Eye On the Arts

New York, New York November 24, 2022 -- Youthful energy soars during the new jukebox musical & Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Determined to reshape Will's (Stark Sands) tragedy Romeo and Juliet , his wife Anne (Betsy Wolfe) takes quill to imagination and rewrites the lovers' union. With a book by David West Read (of the deliriously funny Schitt's Creek) irreverent humor bounces giddily along the soundtrack of many a youngsters headsets. Donning edgy, boho-chic a la 16th century corsets and cod-pieces by Paloma Young, the attractively diverse, nonbinary company easily straddles centuries of love stories. In this version Juliet (a standout Lorna Courtney) never dies next to Romeo and instead journeys on a search for self fulfillment along with her gregarious nurse, Angelique (Melanie LaBarrie), her honey-voiced best friend May (Justin David Sullivan) and a youthful entourage. Like any urban fairy tale, they encounter a royal family roiled in qu

New York, New York November 10, 2022 -- What price family heritage? For some, ancestral knowledge is easily traceable. For others, it's a painful, tumultuous mystery. Exhaltingly rooted in the Black experience, August Wilson's emotionally drenched The Piano Lesson at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre revolves around the complex issues surrounding Black families. Uninhibitedly directed by LaTanya Richard Jackson and choreographed by the seasoned Otis Sallid, The Pinao Lesson exudes a physicality that speaks of jazz music, ancestors and the rich culture of Black America. Committed to preserving her family's story, Bernice Charles (the compelling Danielle Brooks) safeguards the family heirloom, a majestic, upright piano carved by an enslaved ancestor and master wood carver. Decorated with cascading wooden carvings of the family tree, Bernice's father died removing the piano from the slave owner's home. This visual record digs deep into Bernice

New York, New York -- November 2, 2022 Attention must be paid to The Death of A Salesman , Arthur Miller's American tragedy starring Wendell Pierce (the doomed Willy Loman), Sharon D. Clarke (the stalwart wife, Linda Loman), and the sons, McKinley Belcher III (Happy Loman) and Biff Loman (Khris Davis). On the brink of psychological and spiritual collapse, Loman, an aging and increasingly out-of-touch salesman, rants against the forces that push time ahead of him. Disturbed by his unscalable descent, Linda Loman calls their two sons home to help level the shaky raft. Problematically, the two sons wrestle with their own ingrained demons. Once a promising football star, Biff finds he must repeat math in summer school to graduate. Intent on discussing his future with his father, Biff walks in on him having an affair. Stunned by the betrayal, Biff drops out of school and never realizes his potential. Then there's Happy, the younger brother. He enjoys a passion for women, drink