Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is interviwed by Merv Griffin on an episode of The Merv Griffin Show, taped in New York in 1967:
(This is the latest in a series of arts- and history-related videos that appear in this space each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
“If I hit you and you hit me and I hit you back and you hit me back and go on, you see, that goes on ad infinitum. It just never ends. Somewhere somebody must have a little sense, and that’s the strong person.”
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., “Loving Your Enemies” (sermon, November 17, 1957)
Don Stewart and Carl Marlow, who held Perry Como’s cue cards on his weekly TV series, appear as the mystery guests on an episode of What’s My Line? John Daly was the host and the panelists were Richard Boone, Arlene Francis, Martin Gabel, and Dorothy Kilgallen. This episode was originally telecast live by CBS on February 22, 1959:
(This is the latest in a series of arts- and history-related videos that appear in this space each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
“I have the most ill-regulated memory. It does those things which it ought not to do and leaves undone the things it ought to have done.”
Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night
Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. For more information, click on the title.
* * *
ON BROADWAY:
• Dear Evan Hansen (musical, PG-13, all shows sold out last week, reviewed here) • Hadestown (musical, PG-13, all shows sold out last week, reviewed here) • Hamilton (musical, PG-13, Broadway transfer of off-Broadway production, all shows sold out last week, reviewed here)* * *
OFF BROADWAY:
• London Assurance (comedy, PG-13, closes Feb. 9, reviewed here)* * *
CLOSING SUNDAY OFF BROADWAY:
• Greater Clements (drama, PG-13, reviewed here)“A happy childhood can’t be cured. Mine’ll hang around my neck like a rainbow, that’s all, instead of a noose.”
Hortense Calisher, Queenie
A new episode of Three on the Aisle, the twice-monthly podcast in which Peter Marks, Elisabeth Vincentelli, and I talk about theater in America, is now available on line for listening or downloading.
Here’s American Theatre’s “official” summary of the proceedings:
To listen to or download this episode, read more about it, or subscribe to Three on the Aisle, go here.Today the critics are doing a decade roundup, but not a “top 10” or “best of” list—we figure you’ve seen enough of those already! Instead they talk about some notable trends that have shaped the American theatre in the last 10 years, including the rise of Black playwrights and female directors, and the persistent lack of comedies onstage.
They close out, as always, with a discussion of recent plays. This week that list includes Greater Clements off Broadway, Sing Street at New York Theatre Workshop, and the launch of the national tour of My Fair Lady at the Kennedy Center.
In case you’ve missed any previous episodes, you’ll find them all here.
Imogene Coca and James Starbuck perform their comedy version of the pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty on TV in 1951. This performance was originally telecast live as part of an episode of Your Show of Shows that aired on NBC on September 8, 1951:
(This is the latest in a series of arts- and history-related videos that appear in this space each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)