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Gerard Alessandrini's "Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song" is a beloved revue that satirizes Broadway shows and stars. Alessandrini has been writing and directing these revues for over four decades, and his newest version is currently playing at Theater 555 in New York City. The revue features new lyrics set to melodies from popular musicals, and highlights include parodies of "Cabaret," "The Great Gatsby," and "Hell's Kitchen." The cast consists of four performers and the music is provided by a single piano. Overall, "Forbidden Broadway" is a humorous and entertaining show that pokes fun at the world of Broadway. [Extracted from the article]

The article reviews the Stratford Festival's world premiere of "Salesman in China," a play depicting the challenges faced by Arthur Miller and Chinese actor Ying Ruocheng in staging "Death of a Salesman" in post-Cultural Revolution China, praised for its rich portrayal and engaging performances.

The article reviews the spirited adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita" by Theater 86 in New York, highlighting its ambitious staging of the surreal novel, the dynamic portrayal of characters, and its run through October 13, 2024.

The article focuses on the Broadway revival of "Once Upon a Mattress," highlighting Sutton Foster's dynamic performance as the lead princess. Topics include Foster's energetic and humorous portrayal, the musical's memorable score by Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer, and the production's successful transfer from the New York City Center's Encores! series to Broadway's Hudson Theatre.

"Cellino v. Barnes" is a play that humorously depicts the rise and fall of the attorney duo known for their catchy jingle. The play follows the semi-fictionalized history of Ross Cellino and Steve Barnes, from their initial partnership to their success as a legal powerhouse and their eventual bitter breakup. The writing is filled with absurdist humor, and the performances by Eric William Morris and Noah Weisberg inject the play with comedic energy. While "Cellino v. Barnes" may not be a groundbreaking theatrical or legal work, it offers an entertaining diversion and leaves the audience pondering the emotional distress caused by a catchy jingle. [Extracted from the article]

"Someone Spectacular" is a play by Doménica Feraud that explores the experiences of six individuals attending a grief-counseling session. When their counselor fails to arrive, the group must decide whether to proceed on their own or abandon the meeting. As they share their stories of loss and grief, tensions rise and the session becomes increasingly fractious. Despite its dark subject matter, the play incorporates humor and explores themes of isolation and the possibility of an afterlife. The play offers a compassionate portrayal of grief and is likely to resonate with audiences on an emotional level. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: CHARLES ISHERWOOD Corrections Appended Neil Simon, the playwright whose name was synonymous with Broadway comedy and commercial success in the theater for decades, and who helped redefine popular American [...]

Neil Simon, the playwright whose name was synonymous with Broadway comedy and commercial success in the theater for decades, and who helped redefine popular American humor with an emphasis on [...]

NEW HAVEN -- Suspension of our disbelief is a natural element of attending theater. Those unhappy folks speaking English under an ornate proscenium are not really Russian aristocrats, after all. [...]

NEW HAVEN -- Suspension of our disbelief is a natural element of attending theater. Those unhappy folks speaking English under an ornate proscenium are not really Russian aristocrats, after all. [...]

Watching ''David's Friend,'' a feisty and funny one-woman show written and performed by Nora Burns, is a bit like sitting down, slightly tipsy, and playing a bunch of your scratched [...]

Dorante, the title character in Pierre Corneille's 17th-century comedy ''The Liar,'' has a little problem with truth-telling. Even when it serves no discernible purpose, he compulsively and ceaselessly -- er, [...]

x -- I spent a significant portion of ''Tell Hector I Miss Him,'' a new play by Paola Lázaro that opened on Monday at the Atlantic Theater Company's second stage, [...]

The playwright David Ives has worn many hats over the years. He has written his own plays, both short and long, including the Tony-nominated ''Venus in Fur.'' He was for [...]

Puppets are hardly a novelty on New York stages, but I'll bet you've never seen one representing a talking, singing toilet plunger, have you? Strange to say, that's not the [...]

The vibrant performer Marga Gomez pays loving, funny tribute to her father, a comic performer and songwriter named Willy Chevalier (the Chevalier was a bit of invention), in her latest [...]

''Lucky Penny'' is an autobiographical show, written by and starring the actor David Deblinger, but while Mr. Deblinger unfolds the story of his life, he disappears so often into the [...]

For the first time, you don't have to be a member of the armed forces to see ''Blueprint Specials,'' a jaunty foray into a little-known footnote in American military history. [...]

It's a sad truism, or maybe a sad truth, that even the most appalling statistics about the victims of war can over time have a numbing effect. The conflict ripping [...]

We often pay lip service to the idea that theater is a sort of secular communal rite, but the description applies precisely to ''The Fever,'' a lovely, haunting meditation on [...]

Broadway shows often fold their tents at the end of the year, fearing the winter blues at the box office. But this year a few shows of note are holding [...]

No one would argue that gay men and women continue to face the kind of discrimination they did back in 1968, when Mart Crowley's ''The Boys in the Band'' cracked [...]

Questions of guilt and retribution gnaw ceaselessly at the heart of Yankl (Shane Baker), the central character in Sholem Asch's ''God of Vengeance,'' which is being given a timely revival [...]

I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me, a sensation I had not experienced in decades -- maybe even since I was a kid playing soccer (terribly). [...]

Byline: CHARLES ISHERWOOD Correction Appended No one would argue that gay men and women continue to face the kind of discrimination they did back in 1968, when Mart Crowley's 'The [...]

On Facebook recently, the gifted cabaret singer Liz Callaway posted that she was going to see ''Fiddler on the Roof'' for the very first time. Friends chimed in, with some [...]

'BRIGHT COLORS AND BOLD PATTERNS' AT THE BARROW STREET THEATER Gerry, the madly chattering fellow who is the only character in Drew Droege's hilarious solo show, is both the best [...]

Gerry, the madly chattering fellow who's the sole character in Drew Droege's hilarious show ''Bright Colors and Bold Patterns'' is either your ideal wedding guest or your worst-nightmare wedding guest. [...]

No matter how festive your holiday party season may be, it is unlikely to reach the heights, or depths, described in Noël Coward's irresistibly funny song ''I Went to a [...]

MILLBURN, N.J. -- The stage version of ''The Bodyguard'' isn't the worst musical made from the boiled bones of a movie. In fact, I'm not sure it would make the [...]