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‘He was a star maker, in every sense’: Celebrating the distinctive Broadway art of Al Hirschfeld

In Broadway, Features, International, Interviews, Musicals, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

Another constant for over 40 years was Al Hirschfeld, whose highly distinctive line drawing caricatures of Broadway accompanied the New York Times reviews of new openings. No one elevated the simple line drawing embodiment of Broadway to an art form in its own right quite as he did.

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At the theatre after an extraordinary day that saw us bid farewell to Her Majesty the Queen

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Online shows, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

Welcome to today’s edition of ShentonSTAGE Daily, after an extraordinary day that saw us bid farewell to Her Majesty the Queen, after a reign of 70 years that saw her appoint 15 prime ministers — the latest of whom Liz Truss she met only on Tuesday. Truss will now be reporting in a weekly audience to King Charles III (coincidentally the title of Mike Bartlett’s 2014 play which imagined the future that awaited him — and us — that transferred to the West End and Broadway).

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Screen fame may be a major driver of ticket prices, but the breadth of British acting talent is vast

In Features, London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

Television and big screen fame is a major driver for West End producers. Opened last week are Taron Egerton and Jonathan Bailey in a new production of Mike Bartlett’s COCK, and the lowest ticket price is £65, with the bulk at £100 or more, so it also translates to big prices.

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‘Didn’t I want to see it unfiltered by the opinions of others?’: Mark Shenton explores critical opinion and its influence on perception

In Broadway, Features, London theatre, Musicals, Online shows, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

One of the pleasures — but also the risks — of being a theatre critic is that you come first to a new production, ready to form your own opinions on what you’ve seen, before you’ve already encountered or digested the opinions of others.

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‘Gloriously re-imagined’: BEAUTY & THE BEAST / WICKED — Liverpool Empire / Apollo Victoria

In Children's theatre, Features, Films, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Regional theatre, Reviews by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

Mark Shenton: First of all, apologies that I was missing-in-action yesterday. I was in London — and at a hotel without desk space in the rooms, so unable to write. (And the dog ate my homework, too). So no, that’s not the entirety of my excuse. But sometimes I need to take a break, too. There may be days when the newsletter fails to materialize!