It’s morning in the lush London flat of British actor, matinee idol and cad Garry Essendine. Daphne Stillington (Holley Fain in a funny turn, much different than her “Gossip Girl” character) is prancing about in men’s pajamas like a school girl about to go to a dance. As she flits from corner to corner, reveling in her good fortune to be there, the Scandinavian maid, Miss Erickson (characterized to perfection by the deadpan Nancy E. Carroll), comes in, followed by the butler, Fred (Joseph O'Neil in what looks to me like an homage to the great Tommy Steele)

Rick Crom, the creator of Newsical - the Musical, directed by Mark Waldrop and currently playing at the 47^th Street Theatre, is an equal-opportunity satirist.  He doesn’t discriminate.  Through his charming new show, he parodies every current news story, TV news-personality, or celebrity scandal that has graced the mass media, setting his sights on political higher-ups (Clintons, Bushes, Obamas) and sports/pop icons (Tiger Woods, Miley Cyrus), along with the wannabes (the balloon boy and his family, White House party-crashers, etc). 

I’ve seen so many musicals in the last couple of weeks that it seems almost unusual to be around people who don’t burst into song every ten minutes.  That’s what happens when you spend your days and nights at NYMF (New York Musical Theatre Festival).

Another day, another musical…or maybe three or four.  It all depends on your appetite and available time and how many twenty-dollar bills you want to remove from your wallet.  That’s right: each show in the New York Musical Theatre Festival is just twenty smackers!

Some years ago, there was a song in a not-very-long-lasting musical, Nick and Nora, called “Everybody Wants to Do a Musical.”  Well, look around New York City – especially with the jam-packed Fringe Festival and NYMF Festival (this one now going on) and  well, it seems to be true.

Be the Dog