Theater Thursday- High Spirits

We received complimentary tickets to High Spirits for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: High Spirits

Where: New York City Center

             131 W. 55th St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through February 15, 2026

High Spirits is a musical version of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, which revolves around a man dealing with the ghost of his late wife. The show follows its predecessor fairly closely, but in this version, the medium Elvira, who is responsible for the dead wife's return and is tasked with sending her back, has been elevated to the central role. In the play, the central role is the husband.

In this production, the role of Elvira is played by the scene-stealing Andrea Martin, who milks it for all it's worth. Although her singing voice is not the best, everything else about her performances is delightful. Her characterization, her line readings, and her actions are all hilarious. Even when she lost her place in the script in this script-in-hand concert version of the show, she managed to make it funny. Particular highlights of her performance included her opening number, "The Bicycle Song" performed while riding on the vehicle in the song's title, and above all, "Go Into Your Trance," a song sung to her Ouija board. You would be hard pressed to find a funnier few minutes on stage than the latter.

Other standouts in the stellar cast include Katarina Lenk and Rachel Dratch. Lenk radiates a slightly evil joy in her role as the dead wife who only wants to be reunited with her dearly beloved husband. Dratch is a hoot as always in her role as maid. If you want a good laugh, you are going to want to see this quite amusing show.

And that's our view. For more about High Spirits or to purchase tickets, visit www.nycitycenter.org/events-tickets/2026-encores-series

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits:

All High Spirits production photos by Joan Marcus

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Address any concerns regarding image usage here.

Where-T0-Go Wednesday: The Gardner D. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples

We received complimentary tickets to the American Museum of Natural History for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: The Gardner D. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples

Where: American Museum of Natural History

             200 Central Park W.

             New York, NY

Who: All ages

The Gardner D. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples is one of many that have undergone major renovations attempting to more accurately portray the people they allegedly represents from their point of view, rather than from a more Modern and/or Western point of view. Additionally, any actual human remains were removed from all exhibits. Even with these improvements, there are still discrepancies that signage throughout the exhibit points out, encouraging visitors to think more critically about what they are viewing rather than blindly accepting what's on view as truthful, unbiased representations. 

The current exhibit attempts to cover the vast array of diverse histories and cultures of a wide range of Asian Peoples.  Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are only a small sampling of those represented within the hall. Specific dioramas and displays include a Buddhist Shrine, a Chinese wedding,  Southeast Asian dancing, and much more. 

And that's our view. For more information about The Gardner D. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples or to purchase tickets to visit The American Museum of Natural History, visit www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/asian-peoples

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

All pictures used in this post are our own. Address any concerns regarding image usage here.

Tips for Tuesday - Books: Murder on The Trail & When I Kill You; Movie: Love the Skin You're In

We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What:  Murder on The Trail & When I Kill You

Today, we are recommending Murder on the Trail by Michelle Kamnisky. This book thoroughly covers a series of notorious deaths and disappearances that have taken place in U.S. National Parks. Cases covered range from the 1928 disappearance of honeymooners Bessie and Glen Hyde through the 2021 murder of Gabby Petito. Other cases discussed in the book include those of the disappearances of park ranger Randy Morgenson and that of an entire German family, as well as the stories of the Yosemite Killer, the National Forest Serial Killer, and more. If you are a true crime aficionado, you will definitely want to read this morbidly fascinating book. 

Today, we are discussing When I Kill You by B.A. Paris. Years ago, Elle saw a young girl getting into a stranger's car. When she later found out that the girl was murdered, she became convinced that the killer was the driver of the car, and she became determined to make sure justice was served. However, her actions only led to further tragedy, so she left town and changed her identity, becoming Nelle instead. Then, someone began following her,  and she was convinced it was related to what happened before and that her life was in danger. 

This book starts out really excitingly with a very unique story that pulls you in quickly and keeps you interested. Even though Nelle acts horror-movie-girl stupidly by overinvolving herself in a police investigation instead of letting them do their job, the book is still fast-paced, extremely original, and intriguing enough to hold the reader's interest. Chapters alternating between the past and the present, as well as chapters from the point-of-view of her stalker and would-be killer, ramp up the tension and excitment of the story without giving away too much. 

However, ultimately, the book is a disappointment when the author pulls a bait-and-switch. Although the ending is unpredictable, that is only because it comes completely out of left field. It is as if the author had two different ideas for books and threw them into one story, which makes the entire thing unsatisfying. You thought you were reading a book about one thing, but it turns out to be one about something entirely different, and that story is much more cliched and less interesting.   

Movie: Love the Skin You're In

Today, we are recommending Love the Skin You're In. This is a film about a woman learning to stand up for herself as she fights to save her family legacy while also dealing with a possible reconciliation with her estranged father. The story is heartwarming and unique enough to stay interesting. The ending is satisfying, and even though it may be a bit sappy and/or unrealistic, it is not completely predictable or cliched, which makes the film overall more enjoyable. 

And that's our view. Murder on the Trail was published on December 9, 2025. When I Kill You will be published next Tuesday, February 17, 2026.  Love the Skin You're In is available now digitally for purchase or rental.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

All images except film images used in this post are our own.  Film images have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms. Address any concerns regarding image usage here.