OpeningNight.Online Theater Logo

Reviews & Articles

Find Reviews by Category
L-R Darius De Haas, Seth Rudetsky, Natalie Wachen, and Sharon Catherine Brown, at Café Carlyle. Photo by Julia Silverstein
Cabaret
Edward A Kliszus

Seth Rudetsky Presents DREAMGIRLS in Concert at Café Carlyle

Seth Rudesky hosted an event at Café Carlyle that, in the annals of theater, shall remain a night of incredible music, cherished remembrances, personal anecdotes, and Broadway history told by the artists who live it. It was indeed a biographical sojourn of epic artistic proportions.

Read More »
A Broadway Valentine's Day at 54 Below. From 54Below.com
Cabaret
Edward A Kliszus

A Broadway Valentine’s Day at 54 Below

Tonight’s Broadway Valentine’s Day at 54 Below was an evening of love, song, romance, nostalgia, fine dining, unique beverages, and thematic desserts. The messages of love portrayed were universal, celebrating spiritual beings connected through energy, generosity, compassion, and harmony. As Shakespeare noted in Love’s Labour’s Lost, “When Love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with the harmony.”

Read More »
Dancing With The Stars Troupe. Photo by Katharine Boyle Photography
Cabaret
Victoria L. Dammer

Dancing With The Stars Live 2023

The Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) stage transformed into a ballroom for the dazzling January 19th double performance of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) Live 2023 tour, co-hosted by American television personality Gabby Windey and English-born dancer and choreographer Emma Slater.

Read More »
Salty Brine. Photo by Daniel Albanese
Cabaret
Edward A Kliszus

Bigmouth Strikes Again: The Smiths Show

Brine honored the music of The Smiths through an auto-biographical perspective revealing universal human needs like love, friendship, and realized ambitions. We discovered Brine’s Bible Belt roots in North Carolina and the paths leading him to New York City. The exceedingly talented Brine danced, sang, and spoke in ways that evoked uncontrollable laughter, empathy, or sublime wistful affection.

Read More »
Vanessa Williams at 54Below. Photo credit: Victoria L. Dammer.
Cabaret
Victoria L. Dammer

54 Below Diamond Series Presents Vanessa Williams

The multi-talented and stunningly beautiful stage and screen star Vanessa Williams made her Diamond Series debut at 54 Below on December 13 with a musical selection from her catalog of chart-topping songs, Broadway Classics, and others.

Read More »
Sondheim Unplugged at 54Below. PHoto: 54Below.com
Cabaret
Victoria L. Dammer

54 Below Presents Sondheim Unplugged

Rejoicing in the life and musical talent of Stephen Sondheim one year after his passing, 54 Below presented Sondheim Unplugged, a tribute beyond compare that has played repeatedly since 2010.

Read More »
Kathryn Farmer Album Cover
Cabaret
Edward A Kliszus

Kathryn Farmer at Swing 46

If the 17-piece Kevin Blanq big band and Kathryn Farmer were not enough to get you in the mood for smooth swinging and dancing, the urbane, bespoke, and suave dancer extraordinaire Manuel Rojas appeared to deliver a dance lesson at 8:30 as a second band, Swing a Delic arrived on stage. With Rojas, it was time to revel in the legacies of Al Minns and Frankie Manning with Lindy Hop, swing outs, tuck-in-turn, jazz, tap, sugar foot walk, breakaway, and swing dance….dum-dee-dum, dum-dee-dum, dum-dee-dum, dum-dee-dum. Revelers thronged to the dance floor as the buoyant and joyous Rojas drew them in.

Read More »
Wendy Moten at the Nashville Hall of Fame Museum. Photo from wendymoten.com
Cabaret
Edward A Kliszus

Wendy Moten at Birdland

Wendy Moten ascended to the Birdland stage with a smile and charm that lit up the room. From her first words and the comfortable swing tempo of her first song, All of Me, Moten emerged as a poised, expressive, and consummate artist. She conveyed her passionate insights with a beautiful, clear voice and through her ability to command any genre she desired.

Read More »