Culture Watch

Frankenstein Is Back Again, but This Monster Won’t Scare Anybody

by Bruce Chadwick

In the latest NY production starring Robert Fairchild he is part monster, part ballet dancer and all gorgeous.

P.T. Barnum’s Greatest Showman: Razzle Dazzle and Not Much Else

by Bruce Chadwick

The movie is grand larceny of history.

‘V’ for Victory: Latest Churchill Film Soars

by Bruce Chadwick

The strength of "Darkest Hour," a monumental history movie, is a deep and gorgeous portrait of Churchill, the man who single handedly saved Britain.

The Fabled Hollywood Sign and a Great Depression Tragedy

by Bruce Chadwick

A review of a play about  “Peg” Entwistle, a young actor who killed herself in 1932 by jumping off the H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D sign.

Whether Real or Fiction, the Soviet Leaders Were, and Are, Brutal

by Bruce Chadwick

A review of the play “Describe the Night,” a sprawling saga about Russian history that opened in New York this week.

Living on the Edge of a Race Riot

by Bruce Chadwick

A review of Seth Zvi Rosenfeld’s new play, “Downtown Race Riot.”

The Legendary Terracotta Army of China Takes Richmond

by Bruce Chadwick

It's the legacy of the first Emperor of China and you can see it now on display at Richmond's Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The Never-Ending Memories of the Vietnam War

by Bruce Chadwick

The war in all its horror comes back to life in an exhibit at the New-York Historical Society. 

Killing Billy the Kid

by Bruce Chadwick

There's a new play about Billy the Kid produced by Bruce Willis.  Our reviewer was not impressed. 

100 Years of Music Giant Leonard Bernstein

by Bruce Chadwick

After all these years and all this music, how can America thank Lenny Bernstein? Give him a big hug. 

The Financial Bandits of the 1980s Ride Again in the New Play "Junk" (As in Junk Bonds)

by Bruce Chadwick

The play is colorful, it is rich, and, oh boy, is it ever savage.

Black vs. White in a Ritzy 1941 Connecticut Town

by Bruce Chadwick

A review of the new movie about Thurgood Marshall's defense of a black man accused of rape in Connecticut in 1941.

Trying to Love "Shakespeare in Love" (The Play)

by Bruce Chadwick

The success of the movie has propelled others to turn it into a stage play. This year, it will be the most produced play in the United States.

Ralph Kramden Is Back! (This Time as a Play.)

by Bruce Chadwick

The play is so good that the Loyal Order of the Raccoons, Ralph and Ed’s fraternal lodge in Brooklyn, would stand up and wave their raccoon pelt hats for it.

Billie Jean King Beats Bobby Riggs Once Again in Tennis Battle of the Sexes

by Bruce Chadwick

"Battle of the Sexes" is as much fun as it is sports history and the history of the women’s lib movement in the early ‘70s.

Time Stands Still for A Clockwork Orange and Street Gangs

by Bruce Chadwick

The Clockwork Orange has been brought back as a play.  The play is sensational, an absolutely electric production that shakes you to your core with terrific actors.

Peter Pan Finally Gets Off the Runway

by Bruce Chadwick

A new version of the play has debuted in New York in time for the 70th anniversary of Peter Pan. The final third is great!  The first 2/3rds?  Ugh. 

The Mega Star of the 1930s and 40’s: Marlene Dietrich Rides Again

by Bruce Chadwick

"Dietrich Rides Again" is a sprightly show that tells you a lot about Dietrich that most people already know but gives some intriguing glimpses into her personal life with which people, even fans, are not familiar.

How Accurate Is “Dunkirk”?

by Robert Huddleston

The motion picture is an excellent opening chapter to the Second World War.

The Vietnam War that Never Goes Away

by Bruce Chadwick

A review of the hit revival, Miss Saigon." It holds up well.