Nicholas Pontolillo - Page 2

What did our critic think of CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY at Tilles Center? Back in 2005, Comedy Central had a roast for Pamela Anderson. One of the roasters on the dais was the late, great Bea Arthur; she was there as both she and Anderson are advocates of P.E.T.A., which the roast was a fundraiser for. Instead of following the typical route of insulting Anderson and the other celebrities on the dais, Arthur decided to perform a live reading of Pamela Anderson's autobiographical novel Star Struck. Anderson's words mixed with Ms. Arthur's wry delivery and infamous glares led this to be one of the funniest sets of the evening. After seeing that performance, I literally thought 'My God, what a brilliant idea. Wouldn't it be amazing if Bea Arthur, or any celebrity, performed dramatic readings of celebrity memoirs?' Luckily, Emmy award nominee Eugene Pack capitalized on this idea with co-creator Dayle Reyfel and together they brought Celebrity Autobiography to life.

What did our critic think of ELLA: FIRST LADY OF SONG at The Madison Theatre At Molloy College?

What did our critic think of BYE BYE BIRDIE at The Noel S. Ruiz Theater At CMPAC?

Theatre Three’s Every Brilliant Thing is sheer brilliance

Alice Walker wrote in The Color Purple, 'I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.' In other words, you have to appreciate the beautiful, good things of life no matter how bad life may be. Readers, I'm telling you if you don't make it over to Elmont and see the Long Island premiere of The Color Purple, you will be pissed you missed this truly beautiful production.

Closing out its 48th season, CMPAC does manage to put on a dazzling production of Hello Dolly, albeit a few hiccups, which I will attribute to opening night jitters.

Question: Why is Man of La Mancha considered one of the great works of the theater? Answer: It is one of the few plays/musicals that will always resonate with its audience. When you have a show with themes including the importance of honor and nobility, being chivalrous, and maintaining idealism, you can clearly understand its resonance

Back in 2009, I had the honor of attending the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts at Madison Square Garden. The two-night concert event honored the Hall of Fame by having nine Hall of Fame inductees highlight the history and greatest hits of Rock and Roll. The headliners, which also featured special guests, included: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Steve Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck, Metallica, U2 and the reunion of Simon & Garfunkel. Little did any of the audience members know this would be the final time that Simon & Garfunkel would perform together on stage...for now. Hearing their amazing harmonies live was an unbelievable experience. On November 19, I had the pleasure of reliving that experience by seeing The Simon & Garfunkel Show at the NYC Theater in Westbury.

Taylor Bloom and Benjamin Cooley are currently touring the country starring as the legendary title duo in The Simon and Garfunkel Story. On November 19, the production made a stop at the NYCB Theater in Westbury, NY where I had the honor of seeing the show and interviewing its stars.

CBS News recently did a profile piece on the 'Renaissance of Theater on Long Island.' One of the theaters/acting companies featured in the news story was the Elmont Memorial Library Theatre - Home of Plaza Theatricals, Nassau County's only professional equity theater.

It has been over a year and half since the world shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, I'm thrilled to say, Theater has returned. 'Welcome back!' Oops, Wait I'm mixing-up my 1970's John Travolta pop culture references. 'I got chills and they're multiplying' (that's better). Thankfully, these multiplying chills are not from COVID, but from Theatre Three's fantastically fun production of Grease, complete with an on-stage hot rod.

On February 15, Port Jefferson's Theatre Three premiered their production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and it couldn't have opened at a better time. We are currently living in very trying times, and this production is the right remedy that will definitely get your spirits up.

Carol Burnett is one of the last living legends of Hollywood; she is the epitome of comedy. As a critic, this was a career highlight for me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be in the same room with one of my heroes. On October 23, Ms. Burnett honored Long Island by appearing at the Tilles Center for 2 sold-out performances of her one-woman show: Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection.

CMPAC once again knocks another musical out of the park with their current production of Ghost the Musical. The amazing cast and creative team of this production really breathe life into a show that is often viewed as lifeless.

Rabbit Hole centers on the accidental death of a young child and how his death affects five individuals. This play is not your typical Lifetime movie of the week and it's not supposed to be; thank God! Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer prize for this play, captures the honesty of the grieving process and examines multiple perspectives of how one copes with grief. Through Lindsay-Abaire's lyrical dialogue, the audience learns that it's ok to laugh, cry & remain spirited and resilient when dealing with grief. What's important is that you have to be able to move on, no matter how tragic the loss.

The Noel S. Ruiz Theater at CMPAC does it again with their production of Pippin. Pippin was a wise choice to wrap-up CMPAC's 43rd season. Inspired by the real-life individuals of the early Middle Ages, Charlemagne and his hunchbacked son Pippin, the show tells the fictionalized story of the young prince in search for meaning and significance in his life.

As all Long Islanders know, Billy Joel IS the King of Long Island. Occupying the throne as Queen is Pat Benatar. Sorry Mariah, but as it was experienced on October 12, 2018 at the Tilles Center, Benatar hit the stage with her best shot, fired away and knocked all competition for the title. I don't understand how in the h-e-double hockey sticks both Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet; to say that this is an injustice is putting it lightly. #wakeuprockhall

Port Jefferson's Theater Three production of the musicial murder mystery romp Curtains is brilliant; it is a clever mash up of Columbo meets Kiss Me, Kate. Curtains is a wonderful show that reveals how a show's ensemble is not just its cast, but also its creative team. It emphasizes the importance of each and every talent involved with putting on a Broadway show. From the stage manager to the conductor; from the music team to the director. Theater Three's production successfully emits this theme.

After seeing Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida at The Noel S. Ruiz Theater at CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale, NY, I can officially say that this theater and production is the closest Long Island will ever get to Broadway! Aida was truly unbelievable and will go down as one of the best theater experiences I've ever had with Long Island theater.