Theater Thursday - Fish

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

What: Fish

Where: WP Theater 

              2162 Broadway

              New York, NY

Who: Recommended for ages 12 and up due to language, subject matter, & brief nudity

When: Through October 25, 2026

Fish is the coming-of-age story of a young girl named Karya, whose brother has disappeared. Determined to find out if an outrageous rumor about where he can be is true, she ends up on the dark side of the internet and in over her head. 

This show is darkly funny, terrifyingly shocking, and in some ways very relatable. Although the situations are, thankfully, unlikely to occur in most people's lives, the characters and relationships, particularly those between Karya and her best friend, Libby, and between Karya and her mother, are likely familiar to most. The two friends' relationship truly captures the push and pull of friendships among girls of that age. They love each other, and they hate each other. Sometimes, even both at the same time.

Karya's relationship with her mother is even more fraught. As a girl on the brink of adulthood, she pushes her mother away and not always in the kindest way. Her mother, for her part, is not quite ready to let go of her daughter. Sometimes, she holds on a little too tightly. Other times she is exactly what her daughter needs. 

Karya is played by Yasmin Ranz-Lind. Roxana Hope Radja is her mother, and Alyssa May Gold is Libby. The skill of these performers, along with Sara Haider and Kario Marcel, gives the show its truthfulness and its heart.

And that's our view. For more about Fish or to purchase tickets, visit wptheater.org/show/fish.

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits:

All Fish production photos by Joan Marcus

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

Where-To-Go-Wednesday - NBC100: A Century Together

We received complimentary entry to the Paley Museum for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: NBC100: A Century Together 

Where: Paley Museum

             25 W. 52nd St.

             New York, NY

Who: All ages

In honor of NBC's Golden Anniversary the Paley Museum in New York City's current exhibit NBC100: A Century Together pays tribute to the network's 50-year history. It traces the network's evolution  from its earliest days as a radio station through the modern era of supplemental streaming services. Among other things, NBC was the first to bring news, sports, and color to television. An extensive timeline running through the exhibit highlights many of these historic firsts plus the premiere dates of beloved TV series and more. 

The exhibit also offers an extensive collection of memorabilia. Several versions of the NBC chimes, the Howdy Doody puppet, one of Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson costumes from Law & Order: SVU,  a football from Friday Night Lights, and Hoda and Kathie Lee's wine classes are only a few of the many items on display. Numerous NBC TV show clips and a continuous loop of TV show theme songs play throughout the exhibit. Interactive aspects include a trivia game and the opportunity for young visitors to create their own NBC peacocks, among other things. You can also take pictures sitting behind the Today Show desk, in one of The Voice chairs, or standing on the Olympic medal podium, and more. No matter your age,  favorite program genre, and specific NBC shows you love, this exhibit is for you.

And that's our view. For more about this exhibit or to purchase tickets, visit www.paleycenter.org/events/nbc-100.

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

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

Tips for Tuesday - Books: All the Right Movies & Please Enjoy Your Stay; Movie: Line of Control

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

Books: All the Right Movies & Please Enjoy Your Stay

Today, we recommend All the Right Movies by John Barker with Luke Cardy. This book provides comprehensive information behind the making of 25 classic films in various genres. Not every genre is covered. For example, there are no musicals or animated movies. However, five different genres are covered, including action, drama, horror, science fiction, and thriller.  Within each genre, five different iconic movies are detailed. These include Speed, The Breakfast Club, A Nightmare on Elm Street, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Taxi Driver. 

Specific details provided include how a particular actor ended up playing a role, plot changes made before or during filming, problems that occurred during filming, and more. Information regarding how critics and audiences initially rated the movie, how long it took to film, and how much money it made compared to how much it cost to make, and more is also supplied. There is even a brief interview with a person associated with each film near the end of each chapter. Interviewees include casting directors, editors, screenwriters, and more. If you are a big movie fan and you want to know everything there is to know about the making of some of your favorite films, you will want to read this informative book!

Today, we are talking about Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen. Years ago, Mia, her aunt, and her cousin stayed at a castle so her aunt, a crime writer, could write a book about a double murder that occurred there years ago. During their stay, her cousin was killed, and Mia was the only witness. 

Now, the castle where the murder occurred is being reopened as an inn. At the same time, a podcaster has started a series on Mia's cousin's murder, claiming the wrong man was jailed and casting suspicion on Mia's aunt. Hoping to find out what really happened and clear her family name, Mia gets a job as a nanny to the new owner.

This is an intriguing thriller. The story is permeated with an extremely spooky atmosphere. The plot moves along at a good clip, and the story is generally interesting. There are some surprising twists and turns. Plus, the mystery's resolution is a complete shocker.

However, not only does Mia get a job as a caretaker to a young child under false pretenses, but she is frequently delinquent in her duties, leaving the child at risk of imminent danger. This is unforgivable even in a novel, which makes it hard to completely sympathize with or like Mia. Also, it feels like maybe the story of the murders that occurred before Mia's family visited the castle, the ones her aunt was writing about, would make a much more interesting story.

Movie: Line of Control

Today, we are talking about Line of Control. This film about a boy caught up in the Indian-Pakistani war and forced to collaborate with the enemy is based on the book The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed. It is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. It is also extremely dark and violent and definitely not family-friendly.

And that's our view. All the Right Movies was published this past September. Please Enjoy Your Stay was published today. Line of Control is available now for digital purchase or rental.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

All images in this post are our own except film images. Publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms provided all film images. Address concerns regarding image usage here.