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

His name is Alexander Hamilton, and he is no longer the forgotten founding father. Much has already been written about Hamilton , the new musical written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda ( In the Heights , tick, tick…BOOM! ) and inspired by Ron Chernow ’s biography, Alexander Hamilton . I’ve written about it ;  Stephen Sondheim and the Roots have written about ; and, just a couple of weeks ago, President Barack Obama gave it his seal of approval . All of it is true. It is a game-changing musical. It is revolutionary. It is an incredible, nearly impossible mix of musical theatre tropes, hip hop references, flipping-the-script casting, history lesson and so much more. Using mostly hip hop (as well as some R+B and Brit pop) to tell Alexander Hamilton’s story—Alexander Hamilton, a bastard, immigrant son of a whore, who wrote his way to great heights and then fell even farther—an important, integral part of our American history is made vivid and accessible. Because David K...

The tagline for Hamilton is, "Who lives / Who dies / who tells your story." It's taken from a lyric in Lin-Manuel Miranda 's new hip-hop musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton. And though the show is called Hamilton , the story that's told is much grander, helping us understand the others who lived, died and have yet to have their story told. Inspired by Ron Chernow 's biography, Alexander Hamilton , Miranda explores the treasury secretary's motivations (by writing the show and playing him on stage), who he was as a person and not just what he did. He doesn't stop there, thankfully. Miranda also gives equal attention and insight to Hamilton's foil, Aaron Burr (a captivating Leslie Odom, Jr  ( Leap of Faith , tick, tick...BOOM! )). This sensational musical is as much about Burr as it is about Hamilton. Indeed, it seems that to understand Hamilton we need to understand Burr. Tiny but significant bits of their respective biographies a...

Tupac Shakur is one of the most prolific hip-hop artists, garnering even more success and attention posthumously than he did in his brief life. (He would have been only 43 this year.) He’s also a poet and master storyteller, which makes him a natural fit for theatre. And Broadway will be richer for having his voice in the canon. Holler If Ya Hear Me is a non-biographical musical that features music by the late rapper (I suppose you could call it a jukebox musical, but I think a mix tape musical is more apropos), with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Daryl Waters and a book by Todd Kreidler . From a dramaturge’s perspective, Holler is plagued by some of the same pitfalls of other jukebox musicals: The book is often weak, feeling as if it’s written not to serve the story but to get to the next hit song. Which is not to say that the characters populating Holler are simply jibber-jabbering on stage; indeed, it seems that many of the conversations had on “the...

Breaking Bad  at Lincoln Center Whether you're not yet caught up on Breaking Bad  or you just want to re-watch the series before the final season begins on August 11, Lincoln Center has you covered. Beginning July 26 and running through July 30, you'll have an opportunity to watch - for free - every episode. The marathon screening leads up to "The Perfect Batch: Breaking Bad  Cast Favorites," which is exactly what it sounds like. Creator Vince Gilligan and stars Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte and Bob Odenkirk will be on hand to present their favorite episodes to partake in a question and answer session. Visit The Wrap for a schedule and ticket details. Broadway Barks The line up for this year's  Broadway Barks  has been announced. (Broadway Barks is hosted by  Bernadette Peters  and  Mary Tyler Moore , and is a dog and cat adoption event attended (and therefore promoted) by stage veterans. This year's event will take pl...

Holy Thespis, Venice is sick! This new musical, currently at the Public Theater, is a rock and roll hip-hopera that uses modern music (love the great grooves and dope beats) to tell a classic tale (and throws in some classic theatre tropes for good measure along the way). Venice tells the dystopian tale of a war-torn country (a fictional Venice), torn apart after a devastating terrorist attack. Fast forward to 20 years later when two friends, Willow, the daughter of the late president (he was killed in the attack), and Venice, a commoner, reunite after being separated in the aftermath of the attack. (Naturally, the elite, Willow and her ilk, were taken to a nearly hermetically-sealed safe zone; the others, like Venice, were left to fend for themselves in the ruins.) They plan to marry in order to reunite their beloved country and bring peace to their people. But someone has other plans. As Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis explains in his program notes, writers...