Theater Archives - The Culture Mom

05Dec

Guest post: Review of “Puffs” at New World Stages

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Guest writer Liat Ginsberg is a mother and former journalist for the Israeli newspaper, Maariv. She has taught at the Film and Media Department at Hunter College. If you or you kids are fans of the Harry Potter series, the play Puffs is for you. In addition, if your kids have never read the book or watched Harry Potter movies (like my 8 year-old twins), then the play “Puffs” is also for you. The truth is this play may be more for kids than for adults. My kids enjoyed every minute. They could not stop giggling. At times, I was wondering why do they Read More

29Aug

Revisiting Blue Man Group 30 Years Later and a Giveaway!

Posted by The Culture Mom 4 Comments

1988. That was the year I set foot into LaMama to first catch Blue Man Group. At the time, the show was ground-breaking. I had never seen a show so excellently combine music, technology and comedy to create a form of entertainment that defies categorization and appeals to people of all ages. My memories of the show are quite vivid and that is something to say about my aging memory. So when my tech-obsessed son recently asked me to take him to see the show, I found the idea incredibly exciting. For both of us. His interest was also a sign that Read More

19Jun

Review: “Terezin” by Nicholas Tolkien, Presented by The Steinberg Theater Group

Posted by The Culture Mom 1 Comment

In high school, I performed in a play called "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" about children who lived in a concentration camp called Terezin during the Holocaust, also known by the German name Theresienstadt. Terezin was a mere 38 miles northwest of Prague and served largely as a collection camp for deportations to the killing centers of Eastern Europe. Rife with disease and starvation, some 35,000 prisoners perished there, and most were taken to Auschwitz, that included artists, musicians, composers and intellectuals. Despite the horrific conditions, Read More

21May

Review: Noel Coward’s “Present Laughter”

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Present-Laugther-Play-Kevin-Kline-Broadway-Show-Tickets-500-1128

Last week I was graced with the opportunity to witness Kevin Kline once again on the NYC stage. I had seen him in several Shakespeare plays at the Delacorte, but seeing him play Garry Essendine in Noel Coward's "Present Laughter" was a treat like none other. Merely witnessing his comedic skill for 2-1/2 hours is worthwhile, so the fact that the production is excellent makes it even more so. “Present Laughter” is simply pure joy.The play takes place over the course of four scenes in two acts covering roughly 10 days as Garry prepares to leave London to Read More

27Apr

“Amelie” on Broadway Captures the Movie’s Quirkiness

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Amélie, A New MusicalWALTER KERR THEATRE

Confession: I'm a movie buff. I've seen most of the classics. One could call me a cinephile as I'm a French film lover. From Godard to Truffault to Renior to Malle to Rohmer, I've seen and studied French cinema. In 2001, I saw a film called "Amelie" by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I'll never truly forget the pleasure I felt watching that movie. It starred the adorable Audrey Taotou, who played a dreamer. I remember her character zipping around Paris and delighting in the world that she lived in. She was quirky and an idealist. The film was colorful, and so Read More

15Jan

Review: “Not That Jewish” at New World Stages

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Yesterday I ventured into the city to see an off-Broadway show called Not That Jewish. I have to admit that my expectations were low. I couldn't imagine how a show with such a name would capture my interest. After all, I'm an observing Jew. Did I really want to sit through a one-woman show where an actress moans about being raised Jewish whilst wanting to escape and denounce every bit of Judaism possible later in life? Fortunately, that's not what the show is about. Monica Piper, a comedienne with credits that go back 30+ years, while not religious, Read More

30Nov

Broadway’s “Kinky Boots” Teaches the Value of Acceptance and Diversity

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

It's a new day. With the recent election, there is more of a need for acceptance and diversity than ever. It hasn't been an easy few weeks for so many of us as we grapple with a new administration that defies everything we believe in. Much of our inherent beliefs and the basis of what our Constitution stands for are on the line. And this is where Broadway's Kinky Boots comes into play. It's a show that pushes the very idea of acceptance and diversity, and that is what our entire nation needs to do. We need to accept everyone for who they are - Read More

02Sep

Guest Post: Review of Off-Broadway’s Stomp

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Guest writer Liat Ginsberg is a mother and former journalist for the Israeli newspaper, Maariv. She has taught at the Film and Media Department at Hunter College. When your kids take pots and pans out of the kitchen cabinets and you think, “No, not again. I had enough of this horrible banging noise.” The show Stomp will give them even more legitimacy to drive you crazy and tell you, “Why can’t we do it? You are killing our creativity!” Also throw into the mix: Zippo lighters, push brooms, wooden poles, hammer handles, garbage cans, inner Read More

03Jul

A Night Out at Feinstein’s/54 Below

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Last week my mother and I experienced a very special night out in New York City, the city I have come to call home since moving up here in the 1990s. A Broadway fanatic since the minute I arrived here, I think I have been seeking a night club that celebrates its music and vibe for a very long time. Feinstein's/54 Below is the answer to my prayers. Located in the heart of midtown, it's a cabaret and restaurant in New York City owned by Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, Marc Routh and Tom Viertel and has hosted shows by such notable Read More

16May

Guest Post: Review of The Pied Piper at NYC’s New Victory Theater

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Guest writer Liat Ginsberg is a mother and former journalist for the Israeli newspaper, Maariv. She has taught at the Film and Media Department at Hunter College. There are very few plays that kids and adults will enjoy at the same time. The Pied Piper, which recently ended its run at the New Victory Theater, is one of them. Even if the you and the kids know the story by heart, it was still fascinating to witness the display of 410 handcrafted marionettes, including 300 ravenous rats, who were brought to life by 11 puppeteers. All the marionettes are Read More