Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

Leading Lady Set for Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Pierre  has found his Natasha. Denee Benton will star as Natasha opposite the previously announced Josh Groban (as Pierre) in the Broadway bow of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Benton starred in the recent American Repertory Theater run of the show (see the production photo at right). Natasha..., written by Dave Malloy (Preludes), still does not have a theatre, and specific dates have not been announced, but the show is expected to begin previews in September. Theater Mania has more.

Cate Blanchett to Make Broadway Debut
Academy Award winner (and current nominee) Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Carol) will make her long-anticipated Broadway debut this fall. She'll appear in The Present, a new play adapted from Chekhov's Platonov. The adaptation was written by Blanchett's husband and frequent artistic collaborator, Andrew Upton, and premiered in Blanchett's native Australia last year. (Blanchet…

Bette Midler to Star in Hello Dolly
The Divine Miss M will star as Dolly Levi in a 2017 revival of Hello Dolly. Bette Midler was last seen on Broadway in 2013's I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers. Midler will be directed in Hello Dolly by Jerry Zaks, with Warren Carlyle choreographing. (Scott Rudin is the lead producer.) Though the production does not have a theatre, it's been announced that previews will begin March 13, 2017. Opening night of the Jerry Herman–Michael Stewart musical is scheduled for April 20. Playbill has more.

The Most Incredible Thing
New York City Ballet soloist and resident choreographer Justin Peck (Everywhere We Go, New Blood) is putting the finishing touches on his new ballet, The Most Incredible Thing, which premieres on February 2. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, this will mark Peck's first narrative ballet. Ever the collaborator, Peck is teaming with composer Bryce Dessner and artist Marcel Dzama to create the score a…

Our Mother's Brief Affair seems likes a fairly straightforward title. And while most of the action of Richard Greenberg's play finds the titular mother, Anna, telling her children, Seth and Abby, about her brief affair with her lover, that's not exactly what this memory play is about. Rather, playwright Greenberg (The Assembled Parties) is more interested in why the mother recounts the affair the way she does.

We begin with Seth (Greg Keller, Of Good Stock) giving us tidbits of his mother's personality. Anna (Linda Lavin, Too Much Sun) is there to confirm and recreate the tableaux Seth sets up. Greenberg structures the play so that we continually shift between direct addresses, with everyone telling us what happened and how things were, and fully played-out scenes, with everyone showing us what happened and how things were. (Director Lynne Meadow (Collected Stories) stages the play so that's it easy to keep track.)

Early on, Seth says his mothers is nostalgic for th…

Mourning David Bowie, Recording Lazarus
We lost a legendary artist this week. David Bowie passed away on Sunday, January 10, just days after celebrating his 69th birthday and releasing his final (critically acclaimed) album, Blackstar. Tributes to the musician poured in from all over, including the theatre community, Hollywood, and the music world. On the heels of this news (but not necessarily because of it), the cast of Bowie's off-Broadway musical, Lazarus (which can now be interpreted as Bowie's farewell letter), headed into the studio to record a cast album. As Theater Mania reports, no release date has been announced. The cast is led by Michael C. Hall, and features Michael Esper and Cristin Milioti. Ensemble member Nicholas Christopher posted a photo of himself in the studio, saying, "Couldn't imagine a better way to spend today."

HBO Premiere Dates
HBO has announced premiere dates for several highly-anticipated shows and specials: Game of Thrones, Veep, an…