Gregory Bernard

Danny Brown’s two-hander opens with an orgasm and closes with a cathartic cleansing. Between these bold bookends lies 90 minutes of small talk—covering everything from sex and relationships to the kitchen sink. Adam (Ephraim Birney) hosts David (Joel Meyers) in his Upper West Side studio for what he hopes will be a quick, no-strings-attached encounter….

FOR ALL IT’S GIRTH Sumo is a Japanese sport in which two bulky Japanese wrestlers clutch and grab at each other within a circular ring. The goal is to either eject the opponent from the ring or knock him on his back. The typical match runs a few seconds and rarely as long as a…

A SHOUTING SHAME On the Evolutionary Function of Shame—which Second Stage Theater opened on February 26 at The Pershing Square Signature Center—ambitiously tackles complex themes of identity, family, and the moral dilemmas surrounding gender dysphoria, transphobia, and eugenics. While undeniably thought-provoking and timely, its execution at times overwhelms with excessive dramatics and shouting. Elizabeth Ramos…

IT’S SAFE TO DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS AT HOUSE St. Ann’s Warehouse, in association with New York’s Irish Arts Center, presents Safe House, a one-person song cycle originally produced at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre. Running for a limited engagement through March 2, this haunting and esoteric production has a pile-driving performance by Kate Gilmore. Walsh describes the…

A DESIGN AS IMPRESSIVE AS A REDWOOD ITSELF The new Broadway musical Redwood, which opened on February 13, is a master class in tech theater. Set designer Jason Ardizzone-West makes this clear from the outset, enclosing the stage in a semi-circle of pinkish-white screens that extend beyond the proscenium arch, even covering the house-right and…

MADELINE SEIDMAN IS REMARKABLE IN GARSIDE’S CAREER Since 1995, the invaluable Mint Theatre Company has been unearthing lost, neglected plays from yesteryear. With artistic director Jonathan Bank at the helm, he has overseen the production of 60 revivals of worthy plays. Harold Brighouse’s Garside’s Career, which opened tonight, is the latest praiseworthy play to be produced…

Based on the play by Josefina López and HBO’s Real Women Have Curves (screenplay by Josefina López and George LaVoo), Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is set to begin performances on April 1 at the James Earl Jones Theatre, ahead of an opening night on April 27, 2025. Broadway newcomer Tatianna Córdoba will make her…

MIND FOR GOLD Vinny DePonto, the Brooklyn-based mentalist, is undeniably a master showman—and a strikingly handsome one at that (I’ll draw a comparison to Jake Gyllenhaal). Like all magicians, the heart of his one-man show lies not in the tricks themselves (though they are breathtaking) but in his thought-provoking interaction with the audience. With Mindplay,…

WAKING US UP TO WOKENESS Playwright Jonathan Spector makes an impressive Broadway debut with Eureka Day, a strikingly relevant and well-crafted production that convincingly captures the complexities and contradictions of contemporary cultural debates. His ability to balance humor and drama to address divisive issues such as political correctness resonate strongly well after the 100-minutes are…

THERE’S NO ‘MAYBE’ ABOUT IT HAPPINESS HAS LANDED AT THE BELASCO When Avenue Q ran against Wicked at the Tonys for Best Musical, it was often compared to the American folktale The Little Engine That Could vs. the big corporate multi-million-dollar musical. One was a small contender with lots of heart; the other a huge…

HELLO, SATCHMO! THANK GOODNESS LOUIS IS BACK IN TOWN; WE NEED HIM MORE THAN EVER There’s a new jukebox musical in town. But don’t run in the other direction. A Wonderful World, which opened at Studio 54 tonight, November 11, is the bio-musical of Louis Armstrong, aka the Ambassador of Blues, the King of Jazz,…

Kenneth Lonergan’s Hold on to Me Darling is playing through Dec. 22, starring Adam Driver, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Joining Driver as Strings McCrane are Heather Burns as Nancy, Adelaide Clemens as Essie, Keith Nobbs as Jimmy, CJ Wilson as Duke, and Frank Wood as Mitch. On learning of his mother’s death, country music icon Strings McCrane (Driver) finds himself in an existential tailspin. The only way out,…

STARRING GEORGE CLOONEY IN HIS BROADWAY PREMIERE Good Night, and Good Luck, a new play by  George Clooney  and  Grant Heslov, and directed by Tony Award winner  David Cromer, will premiere on Broadway at the historic Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway). Performances will begin on Wednesday, March 12, with an opening night set for Thursday, April 3, 2025. Clooney…

Love In Idleness, a new musical comedy about a pharmaceutical scientist who invents the title drug to reignite passion in his long-term relationship with a drag performer is set for a limited Off-Broadway engagement this fall at Actors Temple Theatre, opening November 21, 2024. Liam Searcy in the new musical comedy Love In Idleness (Photo…

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced initial casting and the venue for the world premiere of  We Had A World, written by the amazing Joshua Harmon  (Prayer for the French Republic,  Bad  Jews, Significant Other) and directed by Tony Award nominee  Trip Cullman  (Cult of Love). This is  MTC’s first production at NY City Center Stage II (131 West 55th Street) since the…

SMASH TO OPEN ON BROADWAY THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2025 PREVIEWS BEGIN   MARCH 11 AT IMPERIAL THEATRE Starring Robyn Hurder  as “Ivy” Brooks Ashmanskas  as “Nigel” Krysta Rodriguez  as “Tracy” John Behlmann  as “Jerry” Kristine Nielsen  as “Susan” Caroline Bowman  as “Karen” Jacqueline B. Arnold  as “Anita” Bella Coppola  as “Chloe” Casey Garvin  as “Charlie” The company will include  Wendi Bergamini, Sarah Bowden, Jacob Burns, Deanna…

BRILLIANT. COMPLICATED. DARIN. Priority Access Pre-Sale begins Monday, October 21, 2024 at Just in Time Broadway General on-sale begins Wednesday, October 23, 2024 Exclusive Night Club Floor Seating Available Jonathan Groff  will return to Broadway in the new musical  Just in Time  this spring. Performances begin at the  Circle in the Square Theatre on March 28, 2025, ahead of…