Chelsea Playwright’s ‘Pañuelos’ Views Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’ Through a Queer Lens

Chelsea Playwright’s ‘Pañuelos’ Views Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’ Through a Queer Lens

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Debuting as part of New York Theater Festival’s Winterfest, Chelsea resident David Allard’s Pañuelos brings, he says, “a queer narrative” to the history of Argentina’s “Dirty War” (aka Process of National Reorganization, or El Proceso). This it does by devoting a great deal of its upfront time to Daniel Romero, a […]

A Tall Drink of Theatre: Company XIV’s Latest is a Strange/Sexy Brew of Magic, Burlesque, Booze

A Tall Drink of Theatre: Company XIV’s Latest is a Strange/Sexy Brew of Magic, Burlesque, Booze

BY CHARLI BATTERSBY | Company XIV, the nimble burlesque troupe behind the recently reviewed Seven Sins and the annual destination holiday event Nutcracker Rouge, has a new venue with a new show and a clever plan to draw audiences. Cocktail Magique is a cocktail-themed magic/burlesque extravaganza, and it’s certainly a crowd pleaser, given that the […]

In from the Hall, Straight from the Heart: McCulloch’s Solo Show Earns its Return

In from the Hall, Straight from the Heart: McCulloch’s Solo Show Earns its Return

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Like rocking out to the sweet riffs of a Bob Seeger song after years of irony-only listening, writer/performer Bruce McCulloch’s autumnal residency at Soho Playhouse reveals heretofore hidden depths to the stellar ensemble comedian, whose work with The Kids in the Hall is peppered with mission-focused loners and sweet searchers yearning […]

Peter Mac as Judy Garland Throws Down Halloween Gauntlet with October 1 Show

Peter Mac as Judy Garland Throws Down Halloween Gauntlet with October 1 Show

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Superachiever Judy Garland isn’t wasting one second of precious, pumpkin spice-infused time when the final day of September gives way to a month-long celebration of ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. And in honor of that, the woman who once singlehandedly killed a wicked witch by […]

Great Scots! Alan Cumming Sizzles as Robert Burns, at the Joyce

Great Scots! Alan Cumming Sizzles as Robert Burns, at the Joyce

BY BONNIE ROSENSTOCK| Some minutes before Burn began, there was an epic river of a rainstorm, pelting leftward, seen on the back screen. Booming claps of thunder were heard, and lightning illuminated the sky, which gave just a hint of a mountainous backdrop. After it subsided, Alan Cumming appeared onstage dressed in black, dark eyeliner […]

‘Re-Married’ Creators to Tie Real Knot After Show’s Chelsea Run

‘Re-Married’ Creators to Tie Real Knot After Show’s Chelsea Run

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Worlds collide, sending fiction crashing into fate and creating a new reality so meta, it makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe seem utterly unambitious. That’s the sense you get when reading the timeline that accounts for this weekend’s stage presentation of David and Kate Get Re-Married. Written and performed by David Carl […]

Hot Ticket ‘Burn’ Set to Blaze at The Joyce

Hot Ticket ‘Burn’ Set to Blaze at The Joyce

BY ELIZABETH ZIMMER | Returning to action after its annual hiatus, the dedicated-to-dance Joyce Theater offers a rare outlier: An hour-long, one-man show, Burn, made collaboratively by the multi-talented Scottish actor Alan Cumming and choreographer Steven Hoggett, in celebration of the Scottish poet laureate Robert Burns. Arriving in Chelsea weeks after its world premiere at […]

Chain Theatre’s Gutsy Pandemic-Era Expansion Soars, While Word Premiere Sticks the Landing

Chain Theatre’s Gutsy Pandemic-Era Expansion Soars, While Word Premiere Sticks the Landing

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Founded in 2010 and operating from the fourth floor of 312 West 36th Street since 2018, Chain Theatre’s restless quest to contemplate “the cyclical nature of history and complexity of the human spirit” has expressed itself through muscular revivals of proven stage works (The Pillowman), film and play festivals, and NYC […]