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

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...

Dear readers, I couldn't possibly not report back on the fantastic Carnegie Hall benefit concert of Guys and Dolls . The one night only even took place last night (April 3), and featured a stellar cast, led by Nathan Lane (reprising the role of Nathan Detroit, whom he played in a 1992 revival), Megan Mullally (as Miss Adelaide), Sierra Boggess (as Sarah) and Patrick Wilson (as Sky Masterson). Guys and Dolls is such a delightful, good old fashioned book musical, complete with lovable characters, comedic gags and a score that holds up, one with nary a weak song in its ranks. (I could do without "More I Cannot Wish You," but that's about it.) I think Guys and Dolls sometimes get short shrift because there's no heft to it, and because it isn't particularly remarkable in terms of its place in musical theatre history, but it's a damn good musical. They don't make 'em like this anymore, and when you see such a great production, as I did ...

Ah, classic virtue. The noble sacrifice. Both are pillars of the works we studied in English class in high school, no doubt, and both are concepts taught by Linda Sinclair, the titular English teacher in the new movie written by Dan Chariton and Stacy Chariton and directed by Craig Zisk. Linda Sinclair (Julianne Moore) fell in love with classic literature at an early age, eschewing other social pursuits in favor of burying her nose in her favorite books. Fittingly, she became an English teacher and has been trying to inspire her students for years. She seems to have everything worked out, from her lesson plans to her budget to her diet (something swiftly shown in a montage featuring narration by Fiona Shaw), but when Jason Sherwood (Michael Angarano), a former student now in his early 20s comes back to town, things get a little nutty. Sherwood has been struggling to make it as a playwright in New York and after trying unsuccessfully to have his play produced, he returns home ...