‘Educating Asher’ is an emotionally-satisfying new play
Photo by Carol Kassie The ghost of Elliot Weiss (Murphy Hayes) tries to express himself but Asher (Eytan Deray) is having none of it. By AARON KRAUSE If you were blessed with an Elliott Weiss in your life, Educating Asher, a heartfelt and humorous new play, will touch you...
Island City Stage’s “The Mystery of Irma Vep” is consistently entertaining
Photo by Matthew Tippins Nicodemus Underwood (Larry Buzzeo, back) startles Jane Twisden (Bruce Linser) in Island City Stage’s production of The Mystery of Irma Vep. By AARON KRAUSE Comic brilliance is on display at Island City Stage (ICS). There, a side-splitting production of the hilarious 1984 spoof, The Mystery...
‘Water by the Spoonful’ is richly symbolic, moving
Photo by Ryan Arnst The title ‘Water by the Spoonful’ is symbolic in the play. In the above photo, Arlette del Toro, as Haikumom, appears in a scene from the play. By AARON KRAUSE If you are trying to escape from a stressful past or painful situation, taking small,...
‘Cats’ still wins us over
Photo by Matthew Murphy The Jellicle Cats appear close together, suggesting a tight-knit group. By AARON KRAUSE They cartwheel, crawl, kick, shake, sing, slide, spin, somersault, speak, jump, kneel, tap dance, talk, walk, and leap – right into our hearts. Even after more than four decades, these felines still...
Island City Stage demonstrates boldness by producing ‘Suddenly Last Summer’
Photo by Matthew Tippins An overwhelmed Catharine (Jeanine Gangloff Levy) rests her head against Dr. Cukrowicz’s chest (Jonathan Furedy) during a scene from Island City’s Stage’s production of Suddenly Last Summer. By AARON KRAUSE A grieving mother fights to keep her late son’s reputation blemish-free. Family members argue over...
‘Frozen’ the musical leaves you feeling warm inside
Photo by Deen van Meer A frozen set is one of many visuals in an equity national touring production of Frozen. By AARON KRAUSE There are plenty of visual delights and surprises in the captivating and faithful stage musical adaptation of Frozen to enthrall fans of the film. In...
Slow Burn Theatre sparks a rousing ‘Once On This Island’
Photo by Gregory Reed Brinie Wallace is radiant as Ti Moune By AARON KRAUSE Slow Burn Theatre Company’s stirring production of the rousing, Caribbean-flavored folktale of a musical, Once On This Island, is simply stellar. From dynamic, in-sync dancing to believable, charming performances and eye-popping costumes, this production amounts...
‘Kinky Boots’ is the kind of show we need right now
Photo by Gregory Reed Lola (Elijah Word) and Charlie (Dominique Scott) find common ground in Slow Burn Theatre Company’s production of Kinky Boots. By AARON KRAUSE If ever there were a time that we needed a show to “raise us up,” surely it is now. With a pandemic destroying...
