Matt Murphy

Interview: Bailey Frankenberg of PETER PAN at The Fox Theatre
by Joseph Harrison - Apr 24, 2025

​​​​​​​In today’s culture, it is hard to find anyone who doesn’t have some experience with the story of Peter Pan. For many, their first exposure to the “boy who refused to grow up” was through Walt Disney’s classic 1953 animated film. Others first journeyed off to Neverland with Peter and Wendy by reading the original 1904 play by J.M. Barrie. And in between (and beyond) have come many different iterations of this timeless adventure. But for musical theatre fans, there is just one PETER PAN – the classic 1954 stage musical which starred Mary Martin and was captured for posterity through a 1955 NBC broadcast. So how does one take a story with its beautiful score but also some troublesome stereotypes and bring it to an audience in 2025? That is just what Larissa FastHorse and the team bringing PETER PAN to life on the stage at the fabulous Fox Theatre have done – taken a classic and updated it for a new generation. And in the role of Tiger Lily, Bailey Frankenberg has a front row seat to what makes this story so magical. I had the chance to catch up with Bailey and hear all about her career and what it is like to play an iconic (but updated) heroine as well as serve as Fight and Flight captain for the show.

2025 Drama League Awards Nominations- The Full List
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 22, 2025

The Drama League announced the 2025 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Direction of a Play, Outstanding Direction of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. We have the full list of nominees here!

Interview: Hannah Shankman of FUNNY GIRL at Ohio Theatre
by Paul Batterson - Mar 3, 2025

The road to success for Hannah Shankman has had plenty of roundabouts. Many a time she thought she was headed one way, and then she seemed to be veering in another, only to return to her original path.

Photos/Video: Whoopi Goldberg Joins the Cast of ANNIE at The Theater at Madison Square Garden
by Stephi Wild - Dec 13, 2024

All new photos and video clips have been released of Whoopi Goldberg in Annie, now in performances at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Check out the photos and video here!

Review: Fairie Dust and Unforgettable Adventures Await With PETER PAN Flying Through at Straz Center
by Drew Eberhard - May 2, 2024

Sir J.M. Barrie’s classic tale and 1904 play, tells the story of reference to Native Americans who inhabit a fictitious island known as Neverland. Referred to as “Piccaninny Warriors,” include Tiger Lily and her tribe as they steal pockets from the Lost Boys and try to claim the island as their own, reclaiming it from those who began to take it away from them.

Photos: Get a First Look at Charity Angél Dawson in & JULIET
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 2, 2024

See photos of Charity Angel Dawson in & Juliet on Broadway!

Review: TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL Presented By Broadway Across America at Kentucky Performing Arts
by Taylor Clemons - Dec 1, 2023

What did our critic think of TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Whitney Hall?

Tim Murray and SLee to Star in SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN Off-Broadway
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 19, 2023

Get ready for a hilarious and wild ride with Tim Murray and SLee in the Off-Broadway comedy, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man. Return to Hell's Kitchen's AMT Theater for a limited engagement of this interactive comedy that leaves no topic taboo. Don't miss out on insider tips straight from the source: a gay man.

SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN Returns Off-Broadway
by Stephi Wild - Oct 11, 2023

Returning to Hell's Kitchen's AMT Theater for a limited engagement is one of Off-Broadway's longest-running comedies - Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man! 

Review: Eilen Jewell Celebrates Her Roots In Americana With Some Jazzy Blues, Country, Folk … Stuff At City Winery
by Bobby Patrick - Jul 4, 2023

We FULLY intend to investigate more of this Jewell we have discovered.

Review: SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN at Bus Stop Productions
by Stan Jenson - Apr 22, 2023

The brand-new production company, Bus-Stop Productions, invited me to a sneak preview a couple of months ago.  I loved the show and especially the performers who had been cast in Hollywood and seemed to outshine many in our local talent pool.  The show ran for several very successful months, sometimes selling out two performances per evening.  They recently decided to add more performances for the month of May but two of the original performers were not available so the producers reached out to some local actors and my fears arose. My fears were proven wrong in a big, big way!

THE ARTIST Stage Adaptation will get World Premiere in 2023
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Nov 17, 2022

BAFTA and Oscar-winning film The Artist is being developed into a stage production, which will be directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie.

KINKY BOOTS To End Off-Broadway Run This Month
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 1, 2022

The Tony-winning musical Kinky Boots will play its final off-Broadway performance at 7:00PM on Sunday, November 20, 2022 following 32 previews and 102 regular performances.

Photos: First Look at WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE SEA at Manhattan Theatre Club
by Show Highlights - Oct 24, 2022

Manhattan Theatre Club is presenting the New York premiere of Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, written by AUDELCO Award nominee Jeff Augustin (The New Englanders, “The Morning Show”) and directed by Princess Grace Award winner Joshua Kahan Brody, with music by The Bengsons (Hundred Days, The Lucky Ones). Get a first look at photos here!

Interview: Analise Scarpaci on Learning from Lydia, Paving New Paths, and Embracing 'Pathetic' at 54 Below
by Matt Smith - Oct 18, 2022

The 22-year-old burgeoning songwriter reflects on her life and career ahead of her debut solo show, PATHETIC LITTLE DREAMER - off her album of the same name - playing Midtown hotspot 54 Below on October 19th.

Photos & Video: First Look at Callum Francis, Christian Douglas & More in KINKY BOOTS Off-Broadway
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Aug 25, 2022

The Off-Broadway engagement of the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical, Kinky Boots began performances at Stage 42 on July 26th and will open tonight, August 25th. Kinky Boots features 16 original songs by Cyndi Lauper, a book by Harvey Fierstein, and direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell.  Check out photos and video below! 

SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN Extends Through the Summer at Greenhouse Theater Center
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 19, 2022

Here for a good time, and a long time, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man has announced the production will extend its run at Chicago’s Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue, through July 23, 2022.

BWW Review: Brilliant OKLAHOMA! at the Providence Performing Arts Center
by Erica Cataldi-Roberts - Mar 24, 2022

Warning: this is not your traditional version of OKLAHOMA!, and good riddance. Without changing a word of the book or lyrics, director Daniel Fish has created a revival of the 1943 musical that highlights different aspects of the material simply by changing the tone in which scenes are presented. The story has always been one of a community banding together against an outsider, but that aspect of the show is usually buried in favor of the sunnier, romantic elements of the plot. Not so this time. While the show loses some of its oomph by no longer being presented in the round, as it was during its run on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre, there is still plenty to like even when presented in a traditional space like the Providence Performing Arts Center’s.

Cast Announced for SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN Chicago Premiere
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 16, 2022

Voted Best Comedy for Couples, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man, presented by Matt Murphy and Shawn Nightingale, has announced the cast for its Chicago debut. The show will star Adam Fane as Dan, Emma Jo Boyden as Robyn, and Bradley Allen Meyer as Stefan.

BWW Album Review: There is Nothing Pathetic about Analise Scarpaci's PATHETIC LITTLE DREAMER
by Stephen Mosher - Mar 5, 2022

With her debut album, singer-songwriter Analise Scarpaci makes a bold declaration about her future in the recording industry, and it is not a subtle message.