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

Scroll down for some exciting news about these grand dames. Coming Up Atlantic Theater 2017-2018 Season —The Atlantic Theater Company has announced its 2017-2018 season. In addition to two Atlantic for Kids productions, the off-Broadway company will present: On the Shore of the Wide World , by Simon Stephens ( The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ); this runs August 23-October 1, and is a New York premiere; Neil Pepe ( Marie and Rosetta ) directs Describe the Night , by Rajiv Joseph ( Guards at the Taj ); this runs November 1-December 17, and is a world premiere co-production with Alley Theatre; Giovanna Sardelli ( The North Pool ) directs The Homecoming Queen , by Ngozi Anyanwu ; this runs January 10, 2018-February 11, and is a world premiere Hangmen , by Martin McDonagh ( The Cripple of Inishmaan ); this runs January 18-March 4, and is a US premiere; Matthew Dunster directs This Ain't No Disco , a musical with a book by Rick Elice ( Peter and t...

Herein, a recap of last night's NYCB Fall Gala, which, like last year's , featured collaborations between choreographers and fashion designers. Plus, scroll down for a round up of some photos from the evening. First up was "Short Ride in a Fast Machine," an orchestral piece from John Adams. This propulsive music got us ready for a fun night at Lincoln Center. And as a bonus, the orchestra pit was raised to stage level so we could see the fantastic 70-piece NYCB orchestra, conducted by Andrews Sill. Then came the first of three world premiere ballets, Capricious Maneuvers . This new work (set to a cello and piano piece by Lukas Foss) paired NYCB soloist and rising choreographer Justin Peck  ( Paz de La Jolla , In Creases ) with designer Prabal Gurung . It's a fun and athletic ballet, and Gurung's costumes complemented Peck's choreography by finding a balance between structure (there were leather straps on the bodice of the costumes) and fluidity ...

It was a special night at New York City Ballet on Friday, October 5. In addition to pieces from Christopher Wheeldon and Benjamin Millepied, Friday night marked the world premiere of company member Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit . As terrific as he is dancing in a ballet, Peck is equally skilled at choreographing one. But we begin, as the program did, with Two Hearts , Millepied ’s most recent work for his former company. This was a second viewing for me ( I saw it this past spring ) and I had the same reaction: I liked everything except for the final movement. The beginning of Two Hearts is fluid and dreamlike, almost as if the dancers, led by principals Tyler Angle and Tiler Peck (no relation to Justin), are dancing underwater. The penultimate movement is furious and strong, with Angle performing with a commanding, almost manic energy. The music, a Nico Muhly composition commissioned by City Ballet, builds, growing slightly ominous and then the end begins. That’s when...

Though New York City Ballet has a blessedly rich repertoire, every season brings new works, and on Tuesday night, I got to see the latest from Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins and former company principal dancer Benjamin Millepied. An old favorite, Fancy Free , capped off the evening. We begin with Martins’s new ballet, Mes Oiseaux , or My Birds. Set to music by Marc-Andre Dalbavie created for piano, violin and cello, this ballet began with very staccato music and movement. It almost seemed unfinished, unpolished - like something was missing. The lifts, for example, stayed so low to the ground, Taylor Stanley, who was lifting his three ladies, Lauren Lovette, Ashly Isaacs and Claire Kretzschmar, looked restricted and like it was hard work. (I’m certain a lift of any kind is hard work, but it usually doesn’t look like it; typically, the ballerina is lifted with what looks like ease and grace.) As I continued to watch, and the dancers dragged their feet in the turns, it bec...