Theater Thursday: Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon

The following is a repost of a post originally published during the initial run of Going Bacharach: Songs of an Icon at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre last Winter. Previously, we received complimentary tickets for review purposes, as we have now. We have edited and updated this post as necessary to reflect the current production. All opinions expressed here are our own. 

 What: Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon

Where: Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre

             10 W. 64th St.

              New York,  NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 8 and Older

When: Through November 29, 2026

Burt Bacharach songs are irresistibly catchy. They all sound so simple and easy to sing. Yet, when you look closely at their structure, they are often quite surprisingly complex. Bacharach was a songwriter whose career spanned numerous genres, including general pop songs, songs written for movies or Broadway shows, and more. 

Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon is a new musical that covers the iconic composer's songs. The show is more of a revue than a traditional book musical. This format allows packing as many of his songs as possible into the approximately 2-hour run time, something any true Bacharach lover should appreciate. 

Even so, with such a prolific catalogue, many of his beloved songs didn't make the cut, although quite a few popular favorites appear. "Close to You," "Walk on By", and a medley of songs from the stage musical Promises, Promises are just a small sampling of songs included. A few more favorites are jammed in with a medley toward the tail end of the show. 

Cast member John Pagano spent many years as a vocalist touring with Burt Bacharach himself. He is joined by the lovely-voiced pair of Hilary Kole and Meecah. John and Hilary are seasoned concert and cabaret performers; Meecah is a star-on-the-rise who clearly inherited her musical talent from her father, a founding member of The Commodores. 

Musical director Adrian Galante also sings in addition to playing piano and clarinet. He is an extremely talented and intensely passionate performer and musician. Several other performers may appear on certain dates, but they aren't credited as understudies, as all cast members receive equal billing.

The performers take turns singing solos and duets. There is also an occasional trio. The four, including musical director Galante, also share tidbits about Bacharach's career and particular songs throughout the show. 

If you can't get enough of Burt Bacharach's songs, you'll love this show.  If you are unfamiliar with his music, check out his catalogue, and you may be surprised by how many Bacharach songs you actually know and love. 

And that's our view. For more about Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon, or to purchase tickets, visit goingbacharach.com.

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits: 

All Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon production photos by Russ Rowland

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-To-Go Wednesday - Women Making Theater in New York City

We received complimentary tickets to the New York Historical for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: Women Making Theater in New York City

Where: New York Historical

             170 Central Park W.

              New York, NY

Who: All ages

When: Through October 30, 2026

The current exhibit at the New York Historical, Women Making Theater in New York City, is divided into two sections. The first highlights pioneering women who were involved in theater long before it became socially acceptable. These include performers like Charlotte Saunders Cushman and Maude Adams; lyricist Rida Johnson Young; and Anita Bush. The latter was not only a woman but a Black woman who actually started her own theater company. 

The second section of the exhibit explores the surge of experimental theater that occurred in the 1960s.  and women's contributions to it. It covers the beginnings of La MaMa, a theater that is still very active today, as well as other female-centric groups of the time. These included a group calling themselves the Five Lesbian Brothers, which included Lisa Kron, who later won two Tony Awards for Best Book and Score for the musical Fun Home, and Spiderwoman Theater Company, the oldest continuously running women's theater group in the U.S. 

The exhibit includes posters, photographs, costumes, and more.  Items on display even includes the rental receipt for the original La Mama Theatre space. It's a small but informative exhibit that any true theater history fan won't want to miss. 

For more about Women Making Theater in New York City, the New York City Historical in general, or to purchase tickets to visit the museum, go to www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/women-making-theatre-in-new-york-city

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: Athlete and Activist: 28 Stars Who Changed the Game & Unapologetic Love Story; Movie: Isolation

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

Books: Athlete and Activist: 28 Stars Who Changed the Game & Unapologetic Love Story

Today, we are recommend Athlete and Activist: 28 Stars Who Changed the Game by Jules Boykoff, Alex Davis et al. While for some athletes it's enough to excel at sports, others use the platform their athletic prowess provides to draw attention to issues that need addressing and to try and make the world a better, more equitable place. This book profiles 28 such athletes. 

The book is extremely thorough and delves deeply into each athlete's background, including details regarding how their background and/or abilities led them to their sport, their athletic achievements, and the causes they support and how they do so. It is divided into four sections. The first covers athletic barrier breakers who exposed deeply ingrained inequities in a sport just by being a part of it. These include Jim Thorpe and Althea Gibson. The second covers athletes who refused to be silent and participated in protests, boycotts, or flat-out refused to perform to foment change. Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean King are among them. The third section covers athletes who refused to accept the status quo and harnessed their social power and engagement to try and bring about change; among them are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Serena Williams. The fourth group covers leaders on the activism front who have ascended to a higher level of activism even at the cost of their own athletic career if necessary. These include Maya Moore, who literally left her sport to help get an innocent man exonerated of a crime, and Colin Kaepernick, who was ostracized by the football establishment for refusing to stand for the national anthem. 

We admire people with great athletic talent even though, at least to some degree, that talent is just a matter of luck of the draw. However, people who use that God-given talent to try to promote the greater good are even more worthy of our admiration. If you want to read about people like that, you will want to read this book.

Today, we recommend Unapologetic Love Story by Elle MacNichol. Raina, an autistic woman herself, has blown up as the host of a podcast for autistic women. Tom Branimir, an investigative journalist, is sure there is more to Raina than meets the eye and is determined to find out the truth, but he quickly finds himself falling for her.

This book is both an engaging entertainment and a humbling lesson. It dispels many negative stereotypes people hold about autism without being too preachy and also offers a compelling story with an enjoyable plot and interesting characters. Raina is a strong, brave, self-sufficient, and admirable character.  She doesn't suffer from autism. It is just part of who she is, and she deals with what she must in the best way she can.

Tom is sweet and has a tremendous heart. He is so wonderfully accepting of Raina for exactly who she is. He is never quite the hateful character he is implied to be, and the book is not really a true enemies-to-lovers story.  The two main characters never really hate each other. She distrusts him because of his reputation as "the King of Cancel Culture, and he never really hates her at all.

The relationships between Raina and her best friend, Pepper, and her sister, Solana, are also quite touching. Pepper is tough as nails on the outside with a surprisingly soft, sensitive inside. She is fiercely protective of Raina; at times she is even too fiercely protective, and her distrust of Tom lasts much longer than Raina's. Raina's sister Solana is extremely loyal and always there for her. Raina's strong relationships reflect her open-hearteness and acceptance of herself and others. 

Tom's friends Seb and Odette, on the other hand, are absolutely horrible human beings. They are not loyal to each other nor to him. The superficiality of their friendship shows that Tom is not as open and accepting of himself as he is of Raina, nor is he as open and truthful to others about himself. He needs to learn to be so to grow and become a better person. 

The book moves along satisfyingly. Even the third-act conflict, although absolutely heartbreaking,  makes sense within the story and doesn't seem unnecessary or manufactured for formulaic purposes. It makes the resolution even sweeter. All in all, this is just a lovely, heartwarming story. 

Movie: Isolation

Today we are talking about Isolation. This is a slow-moving film whose plot never really makes complete sense. However, if you enjoy violent dystopian films that are light on plot, you may enjoy it. 

And that's our view. Athlete and Activist: 28 Stars Who Changed the Game published today. Unapologetic Love Story will be published next Thursday, October 13, 2026.  Isolation is available for digital purchase or rental.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Wednesday.

Any images used in this post are our own except for film images. Film images were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms. Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.