Stage & Theatre

Where To Find Me: New Jersey Stage

The Sting at Paper Mill Playhouse Photo 6

A few months ago, Gary Wien reached out to me about my blog posts here on Incandescere covering the arts and culture scene. He told me how nice it is to see someone dedicated to the world of the arts and journalism (We're a dying breed. ::cough:: ), and asked if he could re-run my blog posts on his site, NewJerseyStage.com -- with my byline and a link back to my website, of course.

It took me all of a day to decide that "Hey, this isn't a bad setup." As a matter of fact, it's a pretty sweet deal, if I may say so myself. And that deal, my dear readers, got even sweeter when Wien also offered me the opportunity to do some first-run reviews of New Jersey theater productions in exchange for tickets.

My first original work for New Jersey Stage is a review of the new Broadway-bound musical, The Sting, starring Harry Connick Jr. and J. Harrison Ghee. Yes, it's another film-to-stage adaptation, but this one manages to stand out by creating its own magic and blending it with the spark of the original film and an homage to the great music it revived for a new generation.

Wait! What am I telling you about it here for? Go! Read my review of the opening night performance last week at the Paper Mill Playhouse. It's titled "The Sting Delivers A Bumpy Con, But A Cool Song-And-Dance."

And if you've seen or plan to see The Sting, let me know what you think. Did I get it wrong? Is it too rough around the edges? Do you plan to see it on Broadway this fall instead when it's more polished and pretty? Let me know.

Share your ideas with me below or over on Twitter or Instagram. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the show (and on my review).

Today is the kickoff for the "Women In The World" Women In Media - Newark's Women's History Month Film Festival, which runs ...
Did You Hear About?

Did You Hear About: "Women In The World" - WIM-N's Film Festival

Today is the kickoff for the "Women In The World" Women In Media - Newark's Women's History Month Film Festival, which runs ...

Read More
More wise words from one of America's most brilliant literary voices and leaders of the Harlem Renaissance
Consider This Quote

Consider This Quote: Langston Hughes On Audacity

More wise words from one of America's most brilliant literary voices and leaders of the Harlem Renaissance

Read More
One of the world's most revered dancers shares his perspective on the power of vulnerability in art
Consider This Quote

Consider This Quote: Mikhail Baryshnikov on Technique

One of the world's most revered dancers shares his perspective on the power of vulnerability in art

Read More