Time has sharpened ‘Ain’t No Mo’ ’s points and edges
In this new life there ain’t no mo strife, no more marches to be led and no more tears to be shed.” And for the remainder of Jordan E. Cooper’s rambunctious masterwork “Ain’t No Mo,” cutting social satire like this abounds.
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‘A Beautiful Noise’ Serves Cheap Thrills but No Drama
Using therapy as the framing for a musical play is a theatrical cheat. In such instances, rather than develop nuanced motivations or put effort into finessing a resolution, playwrights telegraph that their characters are working through trauma and are to be forgiven for anything they do or say―no matter how boring or formulaic. And so […]
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If the Refreshing ‘KPOP’ is the Future of Broadway, Consider Me a Stan
Against all expectations for a behind-the-scenes musical drama, KPOP’s storytelling is as sophisticated as its high-octane performances. Though the newly-opened Broadway musical at Circle in the Square Theater was a hit during its pre-pandemic run at Ars Nova, I was prepared to hate-watch it. Why? Because I wince whenever I hear the cheesy bops of […]
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