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The New York Post

REX REED: A REMEMBRANCE

May 16, 2026

I'm sorry to note the passing of Rex Reed. He was 87. And it's startling for me to write that he was 87, because to me he was always the handsome, dashing young man about town whom I first met decades ago. (That's why I'm posting a couple of publicity photos of him when he was younger, as well as one from more recent years, along with a snapshot of Rex, taken a few years ago, with several cabaret stars he liked very much: KT Sullivan, Joyce Breach, and Jeff Harnar.) I liked Rex. Oh, he could be quite acerbic in reviews, if he didn't like a film or a concert, or a cabaret show. And he cultivated a public image of being a curmudgeon. But if he liked you--and we always got along great--he was a pussycat. [more]

On the Town with Chip Deffaa… at “13” at Rider University

October 22, 2025

Paced by spirited performances by Max Ryon and Jake Ryan Flynn, Rider University’s production of Jason Robert Brown’s musical “13” is the best college show I’ve seen in years. And offers proof that this rarely revived musical—which was revised by its creators after its original Broadway run--is viable, relevant, and deserving of greater life. [more]

On the Town with Chip Deffaa at Anthony Rapp’s “Without You”

February 11, 2023

Rapp’s show—directed by Steve Maler, with musical direction/orchestrations by Daniel A. Weiss (who was the associate conductor/second keyboards player of the original Broadway production of Rent)—is quite moving.  I was held by it throughout.  And it is extraordinarily rich with Jonathan Larson songs, including “No Day but Today,” “We’re Dying in America,” “Rent,” “La Vie Boheme,” “One Song Glory,” “Seasons of Love,” “Without You.”   Hearing these familiar songs—which I’ve heard so many times in Rent, performed by multiple singers—in new contexts, now sung solo—gives me an even greater admiration for them.  They are such well-crafted songs, and they have enormous impact here, just as they did in their original contexts. Rapp has an especial affinity for Larson’s work; no one performs Larson’s songs more compellingly.  He has long been the foremost interpreter of Larson’s music.  He “gets” the music completely.  It resonates for him.  No one interprets Larson’s work better. [more]