“Peter Pan Goes Wrong” is a Hilarious Ode to the Mishaps of Amateur Theater

(REVIEW) Following their 2017 success on Broadway with “The Play That Goes Wrong,” the British comedy group “Mischief” returns to Broadway this month with a new show that also explores how a live performance can fall apart on the stage. “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” is a classic re-staging of J.M. Barrie’s iconic fairytale about the boy who never grew up where everything that can go wrong—does. The mishaps begin innocently enough: a forgotten line, a malfunctioning stage light, but as the evening progresses, things go (quite hilariously) from bad to worse.

CultureEli JohnsonApril 19, 2023Eli Johnson, Theatre Review, Review, broadway, Secondary Feature, critics pickComment

Rural America Gets Its Hilarity-Filled Moment in “Shucked” on Broadway

(REVIEW) A new musical opens this month at Nederlander Theatre celebrating (and poking fun at) a piece of American culture not often seen on the Broadway stage—the rural farming communities of middle America. “Shucked,” a musical from Nashville songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, takes place in the fictional Midwest area of Cobb County, a rural community of farmers who are content with life within their own community.

CultureEli JohnsonApril 14, 2023Eli Johnson, Review, Theatre Review, Theatre, broadway, Culure, Primary FeatureComment

“Life of Pi” on Stage is a Cinematic and Philosophical Wonder

(REVIEW) Broadway has long been pulled between commercial, “theme-park” shows and philosophical, artistic works. The former tends to draw larger box office returns, and the latter greater critical acclaim. Occasionally a show is able to achieve success in both categories and this spring one such Oliver Award-winning production transfers from London to the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre by the title of “Life of Pi.”

CultureEli JohnsonApril 1, 2023Eli Johnson, Theatre Review, Review, broadway, critics pick, Secondary FeatureComment

The Choreography of Bob Fosse Comes Alive on Broadway in “Dancin’”

(REVIEW) In the late 1970s, Fosse conceived and staged a musical completely his own. It lacked a narrative arc or cohesive theme, consisting of a series of vignettes told mostly through dance (with a little bit of singing mixed in). The spectacle, entitled “Dancin’,” opened at the Broadhurst Theatre in 1978 and ran for over four years. This month, “Dancin’” returns to New York City under the direction of Wayne Cliento, a cast member of the original 1978 production.

CultureEli JohnsonMarch 20, 2023Eli Johnson, Review, broadway, Theatre Review, Theatre, culture, Opinion, Secondary FeatureComment

Continental Express Halal Food - Feeding Wall Street $7 at a Time

(REVIEW) The lamb, combined with the sauce and rice, tastes warm and delicate yet also rich and vibrant. The flavor is savory and nutty, the texture is soothing to taste. The naan is soft and spongy, the lettuce is crisp. I finish my meal with a smile and a full stomach. It tasted as if the world were at my feet. At this humble food cart, I seemingly discovered a whole new universe of deliciously cheap lunches.

CityEvan Louey-DacusMarch 10, 2023evan louey dacus, food review, Halal, city, Food, Review, Secondary FeatureComment

Jessica Chastain’s “A Doll’s House” is a Bland, Uninteresting Affair

Originally set in 19th-century Norway, a new production of “A Doll’s House” – adapted by Amy Herzog and directed by Jamie Lloyd – opens this month at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway. The story of “A Doll’s House” is centered around an exploration of the power dynamics between a husband and wife. This production is a bold departure from the dense, maximalist visuals that ordinarily accompany a play set within an affluent Victorian home. Instead, the play is performed with no costumes, sets, props or effects apart from simple lighting, a few wooden chairs and a hidden turntable in the stage floor.

CultureEli JohnsonMarch 9, 2023Eli Johnson, broadway, Theatre Review, Review, A Doll's House, Opinion, Secondary FeatureComment

Velvet Rouge Owned the Stage at Rockwood Music Hall

(REVIEW) The four-person rock band Velvet Rouge performed nine original songs at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side on Saturday, Feb. 25. Zo and her band took the stage wearing vibrant outfits. At first, Zo had trouble with the mic, but her ease on the stage made up for it. They played their hearts out and owned the stage. It was an experience worth witnessing.

Tying the Bow on Blue Ribbon Sushi

(REVIEW) I’ve been a patron for several years, and I’m happy to say that Blue Ribbon Sushi has survived the coronavirus pandemic. While seating is plentiful and comfortable, the indoor booths are beginning to show their age. Wooden bench seats have minor cracks and other faults. Despite this, Blue Ribbon Sushi still maintains a SoHo bistro price point. The phrase “you get what you pay for” is much more meaningful when a dinner-for-two averages $60-80.

CityEvan Louey-DacusFebruary 21, 2023evan louey dacus, Food, Review, blue ribbon, sushi, Secondary FeatureComment

In ‘Knock at the Cabin,’ Is The Apocalypse Really the Time to Contemplate Moral Philosophy?

(REVIEW) ‘Knock at the Cabin,’ a horror, mystery and thriller by director M. Night Shyamalan, arrived at theaters on Friday, Feb. 3. ‘Knock at the Cabin’ addresses a specific question of ethics that a College student might contemplate: the Trolley Problem. The central question of the movie is one you might prefer to contemplate during office hours with a philosophy professor rather than in a dark theater for an hour and forty minutes.

Even Great Performances Can’t Rescue “Between Riverside and Crazy”

(REVIEW) “Everybody in New York hates cops. Even cops hate cops,” says Pops, a retired police officer and the protagonist of “Between Riverside and Crazy,” a 2014 play making its Broadway debut this season at Second Stage’s Helen Hayes Theatre. The play is about the complex relationship between the New York Police Department and the African-American community in New York City. While the story has a lot of potential, it can’t seem to get many plot lines off the launch pad.

CultureEli JohnsonJanuary 20, 2023Eli Johnson, culture, city, Opinion, Theatre, Review, broadway, Secondary FeatureComment

Two Visions of Art Profoundly Collide in “The Collaboration”

Most people familiar with modern art in New York City are probably familiar with painters Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. This season, Warhol and Basquiat appear on Broadway, portrayed as artists collaborating on a series of paintings that reflect the convergence of their contrasting approaches to art in “The Collaboration.”

CultureEli JohnsonJanuary 12, 2023Eli Johnson, city, culture, Opinion, broadway, Review, Secondary FeatureComment

“& Juliet” is an Awkward Disney-Channel-Style Musical — But At Least the Songs are Fun

“& Juliet” is a retelling of William Shakespeare’s iconic play “Romeo & Juliet.” Several pop-dance numbers into the first act, the new jukebox musical at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, I was genuinely having fun. The music was nostalgic, the cast was energetic and the audience was into it, but my excitement didn’t last.

CultureEli JohnsonNovember 27, 2022Eli Johnson, & Juliet, Opinion, Culture, Review, Theatre Review, Primary Feature, Secondary Feature