Karen’s Interviews

You’ve read part one.  You clamored for another round!  What could be more fun that sitting in on a conversation between me and brilliant playwright Larry Kunofsky as we discuss the road that led to his upcoming production of Your Boyfriend May Be Imaginary? Last time Larry explained how everyone has an imaginary component (in [...]

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  You may think my life is all about going to shows, sitting in the dark, absorbing — going back home … writing reviews.  It is NOT.  My life is about highlighting, showcasing and celebrating the talented people of the independent entertainment world that I am lucky enough to experience.   I only know how [...]

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These days, when taking a road trip of any kind — even if it’s just over the state line to New Jersey — it’s almost impossible to think about arriving safely at your destination without the use of a GPS.  The technology is so ubiquitous it’s now even an easily downloadable app for your phone.   [...]

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My Left Hand Man: Antonia Bogdanovich Explains What It Means To Be A Family

by Karen Tortora-Lee January 24, 2012 Film

  I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the new short film by Antonia Bogdanovich — MY LEFT HAND MAN —  starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Nanny McPhee, Love Actually), Andrew Howard (Limitless, upcoming “Hatfields and McCoys”), Kevin Bigley (“The Chicago Code,” “CSI: Miami”) and Erich Wildpret, who is a Latin American star. The [...]

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Wasabassco Burlesque – Celebrating Seven Years And Still Going Strong

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 3, 2011 Brooklyn

If you’re any kind of regular reader of THM then you know that around here we sure love Burlesque.  Lucky us!  Living in New York City as we do, there is no shortage of fantastic Burlesque performers who constantly and consistently have us hooting and hollering and calling out for more. If you, too, are [...]

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Mark Gindick Explains The Serious Business Of Clowning Around

by Karen Tortora-Lee September 16, 2011 Brooklyn

  Mark Gindick in Wing-Man (Photo by Florence Montmare)   If you were lucky enough to catch the PBS documentary Circus then you’ve already met Mark Gindick whose antics as a Big Apple Circus clown were prominently featured in that six-part mini series which followed the lives of the performers and crew during their 2008 season.  Or, [...]

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Ampersand’s Rockstar – A Chat With Lauren Hennessy

by Karen Tortora-Lee September 14, 2011 Festivals

It’s no secret that Mariah MacCarthy’s beautiful Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story struck a deep chord with me; I loved so many things about it.  For me it was one of the highlights of this season’s Fringe Festival.  So when the wonderful Lauren Hennessy was the recipient of an award for overall excellence for [...]

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It’s A Sunshine Day For Stephen Garvey, Writer Of “The Bardy Bunch”

by Karen Tortora-Lee August 31, 2011 FRINGE 2011

Earlier this week FringeNYC announced the 2011 Overall Excellence Award Winners and we at THM couldn’t have been happier to celebrate with the winners and congratulate them on their success.  One standout for me was The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady which was definitely one of my favorites this year.  [...]

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Some Time For The OTHERS

by Karen Tortora-Lee August 13, 2011 Dance

  Yes, we may have Fringe on the brain, but that doesn’t mean that other things aren’t going on this weekend.  And, quite fittingly one of those other things is something called The OTHERS Project.  Paul Bedard, co artistic director for Theater in Asylum, took a moment to chat with me about a very exciting [...]

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Judgement Of Paris: Morningside Opera Is At It Again And I Can’t Wait

by Karen Tortora-Lee August 12, 2011 Event

I like nothing better than being naughty at the Opera.  Neophytes might consider this akin to making out in the last pew of church but, actually, it’s not.  I mean, really.  Generally, no matter which opera you’re attending there’s all this drama unfolding in front of you … all this intense emotion, this deep passion, [...]

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A Day In The Life … “The Family Shakespeare” By The Numbers

by Karen Tortora-Lee April 4, 2011 Karen's Interviews

If you’ve never directed a show you probably don’t have any idea how many things need to be juggled, handled, addressed, discussed, solved, finessed, smoothed out, put in order  … it boggles the mind.   I asked my beloved friend Antonio Minino to tell me what a random day is like for him as he [...]

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The Team Behind “Gay Plays For Straight People (And Also Gay People)” Gives Me Some Straight Answers (And Also Some Gay Answers)

by Karen Tortora-Lee April 4, 2011 Karen's Interviews

Gay Plays for Straight People (and also gay people) is comprised of two plays which will play in rep brought to you by the new theatre company Purple Rep founded by playwrights Larry Kunofsky and Mariah MacCarthy.  The plays - Kunofsky’s The Un-Marrying Project and MacCarthy’s The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret – will run from April 8-30 at The Paradise Factory (64 [...]

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Women’s History Month GRAND FINALE: Celebrating Women In The Arts – It Ain’t Over Till The Phat Ladies Sing

by Karen Tortora-Lee April 2, 2011 Karen's Interviews

On the last day of March Women’s History Month came to a close but today we have one final curtain call – with two amazing women from the world of opera: Brooke Bryant and Minou Arjomand. Yes, March is officially over.   But, like I said in the title, it’s over when *I* say it’s [...]

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Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Jenn Boehm

by Karen Tortora-Lee March 30, 2011 Karen's Interviews

  These women of the arts hail from different disciplines, but they all have an indomitable spirit and a luminescent spark that makes them amazing human beings who are out there every day, doing amazing work. Today we continue our series with Jenn Boehm. The first time I saw Jenn she was standing on the [...]

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Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On GiGi La Femme

by Karen Tortora-Lee March 28, 2011 Karen's Interviews

  These women of the arts hail from different disciplines, but they all have an indomitable spirit and a luminescent spark that makes them amazing human beings who are out there every day, doing amazing work. Today we continue our series with GiGi La Femme.  The first time I saw Ms. La Femme it was [...]

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Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Diánna Martin

by Karen Tortora-Lee March 27, 2011 Karen's Interviews

These women of the arts hail from different disciplines, but they all have an indomitable spirit and a luminescent spark that makes them amazing human beings who are out there every day, doing amazing work. Today we continue our series with Diánna Martin. Of course you’ve heard of Diánna Martin – she’s one of our [...]

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Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Dev Bondarin

by Karen Tortora-Lee March 26, 2011 Karen's Interviews

These women of the arts hail from different disciplines, but they all have an indomitable spirit and a luminescent spark that makes them amazing human beings who are out there every day, doing amazing work. Today we continue our series with Dev Bondarin. Like so many dedicated theatre women whose role is behind the scenes [...]

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