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

If you've been holding out for a hero, look no further than Brooklynite , the original musical that just opened off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. Michael Mayer  ( Spring Awakening , American Idiot , Hedwig and the Angry Inch ) directs the musical he co-wrote with Peter Lerman  (book: Mayer and Lerman; score: Lerman), and in doing so brings audiences a delightful tale of a young man who discovers you don't need super powers to be a hero. Brooklynite  is set in Brooklyn in a time that is "real soon," according to the program. About ten years before "real soon," an asteroid hit NYC, and the fallout imbued six Brooklynites with super powers. This Legion of Victory has kept Brooklyn safe and virtually crime-free for years. Trey ( Matt Doyle ) is a normal guy, a hardware store clerk who wants to recreate the asteroid effect so he, too, can become a superhero and save the world. Legion member Astrolass ( Nicolette Robinson ) has been saving lives for ten ye...

An American in Paris Sitzprobe The company of Christopher Wheeldon 's An American in Paris are in the City of Lights rehearsing for the show's world premiere at the Theatre du Chatelet. ( Check out this video of them making their way to Europe .) This week brought the all-important sitzprobe (literally: sit and sing), which is the first time the orchestra and cast (which includes Robert Fairchild ( look how excited he is ) and Leanne Cope ) come together in the same room to play/sing through the score. (And this is a gorgeous score; An American in Paris is a Gershwin trunk musical.) The musical, directed and choreographed by Wheeldon and featuring an updated book by Craig Lucas , runs in Paris November 21-January 4, 2015. Broadway previews (at the Palace) begin March 13, with opening night set for April 12. Watch highlights from the sitzprobe below, then head to anamericaninparisonbroadway.com to purchase tickets. Casting Updates Off-Broadway —Full casting has ...