Emily Bergl Bends, But Doesn’t Break, the Great American Songbook
The singer-actress returned to her cabaret roots with a provocative set that ranged from Sabrina Carpenter and Cyndi Lauper to Richard Rodgers.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
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WILL FRIEDWALD
New York, New York
Will Friedwald is a Contributor for the Sun.
Mr. Friedwald writes about music and popular culture for The New York Sun and other publications. The host of the radio show ‘Sing! Sing! Sing!’ on San Diego KSDS on Saturday mornings, he also is the author of 10 books. He has written more than 600 liner notes for compact discs, received 11 Grammy nominations, and appears frequently on television and in documentaries.
Latest Articles
A Talented and Tormented Singer Is Finally Brought to Book
With trademark perversity, Anita O’Day never read her own autobiography, yet James Gavin’s new book unflinchingly captures the celebrated jazz singer.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
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Visual Splendor Rises to the Surface in Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’
A remake of the 2016 animated blockbuster is the most successful of Disney’s ‘photorealistic’ adaptations so far.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
||Culture
Still ‘Crazy’ After All These Years
A Gershwin pastiche, which proved a Broadway hit in the 1990s, gets triumphantly revived at Goodspeed Opera House.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
||Culture
A Fresh Dawn for the Duke’s ‘Sunrise’
‘I Like the Sunrise’ is not one of Duke Ellington’s most popular songs, but it continues to inspire excellent cover versions.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
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Encores! Makes ‘La Cage aux Folles’ Seem More Timely Than Ever
A revival of the 1973 French farce feels newly resonant — and even more riotous — in today’s political and social climate.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
||Culture
‘Supergirl’ Is a Better Blockbuster Than the Buzz Surrounding Her
For once film critics have been kinder to a comic book movie than the geeks and nerds who have unfairly castigated Craig Gillespie’s blockbuster.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
||Culture
Our Toys, Our Selves: ‘Toy Story 5’ Grows Up With Its Audience
The ‘Toy Story’ franchise used to appeal to the inner child, but the newest installment appeals to the inner parent.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
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At Last, Your Grandfather’s ‘West Side Story’
Aside from the odd stray haircut or tattoo, this is as close to the classic 1957 Broadway production that we are ever going to get.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
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Duchess, Greatest Contemporary Jazz Vocal Ensemble, Claims Birdland Royalty
An album by a vocal group is by definition a party of sorts and for their first release since the pandemic, this trio sure throw a swell one.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
||Culture
The Lasting Musical ‘Might’ of Alan and Marilyn Bergman
A fitting tribute at 92NY to a couple who penned some of the most meaningful love lyrics ever written.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
||Culture
A Visual Ode to the Vitality of Jazz
Photographer Hank O’Neal tells stories about characters, ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Hugh Hefner, and Clint Eastwood to Dave Brubeck.
By WILL FRIEDWALD
||Culture