It is an irrefutable understatement to point out that the film industry was forever changed by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Productions were halted, films were delayed indefinitely, casts and crew members from all over were sent into isolation, and the streaming world naturally took over as the entertainment savior of lockdown. There were a couple of failed attempts at resuscitating theaters during 2020, and it wasn’t until March 2021 that moviegoing started showing signs of life again. Even then it wasn’t until well into 2022 that the box office was back to relative normalcy.

As one enters the packed Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater located in John Cranford Adams Playhouse, the sight of a rather empty stage featuring a simple backdrop and few props surprises the eye. Above, there is a sign to display the English subtitles to the German opera. An announcement goes off to request that the audience silence their cell phones and, as the stage lights brighten, the Hofstra Opera Theater’s performance of “The Magic Flute” begins.

Maybe the “Beetlejuice: The Musical” cast doesn’t work all night drinking rum, but the 2019 rendition of Tim Burton’s classic 1988 film is heart-stopping and bone-chilling regardless. Where “Hadestown” swept at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards, “Beetlejuice” has managed to capture the hearts of many with its familiar tunes and new takes on the otherworldly perils that plague Lydia Deetz and the recently deceased couple who are trying to haunt her home.

The double bill of the Hofstra Musicum Collegium and the closing performance of “What Fools!: A One Hour Midsummer Night’s Dream” this Saturday, March 9, was a sight to behold.

St. James Theatre, located in the heart of Times Square, is the new home of “Frozen.” Now a Broadway musical, the story takes audiences into the story of Anna and Elsa in Arendelle.