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Ronald "Smokey" Stevens in his solo play, "I Just Want to Tell Somebody," presented by Theater for the New City June 1-18, 2023. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.
Off Broadway
Edward A Kliszus

I Just Want to Tell Somebody by Smokey Stevens

From a bottomless pit of prison and despair, Stevens mustered sobriety and hope powered by a renewed, unwavering determination, self-worth, confidence, and passion for his craft. His life became a transformative journey of recovery, growth, and personal empowerment. He crushed his alter ego D Man and broke free, becoming a beacon of resilience and strength. Ronald “Smokey” Stevens is a superbly gifted raconteur with an authentic, inspirational story for everyone that must be told.

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June 3, 2023
L-R Andy De La Cruz,Ricky O.I. and Cotton Wood in Cold Feet, A Comedy Extravanganza. Photo credit Stephen Panos
Comedy
Edward A Kliszus

Cold Feet A Comedy Extravaganza

From the onset, Cold Feet was saucy with an eccentric style of humor, bizarre characters like Shelly the orangutan with her goofy grunts and screams, and off-the-wall skits. Laughs were guaranteed through the sequences of impudence, knee-slapping silliness, physical comedy, parody, surrealism, and wordplay.

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February 27, 2023
Candice Lee on stage at Arlene's Grocery. Photo by Nanette.
Music Reviews
Edward A Kliszus

Candice Lee at Arlene’s Grocery

Candice Lee is a singer of heartfelt, caring distinction. On stage, she is confident, energetic, and versatile, with a unique blend of musical influences and originality propelling her to become one of her generation’s most successful and iconic entertainers.

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February 25, 2023
A scene from Who Murdered Love? L-R: John David West, Jef Canter, Rori Nogee, Sage Buchalter, William Vraderick, Louisa Bradshaw. Photo by Jonathan Slaff
Off Broadway
Edward A Kliszus

Who Murdered Love?

Who Murdered Love was a musical comedy extraordinaire At the Theater for the New City. The scene for fun was set as DaDa Love (Elyp Johnson), and the cast sang Mad for Love. This setting projected a mysterious pallor tempered by the comedic references to DaDaism, which had emerged in the early 20th century in reaction to the Great War. We were set to embrace chaos, satire, parody, collage, and streams of consciousness. We were not disappointed.

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February 18, 2023
Vit Horejs as Vanek, Theresa Linnihan as Brewmaster. Photo by Jonathan Slaff
Off Broadway
Edward A Kliszus

AUDIENCE by Václav Havel

Audience was presented with fine acting, powerful multi-dimensional visuals, cultural significance, context and import, rich vigilance, and irony.

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February 7, 2023
Gemma Trattoria Wood Fired Pizza Oven. Photo by Sora Vernikoff
New York Restaurant Reviews
Sora Vernikoff

Gemma Trattoria

Gemma Trattoria is an Italian restaurant serving delicious fare on The Bowery Hotel’s ground floor at 335 Bowery in Manhattan.My meal was fabulous. The bread was deliciously, heavily crusted grain, and the avocado puree was divine. The roasted sunflower seeds and lightly shredded radishes were an unbelievably delightful combination.

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February 7, 2023
Foreground: Ciaran Tufford (Maya/Cherokee/Cree/Pawnee). Photo by Jonathan Slaff
Dance
Edward A Kliszus

Thunderbird American Indian Dancers

Raconteur and narrator Louis Mofsie (Hopi/Winnebago) guided us through the majestic proclamations of dances, storytelling, and music representing the magnificence and provenance of these rich cultures. The coruscating colors and movements portrayed themes associated with rituals, reverence, and prayers to a Creator for blessings, health and thanksgiving, gladness for the life-giving forces of animals and rain, community pride, and honor to their warriors who protect them.

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January 15, 2023
Zeroboy and Frank Zilinyi in The Haunting of East 4th Street. Photo credit: Dan Bianchi
Off Broadway
Edward A Kliszus

The Haunting of 85 East 4th Street

The rich baritone voice of raconteur Frank Zilinyi launched Radiotheatre’s deliciously macabre exordium of The Haunting of 85 East 4th Street, a dark, spellbinding tale of New York City history, horror, mysterious sounds, ghosts, curses, cannibals, occult, exorcisms, diablerie, and doom. Zilinyi and his partner Zero Boy were our able cicerones, guiding us through a hypnotizing tale of gripping suspense and almost unspeakable dread.

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November 13, 2022
Kathleen Moore as Susan B. Anthony. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.
Off Broadway
Edward A Kliszus

Susan B at the Theater for the New City

This play production “Susan B” reminds us that Susan B. Anthony was an astounding, courageous voice in a wilderness who, at her peril, evoked an awakening of clear thinking, reflection, and debate.

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October 14, 2022
Cameron Darwin Bossert in Burbank. Photo credit: Valerie Terranova
Off Broadway
Edward A Kliszus

Burbank – Walt Disney in Crisis

Burbank is a period piece set solidly in its time and place. While modern aesthetes frequently luxuriate in modernizing period works to conform with contemporary social thought and theory, author Cameron Darwin Bossert focused on 1941 and the benefits that eventually emerged and remained in Perpetuum. Preserving the period enabled the audience participant to immerse in the unfolding story fully.

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September 8, 2022