By Sabrina Khan
A sharp and witty play about an upper class, modern Black family, Stick Fly is making strides on Broadway in a fresh yet familiar way. It’s inspiring as much conversation outside the theatre as it is within it — even while the show is playing.
@AngelMayReed tweeted: “Not sure what was more entertaining the play or the audience reaction!!!”
It’s certainly a melodramatic show, and the audience seems to be just as melodramatic while viewing it. There’s even been controversy surrounding how the audience has been responding vocally to the wild and sometimes explicit lines running off the actors’ lips. And why not?
( Read more )
Jan
20
No Fly On the Wall at Stick Fly
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Dec
16
Bonnie & Clyde
By Gemma Lolos
12th Grade, LaGuardia High School
The new musical, Bonnie & Clyde, opens with a bang — or I should say, several bangs.
Set in Texas during the Great Depression, young diner waitress Bonnie Parker and escaped convict Clyde Barrow desire nothing more than to leave behind their dull, depressing lives in search of more promising circumstances. While Bonnie yearns for a successful career in Hollywood, and Clyde is unsatisfied with his life as a criminal. The two hopeless dreamers meet when Bonnie has some car troubles and Clyde comes to her rescue. The moment they meet, an irreversible connection is made. ( Read more )
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Dec
16
The Mountaintop
By Kassandra Ramirez
11th Grade, High School of Leadership and Public Service
I’ve got to be honest — I thought that The Mountaintop was going to be a boring reenactment of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Wow, was I wrong.
Growing up, I was taught to view Dr. King as a person responsible for many wonderful changes in our country, but this play showed a side of him that textbooks don’t teach. Yes, he did help us to be more tolerant with each other, but he had his flaws as well. This play showed that just because someone does something extraordinary with their life doesn’t mean that they have to be perfect. ( Read more )
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Dec
16
Seminar
By Max Friedlich
11th Grade, Friends Seminary
In the new Broadway play Seminar, we are invited into the world of writers. Sounds nice, right? Actually, it’s an hour and a half of gruesome warfare between five different egos.
Four aspiring writers vie for the attention of their private writing teacher Leonard, who “teaches” by ripping each writer to shreds. Leonard is played by the extraordinary Alan Rickman, (Snape from Harry Potter), who presents a cruel demeanor with a more fragile side that has been hardened by rejection and failure.
Seminar reveals the emotional corruption that the pursuit of an artistic dream can cause. The characters are very well defined and have clear intentions. Some of the dialogue has a farcical quality, dueling with words, which is consistent with the play’s excellent sense of realism. ( Read more )
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Dec
15
Lysistrata Jones
By Oumar Berte
12th Grade, International Community High School
When I was assigned to review Lysistrata Jones, I was not really excited about it. To be honest, the name made it sound weird and boring. However, one of the songs from this new Broadway musical is about not judging a book by its cover and after seeing the show, I would add not to judge a play by its name.
Lysistrata Jones follows Lysistrata, a college basketball cheerleader, in her struggle to fit in at her new school, Athens University. She comes up with a very interesting way to help the basket- ball team win at least one game — you’ll understand when you see the play.
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Dec
14
Chinglish
By Dalia Wolfson
12th Grade, Hunter College High School
Chinglish follows American businessman Daniel Cavanaugh as he sets out to make a sales pitch to the local cultural ministry in a small Chinese province. Cavanaugh meets resistance from the cultural minister, but his shrewd vice-secretary Xi Yan offers her assistance. Cavanaugh and Yan become both business and romantic partners, plotting their way through the Chinese bureaucracy, where relationships matter far more than legal dealings. ( Read more )
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Dec
13
Traces
By Larissa Heron
10th Grade, High School of the Future
Traces is the ultimate circus thrill. This dynamic performance will have you gripping your seat in anticipation.
Although there is no specific plot, the performers and projections guide you through the story. In Traces, it is not the story we’re after, but the epic sequence of events. Occasional songs, hilarious interactions between characters and deranged facial expressions will leave you laughing hard. ( Read more )
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Dec
12
Godspell
By Olivia Munk
12th Grade, Bronx High School of Science
Godspell is a musical about Jesus and his disciples. Using biblical references and parables, we are given insight into Jesus’ final days on earth — with a twist of rock ‘n’ roll.
Jesus, played by Hunter Parrish, comes onstage to be baptized in a pool of water hidden beneath the stage. His disciples enter in costumes very different from what da Vinci painted in The Last Supper — they reminded me of children given free rein to 
play dress-up in a party supply store (I was jealous of the fairy costume). There is no singular set, as newspapers, wooden boards, and the actors’ bodies themselves are used to musically portray biblical events. Cleverly worded raps and modern references, such as Lindsay Lohan and Donald Trump, add a wonderfully amusing element to the otherwise somber topic of the show. ( Read more )
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