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

The winners for the 89th Academy Awards have been announced and honored. Herein, the full list of winners. (Winners are notated with an asterisk, and are in bold typeface.) Best Picture Arrival Fences Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Hidden Figures La La Land Lion Manchester by the Sea Moonlight * Maybe the best moment and surprise of the night, the right movie actually won! And you know that "There's been a mistake. Moonlight , you guys won Best Picture," will be not only be remembered for years to come, but will also be part of the Oscars promo next year with a tagline like, "It's live. Anything can happen." Actor in a Leading Role Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea* Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge Ryan Gosling, La La Land Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic Denzel Washington, Fences Actress in a Leading Role Isabelle Huppert, Elle Ruth Negga, Loving Natalie Portman, Jackie Emma Stone, La La Land * Meryl Streep, Florence F...

The nominees for the 89th Academy Awards have been announced. Jimmy Kimmel is set to host the February 26 ceremony. Herein, the full list of nominees. Best Picture Arrival Fences Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Hidden Figures La La Land Lion Manchester by the Sea Moonlight Actor in a Leading Role Casey Affleck , Manchester by the Sea Andrew Garfield , Hacksaw Ridge Ryan Gosling , La La Land Viggo Mortensen , Captain Fantastic Denzel Washington , Fences Actress in a Leading Role Isabelle Huppert , Elle Ruth Negga , Loving Natalie Portman , Jackie Emma Stone , La La Land Meryl Streep , Florence Foster Jenkins Actor in a Supporting Role Mahershala Ali , Moonlight Jeff Bridges , Hell or High Water Lucas Hedges , Manchester by the Sea Dev Patel , Lion Michael Shannon , Nocturnal Animals Actress in a Supporting Role Viola Davis , Fences Naomie Harris , Moonlight Nicole Kidman , Lion Octavia Spencer , Hidden Figures Michelle Williams , Man...

Moonlight is a coming of age tale in three acts. With a story* by acclaimed playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney ( Choir Boy , Head of Passes ), Moonlight is written and directed by Barry Jenkins , and focuses on Chiron, a gay black boy becoming a man in an urban and drug-riddled community. Act One: Little We are introduced to "Little," Chiron's moniker as a young boy. (In this act, Alex Hibbert plays Chiron.) He's teased by his classmates, who taunt him by calling him gay. A latchkey kid whose mother, Paula ( Naomie Harris ), is a drug addict, nine-year-old Little often has to fend for himself. One afternoon, he escapes the bullies by running to an abandoned flop house, where he's discovered by a local drug dealer, Juan ( Mahershala Ali ( House of Cards , Smart People ), making a brief but impressive appearance). Juan takes a shine to Little, who doesn't say much, and, though Juan is not exactly the perfect role model, becomes a positive male influence...

I don't like knowing a lot about a show before seeing it. Sure, sometimes I do, but some of my favorite experiences have been when I had no idea what the show was about, who the writer is, had no expectations of the cast (I'm thinking of Circle Mirror Transformation ). I like to be surprised, and I like being sure that my reaction is my own, not filtered through someone else's lens. But sometimes, like when I go to the ballet, it's beneficial to read through the program notes, if there are any, once you're at the theatre. It can help you understand what's happening while it's happening, instead of having to sort through things in hindsight. Such was the case with Head of Passes , the new play from Tarell Alvin McCraney ( Choir Boy ), directed by Tina Landau . The program notes explain the play's inspiration, the biblical story of Job, and the ensuing debates about his struggle. The notes also speak to the title of the play, a geographical reference...