The Fear of 13

The Fear of 13
James Earl Jones Theatre
May 26, 2026 

Photo courtesy of The Fear of 13

After being nominated for an Olivier Award for his London stage debut in The Fear of 13, Adrien Brody recreates his role in a stunning Broadway debut.  This is a compelling character in a gripping story of forgiveness and redemption.  Playwright Lindsey Ferrentino based this work on the documentary film by David Sington.  It is an evenly paced, well-structured play with high stakes and well-crafted dialogue.  Director David Cromer creates a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, then widens the sense of despair.  As hope rises so does suspicion and doubt.  The tension returns, then releases, allowing for satisfying closure. 

Jacki Miles (played by Tessa Thompson) is an advocate for death row prisoners.  She visits once a week and listens, taking notes on the stories they tell and reporting on their treatment, health, and psychological needs.  One prisoner, Nick Yarris (played by Adrien Brody) gets her attention when he quotes from Catcher in the Rye.  Jacki researches the implausible stories he tells to confirm they are the truth.  She finds herself spending more time with him on her visits, and finally admits she is getting involved.  Nick declares to Jacki that he is innocent… and in love with her.  She insists he tell her the full story of how he became incarcerated before they address their emotional situation.  Jacki realizes she could have full access to Nick’s records to better assist with his appeal if they were married.  Once she makes this commitment, there is no turning back. 

Adrien Brody as Nick Yarris
Photo courtesy of The Fear of 13

Nick Yarris is an intense and fascinating character.  He is well read from his time on death row, so he is articulate and knows how weave incredible tales.  Adrien Brody projects a glib and beguiling façade as this character.  He renders child-like traits, while masking deep feelings of hurt and betrayal.  He is vulnerable and full of anguish.  As his darker side rises, you wonder how trustworthy he is.  The more Jacki believes him, the more you fear for her safety.  You want to believe him, but are never really sure.  It is this duality that draws you in emotionally.  

Adrien Brody & Tessa Thompson
Photo courtesy of The Fear of 13

Jacki Miles gradually opens up to Nick.  She takes her responsibilities as an advocate very seriously.  She develops a genuine tenderness for Nick over the course of her visits.  Since she does not jump in unknowingly, the audience willfully goes on this journey with her.  Tessa Thompson splendidly portrays this measured discovery and immersion of emotion.  Her character is sure of herself and confident in every step she takes.  Ms. Thompson and Mr. Brody skillfully shift in their susceptible moments, supporting one another as they waver between hope and helplessness.  Their connection is tender.  Their bond is visceral.

The Fear of 13 is playing at the James Earl Jones Theatre through July 12.  You must see these performances.  The characters go through a harrowing journey, making this play a unique and amazing experience. 

Domenick Danza

Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium

 Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium
Classic Stage Company
May 16, 2026 

Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

Classic Stage Company’s production of Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium is inspiring.  Kudos to playwright Kirk Lynn for uncovering this unfinished Thornton Wilder play and bringing it to fruition.  The play encompasses Mr. Wilder’s philosophical point of view.  It has the powerful images contained in The Skin or Our Teeth, and the poetic scope of Our Town.  Director Rob Melrose orchestrates the action, putting focus on the repeated motifs that culminate in a poignant message. 

John (played by Joe Tapper) wants to work at the Emporium.  It’s all he thinks about while growing up at the orphanage, and the reason why he runs away from the farm he works on after he is adopted.  It’s not until he gets to the city that he realizes how hard it is to get a job there.  He meets Laurencia (played by Cassia Thompson), who works at the Emporium.  She starts to tell John how to get a job there, but he cuts her off before she can finish.  He runs off to apply through an independent employment agency, and ends up working at Craigie’s Departmental Store.  It’s not as glamorous, but it’s steady work and offers immediate satisfaction.  Just as he is about to achieve a top-level position at Craigie’s, John realizes he longs for something more. 

Candy Buckley & Joe Tapper
Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

Joe Tapper is full of ambition and chutzpah as John.  He strives to achieve his ultimate goal and becomes smaller when he settles for less.  He and Cassia Thompson have natural chemistry.  Ms. Thompson portrays Laurencia as grounded and sure of herself.  As the action progresses, it becomes clear that the calm security she project can dissipate at any time.  When the action culminates in the final scene, these two characters are united in a full understanding of their journey, and these two actors play it beautifully.  

Candy Buckley, Partrick Kerr, Joe Tapper, Eva Kaminsky, & Mahira Kakkar
Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

Candy Buckley plays numerous characters.  She is Bernice, an employee at the Emporium.  She plays Mrs. Foster, the woman who runs the orphanage with her husband.  She plays the Farmer’s wife who adopts John.  She is the woman who runs the independent employment agency.  Her most uniquely comic role is Ermengarde, the daughter of the man who own Craigie’s Departmental Store.  Ms. Buckley creates distinct and bold characters in each of these roles.  Her energy establishes a throughline, connecting every scene and leading the audience to Mr. Wilder’s stunning conclusion.  

Eva Kaminsky, Derek Smith, Candy Buckley, & Mahria Kakkar
Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

Derek Smith also plays numerous roles, and always opposite Ms. Buckley.  They are wonderful
together.  Mr. Smith’s characters challenge John, constantly pushing him out of his comfort zone.  Their scenes build with urgency, propelling the action forward and forcing John to make decisions to face his true calling. 

There are also strong and enigmatic performances by Mahira Kakkar, Eva Kaminsky, and Patrick Kerr.  Their roles and purpose in the story are constantly shifting, until the final scene, where it all falls into place. 

Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium is playing at Classic Stage Company through June 7.  As in all Thronton Wilder’s plays, it contains a strong message of hope, which is something we all need to feel at this time.  It is certain to ring differently for each audience member.  Don’t miss it! 

Domenick Danza

The Adding Machine

The Adding Machine
The New Group
The Theater at St. Clement’s
May 14, 2026 

Photo courtesy of The New Group

The New Group production of The Adding Machine is mesmerizing.  Playwright Thomas Bradshaw makes striking revisions to Elmer L. Rice’s landmark 1923 expressionist play.  Director Scott Elliott captures a crisp style, brisk pace, and machine-like rhythm that draws the audience in to the desperation and isolation of the characters.  The cast is riveting. 

Mr. Zero (played by Daphne Rubin-Vega) is stuck.  He has been in the same routine job and bland marriage for twenty-five years.  His wife, Mrs. Zero (played by Jennifer Tilly), expects more from him.  She nags him, but he shows her no emotion.  Mr. Zero bickers with his co-worker, Daisy (played by Sarita Choudhury), while they both fantasize about getting married if Mrs. Zero should die.  When Mr. Zero’s Boss (played by Michael Cyril Creighton) fires him and replaces him with an adding machine, Mr. Zero stabs him to death.  The action takes a sharp turn as Mr. Zero faces the afterlife. 

Jennifer Tilly & Daphne Rubin-Vega
Photo courtesy of The New Group

Jennifer Tilly opens the show with an extensive monologue to her husband while he is asleep.  It is brilliantly delivered.  Ms. Tilly is dark and funny.  She skillfully sets the tone and pace for the rest of the play.  Dahne Rubin-Vega has a grounded presence as Mr. Zero.  This character is complex and carries the most challenging sections of the story.  Ms. Rubin-Vega physically communicates clear subtext in the numerous scenes where she does not speak.  She delivers an outstanding performance.

Daphne Rubin-Vega, Michael Cyril Creighton, & Sarita Choudhury
Photo courtesy of The New Group

Michael Cyril Creighton plays numerous character roles throughout the play.  He is bold and funny.  He often acts as the narrator, glibly connecting the action from one scene to the next.  Sarita Choudhury is enigmatic as Daisy.  Her character has many layers.  Ms. Choudhury differentiates these traits, then unites them in Act II as she makes a daring decision.

The Adding Machine has been extended through May 17.  It is playing at The Theater at St. Clement’s, the new home of The New Group.  This production engages your intellect and challenges your thought process.  Get a ticket before it closes. 

Domenick Danza

Hamlet

 Hamlet
National Theatre
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Harvey Theater
May 10, 2026 

Photo courtesy of National Theatre
& Brooklyn Academy of Music

The National Theatre production of Hamlet is crisp and bold.  Director Robert Hastle interprets this Shakespeare classic with simple and accessible splendor.  He includes elements and images throughout the production that transcend location and time period.  The text is clear.  The action is continuous.  The cast is outstanding.  They skillfully fill BAM’s expansive Harvey Theater with emotion, energy, and elegance. 

Hamlet (played by Hiran Abeysekera) grieves the passing of his father the King, while at the wedding of his mother, Gertrude (played by Ayesha Dharker) to his uncle, Claudius (played by understudy Phil Cheadle).  When Horatio (played by Tessa Wong) tells Hamlet she has seen the ghost of his father (played by Ryan Ellsworth) walking in the night, Hamlet follows her to the night watch.  There he is visited by the apparition, who tells Hamlet of how he was murdered by Claudius to obtain the crown.  This sets Hamlet on a quest for revenge, which is hampered by his palpable descent into madness. 

Hiran Abeysekera as Hamlet
Photo courtesy of National Theatre & Brooklyn Academy of Music

Hiran Abeysekera is captivating as Hamlet.  He is driven and strong.  His madness is visceral.  Mr. Abeysekera discovers moments throughout the play where Hamlet loses touch with reality.  His eye shift focus, and he is physically overcome.  These transitions are clearly triggered by action, and take their toll on him.  Each event takes longer to pass, and Hamlet's demise becomes inescapable.

Francesca Mills & Hiran Abeysekera
Photo courtesy of National Theatre & Brooklyn Academy of Music

Francesca Mills is vivacious as Ophelia.  She creates tender relationships with her father, Polonius (played by Matthew Cottle), and her brother, Laertes (played by Tom Glenister).  Her descent into madness is riveting and heartbreaking.  Mr. Cottle portrays Polonius as a caring and generous father.  Mr. Glenister is dashing and brave as Laertes.

National Theatre’s production of Hamlet is playing at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater through May 17.  It is a stunning production with glorious performances.  Get a ticket! 

Domenick Danza

Ragtime

Ragtime
Lincoln Center Theater
at the Vivian Beaumont
May 9, 2026 

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Cetner Theater

The Broadway revival of Ragtime is truly brilliant.  Stephen Flaherty’s music vibrantly echoes throughout the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.  Lynn Ahrens’ lyrics and Terrance McNally’s book ring true in the telling of America at the turn of the twentieth century, and are strikingly relevant to the turmoil of our present day experiences.  The cast of forty-three works as one, creating genuine moments of emotion that viscerally engage every member of the audience.  The choreography, by Ellenore Scott, is pulsating and lively.  Lear DeBessonet’s direction is spot on perfection. 

It is the turn of the twentieth century in New York City.  Wealthy white business owners are building the economy, while their families live in secluded luxury in the northern suburbs.  Poor immigrants cross the ocean with dreams of America, only to live in tenement squalor and work for low wages.  Black musicians in Harlem create ragtime music, while their community knows the limits of their freedom.  When Mother (played by Caissie Levy) finds an abandoned Black baby in her garden, these worlds begin to collide.  With Father (played by Colin Donnell) away on an excursion, Mother does not know how to handle the situation.  The police find the baby’s mother, Sarah (played by Nichelle Lewis), hiding nearby.  Mother decides to take them both in and give them the care they need.  Meanwhile, Mother’s Younger Brother (played by Ben Levi Ross) is enamored by Evelyn Nesbit (played by understudy Marina Kondo).  He follows her everywhere, until one night when he wanders into a rally led by Emma Goldman (played by Shaina Taub), where his activist spirit is awakened.

Joshua Henry as Colehouse Walker, Jr.
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (played by Joshua Henry), a musician from Harlem, finds out where Sarah is,
and travels to the suburbs to persuade her to return to him.  Sarah refuses to see him.  Coalhouse is unaware that Sarah had his child.  He persists, and she finally agrees to marry him.  While driving back to Harlem, they are victims of a racist attack, and nothing is the same again. 

Joshua Henry and Nichelle Lewis are phenomenal as Coalhouse and Sarah.  Their connection is genuine and their voices are outstanding.  Another phenomenal performance is delivered by Caissie Levy as Mother.  She is warm and tender, with a solid resolve.  Her singing is extraordinary. 

Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, & Brandon Uranowitz
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Brandon Uranowitz plays Tateh, a poor Jewish immigrant, who comes to America with his young daughter (played by Ellie May Sennett).  He sacrifices everything for her well being and safety.  In Act II, after he has achieved some success as a filmmaker, he meets Mother and her young son (played by Nick Barrington).  Their relationship turns the plot from tragedy to reclamation.  Ms. Levy and Mr. Uranowitz play their moments with quiet delight.  They are magical.

The revival of Ragtime is nominated for eleven Tony Awards this season, including Best Revival of a Musical.  This is a MUST SEE production.  It is playing at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre through August 2.  It has been extended a few times.  With new productions scheduled for next season it’s hard to predict if the show will be extended again, so get a ticket if you can. 

Domenick Danza

Feltman: World’s First Hot Dog

Feltman: World’s First Hot Dog
Chain Theatre
May 6, 2026

Photo courtesy of Feltman: World's First Hot Dog

Before Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, there was Feltman’s Red Hots, and in his solo show, Feltman: World’s First Hot Dog, Michael Quinn tells the whole story.  Mr. Quinn is warm and friendly.  He whimsically tells about the creation of this culinary delight, along with fascinating tales of Coney Island and Brooklyn history.  More touching is his personal connection to specific events, and the role he plays in keeping it alive.

In 1856, Charles Feltman (played by Michael Quinn), a fifteen-year-old German immigrant, arrived in New York with no money and a strong work ethic.  He goes from sleeping on the floor in the bakery where he works to owning the largest, most popular restaurant complex in the world.  The key to his success was when he realized that visitors to Coney Island wanted something to eat that they could carry in their hands while enjoying the sun and sand.  He meticulously worked on the recipe for the perfect German sausage, combined it with sauerkraut, mustard, and onions, and placed it inside his best-selling breakfast bun.  He named them red hots because of their bright color, and sold them by the hundreds.  A business rival called them hot dogs in an effort to shut him down.  Ironically, the name stuck, and sales boomed. 

Michael Quinn as Charles Feltman
Photo courtesy of Feltman: World's First Hot Dog

After Feltman died and the Great Depression forced his restaurant to close, Nathan’s Hot Dogs ruled the
Coney Island Board Walk.  Decades later, a young Michael Quinn was handed the recipe to Feltman’s hot dogs by his grandfather, which was given to him by Charles Feltman himself.  This started Michael on a mission.  He worked tirelessly to reclaim Feltman’s hot dogs’ place in American culture. 

Michael Quinn tells this story with his heart and soul.  The tale of an immigrant working hard to achieve the American Dream is one we all need to hear right now.  The colorful characters of Coney Island, all played by Mr. Quinn, make the story fun and captivating.  It all blends into his own personal journey of hard work, success, disappointment, and satisfaction. 

Photo by Mikiodo, Courtesy of Feltman: World's First Hot Dog

Feltman: World’s First Hot Dog had its premiere at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  It is playing at Chain Theatre through May 10, then returns to Chain Theatre June 10-14.  If you grew up in Brooklyn or spent time in Coney Island, you will be delighted by this solo show.  Mr. Quinn’s performance is entertaining, and his writing is concise and informative. 

Domenick Danza

Beaches

Beaches
A New Musical
Majestic Theatre
April 25, 2026 

Photo courtesy of Beaches

The Broadway production of Beaches is a musical celebration of life-long friendship.  Iris Rainer Dart, who wrote the original novel, wrote the lyrics and teamed up with Thom Thomas to write the book.  The music, by Mike Stoller, is fun, heartwarming, and memorable.  Although this musical tells the same story as the well-known Bette Midler / Barbara Hershey movie, it has a life of its own.  The show does, however, conclude with a stunning rendition of  “Wind Beneath My Wings.” 

Cee Cee Bloom (played by Jessica Vosk) receives an emergency phone call and immediately exits the dress rehearsal of her network TV show.  Her thoughts go back to her childhood, when she, Little Cee Cee (played by Samantha Schwartz), first met Little Bertie (played by Zeya Grace) on the beach at Atlantic City.  Little Bertie is mesmerized by Little Cee Cee’s talent and hutzpah.  They become fast friends, even though Little Bertie’s mother, Rose (played by Lael Van Keuren) does not approve.  When Berite (played by Kelli Barrett) leaves her family and soon to be fiancé, Michael (played by Ben Jacoby), she joins Cee Cee in a small, struggling theatre.  Cee Cee supports Bertie’s dream of going to law school, and is proud of her when she tells Rose how she feels about the life she expects her to lead.  Regardless, Bertie returns to her family, graduates college, and marries Michael.  Cee Cee’s star continues to rise and she marries her director, John Perry (played by Brent Thiessen).  Cee Cee and Berite’s lives start to grow apart, but they are there for one other when they face personal tragedy. 

Jessica Vosk & Kelli Barrett
Photo courtesy of Beaches

Jessica Vosk is phenomenal as Cee Cee Bloom.  She has genuine chemistry and connection with Kelli Barrett’s Bertie.  Their relationship runs a full gamut of emotion, from admiration to envy, and dependance to dissonance.  They are fully committed, creating tender, funny, and intense moments.  

Samantha Schwartz and Zeya Grace steal the show as Little Cee Cee and Little Bertie.  The stark differentiation in their characters makes for well-timed comedy.  These two young actors do a brilliant job of laying the foundation for the relationship and bond between the women as they grow and mature.  Bailey Ryon plays Teen Cee Cee, and Emma Ogea plays Teen Bertie.  Their enthusiasm is fresh and boundless.  

Zeya Grace & Samantha Schwartz
Photo courtesy of Beaches

The strength and charm of this production is that the audience sees the young and teen versions of the characters throughout the story.  This is a constant reminder of the layers of their friendship and the depth of their bond.  It is highly effective and emotionally captivating.

Beaches is playing at the Majestic Theatre.  This is not a stage version of the movie.  It needs to be experienced as a new journey with familiar characters, and this small cast does an amazing job of engaging the audience in their journey.  

Domenick Danza