Linda Buchwald
@lindab.bsky.social
You may know me as @PataphysicalSci on Twitter.
Theater and television journalist. Ice cream enthusiast.
Theater and television journalist. Ice cream enthusiast.
I can see why people preferred the first WICKED film. The second one was shorter and felt longer, mostly because of the boring new songs, but overall I was happy with it. My biggest disappointment of both films is that Norbert Leo Butz didn't have a cameo.
November 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I can see why people preferred the first WICKED film. The second one was shorter and felt longer, mostly because of the boring new songs, but overall I was happy with it. My biggest disappointment of both films is that Norbert Leo Butz didn't have a cameo.
I love a themed drink. These are the offerings at the AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER 20th anniversary concert. Though no cactus juice for some reason.
November 10, 2025 at 5:35 AM
I love a themed drink. These are the offerings at the AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER 20th anniversary concert. Though no cactus juice for some reason.
Last show of a too-short trip (there is still plenty I want to see) and the main reason I came now. I've wanted to see BAT BOY for years and now I finally can.
November 8, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Last show of a too-short trip (there is still plenty I want to see) and the main reason I came now. I've wanted to see BAT BOY for years and now I finally can.
Seeing the Broadway debut of one of my favorite modern playwrights, Samuel D. Hunter.
November 6, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Seeing the Broadway debut of one of my favorite modern playwrights, Samuel D. Hunter.
I can't wait for Joshua Henry to win a Tony Award.
November 6, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I can't wait for Joshua Henry to win a Tony Award.
I hardly ever cry at the theater, except when Coalhouse Walker III runs out at the end of RAGTIME.
November 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM
I hardly ever cry at the theater, except when Coalhouse Walker III runs out at the end of RAGTIME.
I got to NYC yesterday, election day, for a quick trip and so far I've seen OTHER, LIBERATION, and now RAGTIME, which all feels very appropriate for this week.
November 6, 2025 at 12:54 AM
I got to NYC yesterday, election day, for a quick trip and so far I've seen OTHER, LIBERATION, and now RAGTIME, which all feels very appropriate for this week.
Today is the closing performance of PUNCH on Broadway. I haven't been in New York during the run, but I'm able to watch it today thanks to live stream (it's intermission now). This isn't the first show to do this, and I hope more limited runs will do this.
November 2, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Today is the closing performance of PUNCH on Broadway. I haven't been in New York during the run, but I'm able to watch it today thanks to live stream (it's intermission now). This isn't the first show to do this, and I hope more limited runs will do this.
At the CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND 10(ish) year reunion concert, Rachel Bloom played the Showtime cast announcement video, and cut out the part about Santino Fontana (and thought no one would notice?). I love her, but it bothers me that she acts like he was never on the show. What happened there?
October 18, 2025 at 5:39 AM
At the CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND 10(ish) year reunion concert, Rachel Bloom played the Showtime cast announcement video, and cut out the part about Santino Fontana (and thought no one would notice?). I love her, but it bothers me that she acts like he was never on the show. What happened there?
So before the CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND concert, @dickjokesgrayson.bsky.social said, "Wouldn't it be great if Josh Groban showed up to sing 'The End of the Movie,'" thinking it would never happen, and it did happen. Dreams come true.
October 18, 2025 at 5:22 AM
So before the CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND concert, @dickjokesgrayson.bsky.social said, "Wouldn't it be great if Josh Groban showed up to sing 'The End of the Movie,'" thinking it would never happen, and it did happen. Dreams come true.
Seeing the CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND reunion concert tonight and the first time I saw Rachel Bloom in concert, before the show had ended, these were my top 10 songs:
10) "I Gave You a UTI"
9) "Settle For Me"
8 "The Math of Love Triangles"
7) "The End of the Movie"
6) "A Diagnosis"
10) "I Gave You a UTI"
9) "Settle For Me"
8 "The Math of Love Triangles"
7) "The End of the Movie"
6) "A Diagnosis"
October 18, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Seeing the CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND reunion concert tonight and the first time I saw Rachel Bloom in concert, before the show had ended, these were my top 10 songs:
10) "I Gave You a UTI"
9) "Settle For Me"
8 "The Math of Love Triangles"
7) "The End of the Movie"
6) "A Diagnosis"
10) "I Gave You a UTI"
9) "Settle For Me"
8 "The Math of Love Triangles"
7) "The End of the Movie"
6) "A Diagnosis"
PSA: Tonight is the TCM premiere of THAT THING YOU DO! (followed by THIS IS SPINAL TAP). While it's a little weird that a movie I saw when it came out in theaters is on the classic movie channel, it's still a great lineup and I love battle of the fake bands as a theme.
October 13, 2025 at 6:31 PM
PSA: Tonight is the TCM premiere of THAT THING YOU DO! (followed by THIS IS SPINAL TAP). While it's a little weird that a movie I saw when it came out in theaters is on the classic movie channel, it's still a great lineup and I love battle of the fake bands as a theme.
I need everyone to watch LONG STORY SHORT on Netflix so it gets renewed. I haven't loved a new show in a long time. I've said this about shows before, but I think it's the most Jewish show I've ever seen. And because it's a cartoon, it's able to handle pandemic scenes much better than other shows.
August 24, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I need everyone to watch LONG STORY SHORT on Netflix so it gets renewed. I haven't loved a new show in a long time. I've said this about shows before, but I think it's the most Jewish show I've ever seen. And because it's a cartoon, it's able to handle pandemic scenes much better than other shows.
I have quite a few of these, but my best one is Adam Driver in the off-Broadway play The Retributionists in 2009. I don't remember much about the play itself, but I knew he and someone else in the play, Cristin Milioti, had something special.
Fun topic: what’s the first time you remember seeing now famous actors? Like, I remember seeing Michael Fassbender in JONAH HEX and thinking “shit, this dude’s good.”
I first saw Karl Urban in the movie Ghost Ship at a filthy $1 theater.
I could’ve never anticipated how many times I’d be saying to myself “Hey, it’s the guy from Ghost Ship!” for the rest of my life.
I could’ve never anticipated how many times I’d be saying to myself “Hey, it’s the guy from Ghost Ship!” for the rest of my life.
August 5, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I have quite a few of these, but my best one is Adam Driver in the off-Broadway play The Retributionists in 2009. I don't remember much about the play itself, but I knew he and someone else in the play, Cristin Milioti, had something special.
I'm finally free!
HBO Max has canceled ‘And Just Like That …,’ the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series, after three seasons. I couldn’t help but wonder, is this the end of Carrie Bradshaw?
And Just Like That … Falls Off the Peloton
HBO Max has canceled ‘And Just Like That …,’ the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series, after three seasons. I couldn’t help but wonder, is this the end of Carrie Bradshaw?
www.vulture.com
August 1, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I'm finally free!
There was no karaoke on this week's AND JUST LIKE THAT. What a waste of time. It should just be musical theater people singing and nothing else.
July 18, 2025 at 3:57 AM
There was no karaoke on this week's AND JUST LIKE THAT. What a waste of time. It should just be musical theater people singing and nothing else.
I interviewed Lee Wilkof about doing the Torah portion from his own bar mitzvah in THE RESERVOIR, and of course we talked about ASSASSINS.
Interview: Original Seymour Lee Wilkof Is a New Grandfather in Real Life and Onstage - TheaterMania.com
The Little Shop OG currently stars in The Reservoir at the Geffen Playhouse.
www.theatermania.com
July 8, 2025 at 5:41 PM
I interviewed Lee Wilkof about doing the Torah portion from his own bar mitzvah in THE RESERVOIR, and of course we talked about ASSASSINS.
I hate this timeline so much.
July 3, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I hate this timeline so much.
I didn't think I'd get a pride Playbill this year since I didn't go to New York in June, but I guess we have them in LA too.
July 2, 2025 at 2:54 AM
I didn't think I'd get a pride Playbill this year since I didn't go to New York in June, but I guess we have them in LA too.
Oh man. Just saw that DEAD OUTLAW is closing at the end of the month. See it while you can.
I got to interview one of my favorite musical theater writers, David Yazbek. I'm always asking for a DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS revival, so I finally got to talk to him about that. This didn't make it into the article, but he assured me the full DEAD OUTLAW cast recording is coming soon.
Interview: David Yazbek Talks About Dead Bodies on Broadway, Which of His Shows Are Due for Revival, and More - TheaterMania.com
Dead Outlaw is Yazbek’s sixth Broadway musical as composer and lyricist.
www.theatermania.com
June 21, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Oh man. Just saw that DEAD OUTLAW is closing at the end of the month. See it while you can.
I got to interview one of my favorite musical theater writers, David Yazbek. I'm always asking for a DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS revival, so I finally got to talk to him about that. This didn't make it into the article, but he assured me the full DEAD OUTLAW cast recording is coming soon.
Interview: David Yazbek Talks About Dead Bodies on Broadway, Which of His Shows Are Due for Revival, and More - TheaterMania.com
Dead Outlaw is Yazbek’s sixth Broadway musical as composer and lyricist.
www.theatermania.com
June 20, 2025 at 4:03 PM
I got to interview one of my favorite musical theater writers, David Yazbek. I'm always asking for a DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS revival, so I finally got to talk to him about that. This didn't make it into the article, but he assured me the full DEAD OUTLAW cast recording is coming soon.
Team Wyatt on AND JUST LIKE THAT. His family sucks at Apples to Apples and he had every right to get upset.
June 20, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Team Wyatt on AND JUST LIKE THAT. His family sucks at Apples to Apples and he had every right to get upset.
The only update I want after the Tony Awards is whether Hue Park is still single.
June 9, 2025 at 6:41 PM
The only update I want after the Tony Awards is whether Hue Park is still single.
When MAYBE HAPPY ENDING first opened, I was worried it wouldn't sell well enough to stay open long enough for me to see it, and look at it now.
June 9, 2025 at 3:34 AM
When MAYBE HAPPY ENDING first opened, I was worried it wouldn't sell well enough to stay open long enough for me to see it, and look at it now.
I did love MAYBE HAPPY ENDING and I'm happy it won best musical. The biggest disappointment (other than the musical lead categories) is that JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN and DEAD OUTLAW are going home empty-handed. #TonyAwards
June 9, 2025 at 3:16 AM
I did love MAYBE HAPPY ENDING and I'm happy it won best musical. The biggest disappointment (other than the musical lead categories) is that JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN and DEAD OUTLAW are going home empty-handed. #TonyAwards