Theater Thursday - Romeo & Bernadette and POTUS

We were given complimentary tickets to Romeo & Bernadette for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Romeo & Bernadette

Where: Theater 555

              555 W. 42nd St.

              New York. NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 13 and Up

When: Through June 26, 2022

Romeo & Bernadette is a hilarious twist on Romeo & Juliet. In this version of the story,  Romeo lives and somehow gets transported to modern-day New York where he becomes convinced that a Mafia don's daughter is his beloved Juliet. This thrillingly fast-paced and delightfully fun story never lags. It will command your attention from the moment it starts through the very last word. 

The songs are equally as fun. They were created by adapting traditional old Italian melodies with new lyrics. It sounds incredibly boring, but it is not. On the contrary, the songs are quite amusing and include such titles as  Die Already,  Boom in Love, and Moonlight Tonight Over Brooklyn. An original cast album of the songs will be released shortly although an exact date has not yet been released.

The cast is amazing. Each and every performer shines in their role, and it's hard to imagine any other actors in these parts. Special mention goes to Nikita Burshteyn who is a very convincing Romeo. His performance never falters even for a minute. Special mention as well to Troy Valjean Rucker who is very amusing in a variety of completely different roles. 

This is not a good show for children due to language and subject matter. It is a great show for anyone else, however. You don't have to love Shakespeare or even like Shakespeare, to enjoy this immensely irresistible show. You won't want to miss it!

For more about Romeo & Bernadette, or to purchase tickets, visit www.romeoandbernadette.com

XXX

We were given complimentary tickets to POTUS for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: POTUS

Where: Sam S. Shubert Theatre

             225 W. 45th St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through August 14, 2022

Politics is usually so amusing in so many ways, but lately, and for a while now, it's been too depressing to laugh at. POTUS brings back the laughter. This new comedy about the seven women trying to keep an incompetent president from causing a global crisis is hilarious. 

Each of the seven actors in this play really shines brightly in her role. Together they are dynamite. They play off each other so well. Julieanne Hough, known primarily for her dancing, has finally found a role to suit her talents. Rachel Dratch is at her absolute funniest and really stands out even in this show full of very funny performances.  Her Tony nomination for the role is quite well deserved. The rest of the cast are their usual brilliant selves. 

The show is extremely inappropriate for children due to language and subject matter including quite a lot of sexual references. If you are very conservative, you may not enjoy this show either. Anyone else, however,  will definitely want to catch this very amusing show. 

And that's our view. Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credits: 

All Romeo & Bernadette production photos by Russ Rowland

All POTUS production photos by Paul Kolnik