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

What makes a lion? That’s what Benjamin Scheuer endeavors to discover in his personal coming of age tale. He begins and ends by telling of the cookie-tin banjo his father made for him, his father giving his boy the gift of music. In between, Scheuer struggles with loss, love and sickness, all of which help him uncover the strength and people needed to be a lion.  The accomplished musician (he records with his band, Escapist Papers ) brings his story home to New York in a beautifully staged performance, using multiple acoustic guitars (and one electric), which make the most glorious sounds. Delicate and effective direction by Sean Daniels and a warm and intimate set by Neil Patel and lighting design by Ben Stanton bring us close to Scheuer (like Sawyer but with a “sh” sound to start), who is raw, charming and brave.  He also is doing something so simple yet so important in sharing his journey. The Lion is storytelling + family + love, which is what our past, ...

The latest from brothers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen (they of The Big Lebowski , A Serious Man , True Grit and so much more) takes on folk singer Llewyn Davis’s journey. (The film is loosely based on Dave Van Ronk’s memoir The Mayor of MacDougal Street .) It’s 1961 in the Village, and Llewyn is trying to make a living as a solo folk artist, having gained mild success (to put it mildly) as part of a folk duo. (The title refers directly to Llewyn’s eponymous solo album.) Llewyn (theatre veteran Oscar Isaac) couch surfs and lives moment to moment (though not in a live for the moment kind of way; more of an aimless kind of way). He’s strong-headed when it comes to his music and far from a warm and fuzzy guy. (Even so, as Isaac so sensitively portrays him, there’s something appealing about Llewyn. Maybe it’s just that Isaac ( We Live Here , Drive ) is so attractive. Or maybe it's that he’s playing an acoustic guitar and I have a thing for musicians.) Perhaps what’s most noticea...