Thinking Theater NYC

Alexander Klaus, the One-Legged Shoemaker Man Written and performed by Christian Hege Directed by Jenny Mercein Presented by Christian Hege, Epyllionard at 59E59 Theaters 59 East 59th Street, Manhattan, NYC December 4-22, 2024 Christian Hege in Alexander Klaus, the One-Legged Shoemaker Man . Photo by Carol Rosegg. The opening of Alexander Klaus, the One-Legged Shoemaker Man presents an image that blends beauty and blood: apple tree petals filling the air as the eponymous character suffers a horrific leg wound during the American Civil War. That sort of duality characterizes the central feeling of this wonderfully crafted play, written and performed - in verse, no less - by Christian Hege. Hege's historical research - and an evocative visit to Lower Manhattan's Tenement Museum - heavily informed the process of creating Alexander Klaus and his story, which he relates to us from his vantage point as an older man, a tale in which loss and struggle feature prominently but in which,...

Christmas Time in the City 2023. Photo courtesy of The PR Social Returning for its second year after a sold-out debut, Christmas Time in the City will once again fill the historic Church of St. Paul the Apostle with the sounds of the season on December 12, 2024. Featuring original Broadway-style arrangements of beloved Christmas classics, this enchanting evening brings together seven celebrated Broadway stars, a 25-piece orchestra, and a 70-voice cross-borough community chorus for a performance that is quickly becoming a must-see holiday tradition in New York City. The concert blends the timeless spirit of Christmas with fresh, creative interpretations, capturing the energy and warmth of the season in a setting that enhances the musical experience. This year’s performers include Tony nominees Eden Espinosa ( Lempicka , Wicked ), and Chris Fitzgerald ( Wicked , Waitress , Spamalot ), Quinten Earl Darrington ( MJ The Musical , Once on this Island ), Tiffany Mann ( Be More Chill , O...

Jack's Bean Stalked Written by Robert K. Benson Directed by Madeline Wall Presented by R & R Productions at Parkside Lounge 317 E. Houston, Manhattan, NYC November 23-December 14, 2024 Gabriel Spector and Lily Ali-Oshatz. Photo by Michael Russell. For many of us, at least, this may not feel like the most joyful holiday season, given the state of, well, seemingly everything. Luckily, there's Jack's Bean Stalked , a new British-style panto in which the recovery of stolen joy is both a narrative element of the show and a byproduct of being in the audience. For those unfamiliar with panto, it is a popular Christmas-season tradition in the U.K. - alongside the ghost story, another holiday tradition which these particular Americans would love to see culturally appropriated - a form of musical comedy based on folk or fairy tales and featuring jokes on contemporary topics, a handful of prescribed character types (a Hero and Villain, a talking animal, and so on), and a bit of R...

An Axemas Story Music, etc. by Anthony De Angelis Lyrics, etc. by Patrick Spencer Book, etc. by Charlie O'Leary Music direction by Sara Linger Associate conducting by Buck McDaniel Direction and choreography by Mackenna Goodrich Presented by Cartwheels Theatrical at The Players Theatre 115 MacDougal St, Manhattan, NYC November 30-December 17, 2023 Isabel Julazadeh and John Jeffords. Photo by EJ DeCoske When An Axemas Story calls itself a "sappy" musical, it refers not to holiday schmaltz, which the show actively satirizes, but rather to the spilling of vital fluids as the non-deciduous residents of Tree Town meet their fates at the edge of a blade. This 1980s-slasher-inspired story of sentient trees on a Christmas tree farm is perfect for the kind of person who seeks out appropriately themed horror films for major holidays, enjoys self-aware wordplay ( Axemas Story features a veritable forest of tree-related puns), or just likes a wildly entertaining time at the theater...

A Christmas Carol, Oy! Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Ramadan Adapted and directed by Vít Hořejš Presented by Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre at Theater for the New City 155 1st Avenue, Manhattan, NYC December 19-January 5, 2020 Vit Horejs and Scrooge puppet. Photo by Jonathan Slaff. By the late nineteenth century, Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol had already been adapted for the stage, and it has remained perennially popular and frequently adapted ever since, most recently for the screen by Steven Knight in a dour reimagining for FX. Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre's version, A Christmas Carol, Oy! Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Ramadan , now playing at Theater for the New City, is something like its opposite, a genial, humorous, inclusive production created by founding company member Vít Hořejš. Hořejš stages this Carol using an array of marionettes, most of which hail from Prague and which include some new puppets, some 200 ...