Art can be a matter of both survival and resistance. That understanding gives a timeless relevance to the “Kiss of the Spider Woman” novel by Argentine author Manuel Puig, who published it in…
A good villain is never born. They are made. The great appeal of “Wicked” is how it takes a classic villain from our collective memories and genuinely humanizes her. As a musical,…
Two great forces of artistic nature come together in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” This new, rich Netflix production is an adaptation of a play by the great Black American playwright August Wilson,…
There is a much-needed revival underway of the work of the great American playwright August Wilson. His plays are being further cemented as one of the defining voices onstage of the Black American…
A profound live show can become a transcendental experience, combining performance and sound into something akin to secular spiritualism. Spike Lee’s dazzling chronicle of…
Before “Hamilton” catapulted him to stardom and made him a bona fide national treasure, actor, composer, and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda was just another guy…
In these rapidly changing and tumultuous times, there is a sense of joy that Disney has decided to release a filmed edition of “Hamilton,”…
Los Angeles is known as one of the best comedy hubs in the country. It’s the city where popular comedians frequent sold-out clubs, new faces begin their careers with late night stand-up, and…