After 20-odd years singing, dancing and acting in dinner theatres, summer stocks and the ever-popular audience participation murder mysteries (try improvising with audiences after they?ve had two hours of open bar), Michael Dale segued his theatrical ambitions into playwriting. The buildings which once housed the 5 Off-Off Broadway plays he penned have all been destroyed or turned into a Starbucks, but his name remains the answer to the trivia question, "Who wrote the official play of Babe Ruth's 100th Birthday?" He served as Artistic Director for The Play's The Thing Theatre Company, helping to bring free live theatre to underserved communities, and dabbled a bit in stage managing and in directing cabaret shows before answering the call (it was an email, actually) to become BroadwayWorld.com's first Chief Theatre Critic. While not attending shows Michael can be seen at Citi Field pleading for the Mets to stop imploding. Likes: Strong book musicals and ambitious new works. Dislikes: Unprepared celebrities making their stage acting debuts by starring on Broadway and weak bullpens.
VIDEO: ECLIPSED's Lupita Nyong'o Pulls April Fools Day Prank on Cast-Mates
April 4, 2016
April 4, 2016
The Oscar-winner has a little fun with the other members of ECLIPSED's superb acting ensemble.
VIDEO FLASHBACK: How THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA Changed The Careers of Its Authors, Stars and Director
April 4, 2016
April 4, 2016
Barrtlett Sher and Adam Guettel made their Broadway debuts with this complex romantic musical.
VIDEO: Amy Schumer Performs Her Own Revolutionary Hip-Hop Musical For HAMILTON's Lin-Manuel Miranda
April 4, 2016
April 4, 2016
The brilliant social satirist doesn't exactly have the HAMILTON author/star in stitches over her new bio-musical.
BWW Review: Cara Reichel and Peter Mills' DEATH FOR FIVE VOICES, A Compelling Musical of a Renaissance Composer
April 10, 2016
April 10, 2016
The new musical is inspired by the life of visionary composer, and murderer, Carlo Gesualdo.
BWW Review: Much-Improved Bio-Musical CAGNEY Returns Off-Broadway In A Flashy Producton
April 3, 2016
April 3, 2016
It was ten months ago when composer/lyricist Robert Creighton buck and winged it to the York Theatre with a spirited and gutsy performance as the screen's greatest tough guy song and dance man, James Cagney. His pocket-sized musical vehicle, Cagney, while certainly rousing and entertaining, came off then as a promising work in progress; one that needed more heat to match the potential of its dramatic moments.
RADIOCAST: 1940, The Year Gracie Allen Won The Wisconsin Presidential Primary
April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
One of America's most beloved entertainers made a comedy bit about running for president and started getting votes!
VIDEO: AN ACT OF GOD's Author David Javerbaum Talks About The Play's Inspiration And A Future Casting Possibility
April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
The Twitter-grown comedy that opened this season with Jim Parsons returns in May with Sean Hayes.
Arts Council Norway Unveils Plans For Ibsen-Inspired Theme Park
April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
Norway's newest cultural attraction will be a 25-acre theme park celebrating the playwright considered by many to be the father of modern drama.
At This Performance... AVENUE Q's Puppet Cast Takes Over Broadway's Starring Roles
April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
Is a bad bug spreading among Broadway's stars? Or is it just a prank pulled by AVENUE Q's puppets?
FLASH FRIDAY: When William Daniels Was TV Superhero CAPTAIN NICE
April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
His iconic performance as the 'obnoxious and disliked' John Adams may never have been if this 1967 TV series was a hit.
BWW Review: Ivo van Hove Takes Possession of Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE
April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
The esoteric director stages the Arthur Miller classic with a relatively restrained hand.
SPOOF: Hamptons Parents Object to Kids Playing Poor People in High School LES MISERABLES
March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016
Dan's Paper of the Hamptons offers an unusual complaint from parents regarding the school musical.
Who Was Lucille Lortel and Why Is There An Award Named For Her?
March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016
With a career spanning seventy years in the theatre, Lucille Lortel's life mission was to help nurture emerging innovative playwrights.
TWITTER WATCH: Batman, Joker Testify at City Council's Hearing on Times Square Costumed Characters
March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016
Read tweeted testimony from two men who earn a living mingling with tourists for tips.
VIDEO: How Many Broadway Hits Can You Spot In SOMETHING ROTTEN!'s 'A Musical'?
March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016
A new video of the Broadway showstopper highlights the musical theatre classics referenced.
BWW Review: Encores! Modern Dress, Diversely Cast 1776 Strikes Contemporary Chords
March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016
Santino Fontana's smart and empathetic performance highlights the production of one of Broadway's best-written musicals.
New Forensic Study Indicates Alexander Hamilton's Fatal Wound Accidentally Self-Inflicted
April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
The discovery of a letter sent to Hamilton's second from Burr's second prompted an investigation.
Reasons To Get Excited: Broadway's April Openings
March 30, 2016
March 30, 2016
With the April 28th Tony Award eligibility deadline looming, there are seven big new shows to get excited about.
VIDEO: HAMILTON Defends 'Non-White' Casting Notice Against Charge of Discrimination
March 30, 2016
March 30, 2016
Actors go into the business of theatre knowing that talent and the capability to play a role aren't always enough to get the job. Sometimes there are physical requirements either dictated by the author or artistically preferred by those making casting decisions. The height, weight, general appearance and, yes, the perceived ethnic background of an actor could, in many cases, be considered indispensable aspects of the hiring process.
TWITTER WATCH: HAMILTON's Ephraim Sykes Photographed In Costume Using 1839 Lens
March 30, 2016
March 30, 2016
The talented ensemble member is the latest subject in photographer Josh Lehrer's series of vintage photographs.
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