You know it’s a really great work of art when it’s gemlike — full of angles to analyze. And Passion, a late Stephen Sondheim musical, is packed with meanings and facets. I took in the magnificent production at the Signature … Continue reading
We happened to find ourselves with a free day in New York City last week, and of course we invested our time wisely! The first stop was the Morgan Library, where the manuscripts of J.R.R. Tolkien are on view through … Continue reading
Okay, now I see it. There are recent musicals I’ve seen which clearly were not quite successful. They were speaking to something that I couldn’t quite discern, following in a path that I hadn’t taken the turning for. And now … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough I have never seen this musical (first staged in 2000) in production, although it’s a perennial in high schools and I know the score. Nor have I ever seen the 1967 movie, starring Julie Andrews and … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough I still remember the electric thrill of seeing Godspell in 1972 — I must have been sixteen. My high school boyfriend took me — it may have been our first date! — at the historical Ford’s … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough There are musicals that are works for all time — I believe I’ve mentioned Sunday in the Park with George. And then there are those which become more problematic. Societal standards change, and suddenly what was … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough Only the novice asks ‘where do you get your ideas?’ The fact is, ideas are everywhere. You can easily prove this by looking at popular culture. Books turn into movies and then stage shows, sometimes turning … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough There are two audiences for any work. Of course you want the newbies: the people who never read fantasy before Tolkien, who never cared about wizards before cracking Harry Potter. You want to be the portal, … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough For the historical fictioneer there are two ways to research. One is of course through books. Paging through dusty tomes, plowing through period letters, digging up the original documents, oh yes. You can grow old this … Continue reading
In its slack, umbrella-drink-holding way, Margaritaville is body-image-positive, feminist, and egalitarian in its relationship developments. For you romance readers, the romance values are adult-level, in spite of the Parrothead themes. All the character arcs have twists I didn’t see coming. (As well as a few I did. Spoiler alert: the bride is seduced, no surprise . . . but via cheeseburger.)
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