Still More Theater Saturday - Lost in Del Valle

We received complimentary tickets to Lost in Del Valle for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Lost in Del Valle

Where: SoHo Playhouse

             15 Vandam St.

              New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 18 and Up

Ned Van Zandt was a successful actor who got wrapped up in drugs and ended up doing a stint in Del Valle Prison. He tells his own story in his one-man show Lost in Del Valle. Van Zandt takes on numerous other roles in addition to himself, mostly merely by changing his voice. He does a decent job of it, although it sometimes gets confusing because he is often playing two or more characters in conversation with each other, so he has to slip from one to another extremely rapidly. Thus, it can be hard to follow at times.

The show is full of references to drugs, drug usage, and sex. Both drug usage and sex are also simulated within the show. The majority of the show is about drugs, in particular.  Accordingly, if these things trigger you or make you uncomfortable, you'll want to skip this show. However, if you don't mind that and enjoy a show with a lot of name-dropping, you may enjoy this one with its numerous mentions of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, among others.

And that's our view. For more about Lost in Del Valle or to purchase tickets, visit www.sohoplayhouse.com/see-a-show/lost-in-del-valle

Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credits:

All Lost in Del Valle production photos by Mark Shaw.

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Any Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.

Theater Thursday - Beaches

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

What: Beaches

Where: Majestic Theatre 

             245 W. 44th St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through September 6, 2026

Me - Beaches is based on the 1985 book and the 1988  movie of the same name about a lifelong friendship between two women. I have never read the book or seen the movie, so I had no point of comparison in terms of the plot. That said, I enjoyed the story even though it was sad. I didn't love the conflict between the two main characters, C.C. and Bertie, because the incident that led up to it didn't feel significant enough to lead to it.  However, I still enjoyed the friendship between the two women overall. 

The highlight of the show was a phenomenal performance by Jessica Vosk as C.C. Her acting was great, but her voice especially blew me away. She makes singing appear effortless. The little girl who played young C.C. was also extremely talented, especially for someone so young. She radiated star power, and I can definitely see her going far in her future. 

Mom  - If you attend the show Beaches expecting to see a replication of the popular movie, you will be disappointed. Although the basic story of a lifelong friendship between two women is the same, many of the details adhere more to the original book than the movie. One of the characters' names isn't even the same. In the book, the main characters were named C.C. (short for Cecilia) and Bertie (short for Roberta). In the movie, for some inexplicable reason, Bertie was changed to Hillary, but here it is back to Bertie. 

The songs from the movie have also mostly all been scrapped here. Admittedly, there were some pretty odd songs in the movie, but there were some nice ones too. None of the new songs are very memorable, although a few may hit hard for any woman who has ever lost a best girlfriend. The only song from the movie that remains is the popular "The Wind Beneath My Wings", but it is more of an afterthought here than an actual part of the story, which does not mean that it is not a highlight of the show, as Jessica Vosk does sing the hell out of it.

In fact, Jessica Vosk as C.C. is a powerhouse all-around. Her acting and dancing are both great, but her singing is particularly phenomenal.  Unfortunately, here, however,  unlike in the movie, where Bette Midler's C.C. did most of the singing, the vocals are more shared not just between older C.C. and Bertie but among other characters as well. Although all of the singing is good, none of the others can hold a candle to Vosk in that department.

Of course, Kelli Barrett, as Bertie, has the thankless job of playing the less showy role.  Her Bertie spends most of her time contending with an overbearing mother (a character that didn't even exist in the movie) and a domineering husband. Both aim to control her and make sure she stays a good little wifey, and doesn't exercise autonomy and become the lawyer she dreams of.  Although it's easy to sympathize with her, it's not as easy to admire her as the confident, strong, and fiercely independent C.C.

There is one other standout in the cast aside from Jessica Vosk, however. Samantha Schwartz, in the role of young C.C., is an absolute firecracker. She acts, sings, and dances up a storm, and even though her character appears more in the show than in the movie, it is still not enough. We will surely see more of her in the future, and I, for one, look forward to it. 

And that's our view. For more about Beaches or to purchase tickets, visit beachesthemusical.com.

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits:

All Beaches production photos by Marc J. Franklin

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Any Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.

Where-To-Go Wednesday: Mystery & Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City

What: Mystery & Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City 

Where: New York Library for the Performing Arts 

            40 Lincoln Center Plaza 

            New York, NY

Who: All ages

When: Through July 11, 2026

The heyday of magic occurred from around the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. The current exhibit at the New York Library for the Performing Arts, Mystery & Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City, celebrates this period with a particular emphasize on the magicians who inhabited New York City and its environs. The area was, indeed, a mecca of magic at the time.

Most people are, of course, familiar with Harry Houdini, but there were so many other marvelous magicians performing as well. They included female magicians like Beatrice Foster and Dell O'Dell, and at least one married couple, The Zancigs. Other popular magicians of the time included Alexander Hermann, Harry Keller, and Howard Thurston. The latter was a protege of Keller, the father of Belle Foster, and one of Houdini's greatest rivals.

The exhibit was largely taken from the vast collection of the late Dr. Saram R. Ellison, the co-founder of the first professional organization for magicians in the United States, The Society of American Magicians. It includes numerous posters, pictures, scrapbooks, and artifacts. Objects on display include an entire collection of wands. There is also an area of the exhibit where a video of various magicians performing some of their most famous tricks runs in a continuous loop. 

Another section of the exhibit is devoted to magic shops. These were not only places to purchase magic equipment and books but places where magicians could convene and confer. The most well-known is Martinka & Company, which was once owned by the great Houdini himself. The company is still in business today.

And that's our view. The exhibit is open during normal library operating hours. For more, visit www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/mystery-and-wonder-legacy-golden-age-magicians-new-york-city 

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

All pictures used in this post are our own.  Any concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.