Theater Thursday - Cold War Choir Practice and Chinese Republicans

We received complimentary tickets to Cold War Choir Practice for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Cold War Choir Practice

Where: Robert W. Wilson MCC Theatre Space

             511 W. 52nd St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 10 and Up

When: Through April 5, 2026

The satirical Cold War Choir Practice bitingly brings back the paranoia of the Cold War Era.  Reaganomics, espionage, and the threat of nuclear war are all central to the plot. Even children are drawn into the anxiety of it all, as the choir mentioned in the show's title consists of children, known as the Seedlings of Peace, whose purpose is to foment detente between the two nuclear powerhouses, the United States and Russia. Surprisingly, there actually were such choirs, as the playwright actually belonged to one in her youth. 

This extremely exaggerated show is hilariously funny. The performances are pure joy and mostly over-the-top. The latter is particularly true of the choir members. Other standouts include Crystal Finn as a politician's wife, unwittingly indoctrinated into the role of a spy by a mysterious cult purporting to be something quite different and Lizan Mitchell as a no-nonsense grandmother. The former's blank expressions and demeanour are hysterical, and the latter's groundedness roots the play in reality. 

Although not strictly a musical, the show is billed as a play with music; the story is peppered with a handful of mostly ridiculous songs sung by the title choir. These were also written by the playwright, Ro Reddick. They greatly add to the already comic absurdity of the whole thing. 

And that's our view. For more about Cold War Choir Practice or to purchase tickets, visit mcctheater.org/tix/cold-war-choir-practice

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

What: Chinese Republicans

Where: Laura Pels Theatre

             111 W. 46th St.

             New York, NY 

Who: Recommended for Ages 14 and Up

When: Through April 5, 2026

Chinese Republicans is about a group of women navigating surviving, and getting ahead in the corporate world despite their dual handicaps of being both women and immigrants or the children of immigrants. Bonded by their commonality, they meet monthly for lunch. When a new, younger employee joins the group, tensions flare, and they are each forced to reckon with both the sacrifices they have made to get where they are and those they are willing to make to continue moving forward. 

This show is both bitterly funny and scarily relevant. The performances are simultaneously sharply cutting and completely heartbreaking. Anyone who has ever been othered and/or struggled to find and hold their place in a corporate world that is clearly stacked against them can relate to this well-written show. 

And that's our view. For more about Chinese Republicans or to purchase tickets, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2025-2026-season/chinese-republicans

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits:

All Cold War Choir Practice production photos by Maria Baranova

All Chinese Republicans 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-To-Go Wednesday - Declaring the Revolution America's Printed Path to Revolution

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

What: Declaring the Revolution America's Printed Path to Revolution 

Where: New York Historical

             170 Central Park W.

             New York, NY

Who: All ages 

When: Through April 12, 2026

With less than 4 months to go until America's 250th birthday, the New York Historical is currently hosting an exhibit tracing America's path to independence through the written word. The exhibit includes not one but two copies of the Declaration of Independence. Other documents on display include Thomas Paine's Common Sense, The Articles of Confederation, the lyrics to a Boston Tea Party Song, and more. The song is also available for listening.  

And that's our view.  For more about this exhibit, visit  www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/declaring-the-revolution. 

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: Six Little Words, Life: A Love Story, & The Survivor; Movie: The WASPS: Taking Flight

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.

Books: Six Little Words

Today, we are discussing Six Little Words by Sally Page. A disparate collection of individuals join a group to encourage one another to create works of art. In the process, they rediscover their creative sparks. 

While this book has great found-family vibes, the story is hard to get into and not very interesting.  The main romance is extremely slow-burning and full of contrivances that keep them apart throughout most of the book. It is definitely not one of Page's best. 

Today, we recommend Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg. Florence (Flo) Green is a 92-year-old nearing the end of her life. In her final days, she composes a letter to her younger friend, Ruthie, who grew up next door to Flo, describing the items she is leaving to Ruthie and their meaning to her. In her limited time left, she also manages to make new friends, try new things, and dole out some final advice. 

This is a bittersweet story. It is permeated by a sadness of knowing the whole time that the main character is going to die, which is tempered somewhat by knowing that she has lived a long and happy life and her own stoic attitude toward her impending death. Florence is an extremely lovable grandmotherly type whose young friends and neighbors, particularly her next-door neighbor, Ruthie, are like the children and grandchildren she never had. She has a gentle way of steering people without being too overbearing. 

The story is uniquely and interestingly relayed largely through recollections regarding various objects that were meaningful to her life. Through these recollections, we get a glimpse into her life and the people who populated it. Thus, even though most of these people only flit through the story in bits and pieces, mostly in the past, we still feel like we know them. This is a woman who clearly lived a very full and pleasurable life, and we get to share in that in a fairly satisfying way.

Today, we recommend The Survivor by Andrew Reid. Ben Cross is fired on his first day on the job. On the train ride home, he begins receiving mysterious texts that seem to be somehow tied to his hidden past. If he doesn't follow the caller's instructions, people may be hurt and even killed. 

This is an extremely fast-paced thriller full of nonstop action. Its central plot involves a train speeding toward disaster. Accordingly, it would work very well as a movie, and if you are not good at picturing action scenes in your head, you might not enjoy it as much. 

However, the story is quite compelling. It is full of interesting characters and surprising twists so you may want to give it a try anyway. If you do love a story full of action, you'll probably especially enjoy it.

Movie:  The WASPS: Taking Flight 

The WASPS were a group of civilian women during World War II who contributed to the war effort by flying military aircraft, thus freeing men for important combat missions. The documentary The WASPS: Taking Flight examines the legacy of these pioneering women, mainly focusing on the story of one of them, Nadine Ramsey. 

While the film is incredibly inspiring, it is also infuriating to learn how hard the women had to fight for the recognition they deserved and to receive the same military honors that were so easily afforded to the men. If you are interested in learning about a group of woman who were really ahead of their time, you are not going to want to miss this film. 

And that's our view. Six Little Words was published on February 24. Life: A Love Story was published last Tuesday, March 17. The Survivor was published today. The WASPS: Taking Flight is available digitally for purchase or rental on major streaming services. 

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.