Arrive Magazine - November-December, 2006

DETOUR

Turn on the Lights Can’t tear yourself away from the traditional holiday shows? Here’s a reminder of the most popular ones in Manhattan, plus a few new Broadway productions.

HOLIDAY

Radio City Christmas Spectacular—The Rockettes in all their kicking glory; Nov. 9-Dec. 30; Radio City Music Hall; radiocity.com. • The Nutcracker—Clara and her prince, with an army of rats ‘round the Christmas tree; Nov. 25-Dec. 30; New York State Theater at Lincoln Center; nycballet.com. • A Christmas Carol— Scrooge and all his ghosts turn up at The Theater at Madison Square Garden each year around this time; Nov. 15-Dec. 30; thegarden.com.

CAROL ROSEGG

ON BROADWAY

A Chorus Line—The revival of one of the most popular shows ever on Broadway. Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45th St; achorusline.com. • The Times They Are A-Changin’—The latest jukebox musical is based on the songs of Bob Dylan. Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th St. brooksatkinsontheater.com. • Mary Poppins—Open your umbrella! New material has been added for the Broadway show, which opens Nov. 16 at the New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 W. 42nd St; disney.go.com/theatre.

OFF BROADWAY

Some Men—Same-sex marriage is on the political agenda; now it’s on the off-broadway stage, thanks to Terrence McNally, the playwright of The Full Monty and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune. The play is set at a gay wedding ceremony where guests look back at the road to finding their true loves. Previews begin Nov. 21; Second Stage Theater, 307 W. 43rd St. 212-246-4422; secondstagetheater.com.

REVERENCE AT THE ALTAR

A Christian-rock boy band with a nice Jewish boy as a member? Altar Boyz—the off-broadway musical playing in an open run at Dodger Stages in Manhattan and a limited engagement at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia—is a satirical, 90-minute history lesson in teeny-bopper tunes (think Ricky Martin, Menudo and New Kids on the Block), but with faith (and humor) in the forefront. As they go on the final leg of their national tour— singing songs like Epiphany and The Miracle Song—they tell the story of their rise to fame and how a character like Abraham, the Jewish singer, became part of the gang. It should be just the antidote for the winter doldrums. After all, it won the Outer Circle Critics Award for best off-broadway musical last year, and The New York Times said, “Finally, a dopey Off Broadway musical that actually works.”

The Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 215-732-5446. Nov. 28-Dec. 3. Tickets: $20-$49.50.

New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., New York City. Performances ongoing. Tickets: $25-$75.

ON A SERIOUS NOTE

In Death and the Maiden, playing at Centerstage in Baltimore, Paulina Escobar finds herself recognizing the voice and mannerisms of the unexpected drop-in to her secluded home. She and her husband come to believe he was the man who blindfolded, raped and tortured her years before in the name of the government of the Third World country where they live. Though the play is 15 years old—and was made into a movie starring Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley in 1994—it is still fresh and poignant today.