirety. But "Forbidden Broadway," the long-running Off-Broadway spoof of Broadway musicals, is likely to live on years from now as an unflinching social history of Broadway via Gerard Alessandrini's lyrics and parody concepts.

The guilty pleasures of 'Xanadu'

How does one even begin to describe "Xanadu"? Is it a musical, a movie parody or merely a roller disco? One character calls it "children¹s theater for forty-year old gay people." In other words, it is a trippy, kitschy, totally guilty pleasure.

Broadway

Bathhouse madness in 'The Ritz'

It is no surprise that many theatergoers are scratching their heads over "The Ritz," wondering why Terrence McNally's manically silly farce has been tucked away in obscurity since its Broadway premiere in 1975. Even its 1976 film version is out of print, though that will finally be released on DVD in January.

New York theater

On Broadway and off: The fall season

After a summer of countless theater festivals and a very boring September, the fall theater season is slowly flickering back to life -- although the threat of a labor lockout overshadows a busy fall season. As we anxiously await word, three back-to-back Broadway offerings from the non-profits are set to open: Theresa Rebeck's "Mauritius," Terrence McNally's "The Ritz," and Shaw's "Pygmalion." Let's take a look at some of the upcoming Broadway and Off-Broadway stuff we're most excited about.

Brian Stokes Mitchell makes Carnegie Hall debut

Tony-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, who serves as the president of the Actors' Fund, will mark the group's 125th anniversary with his first solo concert at Carnegie Hall on Monday night.

Curtain Call

Disney Confirms 'High School Musical 4' Plans How many "High School Musical" sequels are ahead? Disney has confirmed that pre-production work has begun on "High School Musical 4," though it won't include Zach Efron, Vanessa Hughes or Ashley Tisdale. All of them are planning to exit the franchise after "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," which hits movie theaters in the fall. Meanwhile, "High School Musical" is being performed onstage throughout the country. NJ's Papermill Playhouse will produce the first major tri-state area production in November.

'Scarcity' fails to shock or scare

When was the last time you felt truly shocked by the content of a show? You know, truly and genuinely shook up by the action. Think of Medea slaying her children, Lear carrying Cordelia in his arms or any moment from "Assassins." But there might not be a more frustrating experience at the theater than watching a show that is designed solely to shock you.

'Dawn' is a mess

Danny Hoch definitely deserves mention in any contemporary drama textbook for his role in developing hip-hop theater. Nurtured by performance artists like Hoch, Sarah Jones and Will Power, who grew up around hip hop music, the genre has evolved from improvisational comedy and solo pieces where a single actor breaks into multiple characters to new multi-character plays and even offbeat adaptations of classic works by Euripides or Shakespeare.

Talking to Hairspray's Ashley Spencer

Max Crumm and Laura Osnes won the 'You're the One That I Want' reality show, leading to their current Broadway stint in 'Grease,' but the runner-up contestants are doing pretty well too.

McKellen wrestles with 'Lear' and 'Seagull'

King Lear is a popular guy. The list of actors that have recently played the tragedian is impressively long: Kevin Kline, Christopher Plummer, Andre de Shields, F. Murray Abraham, Alvin Epstein and Hal Holbrook.

'Hair' Stays True to Hippie Spirit

It's rather ironic that this production is presented by a new Off-Off-Broadway company titled The Real Theater Company. Why? Because this is an eerily authentic, if not totally successful, revival of "Hair." The singing is bad. The acting is amateurish. The set is covered with scaffolding and neon lights. The cast makes a habit of touching and talking to audience members. The clothes come off briefly at the end of Act One.

Pascal and Rapp back in 'Rent'

Broadway's Nederlander Theatre is experiencing a sudden rebound in attendance following months of half-full houses. Almost twelve years since they first appeared in "Rent," Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp have unexpectedly returned to the roles of Roger and Mark. Interestingly, almost the entire audience looks too young to have seen them play the roles in 1996.

Salonga lights up 'Les Miz'

It was only supposed to be a limited six-month engagement. At least that's what we were told. A bit over a year ago, mega-producer Cameron Macintosh announced that "Les Miz," which had ended its 6,680-performance Broadway run less than four years earlier, would return to the Great White Way. The staging would remain the same, but a mostly new cast would be introduced featuring some unorthodox casting choices.

'33 to nothing': much ado about a breakup

Is "33 to Nothing" a musical or play with music? More specifically, is it a contemporary rock musical or a play combined with the rehearsal of a rock concert? Consider "Spring Awakening," where the characters of Wedekind's 1891 German teen tragedy suddenly break into emo-rock ballads using hand-held microphones. Or, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," where the troubling life of its title transvestite is meticulously explored not only in dlaogue, but the songs that make up Hedwig's concert.

'Masked' explores drama of Palestine

Once we sat down and opened up our program at "Masked," a new Off-Broadway play about three Palestinian brothers, we were greeted by a warning from the director: "'Masked' is not a pro-Palestinian play. It is not a pro-Israeli play. Please put aside preconceptions and political doctrines."

'Thinking' not magical

Just as there are few good one-person comedies, there are even fewer one-person dramas that work theatrically.

'Spring Awakening' reinvigorates Broadway

"When Broadway history is being made, you can feel it." So said Frank Rich in his review of the original Broadway production of "Dreamgirls."

Les Miserables

You know that a production of "Les Miserables" has gone horribly, horribly wrong when the audience actually feels relieved to watch Fantine die.

'Curtains' remembers a golden age

In Broadway¹s 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' the protagonist, known only as Man in Chair, fawns over the cast of a long-lost Broadway musical and dreams whimsically of taking part in it. In 'Curtains,' an unintended sequel to 'Drowsy Chaperone,' the protagonist -- a police detective and musical theater fanatic-- goes a step further by actually meeting the cast of a 1950s Broadway musical, solving their murder mystery and falling in love with the ingénue.

'Chorus Line' still a sensation

The top hats and gold spandex suits look the same. Each step, kick, turn and kick-turn seems to be in place. The orchestrations still command a brass, rhythmic drive. The choral anthem, "What I Did for Love," still brings tears. It even has the original creative team's stamp of approval -- at least those who are still alive. And, of course, it ends with that glorious Rockette kickline.

'Poppins' never takes off

What's the opposite of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Let's try saderkindadisappointmentidioticocious.

Romeo and Juliet

You may find it hard to believe that "Romeo and Juliet," easily the most well known play in the English language, has not received a Shakespeare in the Park production since 1968, when Joe Papp directed and Martin Sheen played Romeo.

Intimate Exchanges

At first glance, it looks like a challenge meant for the advanced theatergoer. But sitting through any or all of "Intimate Exchanges," Alan Ayckbourn's interconnected eight-piece saga now headlining the Brits-Off-Broadway Festival at 59E59, could be the most fun that any of us have at the theater this summer.

Crazy Mary

Three years ago, John Patrick Shanley broke away from the confines of non-profit off-Broadway theaters thanks to his hit play ³Doubt,² which graduated to Broadway, is currently on national tour, and will soon be made into a film.

Loving 'Shakespeare in the Park'

In 1954, Joe Papp proposed an idea that would forever revolutionize and democratize classical theater in New York City: Free Shakespeare in Central Park.

How to get your free tickets

The most reliable way to pick up tickets is to wake up early and line up alongside either the Delacorte Theatre in the park or the Public Theater at Astor Place.

'Gaslight' is serious fun

The plot of "Gaslight" is pretty simple to follow. Based on George Cukor's 1944 film of the same title, it concerns a conniving husband and a young, fragile wife in 1880 London. The husband convinces the wife that she is going mad and must be locked away. Next, a detective informs her that he is tricking her in order to steal some sort of jewels. In Act Two, we watch the action play out.

Looking Ahead

Summer Theater

Broadway and off-Broadway stages will host returning favorite stars (including two Kevins -- Spacey and Kline), TV actors turning to the theater, and -- of course! -- an adaptation of a popular film, Legally Blonde.

Fantasia lights up 'Purple'

3 stars "It's Alive!" cried Dr. Victor Frankenstein, upon witnessing the current cast of Broadway's "The Color Purple," which has suddenly sprung to life over a year and a half following its Broadway birth.

McDonald sizzles in 'Shade'

Why is it that Audra McDonald, who is possibly today's best musical theater actress, has not appeared in a Broadway musical in nearly eight years?

Wilson's swansong gets posthumous bow

This has been an uncharacteristically strong year for new plays on Broadway. Tom Stoppard's Russian history pageant "The Coast of Utopia" at Lincoln Center and the Dickensian melodrama "Coram Boy" each offer spectacular visuals and casts of forty-plus actors. We also received star performances from Julie White in "The Little Dog Laughed" and Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon."

Pirate Queen

It's "Riverdance" meets "Les Miz" meets "Wicked"! That is how an overenthusiastic TV honcho might try to sell "The Pirate Queen," an oversized musical bio that is completely laughable in its attempts to be taken seriously. After all, its producers are responsible for "Riverdance," its writers are responsible for "Les Miserables," and its leading lady has played the Wicked Witch.

The Coast of Utopia, Part III: Salvage

A self-congratulatory air is permeating Lincoln Center. Thousands of subscribers, now attending the third and final installment of Tom Stoppard¹s ³The Coast of Utopia,² are quite impressed with themselves, having sat through the entire trilogy. A few even dare to claim that they could follow the plot.

'Shipwreck' is a triumph

Part two of a trilogy is usually considered the strong one ("The Empire Strikes Back," "The Two Towers," "The Godfather: Part Two"), and it looks as though we may end up saying the same about "Shipwreck," the thrilling, inspiring second segment of Tom Stoppard's three-piece, eight-hour epic "The Coast of Utopia."

Schreiber super-charges 'Talk Radio'

"This country, where culture means pornography and slasher films, where ethics means pay-offs, graft and insider schemes … this country is in deep trouble, this country is rotten to the core … And somebody better do something about it."

'Tarzan' is a train wreck

Let's start with the good news: The visual effects of "Tarzan" are spectacular. And now the bad news: In every other capacity, "Tarzan" is