Here is some of my favorite theater writing and criticism. You can find a bunch more here on Show Score.
Can Playbill survive the pandemic?
For more than 130 years, the storied theatrical magazine had access to the ultimate captive audience. Then came the shutdowns. I spoke with the owners of Playbill about what they’re doing to survive the pandemic. Full Story
The Last Days of Cirque du Soleil
I spoke with executives and performers at the famed global circus brand to discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic devastated its business, perhaps irrevocably. Full Story
David Byrne Still Makes Sense
During the pandemic lockdown, I interviewed David Byrne about his Broadway show American Utopia for Fast Company‘s Most Creative People in Business list. Full Story.
A Theater Snob Reviews ‘Skittles: The Musical’
When Skittles decided to create a one-night-only musical and perform it in a New York theater as an advertising stunt, I took it a little too seriously. Full Story
Way Down Under The Ground
I spoke with director Rachel Chavkin and scenic designer Rachel Hauck about how they created the look for the Tony-winning musical Hadestown. Full Story
Streaming On Broadway? Oh, The Drama
For this Fast Company long read, I wrote about whether the theater industry was ready to accept having their shows captured and streamed on Netflix-like platforms. Full Article
A Bubblegum Bloodbath
I reviewed American Psycho for Newsweek. The musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel dripped with great 1980s camp but struggled to realize a greater purpose. Full Article.
Older Actors Booted From Health Plan
In this exclusive report, I broke the news that hundreds of Equity stage actors were being kicked off the union’s heath care plan after the rollout of Obamacare. Many of the actors were over 50 and finding roles more difficult to come by. Full Article.
Sex, Drugs, & Ronald Reagan
For Newsweek, I reviewed the Kenneth Lonergan’s coming-of-age comedy This Is Our Youth, starring Michael Cera and Kieran Culkin, and featuring the Broadway debut of blogging phenom Tavi Gevinson. Full Article.
No Pay For This Play
I spoke exclusively with current and former backstage workers at the megahit show Sleep No More, which relies heavily on unpaid talent despite being a money-making for-profit operation. The show’s management was unapologetic. Full Article.
Why Young People Don’t Watch The Tonys
The annual Tony Awards telecast, which has aired on CBS since the 1970s, is typically the lowest-rated of the major awards ceremonies, and it performs especially poorly with younger audiences. Hamilton could change that. Full Article.
Christopher Zara 