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Christopher Cree Grant

The Lost Boys

May 1, 2026

Despite the revisions—1980s’ Republicans become a dull running joke—"The Lost Boys" is, like its source, a banal, comic‑book‑level depiction of family dysfunction and B‑movie vampire‑thriller shallowness. Amped up to supersonic levels with loud, uninspired rock music by The Rescues, whose lyrics are often indecipherable, it seems even more inane in its new guise. Even the ballads can’t resist morphing into tear‑the‑house‑down anthems, no matter their underlying emotional simplicity, as in Lucy’s paean to her son, “Michael.” [more]

The Queen of Versailles

November 17, 2025

Reunited with Chenoweth for the first time since "Wicked," Schwartz once again benefits tremendously from a genuine member of Broadway royalty who, roughly two decades ago, as the original Glinda, turned a bunch of prosaic songs into popular ones (critic takes ostentatious bow). While the score for "The Queen of Versailles" will not survive in our collective memory (please, no!), Chenoweth, as always, gives it her considerable best, particularly when showing off her coloratura soprano to Marie Antoinette (Cassondra James). That would be worth a severely reduced price of admission, if not for the frustrating inconsistencies of Schwartz's lyrics and Lindsey Ferrentino's book, which eventually turn unconscionable. [more]