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

What a beautiful revival of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Just kidding! Of course I have more to say about the show. I, of course, knew of The King and I , and had heard or heard of many of the songs in its delightful score, yet I had never seen The King and I , and the first thing that struck me about this musical, which first bowed on Broadway in the 1950s and takes place in the 1860s, is that our leading lady, Anna (Kelli O'Hara), is a proto-feminist. Anna, a widow, and her son arrive in Siam, where Anna will teach English to the king's children (and others). She shrugs off the British naval officer's warnings about being a woman alone in Siam and, once she arrives at the palace, insists that the king honor their agreement. (There is a discrepancy about where she will live and what salary she'll draw.) She continues this way, speaking truth to power, demanding the king ( Ken Watanabe , making his Broadway debut) ...

This Week in Review is coming to you a day early. Happy 4th of July! Community is Back! It looks like #sixseasonsandamovie could happen, after all. Though NBC canceled the hilarious comedy after its fifth season (the one that just concluded), Yahoo (yes, Yahoo) has stepped up to the plate and ordered a 13-episode sixth season of the fan favorite. Creator and mastermind Dan Harmon will reign over the show, and Joel McHale , Alison Brie , Danny Pudi , Gillian Jacobs , Jim Rash , Yvette Nicole Brown and Ken Jeong will be back for all the fun. Since the announcement was just made, we probably won't be seeing any new episode for several months. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Visit The Hollywood Reporter for more about Community 's return. Kelli O'Hara and Ken Wantanabe Set for The King and I After much speculation about a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic The King and I , official word of the production came this week, including casting and...

It may surprise you to hear me say this, but let me tell you why the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella , with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, is actually pretty good: It’s an updated take on the classic fairy tale, with something worth latching on to for all the little girls and boys who might see it, and it has a beautiful, full score. Beane’s new book infuses issues of social justice and though some will argue that that isn’t necessary, I like that it keeps this from being treacly, and that it actually gives you something to care about. Plus, it makes the characters, especially Topher (Prince Charming) and Ella (Cinderella), full characters, not just archetypes.  The basics are still the same: Ella, the girl of the cinders, lives at home with and is servant to her nasty step-mother and two step-sisters (one is dim but harmless and the other sympathetic toward Cinderella). With the help of a fairy godmother, Cinderella appears at a royal ball and encha...