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...

New York City Ballet 2017-2018 Season NYCB teased the 2017-2018 season, which will be headlined by a centennial tribute to Jerome Robbins , one of the company's founding choreographers. 19 Robbins ballets will be featured, including favorites Fancy Free and the West Side Story Suite . Resident choreographer Justin Peck ( Everywhere We Go , The Times Are Racing ) will create at least two new ballets for the company, including one set to a Leonard Bernstein score, an homage to Robbins, who famously collaborated with Bernstein on the aforementioned ballets/shows. (2018 marks the centennial for both Robbins and Bernstein; the NY Phil's 2017-2018 program includes lots of Bernstein.) The season will also include new works by company members Lauren Lovette ( For Clara ), Troy Schumacher ( Common Ground ), and Peter Walker ( ten in seven ), as well as a new piece by 18-year-old SAB student, Gianna Reisen . (She'll be the youngest person to choreograph for the company.) S...

Just a quick note to let you all know how much I enjoyed the film adaptation of the Jonathan Tropper  novel, This is Where I Leave You . (Tropper adapted his novel for the screen; the film is directed by Shawn Levy ). Bravo to casting director Cindy Tolan for assembling such a winning ensemble. Jane Fonda  ( The Newsroom ) is the Altman family matriarch, Hilary, and when her husband dies, she tells her children it was their father's dying wish to have his family sit shiva together. And so, the children gather. There's the eldest son, Paul, played by the terrific Corey Stoll  ( House of Cards ). His wife is Alice ( Kathryn Hahn ), who also happened to date one of Paul's younger brothers, Judd ( Jason Bateman ). Judd is going through his own tsuris , having just found out his wife had been cheating on him with his boss. Paul and Judd's sister is Wendy, and the typically acerbic Tina Fey  turns in a touching, sincere performance as the grieving sister whose...