NEW YORK CITY, June 3, 2026 — TheaterPizzazz.com, founded by the late acclaimed reviewer Sandi Durell and now helmed by Eyal Solomon, has named author and theater historian Ron Fassler its first Chief Theatre Critic, effective immediately.
Fassler, who has been contributing to the site since 2018, is the author of Up in the Cheap Seats: A Historical Memoir of Broadway, and The Show Goes On: Broadway Hirings, Firings and Replacements. For the last decade, he has written over 600 columns at his website “Theatre Yesterday and Today,” in addition to his contributions at Theatre Pizzazz covering Broadway, off-Broadway, and cabaret.
“Ron Fassler’s writing bears the mark of a theater lover as much as a theater critic,” said Solomon. “His astute observations, informed by more than 50 years of theatergoing that began when he was a teenager growing up in the New York area, make him exceptionally qualified for this newly created position. The depth of theater history he brings to his reviews and his firsthand experience of many original productions that have since become Broadway classics give him a perspective few critics can match.
“While our talented roster of writers will continue reviewing the full spectrum of theater in New York City and the surrounding region have to offer, Ron’s leadership and steady guidance will further strengthen the outstanding team we have assembled at Theater Pizzazz.”
Fassler stated, “I’m thrilled to continue my long association with Theater Pizzazz and this new title. Broadway has always been my one true love, going all the way back to when I would commute into the city as a teenager on a weekly basis from Long Island, buying my tickets with the earnings from my paper route. I look forward to expanding the type of writing I contribute to the site and sharing my wealth of knowledge and insights with our savvy readership.”
