Gypsy

 Gypsy
Majestic Theatre
June 17, 2025

Photo courtesy of Gypsy

Audra McDonald puts her unique brand on the iconic role of Rose in the Broadway revival of Gypsy.  Director George C. Wolfe found the urgency that drives every scene.  All the characters are fueled by a primal energy, a yearning for their desires and deep seeded need.  It gives this production a cutting-edge nuance.  Camille A. Brown’s choreography is a truly new take on this Broadway classic.  The movements are fully grounded in character.  Her dances propel the action and enhance the story.  The cast and ensemble are phenomenal. 

Rose (played by Audra McDonald) is pushing her two young daughters, Baby June (played by Mila Jaymes) and Baby Louise (played by Kyleigh Vickers) into show business.  Rose believes that June has all the talent.  Louise works extra hard to back up her sister.  Rose steals from her father (played by Thomas Silcott) to follow her dream and build a full act for the girls.  When she is auditioning the act, she meets Herbie (played by Danny Burstein).  Rose convinces him to represent them, and he starts obtaining bookings on the vaudeville circuit.  Rose refuses to see that the girls are outgrowing the act.  June (played by Jordan Tyson) runs off with Tulsa, one of the dancers in the show (played by Kevin Csolak), leaving Louise (played by Joy Woods) to take over.  Rose builds a whole new act around Louise, but since vaudeville is dying, they wind up taking a booking in a burlesque house.  Rose gives in and decides to marry Herbie at the end of their contract.  When the star stripper does not show up for her number, Rose does what she does best.  She pushes Louise into the spotlight. 

Joy Woods, Audra McDonald, & Danny Burstein
Photo courtesy of Gypsy

Audra McDonald roars as Rose.  She is determined, protective, and fearless.  Danny Burstein brings a
new fire to the character of Herbie.  He and Ms. McDonald have amazing chemistry.  They are an equal match.  Their characters go head to head, and always find the balance that keeps them moving forward.  

The most challenging part of playing the role of Louise is portraying her transition from a tomboy into a young woman.  Joy Woods handles this with skill and grace.  She matures from one scene to the next, creating a gradual change that shows the passage of time as the action unfolds.  By the end of the show, she is a queen in her own right, and the audience has seen it unfold one moment at a time.  

Joy Woods & Audra McDonald
Photo courtesy of Gypsy

Jordan Tyson portrays June with feisty energy.  The character is fueled by frustration, caused by her mother’s expectation.  This plays very well against Ms. Woods’ Louise, who is always working to decelerate the conflict between June and Rose.  June’s decision to leave with Tulsa is hurtful to Rose, yet it is clear by Ms. Tyson’s portrayal that it is fully motivated by her anger toward her mother and made with total disregard for her feelings.

Gypsy is playing at the Majestic Theatre.  It is an energized revival with a stellar cast, who all deliver tremendous performances. 

Domenick Danza

Hell’s Kitchen

Hell’s Kitchen
Sam S. Shubert Theater
May 14, 2025

Photo courtesy of Hell's Kitchen

Hell’s Kitchen is a joyous and bold celebration of growing up in the middle of New York City.  The story is loosely based on the teen years of Alicia Keys.  The show features her music with a book expertly structured and written by Kristoffer Diaz.  Director Michael Greif seamlessly brings all the elements together, especially Camille A. Brown’s amazing choreography.  The energetic cast skillfully brings this vibrant story to life. 

Ali (played by Jade Milan) lives in Manhattan Plaza with her mother, Jersey (played by Jessica Vosk).  Ali likes exploring the streets of the city with her friends, but her mother prefers she comes right home after school.  Her mother prepares dinner for them every night at 6:00, and expects Ali to be there and on time.  When Ali starts seeing Knuck (played by Phillip Johnson Richardson), one of the street drummers who performs outside her building, her mother is furious.  She does not want Ali to get pregnant at seventeen, as she did.  Ali escapes to the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza.  While there, she meets Miss Liza Jane (played by Kecia Lewis), who sits Ali down at the piano and teaches her to channel her emotions through music.  This is how Ali discovers what is most important in her life. 

Photo courtesy of Hell's Kitchen

Jade Milan is charming and charismatic as Ali.  Her portrayal is a perfect mix of street smarts, trust, and heart.  Most of the story is told through her narration, and she carries it beautifully, keeping the audience fully engaged.  The relationship she builds with Phillip Johnson Richardson (Knuck) is caring and genuine.  Their uncomfortable flirting is funny and endearing.  It quickly shifts into an intimate connection, then grows to mature self-awareness. 

Kecia Lewis as Miss Liza Jane
Photo courtesy of Hell's Kitchen

Kecia Lewis commands the stage in the few scenes she is in.  Her portrayal of Miss Liza Jane is wise and grounded.  Her singing rings with power and emotion.

The ensemble is skilled and energetic.  Camille A. Brown’s choreography covers a wide range of emotions as the storyline develops.  The style is specific and sharp, and this ensemble consistently delivers it with a strong sense of character. 

Hell’s Kitchen is playing at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre.  If you are a fan of Alicia Keys’ music, and even if you are not, you will enjoy this show. 

Domenick Danza

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf

 For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide /
When the Rainbow is Enuf
Booth Theatre
April 1, 2022 

Photo courtesy of
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide /
When the Rainbow is Enuf

Director/Choreographer Camille A. Brown brings For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf vividly to life on Broadway.  The show returns to the Booth Theatre forty-six years after its original opening in 1976.  The brilliant cast creates vibrant characters, infusing Ntozake Shange’s writing and poetry with energy and passion.

Seven women tell tales of youthful hope, bitter disappointment, and hurtful betrayal.  They rise above and find the light within themselves that keeps them moving on.  The poetry rings with truth.  The prose are crisp and bitingly clear.  The choreography expresses the wide expanse of emotions experienced by the characters.  The movement comes from the earth and fills the space with enthusiasm and joy. 

Tendayi Kuumba leads the opening sequence as Lady in Brown, commanding the attention of the audience and luring them in with her expressive rhythms.  Kenita R. Miller, as Lady in Red, delivers a monologue that tears your heart out, then lifts you to a higher place.  Amara Granderson plays Lady in Orange with humor and zest.  D. Wood is sultry and seductive as Lady in Yellow.  Stacey Sargeant, Lady in Blue, tells her stories straight from the heart.  Okwui Okpokwasili is tall and bold as Lady in Green.  Alexandria Wailes is fluid and passionate as Lady in Purple.  

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf is a unique journey through storytelling, poetry, and movement.  The show was groundbreaking in 1976, and is still relevant and innovative today.  It is playing at the Booth Theatre for a limited time, presently scheduled through August, so get your tickets right away. 

Domenick Danza

Toni Stone

Toni Stone

Roundabout Theatre Company

Laura Pels Theatre

June 8, 2019

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Lydia Diamond develops a captivating storytelling style in her new play Toni Stone.  Director Pam MacKinnon collaborates with choreographer Camille A. Brown to generate momentum and build a tight and unified ensemble.  April Matthis is mesmerizing and genuine in the title role.  The audience gets to know this character through Ms. Diamond’s prolific and humorous writing.  Ms. Matthis delivers a superb portrayal.

Toni Stone (played by April Matthis) is the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro League.  The opening of the play is her onstage alone, telling how natural the weight of the ball feels in her hand.  As she is growing up, nothing gets in the way of her pursuing her interest in the game of baseball.  Her naiveite about social interaction is overcome by her extreme focus on the art of the game.  She memorizes stats of players from their baseball cards and repeats them over and over as she faces the challenges of playing in the Negro League.  The sexism and racism on the road during her playing career are rough, yet even more shocking is the jealousy and resentment from her own teammates.  Her story is found between, as she says, “the weight of the ball and the reach.”  It is an inspiring story of perseverance, determination, and self-awareness. 

April Matthis as Toni Stone
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Surrounding the main character throughout the show is an ensemble of her eight teammates.  These eight men play numerous characters in Toni Stone’s life.  These characters vary in race and gender.  This brilliant choice by Ms. Diamond illustrates the strength of a team and the value it played in building Ms. Stone’s integrity, both on and off the field.  These eight actors are all magnificent, creating distinct and complete characters.

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Toni and the players tell about the entertainment component of the Negro League, how they had to purposefully lose games when playing against white teams, and how they were refused rooms in hotels after spending long, tiring hours on the bus.  The final scene in Act I, choreographed by Camille A. Brown, depicts the team playing a game while clowning and performing as if in a minstrel show.  It is a stunning and effective way to show the degradation they all experienced in order to participate in a sport they were dedicated to play.  It is an impactful ending for Act I.

Toni Stone is a little-known American hero.  She broke barriers in professional baseball and lived life on her own terms.  Lydia Diamond does a spectacular job dramatizing her story.  The Roundabout Theatre Company production of Toni Stone is playing at the Laura Pels Theatre through August 11.

Domenick Danza