Archives for: " 2012"
Review: Glengarry Glen Ross
Dec 9th
Ah, the benefits of diminished expectations. Since it began previews in October, the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Glengarry Glen Ross has been the target of negative buzz--primarily over Al Pacino’s unfocused performance--whic… more »
Review: Golden Boy
Dec 7th
Clifford Odets’ rarely seen 1937 drama Golden Boy is receiving a loving revival courtesy of the Lincoln Center Theater, which previously mounted his classic Awake and Sing! to great acclaim. Given historical resonance by its being performed at the Belasc… more »
Review: The Anarchist
Dec 3rd
A situation rife with dramatic possibilities is given a frustratingly airless treatment in David Mamet’s new drama about a prisoner arguing for her parole before an impassive prison official. Wasting the talents of Patti LuPone and Debra Winger, the latt… more »
Review: Dead Accounts
Nov 30th
The ever-reliable Norbert Leo Butz should earn a Broadway MVP award for his dynamic comic turn in Dead Accounts, the latest effort by the prolific scribe Theresa Rebeck (Seminar, The Understudy, Mauritius). This comedy set in America’s heartland—specific… more »
Review: The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Nov 14th
A true fondness for the British music hall is probably a prerequisite to fully enjoy the charms of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rupert Holmes’ 1985 musical based on an unfinished novel by Charles Dickens that is being given a beautifully staged revival by… more »
Review: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Nov 13th
Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike manages the neat trick of being both a sometimes uproarious send-up of Chekhov and an affectionately heartwarming modern-day variation on his themes. Featuring a stellar cast of such comedic pros a… more »
Review: Annie
Nov 9th
Yes, the sun will come up tomorrow, but it sure doesn’t shine as brightly in the new Broadway revival of Annie. James Lapine’s staging of this clockwork-perfect musical somehow manages seriously reduce its quotient of joyfulness to the extent that audien… more »
Review: Cyrano de Bergerac
Oct 12th
Did Broadway really need another revival of Edmond Rostand’s 1987 romantic classic Cyrano de Bergerac a mere five years after the highly successful production starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner? Not really, but this rendition by the Roundabout Thea… more »
Review: Grace
Oct 5th
A fine cast acts their hearts out in Grace, Craig Wright’s drama now receiving its Broadway premiere. While this play about the collision between an Evangelical Christian couple and a pair of non-believers seems to have a great deal on its mind, its melo… more »
Review: If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet
Sep 21st
Uneasily blending an examination into the global effects of climate change with dysfunctional family drama, British playwright Nick Payne’s dark comedy If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet hasn’t quite found its footing in its American premiere by the Roun… more »
Review: Backbeat
Aug 14th
Now playing in Toronto by way of Glasgow and London’s West End—and prior to a hoped-for Broadway run—Backbeat: The Birth of the Beatles is far from the cheery juke-box musical one might expect. Concentrating on the tragic story of Stu Sutcliffe, the band… more »
Review: Uncle Vanya
Jul 24th
Leave it to the Aussies to deliver a rollicking Chekhov. The Sydney Theatre Company’s new Uncle Vanya being presented by the Lincoln Center Festival is a triumphant rendition that thankfully highlights the humor of the classic play while not neglecting… more »
Review: Dogfight
Jul 17th
Much like the 1991 film that inspired it, the new musical Dogfight is a sweet, unassuming and quietly touching tale that has the feel of a tightly constructed short story. While its storyline about a young Marine and the plain young woman he first exploi… more »
Review: As You Like It
Jun 22nd
It’s debatable whether the world needed yet another As You Like It, since Shakespeare’s pastoral romantic comedy seems to receive a new production every other week. But there’s no debating that the current rendition in Central Park fully mines the joyous… more »
Review: Uncle Vanya
Jun 18th
There’s one thing that can be definitely said about the Soho Rep’s production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya: You’ll probably again feel so closely involved with its characters. That’s because they’re literally at arm’s length in this revival adapted by A… more »
Review: Harvey
Jun 14th
Jim Parsons works magic in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Harvey. I had my doubts that this old chestnut would have much impact these days. But Mary Chase’s 1944 comedy, which won the Pulitzer Prize and enjoyed 1,775 Broadway performances in… more »
Review: Rapture, Blister, Burn
Jun 13th
It’s appropriate that Gina Gionfriddo’s new play has been compared favorably to Wendy Wasserstein’s The Heidi Chronicles. Like that groundbreaking work, this delicious comedy interweaves personal and social issues in a way that is both entertaining and t… more »
Review: The Common Pursuit
May 25th
Sometimes, memories are best left alone. Such is my experience with seeing the new revival of Simon Gray’s The Common Pursuit being presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company. This high-toned soap opera about a group of Cambridge students involved in a… more »
Review: Old Jews Telling Jokes
May 23rd
It may not sound like much, but take my word for it. An elderly man reciting the lyrics of “Ol’ Man River” in a Yiddish accent is one of the funniest things to be found on a New York stage.
It’s one of the many highlights of Old Jews Telling Jokes,… more »
Review: Title and Deed
May 21st
Good luck searching for meaning in Title and Deed, Will Eno’s latest Rorschach test of a play being presented by the Signature Theatre. This monologue related by a nameless figure about his travels both literal and existential is so vague and amorphous t… more »
Review: Cock
May 18th
Get your mind out of the gutter.
Yes, the title of Mike Bartlett’s play might seem salacious considering that it concerns a gay couple whose relationship is threatened when one of them falls in love with a woman. But the more pertinent meaning of Co… more »
Review: Leap of Faith
Apr 27th
Raul Esparza is one of the few leading men who can carry a Broadway musical, but even his formidable talents are adrift in Leap of Faith. This musical adaptation of the little-seen 1992 Steve Martin film boasts considerable creative talent, but it’s a sa… more »
Review: The Columnist
Apr 26th
In his first significant effort since his Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Proof, playwright David Auburn delivers a biographical drama about a once famous figure little known today: Joseph Alsop, one of the most influential political columnist of his era… more »
Review: Nice Work If You Can Get It
Apr 25th
The dissolute playboy played by Matthew Broderick in Nice Work If You Can Get It is frequently inebriated, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be in a similar state to enjoy the slight charms of this “new” Gershwin musical. Like such predecessors as My One… more »
Review: Ghost the Musical
Apr 24th
The current spate of Broadway musicalizations of hit movies hits another nadir with Ghost. This adaptation of the 1990 Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore film is mainly notable for its extravagant production values, which, appropriately enough, contains as many… more »
Review: A Streetcar Named Desire
Apr 23rd
The new Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire presents a particular dilemma. Its multiracial cast could well attract new audiences for this seminal 20th century drama. But the subpar rendition on display will leave them wonderin… more »
Review: Clybourne Park
Apr 20th
Its Pulitzer Prize not withstanding, Clybourne Park still seems to me a better idea for a play than it actually is. Bruce Norris’ dark comedy, which has now arrived on Broadway after heralded engagements at Playwrights Horizons and numerous other venues,… more »
Review: One Man, Two Guvnors
Apr 18th
With the notable exception of Noises Off, theatrical farce is far more often labored than amusing. But One Man, Two Guvnors, newly arrived on Broadway from London’s West End, is hilarious enough to melt the most stone-faced. Featuring a star-making tu… more »
Review: In Masks Outrageous and Austere
Apr 17th
Tennessee Williams certainly doesn’t make it easy to be generous.
The common perception about the legendary playwright’s later works is that they were sad reflections of his former glory, but they have also been unfairly maligned by unfeeling critic… more »
Review: Evita
Apr 13th
“Tasteful” is not a word that springs to mind when thinking about Eva Peron, and it shouldn’t when it comes to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical Evita either. But that’s exactly the quality that best describes the new Broadway revival, the first… more »
Review: Magic/Bird
Apr 12th
If you’re going to write a play about two legendary sports figures it would help if more than one of them was interesting. Such is the dilemma of Eric Simonson’s second attempt to lure reluctant middle-aged men to Broadway. But unlike last season’s Lomba… more »
Review: End of the Rainbow
Apr 3rd
It may be time to let Judy Garland rest in peace. The beloved entertainer has been a never-ending subject of fascination since her untimely death. Since then, she’s been portrayed on stage, film and a seemingly endless series of cabaret acts. The latest… more »
Review: Gore Vidal's The Best Man
Apr 2nd
You may be wondering why Gore Vidal’s politically-themed drama The Best Man needed another revival a mere twelve years after its last Broadway outing. The better question is why hasn’t it been done in the interim, considering that we’ve had endured sever… more »
Review: Newsies
Mar 30th
It’s a hard knock life for the newsboys in Newsies, the stage adaptation of the flop 1992 Disney musical film that has become a cult favorite. When the ragtag group of orphans and runaways burst into exuberant song and dance, it’s hard not to think of An… more »
Review: Now.Here.This.
Mar 29th
Those impish wags from [title of show] are back to their meta-theatrical tricks in their new, similarly whimsically titled new musical. Starring Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff and Jeff Bowen—all of whom collaborated on its development—N… more »
Review: Regrets
Mar 28th
Rising British playwright Matt Charman reveals a fascination with the darker aspects of ‘50s era American society in Regrets, now receiving its world premiere from the Manhattan Theatre Club. But he’s gotten a little too ambitious here, dealing with two… more »
Review: 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
Mar 26th
The last time I checked, incest between a brother and sister was still considered relatively abhorrent.
So it naturally comes as a surprise that the Cheek by Jowl production of John Ford’s 17th century tragedy ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore feels compelled… more »
Review: Jesus Christ Superstar
Mar 23rd
Jesus Christ Superstar, which began its life as a concept album, has always been more fun to listen to than actually watch. But the new Broadway revival--imported from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival by way of the La Jolla Playhouse—is a galvanizing r… more »
Review: Death of a Salesman
Mar 16th
Whenever there’s a new revival of Death of a Salesman people marvel at the fact that it seems so newly relevant. But it’s not that society is changing but rather that Arthur Miller’s 1949 masterpiece, is now receiving a triumphant Broadway production dir… more »
Review: An Iliad
Mar 9th
The simple act of storytelling is a time-honored theatrical tradition. But it can also a hackneyed one. Case in point: An Iliad, the new one-man show—well, technically two man, but more on that later—based on the poem by Homer as translated by Robert Fag… more »
Review: The Lady From Dubuque
Mar 7th
Not that I’m in any rush, but whenever death comes for me I hope it takes the form of the Lady from Dubuque.
As elegantly personified by Jane Alexander in the Signature Theatre’s revival of Edward Albee’s haunting play being presented under the poss… more »
Review: Tribes
Mar 5th
On its surface, Tribes is concerned with a young deaf man’s sudden decision to embrace sign language rather than rely on lip-reading. But that description doesn’t do justice to Nina Raine’s compassionate drama, which premiered at London’s Royal Court and… more »
Review: Carrie
Mar 2nd
The original musical version of Carrie was a notorious flop upon its 1988 Broadway premiere--it closed after five performances at a loss of millions of dollars, nearly destroyed the reputation of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and was so ignominious in i… more »
Review: Assistance
Feb 29th
Tyrannical bosses should be more careful about mistreating their employees. Their victims may very well develop into talented playwrights who will later skewer them in viciously funny fashion. Such is the case with Leslye Headland, whose Assistance is no… more »
Review: Galileo
Feb 24th
With partisan politics injecting itself into scientific debate with dismaying frequency these days, Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo has a disturbing modern resonance. While the Classic Stage Company’s revival of this rarely seen work doesn’t fully galvanize, it… more »
Review: Early Plays
Feb 23rd
Although the stage seems bare for The Wooster Group’s production of Eugene O’Neill’s Early Plays, it actually contains an awful lot of baggage. The troupe is well known for their aggressively avant-garde approach to both new plays and the classics, adorn… more »
Review: Blood Knot
Feb 17th
It may be heretical to say, but seeing Athol Fugard’s landmark 1961 drama Blood Knot again, even in a superbly realized revival such as the one being presented by the Signature Theatre, is to be reminded how tedious it is. Such is the case, I’m afraid, w… more »
Review: Look Back in Anger
Feb 3rd
It’s ironic that John Osborne’s classic drama Look Back in Anger is now as much of a period piece as the “well-made plays” it was attempting to usurp. This work--which revolutionized British theater when it received its 1956 premiere at the Royal Court a… more »
Review: Russian Transport
Jan 31st
Beware sexy Russian men bearing gifts. That seems to be the primary message of Russian Transport, the new play by Erika Sheffer being given its world premiere by the New Group. This uneasy blending of family and crime-themed drama is all too predictable… more »
Review: Wit
Jan 27th
Margaret Edson has just written one play in her life, the brilliant Wit, now receiving its Broadway premiere a mere seventeen years after it was first produced and went on to win nearly every theater award, including the Pulitzer Prize. This new incarnat… more »
Review: Richard III
Jan 19th
Reunited with his American Beauty director, Sam Mendes, Kevin Spacey pulls out all the stops with his devilishly entertaining turn in the title role of the Bridge Project’s production of Richard III. Stepping into the footsteps of such illustrious predec… more »
Review: The Road to Mecca
Jan 18th
The plays of Athol Fugard often require heavy lifting on the part of an audience. That’s particularly true of his 1987 drama The Road to Mecca, now being given its Broadway premiere in a revival by the Roundabout Theatre Company. This tale of an elderly… more »
Review: The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Jan 13th
Composer Stephen Sondheim will probably be appeased when he sees The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, the reconceived revival of the classic opera by George and Ira Gershwin and, oh yes, librettist/lyricists DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. Many of the radical chan… more »
Review: Outside People
Jan 11th
The Chinese language is all that one seems to be hearing lately. Not only did presidential candidate Jon Huntsman resort to Mandarin while rebuking Mitt Romney during a recent debate, but David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, currently playing on Broadway, has… more »