T/theater

Finding a Common Thread in Jonathan Larson’s Unheard Music

“The Jonathan Larson Project,” a years-in-the-making musical collage of Larson’s life, features songs he wrote before he died. Now it’s onstage at the Orpheum.

How the Co-Founder of an Immigrant Theater Spends Her Sundays

Mino Lora, who co-founded the People’s Theatre with her husband, has a double breakfast, a dance break and a bilingual reading session to wrap up her night.

Olga James, a Star of ‘Carmen Jones’ and ‘Mr. Wonderful,’ Dies at 95

An operatic soprano, she had high-profile roles on film and stage in the 1950s. But after that, she mostly spent her career away from the limelight.

‘Safe House’ Review: Singing a Song of Loneliness

Enda Walsh’s formal experiment, at St. Ann’s Warehouse, finds him in pared-back mode.

Menos drag, más country: Trump se apodera del Centro Kennedy

El dominio del presidente Trump sobre Washington se ha extendido a una institución fundamental para la vida cultural de la ciudad.

These Actors Made Broadway Debuts as Children. Now They’re Back.

Nick Jonas, Sadie Sink and Christian Slater are among this year’s unusually large cohort of stars who first appeared onstage as tweens or even younger.

In ‘Liberation,’ the Feminist Revolution Will Be Dramatized

Bess Wohl’s moving new play, about a group of women in 1970s Ohio, explores the power of sisterhood and the limits of motherhood.

Being George Clooney Is Harder Than It Looks

He is making his Broadway debut with a stage version of his 2005 movie “Good Night, and Good Luck.” He’s ready, but also terrified.

Drawing From Bob Dylan’s Songbook, Learning Lessons in Mortality

Todd Almond wrote an oral history on Conor McPherson’s “Girl From the North Country” and its passage through Broadway’s pandemic shutdown.

Cynthia Erivo Will Host This Year’s Tony Awards

The actress won a Tony Award for “The Color Purple,” and is now nominated for an Oscar for playing Elphaba in the film adaptation of “Wicked.”

For Playwrights, Making It to Midcareer Is a Cliffhanger

Act 1 was a constant struggle for rent and opportunity. But now that these emerging dramatists have emerged, what will they make of Act 2?

Jonathan Bailey’s Bratty, Bad-Boy ‘Richard II’

The actor, on a hot streak after “Wicked,” takes on his biggest stage role to date. In London, he plays Shakespeare’s unfortunate king as a flouncing sociopath.

Trump’s Revenge Now Includes His Takeover of the Kennedy Center

What will a thin-skinned showman do with an institution central to Washington’s cultural life? One expectation is more country music.

Hundreds of Artists Call on N.E.A. to Roll Back Trump’s Restrictions

A letter signed by 463 playwrights, poets, dancers, visual artists and others pushes back against new grant requirements that bar the promotion of diversity or “gender ideology.”

Barrie Kosky Is the Director New York Has Been Waiting For

One of the busiest stage directors in Europe is fully arriving, at last, with “The Threepenny Opera” this spring.

Hear How a ‘Smash’ Song Got a Broadway Makeover

“Let Me Be Your Star,” which evokes an actor’s longing to shine, has come a long way from its TV days. Here’s how the song evolved on its way to the stage.

An Abortion Scene Gets Theater Audiences Talking, and Fainting

“The Years,” running in London, dramatizes a woman’s life from teenage thrills to later-life sex. One intense scene is causing audience members to pass out.

Here’s What to See This Spring in New York

Onstage, Denzel Washington is Othello, and Paul Mescal is Stanley Kowalski as stars illuminate the theater marquees. Plus: FKA twigs takes “Eusexua” on tour. Bang on a Can, Twyla Tharp, and much more.

Lea Salonga Is Never Getting Tired of Sondheim

The Tony-winning actress co-stars with Bernadette Peters in “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends,” a show that is letting her surprise audiences with her comedy chops.

Ken Wydro, Who Helped Create an Off Broadway Phenomenon, Dies at 81

He and his wife, Vy Higginsen, poured all they had into “Mama, I Want to Sing,” a long-shot musical that became an enduring staple of Black theater.

Theater to Watch at Home: ‘Uncle Vanya’ and an Alice Childress Revival

A bare-bones Chekhov, a critically acclaimed revival of “The Wedding Band” and the cult TV series “Smash” are all available for streaming.

Idina Menzel Climbs to New Broadway Heights in ‘Redwood’

The “Wicked” belter scales a 300-foot tree, and a mountain of songs, in a powerful if woo-woo musical about trauma and resilience.

Off Broadway, Labor Tension Heats Up

Stagehands and other backstage workers have gone on strike against a prominent theater, and two productions have been canceled.

‘Henry IV’ Review: Two Plays Become One

The relationship between Prince Hal and John Falstaff, a favorite of Shakespeare scholars, is the focus of this condensed adaptation.

‘Night Sings Its Songs’ Review: Scenes From a Miserable Marriage

A play by the Nobel winner Jon Fosse gets a rare staging, but New Yorkers will have to wait a little longer to see a production that captures the Norwegian writer’s haunting universe.

With ‘Mindplay,’ Vinny DePonto Wants to Bring More Awe Into Your Life

In this mentalist show, the magician asks his audience: “What is meaningful to you?”

‘Doomers’ Review: Hunkered Down, Debating the Peril and Promise of A.I.

Matthew Gasda directs his new play, which was inspired by Sam Altman’s 2023 ouster from OpenAI.

Denzel Washington ha encontrado por fin su vocación (y no es actuar)

El legendario actor habla de la profecía que cambió su vida, de su desaire en los Oscar y de su próximo papel junto a un “complicado” Jake Gyllenhaal en “Otelo” en Broadway.

The Next Hot Playwright? They Prefer the Ones Who Cooled Off.

With their Tent Theater Company, Tim Sanford and Aimée Hayes want to raise the profiles of older artists and keep them from being sidelined.

As Off Broadway Crews Unionize, Workers See Hope, Producers Peril

Workers say the move is overdue, but theater companies fear it will drive up costs in a wounded sector that has yet to recover from the pandemic.

She Keeps ‘The Lion King’ in Motion

“Everything in the show moves,” said Ruthlyn Salomons, whose job for 25 years has been to oversee all the parts, people and puppets of this kinetic musical.

Denzel Washington Has Finally Found His Purpose (It’s Not Acting)

The legendary actor discusses the prophecy that changed his life, his Oscar snub and his upcoming role starring alongside a “complicated” Jake Gyllenhaal in “Othello” on Broadway.

How the Costume Designer for ‘Wicked’ Spends His Sundays

Paul Tazewell, who was nominated for an Oscar for “Wicked,” makes time for yoga before a day of shopping, museums and dinner with friends.

Tony Roberts, a Nonchalant Pal in Woody Allen’s Films, Dies at 85

He had an acclaimed Broadway career in musicals and comedies, but moviegoers knew him mostly as the self-assured, easygoing friend of Mr. Allen’s insecure heroes.

Can Movie Stars Handle Greek Classics? London Is Finding Out.

Sophocles is suddenly everywhere on the city’s stages. In concurrent shows, Rami Malek is playing Oedipus and Brie Larson is taking on Elektra.

Troubled Volksbühne Theater Announces Another New Director

Matthias Lilienthal will take over running the Berlin playhouse, which has been lurching from crisis to crisis for years.

‘Urinetown’ Review: More Than Toilet Humor

The Encores! revival of the musical from Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis seems even more relevant today.

New York Theater to See Now: Isabelle Huppert, ‘Urinetown’ and More

Also onstage in February: Calista Flockhart in a Sam Shepard revival, boldface names in Joy Behar’s “My First Ex-Husband” and a marionette made of ice.

This Choreographer Is Sending Love Letters to His Dance Heroes

The dance humor in Christopher Gattelli’s shows, like “Schmigadoon!” and “Death Becomes Her,” is underpinned by affection for musical theater and its excesses.

A Tennessee Williams-Marlon Brando Tango, and Other Riffs on Classics

Three new plays onstage in Manhattan, “Kowalski,” “Mrs. Loman” and “Nina,” mine treasures of theater history.

‘The Antiquities’ Review: Relics of Late Human Life in 12 Exhibits

According to Jordan Harrison’s museum piece of a play, we are long extinct by 2240. But the future has kept our Betamaxes.

The Playwright Larissa FastHorse Doesn’t Want to Be a Cautionary Tale

After a delay, “Fake It Until You Make It,” the writer’s follow-up to her Broadway satire, “The Thanksgiving Play,” is finally onstage in Los Angeles.

Merle Louise Simon, a Sondheim Mainstay, Is Dead at 90

She originated roles in four of his Broadway musicals between 1959 and 1987, and won a Drama Desk Award for her performance in “Sweeney Todd.”

An Affectionate Golden Age Schpoof in ‘Schmigadoon!’

The Apple TV+ series comes to the stage of the Kennedy Center with its snark and affection for classic Broadway musicals intact.

‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Wins Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album

The musical, based on the life of Alicia Keys and featuring her music, is running on Broadway and begins a national tour this fall.

This ‘Cymbeline’ Delights. So Does F. Murray Abraham in ‘Beckett Briefs.’

Shakespeare’s overstuffed late play gets an entertaining refresh Off Broadway, where Irish Rep is also offering a program of Samuel Beckett shorts.

82,150 Gallons of Paint Later, a Blue Man Group Farewell

Over 34 years, the show gave Fred Armisen a drumming gig, “Arrested Development” a hilarious story line and more. Now the cultural sensation comes to an end in New York.

What to Do in New York City in February

Looking for something to do in New York? Catch Margaret Cho’s “sons” at Joe’s Pub, groove to 070 Shake or watch collections of animated shorts at the BAMkids Film Festival.

Even Jimmy Fallon Gets the Jitters When Making His Broadway Debut

The “Tonight Show” host is performing in the new comedy “All In,” which features a starry cast. “It’s a dream,” he said.

Practicing for When the Bombs Fall in ‘A Knock on the Roof’

In a new solo play about ordinary people under bombardment in Gaza, a woman rehearses how she would escape her building if Israeli forces were to strike.

Idina Menzel Played Elphaba and Elsa. Now She’s Going Out on a Limb.

Menzel, a fan favorite since “Rent,” is back on Broadway in “Redwood,” and this time she’s climbing conifers.

How a Meeting About Vaccines Devolves, Hilariously, on Broadway

In “Eureka Day,” changes were made to a scene because “the laughter was so robust backstage, they couldn’t hear the cues.”

7 Surprisingly Busy Days in the Life of an Experimental Theater Maker

Peter Mills Weiss shared details of a week of “everyone doing everything all the time, and by the seat of everyone’s pants.”

How a Tony-Winning Actress Spends Her Sundays

Kara Young spends a rare day off brunching with her family in Harlem and popping into beauty supply stores along 125th Street.

Putting His Father’s Final Words Onstage, With a Little Ambivalence

The Portuguese director Tiago Rodrigues’s latest show, “No Yogurt for the Dead,” is based on his dying father’s scribbles but resists sharing much emotion.

Stratford-Upon-Lake-Michigan: Royal Shakespeare Company Plays Chicago

With less touring, it’s been a while since all the world has been its stage, but the troupe is working with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater — where it has family ties.

On Broadway, a Covid Switcheroo: Marsha Mason in for Mia Farrow

Mason, an associate director of “The Roommate,” which opened on Broadway last week, stepped in as Patti LuPone’s counterpart.

Does a Smash Hit Like ‘Lion King’ Deserve a $3 Million Tax Break?

Broadway is still recovering from the pandemic. A state tax-credit program has helped, but watchdogs say it aids some shows that don’t need a boost.

Audience Snapshot: Four Years After Shutdown, a Mixed Recovery

Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while attendance on Broadway and at some major museums is still down.

Is Earlier Better for Theater Start Times?

In an effort to entice audiences back after the pandemic, Britain’s National Theater is testing a 6:30 p.m. curtain.

Off Broadway, a Vital Part of New York Theater, Feels the Squeeze

The small theaters that help make the city a theater capital are cutting back as they struggle to recover from the pandemic.

Luring Theater Audiences Back After Covid

Readers discuss the decline in theater subscribers after the pandemic. Also: Northern Ireland; food allergies; a Covid playmate; anti-China bias.

72 Regional Theaters, One Shared Crisis

Michael Paulson spoke with producers and artistic directors at nonprofit theaters across the country about the crisis their industry is facing.

A Crisis in America’s Theaters Leaves Prestigious Stages Dark

As they struggle to recover after the pandemic, regional theaters are staging fewer shows, giving fewer performances, laying off staff and, in some cases, closing.

In ‘Plays for the Plague Year,’ the Soundtrack of Our Lives

Suzan-Lori Parks wrote one play a day for 13 months during the pandemic. Those stories come to life onstage in the form of monologues, dialogues and songs at Joe’s Pub.

As Presenters Cut Back on Streams, Some Disabled Arts Lovers Feel Left Out

When shuttered venues embraced streaming during the pandemic, the arts became more accessible. With live performance back, and streams dwindling, many feel forgotten.

‘Covid Vortex Anxiety Opera’ Review: Gloom, Zoom and a New Bloom

The veteran performance artist Karen Finley leads the audience through the troubles that plagued New York City at the peak of the pandemic.

Obie Awards Honor ‘English’ as Best New Play

A ceremony for the awards, celebrating work Off and Off Off Broadway, will be held Monday, but organizers decided to announce the winners in advance.

Broadway Bounces Back With ‘Best Week Since the Before Times’

Broadway shows grossed $51.9 million during the holiday week, the most since 2019, and “The Lion King” set a record for the most earned by any show in a single week.

‘Broadway Rising’ Review: Surviving the Pandemic

Stakeholders including Patti LuPone and Lynn Nottage share their real-time reactions to New York theater’s shutdown and reopening in Amy Rice’s documentary.

Onstage, It’s Finally Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Again

After one holiday season lost to the pandemic and another curtailed by Omicron, seasonal staples including “The Nutcracker,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Messiah” are back in force.

Lynn Nottage’s ‘Clyde’s’ Is the Most-Staged Play in America

An annual survey, suspended during the pandemic, resumes and finds theaters nationally doing fewer shows and torn between escapism and ambition.

Did Fauci Lead America Astray on Covid?

Responses to an essay that criticized Anthony Fauci’s handling of the pandemic. Also: Migrants as props; abortion rights; David Milch; theater’s lessons.

To Mask, or Not to Mask: Theaters and Concert Halls Face a Dilemma

Some audience members are turned off by mask mandates. Others won’t attend indoor performances without them. Arts presenters are taking different approaches this season.

‘It’s My Tradition Too’: A Town’s Centuries-Old Passion Play Evolves

After a two-year pandemic delay, villagers in the German town of Oberammergau are once again re-enacting the story of Jesus’s life and death, with some changes.

On Broadway, One Show Decides to Keep Masks. No, It’s Not ‘Phantom.’

“American Buffalo,” at Circle in the Square, is sticking with masking till it closes, July 10, citing the “proximity of the audience to the actors” and “the staging in the round.”

You Don’t Want to Wear a Mask? Do It for Hugh Jackman

Beginning in July, Broadway will no longer require audiences to mask up. Actors and theater workers aren’t loving the idea.

You Don’t Want to Wear a Mask? Do It for Hugh Jackman.

Beginning in July, Broadway will no longer require audiences to mask up. Actors and theater workers aren’t loving the idea.

Broadway Will Drop Mask Mandate Beginning July 1

Most theaters stopped requiring proof of vaccination this spring. Now they are going “mask optional.”

‘A Strange Loop’ Wins Best Musical as Tonys Celebrate Broadway’s Return

“The Lehman Trilogy” won best play, “Company” won best musical revival and “Take Me Out” won best revival of a play at the 75th Tony Awards.

‘Come From Away’ to Close, the Latest Broadway Show to End Run

The musical, which opened in 2017, is the third to announce a closing in two days, as many shows struggle in a pandemic-softened marketplace.

Broadway theaters will continue requiring patrons to wear masks at least through June 30.

The decision comes at a time when New York City has declared a “high Covid alert.”

The Twisting Trail to the Tonys: ‘Can You Believe That We’re Here?’

At times it felt like a game of survival. But during a Broadway season unlike any other, productions showed their resourcefulness while learning how to live with Covid.

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ to Close on Broadway, After Reopening

The musical, which shuttered temporarily in January as the Omicron variant spread, has struggled with the slow return of tourists to the theater.

Your Monday Evening Briefing

Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.

Most Broadway theaters have ended vaccination checks as coronavirus cases are rising.

Most of Broadway Ends Vaccine Checks as Cases Rise in New York

While for-profit theater owners and operators agreed to stop checking proof of vaccination this week, several nonprofit Broadway theaters continue to require it.

Manhattan Springs Back to Life

Broadway enthusiasts, art aficionados and food lovers will find new offerings in and around Times Square and in neighborhoods below 42nd Street, heralding the promise of a vibrant recovery.

‘For Colored Girls’ to Close on Broadway, Reflecting Tough Season

The revival, directed by Camille A. Brown, received strong reviews but struggled to attract audiences and overcome challenges posed by Covid.