Theater Review: ‘My Fair Lady’ In a Mostly Glorious Production
CHICAGO—Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein turned down the opportunity to adapt George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 “Pygmalion” play into a musical comedy. It was too wordy, they said, and ...
07-4-2022
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Theater Review: ‘Zorro: The Musical’: An Enchanting Night of Swordplay and Heel-Clicking Flamenco
SKOKIE, Ill.—“Superman” was created by Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1938, and “Batman” by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939. But before there were modern ...
08-17-2022
Theater Review: ‘The Kite Runner’: Coming to Terms With the Past
NEW YORK—"There is a way to be good again" is the most telling phrase uttered during the Broadway drama "The Kite Runner." Adapted by Matthew Spangler and based ...
08-3-2022
Theater Review: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is supposed to take place as a dream on a summer night in a wooded forest, so it’s befitting that Midsomer Flight is ...
07-26-2022
Theater Review: ‘Between the Lines’: Writing Your Own Story
NEW YORK—“Just because it’s fiction doesn’t mean it's not real,” a character proclaims in the new musical, “Between the Lines.” Based on the book by Jodi Picoult and Samantha ...
07-16-2022
Utah Shakespeare Festival’s ‘King Lear’: Timely While Honoring History
CEDAR CITY, Utah—We're often repulsed by the laughter of those we believe to be mad. In the Utah Shakespeare Festival's performance of "King Lear," which eschews gimmicky revisions ...
07-14-2022
Theater Review: ‘Epiphany’: A Flicker in the Darkness
NEW YORK—At one time or another, most of us have found ourselves at a social gathering where we wish we could be anywhere else. Playwright Brian Watkins uses ...
07-10-2022
Shen Yun’s 1st Post-Pandemic Season to Conclude in Nation’s Capital
After a nearly two-year break from the stage, New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was one of the first companies to emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic with ...
07-8-2022
Theater Review: ‘Funny Girl,’ a Show Where Joy and Sorrow Go Hand in Hand
NEW YORK—“People don’t change,” one character notes in the closing minutes of the first-ever Broadway revival of the 1964 musical “Funny Girl.” These words are a constant reality ...
07-6-2022
Theater Review: ‘It Came From Outer Space’
CHICAGO—Science fiction first captured the public’s imagination during the 1950s and has continued in popularity with films such as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Jurassic Park,” “Armageddon,” “Star Wars,” ...
07-5-2022
Theater Review: ‘A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery’
CHICAGO—Miss Marple, a fictional character in many of Agatha Christie’s novels, is an elderly sleuth with inquisitive nature whom some might call a busybody. She also has an ...
06-27-2022
Talk Show Host Says Shen Yun a ‘Once in a Lifetime Experience’
PHILADELPHIA—After five years of wanting to see Shen Yun Performing Arts, Rick Jensen, WDEL talk show host, and his wife Laurie traveled from Wilmington, Delaware, to attend the ...
06-26-2022
Something for Summer Reading: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare
Summer is not only a season that people love, but it is also a season when people fall in love. Warm temperatures encourage warm temperaments, and summer love ...
06-22-2022
Theater Review: ‘Snow in Midsummer’: The Importance of Justice
NEW YORK—There's a saying that "the truth will set you free," but for that to happen, the truth must first be revealed. And there are those who will do ...
06-22-2022
Pianist, 18, From South Korea Wins Van Cliburn Competition
FORT WORTH, Texas—An 18-year-old from South Korea has won the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, one of the top showcases for the world's best pianists. The competition ...
06-20-2022
Giffords Circus Brings Laughs and Fun to the Whole Family
If you are planning a visit to the South of England, may I recommend the amazing, the one and only, Giffords Circus? I recently caught up with the ...
06-12-2022
Theater Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’: Plenty of Songs on an Aquatic Stage
CHICAGO—When there’s no violent storm, no real shipwreck, and no live seagulls, it’s a bit of a stretch to convey the kind of sea-world setting of the 1989 ...
06-9-2022
Former Professor in China Finds Hope in Shen Yun
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Although the Chinese Communist Party holds power in China, they do not represent the people of the nation. Shen Yun Performing Arts is sharing the beauty of ...
06-8-2022
Ballet Review: ‘Don Quixote’: A Fantastic Quest for Dreams of Nobility
CHICAGO—“Don Quixote” was scheduled for February 2022 but was put on hold because of COVID. Now, the Joffrey Ballet has mounted it on the Lyric Opera stage, going ...
06-8-2022
‘Conservative’ Playwrights Among Us!
As the founder and president of Stage Right Theatrics, the home of the Natural Theater and the country’s only “conservative” theater company, I have discovered that the more ...
06-7-2022
Theater Review: ‘The Lucky Star’: Choices Made and Chances Missed
NEW YORK—Regrets born of decisions made and opportunities not taken form the crux of Karen Hartman’s involving familial drama “The Lucky Star.” Inspired by actual events, the show ...
06-1-2022
Music CEO Says Shen Yun ‘Was More Than Worth the Flight’ From New York
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Shen Yun Performing Arts is the kind of experience that is worth getting on an airplane for, said Jed Leiber, CEO of NightBird Music, who shared ...
05-31-2022
Nuclear Engineer Says Shen Yun Is a Reminder to Be Humble and Calm
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— Lucas Fischhaber, a nuclear engineer and fantasy author, and paralegal Shauna Fischhaber attended a Shen Yun Performing Arts concert and said the performance touched their ...
05-28-2022
Theater Review: ‘Seagull’: Modernized Theater Isn’t Always Better
CHICAGO—When “The Seagull” opened in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1896, those in the audience hissed and booed at it. Maybe the premiere failed so badly because the audience ...
05-13-2022
Former Dance Teacher Shares Her Profound Experience With Shen Yun
DULUTH, Minn.—The beauty of Chinese culture was established through 5,000 years of dynasty after dynasty. Shen Yun Performing Arts is reviving this beauty after it was nearly eliminated ...
05-12-2022
Theater Review: ‘The Skin of Our Teeth’
NEW YORK—I was jotting down some notes between acts one and two of the Broadway revival of "The Skin of Our Teeth” when a woman asked what I was ...
05-11-2022
Shen Yun Reminds Us ‘We Are Spiritual Beings, Even If We Live in a Material World’
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Jack and Stephanie O’Leary attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Providence Performing Arts Center on May 7. Jack, a civil engineer and project manager, said it ...
05-7-2022