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                                                                                             Call it "Life After Death Row" if you want to be dramatic --- but what could be more dramatic than a play about people who were on Death Row for crimes they did not commit and were finally freed after years of living in an all-too-real kind of nightmare Twilight Zone? The answer is that the thing that could be more dramatic and tragic is that the six falsely accused and sentenced people we meet in The Exonerated are real people, their stories told in their own words and culled from public documents, based on the dedicated research and transcribed interviews conducted by the playwrights.  And these harrowing and haunting tales are just a small part of what was found in the process inspired by a debate about the death penalty attended by writers Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen. 

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                                                           One of the first things about Simon Lovell that distinguishes him as an original, unique personality, is his clever use of a particular word.  A former con-man, Mr. Lovell often relates stories of the many ingenious tricks and mind-games that paid his rent (with other people’s money) for decades.  Following each captivating story, however, and with a slight bit of nervousness, he’ll choicely add, “allegedly.”

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      Tired of all the holiday tinsel, cheer and goodwill? Then you must certainly take a trip to the American Theatre of Actors where the marvelous David F. Slone, Esq. & The Love Show are presenting their annual vastly rethought version of that old Christmas chestnut The Nutcracker. Sexy and smart, this is definitely my preferred version of the story.

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The Girl with the Red Hair, written and directed by Anthony Laura, visits the oft told, yet always compelling, tale of a young person (in this case, Hayley) finding life unmanageable to the point of being admitted to a mental hospital. At first Hayley's (Ashley Adelman) anxiety is indicated by some delicate hand wringing - a tick that comes and goes, according to her stress levels. As the piece progresses her condition considerable worsens as she become totally disconsolate.

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Your humble reporter is almost loathe to even discuss this because it's such a potential tragedy for the new Broadway season, but after all these weeks of waiting for Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark to open at the Foxwoods Theatre on 42nd Street, after previews were announced and announced and announced yet again, the evening of November 28th saw the very first preview, and by all accounts, this may well be not merely one of the biggest musical flops in Broadway's history, but one of the most expensive, at a cost of $65 million overall and a weekly operating cost of $1million per.

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Well, 2010 isn't quite over yet--and that means that the celebration of Stephen Sondheim's·80th birthday isn't quite over yet either.· With many tributes, such as the one just released to PBS stations and·DVD, having a·New York theatre renamed·for him while his musicals are being performed all over, these birthday cake candles have been burning long and bright like the lights of Broadway.··Let 'em eat cake!· Carnegie Hall's November 19th serving with the New York Pops was one more big hug and bow to the accomplished composer-lyricist, with conductor Steven Reineke raising his baton but nary an eyebrow as he comfortably called Mr. S. a "genius."·

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      It's a great joy, when reviewing an Off-Off-Broadway play, to discover both a great new playwright and a brilliant ensemble of actors. Only Love Will Do offers all that, and more, in unspeakable abundance. Penned by Walt Stepp and billed as "a straight gay romantic comedy," and running at Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets) through November 28th, it's a unique evening that manages somehow to blend the stylings of Noel Coward at his wittiest, and Mart Crowley at his grittiest. Director Lissa Moira has worked singlehanded wonders with this piece, and the action never disappoints as it unfolds before us.

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The poster for Aziz Ansari's Dangerously Delicious tour features the breakout comic brandishing a firearm and his trademark brandy snifter, but his new show comes up short in the danger department.  Although his standup has always been an incongruous mix of geek meets gangsta, this latest evening of all-new material retires one of his most bad-assed incarnations: the fellatio-obsessed RAAAAAAAANDY! ("with eights A's"), leaving his James Bond insouciance to play out largely on sartorially correct tour posters.  What's left plays like a browner version of Kathy Griffin, with celebrity names dropping so fast and furious, the first three rows of audience should be provided with splatter ponchos.  Unfortunately, that gun in that poster seems loaded with the occasional blank.