This a beautiful theater in Staten island which was open in December 4, 1929. The theatre's…read moreSpanish and Italian Baroque revival style interior was designed by Nestor Castro absolutely stunning. The sound system was fantastic. I saw the incredible famous Frankie Valli with family.

My second time visiting St George Theatre for the annual Jazz festival and it is a stunning place…read more They've renovated it and it is a beautiful theatre to see a show. I want to make it a point to go there more often and check out the many things they have going on throughout the year. I'd recommend going if in the area and you want to checkout a show.

REVIEW: "Ragtime" (2025 Broadway Revival) at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on May 22, 2026…read more It turns out the third time is indeed the charm as this is the third Broadway production of the show since the debut of the well-regarded 1998 musical. The previous versions apparently collapsed under the weight of production bloat and runaway costs, but this ambitious show wisely started as a stripped-down Encores concert and from there, was built into a more fluid production befitting the rotating stage at this large scale venue in Lincoln Center. Based on E.L. Doctorow's sprawling 1975 historical novel, it's still an ambitious work with multiple storylines as the show follows three families of diverse social backgrounds and economic means in the early 20th century. Their lives intersect in ways that echo the racism, anti-immigration, and class warfare prevalent of the time. That the themes reverberate now enhances the emotional power and political relevance of what was deemed a period piece. Terrence McNally's book focuses effectively on the key elements of the rich source material. The music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens lend dimension to songs that advance the narrative without contriving the challenging circumstances facing the characters. What was truly impressive was how a huge ensemble cast was showcased in ways that complemented each other seamlessly under Lear deBessonet's assured direction. The spotlight is on the three principal players. As kind-hearted Tateh, Brandon Uranowitz brings poignancy and humor to his character's immigrant journey. In the late Marin Mazzie's classic role, Caissie Levy gives Mother a textured strength that moves to the foreground with her solo number, "Back to Before". However, it's Joshua Henry's stirring turn as pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. that stays vividly in memory. His soaring vocals were a revelation to me. This is my fourth time seeing him perform on Broadway, but his versions of "New Music" and especially "Wheels of a Dream" were transcendent. His duet partner on the latter, Nichelle Lewis as Sarah, is solid though overshadowed in the role that gave Audra McDonald her third Tony. Allison Blackwell as Sarah's nameless friend almost steals the show with the Act One closer, "Till We Reach That Day". The limited run is scheduled to end on August 2. RELATED - Interested in my other Broadway reviews? Here's a collection of shows I've seen and reviewed: https://yelp.to/58PIWQRZSX

Ragtime is one of my favorite musicals (especially its score), by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and…read moreStephen Flaherty... and this revival which was originally staged at Encores City Center, beautifully honors the original production from 30 years ago. Casey Levy, Joshua Henry and Brandon Uranowitz lead this Tony Award winning cast! I highly recommend it and wish I could see it again before it closes at Lincoln Center in August 2026.

REVIEW: "Here Lies Love" at the Broadway Theatre on September 3, 2023…read more This highly immersive show took nearly a decade to make it to Broadway, and I have to say it left me a bit cold. Pre-recorded disco pop is just not the way to my empty Sondheim heart. Written by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, this episodic musical covers the 20th century political history of the Philippines in ninety minutes with no intermission. The simplistic plot revolved around Imelda Marcos with Ferdinand more of a shadow figure. Constantly challenging their regime was Ninoy Aquino presented as Imelda's former childhood sweetheart. The set-up felt very much like the demagoguery in "Evita" but on a more shallow level like a Vegas-style variety review targeted to indiscriminate tourists much like Rock-a-Hula on Waikiki. The production's chief novelty is that the Broadway Theatre was turned into a Studio 54-era disco with multi-dimensional screens on the surrounding walls. The seats were removed to allow the actors to perform and move about on modular elevated walkways. Half the audience (including Jamie and me) stood on the main floor for the duration of the show...but that's not all. Between key scenes, we were signaled by uniformed ushers to move to allow for different configurations of the walkways. Periodically we were directed to dance as if no one was watching. All of this led to the inevitability of squashed feet and jousting elbows. It was exhausting, and even though we were past the days of mandatory social distancing, it made me feel anxious. The cast was energetic but frankly not all that impactful. Arielle Jacobs made an especially buoyant Imelda, but understudy Aaron Alcaraz delivered a particularly tone deaf Ferdinand. Conrad Ricamora fared much better as the fiery Aquino. A couple of other performers had standout moments: Reanne Acasio as Aquino's mother Aurora on the ballad, "Just Ask the Flowers" and Moses Villarama, the DJ, leading the chorus on "God Draws Straight", poignant given another Marcos is running the country now. RELATED - Interested in my thoughts on Broadway shows past and present? Here's a collection of reviews I've written: http://bit.ly/31uxyL1

What if David Byrne joined forces with Fat Boy Slim to tell a story of someone famous with a…read moresoundtrack? Would it be danceable? I wonder what that would be like? It depends on what you're expecting. We were on the dance floor. On one side was a young girl and her mother from Manilla, on the other side, a loving father and his son. So many beautiful people, experiencing a musical biographical account of someone's life! The moving dance floor created an interactive experience for those of us on the floor, moving around as directed by a small staff. For those in the audience, I can only wonder what it was like for them to look down on us in the audience. The cast was incredible and the venue was an intriguing transformation. A truly interesting experience. One thing to note, in a dance/nightclub environment the BPM is constant and increases as time moves forward. That isn't the case in this production. This was a real disconnect for me between dance club environments in a Broadway performance. You can't have it all.

Attended my Brother's Director Debut of his first movie K-Pops! At the Tribeca Festival…read more The venue is perfect! Not too small and not too big. You can see from any seat. Entry is easy. They have a concession stand. I would definitely come back here.

This was my first time at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center and I loved it! Great venue with…read morestadium seating, so every seat is a good view. The venue is not huge (but big enough), so even if you sit in the last row, it's a good seat. Roomy seats with lots of leg room! There is even a pullout desktop! Haha. This is, after all, in the BMCC (Borough of Manhattan Community College). Conveniently located a few blocks away from the 1,2,3 trains! Tonight, I went to see Classic Albums Live, a band that goes to great lengths to recreate classic rock albums in it's entirety; note for note! No costumes, no extravagant staging, no gimmicks. Just great music! Tonight, they recreated The Beatles' Abbey Road album! What a treat! Now that I know about this band and venue, I will definitely be on the lookout for future shows!

Theater: 3.5/5 | Play: 4/5 I came to watch the…read moreoff-Broadway play, DATA, and it was a very relevant, chilling, thought-provoking show! The theater itself is located in the West Village and is pretty small. There's only ORCH and BALC seating. Bathrooms were upstairs by the bar area. They were mostly gender neutral for crowd control, but it did get a bit weird when an older man used the urinal while there were women using the stalls.. DATA follows 4 coworkers and the un/ethical use of AI within a surveillance project. The play starred two actors from Netflix series I haven't watched and two Asian American faves of mine - Karan Brar, who's been in Disney's Jessie, and Justin H. Min, who was also in a Netflix series and Wong Fu Production YouTube shorts! I didn't love the transitions between scenes bc the music was BLASTING and the lights were intense, but it tied with the overall minimalism of the show. The storyline is the star. I waited at stage door after the show to meet the actors! Overall, I personally really enjoyed the play! It ended on a cliffhanger, which is up for discussion. I'd recommend for anyone interested in thought-provoking, analytical discussion, as the play highlights a very real possibility of AI in today's world. Super intriguing!

This is a review mostly for DATA. I haven't watched an off Broadway show in awhile so I was very…read moreexcited. I loved the theater was very small and intimate which means that every seat is a good seat. Here were some of my favorite parts of DATA: - As someone who works in tech, the parts of the story where they were speaking tech jargon was actually very accurate. I had to stop myself and ask am I in a work meeting right now, haha! - I loved the lighting design as there were so many cool moments where the lights really set the scene. - I liked that they didn't try to give the resolution away and just ended the play at a spot where it leads to more discussion by the audience. Here were some things that could've improved: - I felt like they set the scene for a bit too long in the beginning as we were going through the same premise for quite awhile. - In between scenes, the edges were strobbing lights while the theater itself was completely dark. Maybe because my eyes were very dry but it kind of hurt my eyes a bit for that extreme contrast. - The theater was extremely hot. Granted it was 18 degrees outside but I was sweating by the end. Unfortunately that is mainly why it was 3 stars. Overall, I think it was a cool play to watch!

The classic tale of beauty and a big ol' beast climbs up Broadway!…read more The musical is based on the novel of the original 1933 screenplay. Jack Thorne wrote the play, and Marius de Vries and Eddie Perfect compose the music and lyrics. Olivier Award winner Drew McOnie directs this enchanting musical that has a stunning new score by Marius de Vries (La La Land) and Eddie Perfect (Strictly Ballroom. A remarkable and innovative mix of robotics, puppetry and stagecraft bring King Kong to life in a way never before seen on Broadway. This modern myth follows an ambitious young actress and a maverick filmmaker as they voyage from the bustling streets of 1930s New York to an uncharted island to capture the greatest wonder the world has ever seen. Don't miss this larger-than-life encounter with a legend that's always been too big to contain. It came to a close last Sunday in NYC and Kong will soon roar again in Shanghai..

We purchased three seats in the second row (for the "audience experience" and to see KK up and…read morepersonal) before the show opened, for my husband's BFF, who comes every January for a week long visit. Having paid $399 per ticket, we figured we'd go despite all the bad reviews, because really, how bad could it be? It was 100 times worse than the critics, and some friends, warned. No one could have prepared us for what is hands down the worst musical I've ever seen ... and this is coming from a guy who saw Grease 2 and The Pirate Movie (with Kristy McNichol) 15 times each as a kid, and who at 51 still has a few tunes from those movies on his playlist. I even liked "Cannibal, The Musical." It wasn't just bad. It was painstakingly awful. I don't understand why people were making a fuss about Kong. You could see all the people maneuvering the puppet to make it work. They didn't even black mask their faces. It was so amateurish. This was the kind of thing you'd find at a county fair or an elementary school talent contest. The theater was half empty, which I've never seen for a new musical of this magnitude. But understandable as to why. And I'm sure we are the only ones who paid full price for their tix. Closing notices must be coming soon, now that the holidays are over. This was the first time that I actually walked out on a show at intermission. Unfortunately, our guest wanted to see it through, so he and my husband stayed, which was fine by me. I sat (thankfully) in the lobby, working and looking on Yelp for a good dessert place. Run, flee, hide, or just pray that Kong eats you before the second song.

Come early as door open to guarantee a good seating area so you can enjoy the show. Bathroom is…read moredownstairs so try to position yourself a way that you do not have to disturb during performance if needed to relieve yourself.

I went to my first poetry slam ever and was blown away. All of the poets were absolutely…read moreincredible. It felt like such a safe space for everyone to be their most vulnerable selves. The poets poured their hearts out on the stage. My mind will be forever altered for the better by this one experience. I hope to return time and time again.

REVIEW: "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)" at the Longacre Theatre on May 23, 2026…read more In between two heavy-duty, critically acclaimed Broadway revival productions ("Ragtime" and "Death of a Salesman"), Jamie W and I went to see this entirely original show, a charming and energetic two-hander starring genuinely likable leads with loads of talent. This British-born musical was written by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan almost as a valentine to New York, and consequently, playing now in a Broadway house merely enhances its quirky local appeal. The lightweight premise rests on Dougal, a twentysomething Brit who flies to NYC to attend his estranged father's wedding. He is met at the airport by Robin, a native New Yorker and rather cynical barista whose older sister is marrying his father. True to the title, she needs to pick up the wedding cake, and he tags along. What ensues is the predictable opposites-attract hijinks that set them up for romantic entanglement. You would think the predictable plot turns would trivialize the story, but the leads allow the show take flight. With boisterous elan, Sam Tutty manages to make Dougal's relentless cheerfulness both a badge of honor and a protective shield. I remember Christiani Pitts from her feisty 2018 starring role in the failed "King Kong" Broadway musical when she was overshadowed by a humongous puppet (review: https://yelp.to/_k86558D_q). As Robin, she is much better served by the human size story here, and she nicely handles the blossoming of her character's initially guarded persona. They both bring real joy to their cavorting, and director Tim Jackson's fleet direction helps maintain the show's buoyancy. Scenic designer Soutra Gilmour cleverly furnishes the rotating stage with grey suitcases of varying sizes to provide creative flexibility to the settings of the scenes. RELATED - Interested in my other Broadway reviews? Here's a collection of shows I've seen and reviewed: https://yelp.to/rZXVLuQC-Z REVIEWS FOR OTHER CURRENT SHOWS: Ragtime: https://yelp.to/sWzv8ZhyQd Death of a Salesman: https://yelp.to/IYirH7MN-R