Gruesome Playground Injuries

 Gruesome Playground Injuries
Lucille Lortel Theatre
November 26, 2025

Photo courtesy of Gruesome Playground Injuries

Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries had its Off-Broadway premiere in 2011.  It is now experiencing another Off-Broadway production at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, featuring two awe-inspiring actors who deliver enthralling performances.  Director Neil Pepe beautifully paces this non-sequential plot line, giving the audience a chance to connect the events and process the action.  Playwright Rajiv Joseph skillfully weaves touching scenes of caring and connection between his two characters, generating questions and intrigue.  This causes the audience to fully invest and hang onto every word. 

Doug (played by Nicholas Braun) first meets Kayleen (played by Kara Young) in the school nurse’s office.   They are eight years old.  Kayleen is there because she threw up.  Doug, in full Evil Knevel mode, rode his bicycle off the roof of the school.  His head is bloody and bandaged.  Kayleen asks to see his wound, then she asks to touch it.  We meet them over and over in the nurse’s office and various hospital emergency rooms through their adolescence, teen years, and adult lives.  Doug sprains his ankle at the school dance, loses his eye in a fireworks accident, and gets struck by lightning.  He asks Kayleen to touch his wound every time.  Since their first meeting, Doug has believed that she has the power to heal him.  Unfortunately, Doug is unable to reach inside Kayleen and heal the pain she carries.  

Kara Young & Nicholas Braun
Photo courtesy of Gruesome Playground Injuries

Nicholas Braun is daring, gullible, and winsome as Doug.  He tells Kayleen that his mother says he is
accident prone.  Kayleen says he’s just stupid for doing crazy things.  Mr. Braun exudes the mettle and gumption that makes it fully believable that Doug would courageously and recklessly jump into activities that cause him severe injury.  He and Kara Young develop an innate bond.  From the minute they lay eyes on one another in the first scene, when they are eight years old, they are viscerally connected.  As they get older, Kayleen continually pushes Doug away.  Ms. Young plays these moments with a compelling subtext and clear back story.  Kayleen’s dialogue offers glimpses into her turmoil.  The emotional weight is obvious.  The complex details of her past experiences are intrinsically understood.  This is the strength of Ms. Young’s performance.  While her physicality in each scene is lively and energetic, she persistently carries emotional baggage, which leers its ugly head at unexpected times.

Gruesome Playground Injuries is playing at the Lucille Lortel Theatre through December 28.  Don’t miss it!  

Domenick Danza

Little Bear Ridge Road

 Little Bear Ridge Road
Booth Theatre
November 22, 2025

Photo courtesy of Little Bear Ridge Road

Playwright Samuel D. Hunter has outdone himself with Little Bear Ridge Road.   His characters are emotionally raw and intensely self-protective.  Director Joe Mantello creates moments that give the audience focused insight into the characters.  As the relationships deepen, the characters soften, exposing more of what they fight to hide from themselves and one another.  The outcome is a visceral understanding of their fears, needs, and hopes.

Ethan (played by Micah Stock) returns to his rural hometown in Idaho after his father passes.  He needs to sell his father’s house but first has to get the deed to the property from Sarah, his father’s sister (played by Laurie Metcalf).  Knowing he has no place to stay and very little money, Sarah invites him to stay with her until his business is complete.  She makes it very clear that she doesn’t like having people in her house.  Not having seen one another or spoken in many years, they navigate carefully.  After his father’s house is sold, Ethan discovers that Sarah is ill.  He feels he should stay to care for her.  She refuses his help, but since he has no place else to go, he stays for two years.  During that time, they face uncomfortable truths that have emotionally stifled them for decades. 

Laurie Metcalf & Micah Stock
Photo courtesy of Little Bear Ridge Road

Micah Stock and Laurie Metcalf are riveting in the roles of Ethan and Sarah.  They continually talk
about how they are the last of their family line, then promptly respond with how little it matters to either of them.  Regardless of what they say, their connection feels vital.  They are linked and in dire need of one another, even though their dialogue and tone say differently.  It is this contradiction that draws the audience into the action of the play.  We yearn for them to be honest and direct, yet they are incapable of opening up.  It is brilliantly written and directed, and these two actors deliver outstanding performances. 

Laurie Metcalf, John Drea, & Micah Stock
Photo courtesy of Little Bear Ridge Road

John Drea plays James, who becomes Ethan’s boyfriend over the two years he is staying with Sarah.  James is optimistic and full of life, polar opposite to Sarah and Ethan.  Mr. Drea finds a way to make this a natural complement to Ms. Metcalf and Mr. Stock’s portrayal of their characters.  Their combined energies fill this dark journey with obstacles and opportunities that emotionally engage every member of the audience.

Little Bear Ridge Road is a skillfully crafted piece of theatre.  The play was commissioned by and received its world premiere at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company.  The production is unique in many ways, from the stark, simple set to the genuine portrayal of the need for human contact and emotional healing. 

Little Bear Ridge Road is playing at the Booth Theatre through February 15.  You’ve got to see it! 

Domenick Danza

Art

 Art
The Music Box
November 19, 2025

Photo courtesy of Art

The Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s Art is stunning.  Director Scott Ellis explores every moment of Christopher Hampton’s translation, giving each member of this stellar cast the chance to dive deeply into their character’s sense of identity in their friendship, and genuinely respond to their wounded egos and hurt feelings.  The rhythm and timing are impeccable.  The play lands with a beautiful balance of satisfaction and apprehension.

Serge (played by Neil Patick Harris) buys a work of modern art, a painting, four ft. by five ft., all white, for $300,000.  When his friend, Marc (played by Bobby Cannavale) sees it, he calls it a “piece of shit.”  Marc is surprised at Serge’s response to his comment, so he seeks out Yvan (played by James Corden) for corroboration on his assessment.  When Yvan sees the painting, he hides his true feelings and becomes the peacekeeper between Marc and Serge.  Yvan has his hands full with his upcoming wedding plans.  The stress of that makes it difficult for him to balance Marc and Serg’s needs and resolve their dispute.  The three friends voice unspoken resentment that has built up over twenty-five years.  Perhaps they have gone too far.

James Corden, Bobby Cannavale, & Neil Patrick Harris
Photo courtesy of Art

The three roles are perfectly cast.  Bobby Cannavale plays Marc as the alpha male.  He does not hold back speaking his mind when Serge spends that high an amount of money on something he sees as worthless.  Serge expects his best friend to share in the joy of his purchase.  Neil Patrick Harris portrays Serge’s disappointment and hurt with arrogance and defensiveness.  This pushes Marc’s buttons even more, no matter how hard he tries to hold his tongue.  The pride in these characters is high, and these two skilled actors shade this antagonistic battle in every way imaginable. 

Neil Patrick Harris & James Corden
Photo courtesy of Art

James Corden is delightful as Yvan, delivering hearty laughs, often at his own expense.  When he reaches the end of his rope in placating his two best friends, Yvan must step up.  He speaks from his authentic self, surprising all three of them.  James Corden gets laughs even in that moment, filling it with sincerity and energy.

Art received a lot of attention when it originally opened on Broadway in 1998.  The premise of purchasing a questionable work of art for such an exorbitant price was highly controversial at the time.  They raised the price paid for the artwork from that production to make it relevant in today’s economy.  Either way, it is the examination of the roles and expectations in a long-term friendship that makes this play timeless. 

Art is playing at The Music Box through December 21.  It is a riveting revival. 

Domenick Danza

The Baker’s Wife

 The Baker’s Wife
Classic Stage Company
November 15, 2025

Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

The Classic Stage Company production of The Baker’s Wife is lush, romantic, and heartwarming.  This Joseph Stein / Stephen Schwartz musical was originally scheduled to open on Broadway in 1976, but, due to numerous production challenges, never did.  Joseph Stein’s book is fresh and vivid.  Stephen Schwatrtz’s music and lyrics are emotionally stirring.  The collaboration between director Gordon Greenberg and choreographer Stephanie Klemons gives this gem of a musical the life it deserves.  The staging is brilliant, and the stellar cast is superb. 

The people of a small village in France gather to welcome the new baker, Aimable (played by Scott Bakula), and his much younger wife, Geneviève (played by Ariana DeBose).  Since the previous baker’s passing, they have all missed the enticing aroma of fresh baked bread pervading the air in the early morning.  Aimable exceeds everyone’s expectations with his breads, croissants, and sweet pastries.  When Dominigue (played by Kevin William Paul) stops into the bakery to pick up the Marquis’ order, he is smitten by Geneviève.  He tries to charm her, but she makes it clear that she is married and not interested.  This does not discourage Dominique.  He continues to pursue her, until she finally gives in and runs off with him.  Aimable is heartbroken and unable to bake any longer.  The people of the village unite to find Geneviève and bring her back.    

Ariana DuBose
Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

Ariana DuBose and Scott Bakula are amazing together as Aimable and Geneviève.  Their bond is strong from their first entrance, and their mutual affection is palpable.  As the audience gets to know them, the flaw in their relationship that allows Geneviève to succumb to Dominique’s masculine charms becomes evident.  Geneviève comes to a solemn realization after leaving her husband.  Ms. DuBose plays this moment with sincerity in the song “Where is the Warmth?”  Scott Bakula genuinely portrays Aimable’s broken heart when Geneviève leaves him.  He goes into deep denial, causing a lethargic depression.  The scene where he is reunited with Geneviève is skillfully written, exposing the intense despair and betrayal felt by Aimable.  Mr. Bakula plays this flawlessly, masking his feelings, then igniting an emotional outburst, then finally addressing his wife with direct honesty.  

Ariana DuBose, Scott Bakula, & the Cast
Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

The passion of the full story is explored through the people of this small village and how they open their hearts to the new baker and his young wife.  Judy Kuhn is endearing as Denise.  Her husband, Claude (played by Robert Cuccioli), continually takes her for granted.  The love for his wife is rekindled when Geneviève returns to Aimable.  It is a heartwarming moment.  Alma Cuervo is feisty as Therese, who comes to her senses and leaves her emotionally abusive husband, Barnaby (played by Manu Narayan).  This adds sadness to the otherwise happy ending, yet completes the story with a simple layer of reality.  All the people of the village transform through their experience with the baker’s loss and reunification with his wife.  Mr. Narayan and Mr. Cuccioli develop a comically antagonistic rapport as Barnaby and Claude that resolves itself when they partner to search for Geneviève.  There are also outstanding performances by Arnie Burton, Kevin Del Aguila, Nathan Lee Graham, Sally Murphy and Kevin William Paul.

Judy Kuhn
Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

The scenic design, by Jason Sherwood, is ingenious.  It surrounds the Classic Stage Company three-quarter space, fully enveloping the audience in the atmosphere of this small French village.  It is a quaint and warm setting, and beautifully executed. 

The Classic Stage Company production of The Baker’s Wife has been extended through December 21.  Ariana DuBose’s moving rendition of “Meadowlark” in the first act is not to be missed.  Get a ticket right away!  

Domenick Danza

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

 The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
City Gate Productions
Stone Circle Theatre
November 13, 2025

Photo courtesy of City Gate Productions

City Gate Productions’ The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a concise and beautiful rendition of Shakespeare’s classic tale.  Cut down to two and a half hours (with intermission), it sharpens the focus on Hamlet’s journey through madness and indecision.  The cast builds strong relationships, creating truthful moments of camaraderie and betrayal.  There is a constant presence of death, surrounded by the grief and despair it produces.  Director Jim Haines creates a vibrant dramatic tension that keeps the play moving at a tight pace. 

Hamlet (played by Gage) is saddened by the death of his father, King Hamlet, which is magnified by the outrage he feels over the marriage of his mother, Queen Gertrude (played by Senam Erfani), to his father’s brother, Claudius (played by Gilberto Ron).  After Horatio (played by Margaret Leisenheimer) tells Hamlet she saw the ghost of his deceased father (played by Mike Sause), Hamlet seeks him out the following night.  The ghost of the King tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius.  Hamlet must take revenge.   

Gage as Hamlet
Photo courtesy of City Gate Productions

Gage is grounded and melancholy as Hamlet.  The levels of the character’s madness are played through humor, sudden rage, and intense introspection.  These choices create a truthfulness in the grief Hamlet is experiencing due to the death of his father.  Gage creates genuine bonds with Ophelia (played by Naomi Yuchi Townsend), Rosencrantz (played by Francoise Traxler), and Guildenstern (played by Josh Saffram Sedecca).  The vitality of these relationships deepens Hamlet’s grief after Ophelia’s suicide and heightens his determination after the betrayal by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  Gage skillfully portrays these moments, utilizing that increased sense of loss to propel the action forward. 

Naomi Yuchi Townsend is fiery and independent as Ophelia.  She creates moments of defiance between herself and her father, Polonius (played by Bill McAndrews), and builds a sensitive and touching bond with her brother Laertes (played by Matt Tijmstra).  The scene between Ms. Townsend and Senam Erfani’s Gertrude is heartbreaking.  Ms. Erfani shows a different side of Gertrude when facing Ophelia’s loss of reality over the murder of her father. 

Gilberto Ron, Sanam Erani, & Gage
Photo courtesy of City Gate Productions

Gilberto Ron makes bold choices for Claudius in the scene where he kneels in prayer.  It is his strongest scene, which Gage successfully rises up to when Hamlet enters and attempts to murder him.  Both characters grapple with inner conflict, giving this scene a focused tension.

The humor is high in the gravedigger’s scene, and Friedrich Steinem and Semaj Seniah play it for all they can.  When Hamlet and Horatio enter, the tone shifts to the reminiscence of fond memories, then dives into despair as Ophelia’s funeral procession approaches.  The despair quickly revs up to anger and retaliation.  It is effectively directed and full of emotion. 

The City Gate Productions presentation of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is playing at Stone Circle Theatre (aka Ridgewood Presbyterian Church, 59-14 70^th Ave., Ridgewood, Queens) through November 23.  It is easily accessible through public transportation and well worth the trip. 

Domenick Danza

Queen of Versailles

 Queen of Versailles
St. James Theatre
October 29, 2025

Photo courtesy of Queen of Versailles

The Queen of Versailles is a strikingly dark tale of wanting more and never getting enough.  Based on the documentary film of the same title, it tells the story of Jackie and David Siegel.  The music, by Stephen Schwartz, captures the essence of the characters and environment.  His lyrics illuminate that fine line between need and greed, which grows wider as the story progresses.  Lindsey Ferrentino’s book tells the callous story of these characters, where they came from and what drives them.  Director Michael Arden focuses this cast on deliberately displaying their truths, no matter how self-centered they might be, making this musical a bleak and truthful telling of the state of our present society.  

Kristin Chenoweth as Jackie Siegel
Photo courtesy of Queen of Versailles

Jackie (played by Kristin Chenoweth) is building the largest home in America.  It is designed to replicate the Palace of Versailles, and she will be Queen.  Her husband, David (played by F. Murray Abraham) made his billions by selling time shares in Florida.  When they meet, Jackie is a single mother.  She vows to give her daughter everything she could imagine.  After marrying David, Jackie is able to do that.  As her daughter, Victoria (played by Nina White), grows up, she is satisfied with having less.  This does not stop Jackie, who is unaware of anyone but herself.  When the stock market crashes, they lose everything.  David puts Versailles up for sale, even though it is still under construction.  Jackie refuses to accept this, and ends up sacrificing more than she expected in order to get it back.

Photo courtesy of Queen of Versailles

Kristin Chenoweth does a remarkable job in the role of Jackie.  The character has no redeeming qualities, yet Ms. Chenoweth gets the audience on her side.  She draws them into Jackie’s dreams of wealth and power, and makes them believe she deserves it all.  She and F. Murray Abraham are excellent together.  Their marriage is a mutually beneficial partnership.  They are in it for the long haul.  The relationship is clear and resilient, yet not based on love or passion.

Nina White is riveting as Victoria.  She grapples with the family’s wealth and pretension, while longing for her mother’s love and acceptance.  She has two of the strongest songs in the score (“Pretty Wins” and “Book of Random”) and delivers them both with a dark and unapologetic understanding of reality.  Her performance is evenly matched by Tatum Grace Hopkins, who plays her cousin, Jonquil.  There is animosity between them when they first meet.  Jonquil is dazzled by the family’s wealth.  When tragedy strikes, the two of them bond.  It is a genuine and touching moment.

Melody Butiu plays Sofia, the nanny.  The complexity of this character is found in her need to work for this family and her desire to return to the Philippines to be with her children.  Ms.  Butiu beautifully layers her performance to give sudden and honest glimpses into her loss and need. 

Pablo David Laucerica & Kristin Chenoweth
Photo courtesy of Queen of Versailles

There are excellent performances by Stephen DeRosa, Greg Hildreth, Isabel Keating, and a very strong ensemble.  The most potent scenes take place in the Palace of Versailles with Louie XIV (played by Pablo David Laucerica), Marie Antoinette (played by Cassondra James), and their full court.  The parallels of the characters and events are perfectly drawn.  It is a stark warning about our present political and economic situation.  The message is vital, yet extremely uncomfortable to sit though.

The Queen of Versailles is playing at the St. James Theatre.  It is a stunning musical with a bleak theme told through a shamefully honest perspective.

Domenick Danza

Orlando: A Rhapsody

Orlando: A Rhapsody
Paradise Factory Theater
November 6, 2025

Photo courtesy of Orlando: A Rhapsody

Orlando: A Rhapsody is a unique and profound exploration of the work and philosophy of Virginia Wolf.  The piece pulls from several of her texts and is written and performed by Vinora Epp and Steven Epp.  This father/daughter team create genuine moments, while discussing and debating various points of view.  It is truly mesmerizing, transporting the audience to a higher realm of thought.  As a director, Vinora Epp has a mastery of the material and a clear purpose for the play.  Its journey is lush, personal, emotionally engaging, and intellectually stimulating. 

While the audience files in and gets comfortable, an older male (Steven Epp) is sitting on a stack of books, reading a Virginia Wolf novel.  A young woman (Vinora Epp) calls for the performance to begin.  She introduces herself and the man reading, who is her father.  She tells of her childhood memories and the spaces she inhabited.  She grew up in the theater, watching her father perform Hamlet.  They prepare to tell Virginia Wolf’s Orlando.  They decide that Vinora will play the younger Orlando, and Steven will portray an older version of the character.  They dive into Virginia Wolf’s texts.  Vinora embodies the character of Orlando, while Steven brings the text of Virginia Wolf’s The Waves to life.  This meshes Orlando’s youthful fervor with a perspective on aging and the passing of time.  This dichotomy continues throughout the piece, as they discuss Orlando’s gender and Virginia Wolf’s viewpoint on fiction.   

Vinora Epp & Steven Epp
Photo by Arin Sang-Urai, courtesy of Orlando: A Rhapsody

At one point Vinora states, “The story is the thing needed,” which prompts Steven to recall his childhood theatrics that motivated him to a life in the theatre.  It is in this section of the performance where these two extraordinary artists engage in dialogue about the relationship between fiction, gender, and theatre.  According to Ms. Epp, this was the driving subtext of the piece and her inspiration for its development.  This final section brings that subtext into direct conversation.  Their points of view are from different generations, offering a point of entry for every member of the audience.  As a perspective you relate to is voiced, you open to contemplating a point of view you did not consider before.  Through this discourse, the visceral journey of the play crystallizes.  You become part of the revelation of a larger frame of thought. 

Vinora Epp & Steven Epp
Photo by Arin Sang-Urai, courtesy of Orlando :A Rhapsody

Vinora Epp and Steven Epp are an amazing duo.  They invite you into their thought process.  You feel welcome and challenged by their insight and wisdom.  It is an incomparable and enthralling experience. 

Orlando: A Rhapsody is playing at Paradise Factory Theater (64 E. 4^th St, NYC) through November 22.  Get a ticket right away.  

Domenick Danza