BEST BETS: JANUARY 27th – FEBRUARY 2nd

Two plays, the 25th anniversary edition of a beloved dance film festival and two concerts fill up this week’s BEST BETS: January 27th – February 2nd:

ENGLISH – Todd Haimes Theatre – New York, NY – Now – March 2^nd

This Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Sanaz Toosi was first performed at the Linda Gross Theater in New York in 2022. It was a smash hit – both with audiences and critics. It has transferred to Broadway with its original cast intact. And the reviews are just as spectacular now as they were for the off-Broadway run.

Four adult students are getting ready to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. While they pursue a passing grade, they find that their word games and exercises might not be as liberating as they had hoped.

English stars Tala Ashe, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Pooya Mohseni, Marjan Neshat and Hadi Tabbal. Knud Adams directs.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

DANCE CAMERA WEST – Barnsdall Gallery Theater and The Philosophical Research Society – Los Angeles, CA – January 29^th – February 2^nd

This film festival celebrated all forms of dance celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year. Chief the highlights is Benjamin Millepeid’s Dance Map (Dense) which is an hour-long film showcasing four Parisians as they navigate their daily routines during a festival (La Ville Dansée) that took place last June. This is the world premiere of this film.

Other top offerings include a Kitty Mcnamee-curated a program of 11 short films by LA-based choreographers and a screening of Wim Wender’s pina being shown in 3D.  The tribute to David Roussève has been postponed.

Most events are pay-what-you-can.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

FOOL FOR LOVE – Steppenwolf – Chicago, IL – January 30^th – March 16^th

If you think that Edward Albee’s George and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf are a tortured couple, you should meet May and Eddie in Sam Shepard’s Fool For Love. Not only are they troubled souls, but they are always being watched by a mysterious Old Man.

This is one of Shepard’s best-known and most accessible plays. 

Caroline Neff plays May; Nick Gehlfuss plays Eddie; Tim Hopper is The Old Man and Cliff Chamberlain in Martin. Jeremy Herrin directs. This production takes place in the very intimate Downstairs Theater at Steppenwolf.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

CELEBRATING MTT with YUJA WANG – Los Angeles Philharmonic – Los Angeles, CA – February 1^st

This year mark’s composer/conductor Michael Tilson Thomas’ 80^th birthday. MTT, as he is affectionately called, remains a vital force in classical music even while enduring health issues.

At this concert he will lead the LA Phil in a performance of two his own works: Agenegram and You Come Her Often?

Pianist Yuja Wang will join for a performance of the original jazz band version of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Also on the program are Debussy’s Ibéria; Poulenc’s Sonata for Four Hands (to be performed by Yuja Wang and MTT) and Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

ALLISON MILLER: RIVERS IN OUR VEINS – 92^nd Street Y – New York, NY – February 2^nd in person and streaming

Dummer/composer Allison Miller is known to jazz fans as a member of Artemis and the leader of Boom Tic Boom. For this work she uses five Northeast rivers: the Delaware, Hudson, James, Potomac and Susquehanna to explore the movement of the rivers and the people and communities that grew up alongside them.

Rivers in Our Veins combines music and dance and she has one of tap dance’s finest, Michelle Dorrance, joining her for this performance. Also joining are dancers Luke Hickey, Claudia Rahardjanonot and Maleek Washington. Five musicians perform live and there are vieo projections by Todd Winkler.

For tickets and more information (for both in-person and streaming options), please go HERE.

That’s this week’s Best Bets: January 27th – February 2nd.

Enjoy your week and go see a show!

Main Photo: Ava Lalezarzadeh in English (Photo by Joan Marcus, 2025)