Day: May 7, 2023

It’s a great celebration, Broadway-style

If you call yourself “great” every week, what do you do for a special occasion?
Well, it had better be something good or maybe almost great. Fortunately, it is. “Great Performances” is wrapping its 50th season with a Broadway blitz. At 9 p.m. on PBS, it has:
— May 12: An anniversary celebration filled with potent voices and frisky dancers. Sutton Foster hosts a romp through musicals, from Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber to Carole King and Sara Bareilles.
— May 19: “Richard III,” filmed in Central Park, with Danai Gurira portraying Shakespeare’s villainous hero. “Is there anybody else like this in contemporary drama?” Stephen Segaller, who supervises the show via the WNET station, asked the Television Critics Association. “Maybe Tony Soprano.”
— May 26: The opposite of Richard’s ferocity. It’s a rerun of Foster singing and tapping in “Anything Goes” (shown here), with a flimsy story connecting vibrant Cole Porter songs. Read more…

Best-bets for May 9: fun, games and a tough finale

1) “Accused” season-finale, 9 p.m., Fox. This has been one of the year’s most engaging new shows – and, at times, one of its most painful. For the fourth time in 16 episodes, a story involves a troubled son. This one is back from his latest drug-rehab and working with his father. The dad (Keith Carradine, shown here) is a music star, overwhelmed by this dilemma. Like every “Accused,” this is written and acted with subtle skill; like many, it’s tough to watch. Read more…