by Lisa Jarisch For theatre goers “of a certain age”, the mention of Sunset Boulevard may very well conjure up images of beloved comedienne Carol Burnett’s loving homage to this classic 1950 Billy Wilder film. Burnett’s entrance as the faded Hollywood film star Norma Desmond slowly –at first—descending the staircase…
by Lisa Jarisch Surely there is no better cure for melancholy that approaches as the curtain descends on the summer theater season than a healthy dose of rambunctious orphans, a rags to riches story, a guaranteed happy ending…AND a dog. The Mac-Haydn Theatre fills the prescription to a “T”…or in this…
by Roseann Cane A small number of American musicals seem inseparable from the actors who originated the lead roles. For devotees of musical theater, Yul Brynner is The King and I; Robert Preston, The Music Man; and of course, Barbra Streisand is Funny Girl. Contemporary actors cast in these roles…
by Barbara Waldinger The Mac-Haydn Theatre, celebrated for its spectacular musical revivals, opened its 50th season with the Tony-award winning Damn Yankees. The performance delivered on its promise of outstanding singer/dancers directed (by John Saunders) and choreographed (by Brian Knowlton) to a fare-thee-well. Damn Yankees first opened in 1955, written…
Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, July, 2006 My little brown cat Mary is the epitome of style over substance. I believe she is constituted thusly:5% Purrs and Meows5% Owl-y Eyes and Pointy Ears15% Structural Necessities (i.e. bones, blood, vital organs, etc.)75% Fluff Andrew Lloyd Webber has constructed his Cats along the same…
Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, June, 2006 When I go to see an oft-produced classic like South Pacific I ask myself two questions: Does it effectively tell the story? Does it bring anything new to the story? Some theatrical reimaginings bring so much that is new that the original intent is lost,…
Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, July 2005 If you are a tap dance junkie looking for your next fix now that Savion Glover has departed from Jacob’s Pillow, you will want to book tickets NOW for 42nd Street at the Mac-Haydn. I went to the theatre with high hopes and fond memories…
Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, June 2005 In 1999, Time Magazine looked back over the entire 20th century, a century that saw the American musical take shape, and named Rodgers and Hammerstein’s second collaboration Carousel the Best Musical of the Century! High praise indeed. Rodgers and Hammerstein themselves liked Carousel the best of all…
