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

photo credit: Shervin Lainez Benjamin Scheuer made a splash in the New York theatre scene in June 2014 with the MTC production of his musical memoir, The Lion . Since that run (and a subsequent run in downtown NYC), Scheuer has toured with the show, and recorded an album, Songs from The Lion . The singer-songwriter continues to write and perform throughout the US and UK. While in rehearsal for the San Diego stop of The Lion  tour, Scheuer talked to me about the show, the album, and revisiting some of the most trying times in his life.  Reviewing the Drama: Hello. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. Benjamin Scheuer: My pleasure. Let’s dive right in. I had the pleasure of seeing The Lion twice. I saw it when it was at MTC and then I saw it when it was downtown. Really? Yeah. Oh man, cool. Yeah. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know who you were, and so I didn’t know what to expect, but I saw a man and several acoustic guitars so I said, “OK...

Benjamin Scheuer to Release Songs from The Lion You might recall that a couple of years ago, musician Benjamin Scheuer debuted his musical memoir, The Lion , at Manhattan Theatre Club. His personal tale of love, loss, and resilience surely touched all who saw it. Subsequent to the debut run, Scheuer, now on tour with the show, headed into the recording studio to lay down Songs from The Lion , which, it was just announced, will be released on June 3. The first single from the album, "Weather the Storm," was just released, along with an animated video (see below). Visit Glide magazine to learn more, and head to your favorite music retailer to purchase "Weather the Storm," and pre-order Songs from The Lion . Casting News Initial casting for the hotly-anticipated Falsettos  revival has been announced. Two-time Tony winner Christian Borle  ( Peter and the Starcatcher , Something Rotten ), Tony nominee Stephanie J. Block  ( The Mystery of Edwin Drood , Li...

The Newsroom : Inside the Episode The series finale of The Newsroom will air this Sunday, 12.14, and if you're anything like me, you're probably still gutted from the way the penultimate episode ended. Aaron Sorkin has a habit of creating dramatic and tragic season enders (consider just The West Wing : season one - the shooting at Rosslyn; season two - Mrs. Landingham; season three - Posse Comitatus; season four - Zoe is taken), so I suppose we should have seen this coming. The series finale is titled, as many of his season finales are, "What Kind of Day Has it Been," and it promises to be riveting, so tune in! For more about episode five, let Sorkin take you inside the episode: (and head to HBO Connect for an interview with Sam Waterston and to Alternative Nation for an interview with John Gallagher, Jr. ) Kennedy Center Honors The 2014 "class" of Kennedy Center honorees have been feted in a gala reception and tribute ceremony. This year's...

The Last Ship is Coming One of the most eagerly anticipated (by me, anyway) shows of the fall is The Last Ship , an original music with a score by Sting . With a book by John Logan ( Red ) and Brian Yorkey ( Next to Normal , If/Then ), direction by Joe Mantello ( Casa Valentina ) and choreography by Steven Hoggett ( American Idiot , Rocky ), The Last Ship is inspired by the small industrial city Sting once called home. After raves in Chicago, The Last Ship sales into Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre in September. Previews begin September 30, with opening night set for October 26. Watch the first TV spot for the show below, and catch stars Michael Esper ( American Idiot , Tales from Red Vienna ), Jimmy Nail and Rachel Tucker . (Not seen in the spot is star Aaron Lazar ( concert soloist , A Little Night Music .) Visit thelastship.com to learn more and to purchase tickets. The Newsroom The third and final season of The Newsroom will premiere on HBO in November. Watch...

(Scroll down for your first look at Little Dancer , starring Tiler Peck.) Love Letters to Broadway A revival of A.R. Gurney 's Love Letters is coming to Broadway, and the rotating cast is unbelievable! The production, which follows two friends who write, wait for it, love letters to each other for 50 years, will be directed by Gregory Mosher , and will open at the Nederlander Theatre on September 18 (previews begin September 13). The rotating cast is scheduled as follows: ( see Broadway.com for more details ) September 13-October 10: Brian Dennehy and Mia Farrow October 11-November 7: Dennehy and Carol Burnett (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) November 8-December 5: Alan Alda and Candice Berngen December 6-January 9, 2015: Stacy Keach and Diana Rigg January 10-February 1: Martin Sheen (!!!!!!!!!!) and Anjelica Huston Casting News Television —Stage and screen veterans Mary-Louise Parker ( The Snow Geese ) and Peter Sarsgaard ( Blue Jasmine ) will co-star in the NBC miniseri...