Tuesday, March 29, 2011

La Cage aux Folles redux

Last week I revisited Terry Johnson's revival of La Cage aux Folles to check out the two new leads, Christopher Sieber and Harvey Fierstein. And while Douglas Hodge still holds a special place in my heart, I quite enjoyed the new pair.

The Other Place

Laurie Metcalf rocks The Other Place at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Just…wow. A performance of impeccable command and vulnerability. She's well worth the price of admission. Thataway for my review.

Monday, March 28, 2011

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Frank Loesser's 1961 tuner gets a good revival starring Daniel Radcliffe -- and I liked it. Oh he tries so hard and is so adorable doing so!

Friday, March 25, 2011

The Dream of the Burning Boy

Soft-spoken drama The Dream of the Burning Boy opens at the Roundabout's black-box theater. It doesn't add up to much, but Reed Birney gives yet another great performance. I saw him eat at Green Symphony (love that place) a few weeks ago and almost went all stalker-fan on him. Fortunately I somehow preserved my dignity.

The Book of Mormon

Can I see this show again? Like, right now? I loved loved loved The Book of Mormon (my rave here). Tap dancing and explosive diarrhea: What more do you want, people!?!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Ghetto Klown

John Leguizamo's latest solo show, Ghetto Klown, opened last night on Broadway. It was hard steering clear from the Krusty jokes, but I managed to do so in today's review. Don't worry, there's another K crack in there.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Hello Again

Come again? Yes, it's the return of Michael John LaChiusa's musical Hello Again. The Transport Group has staged it — rather unnecessarily in my view — in a Soho loft. I can't say it's site-specific because that would imply the show takes place in a specific location, and it doesn't. There's enough good moments to make this worthy, though, especially if you like LaChiusa's score (and I do).

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Comedy of Errors

There's some serious mayhem happening at BAM -- I'm talking about the Propeller Company's staging of The Comedy of Errors. I absolutely loved it, though you may want to think twice if the prospect of a Looney Tunes version of Shakespeare makes you shudder. Me, I see so much "respectable" Shakespeare that I'm more than happy to see people go at it with imagination and mad skillz.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

I have a few reservations but overall I had a swell time at Priscilla Queen of the Desert -- the musical that just won't give up trying to entertain you. The "MacArthur Park" number alone is worth the price of admission. "Someone left the cake out in the rain": Oh yes they did!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Arcadia

Arcadia is, for many, Tom Stoppard's masterpiece. A revival opened again on Broadway last night and, well, I'm not part of the fans. Talking about intellectual matters doesn't automatically make one deep.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Cactus Flower

I'm a big fan of farce but when it's mishandled, it's just painful. So don't bother with the revival of Barillet and Grédy's Cactus Flower currently at the Westside Theatre. My pan's here.

Peter and the Starcatcher

Who would have thought a Disney Theatricals project would ever end up at New York Theatre Workshop? Yet Peter and the Starcatcher is on E. 4th St., and it's doing great business. I found the show a bit too manic but still worthy. My review's here.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

SWAN!!!

With a title in all-caps followed by three exclamation marks, you know SWAN!!! isn't going to be your regular stage version of Black Swan. I previewed the show -- which stars Jack Ferver, Jenn Harris and Randy Harrison, among others -- in today's Post.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

The Method Gun

Rude Mechs' latest show, The Method Gun, is currently at Dance Theater Workshop (which places more emphasis on the "Theater" part of its name in this case). I've liked the company's work in the past, but this piece about a fictional acting teacher felt half-baked to me.

Monday, March 07, 2011

That Championship Season

Wow, is the revival of That Championship Season bad! Wild horses could not have kept the Sheila in her seat: She was out like a flash at intermission. Not only is the play creaky, but the acting is seriously underwhelming. At Broadway prices, there's no excuse.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Skellig

A stage adaptation of David Almond's YA novel Skellig has just started a run at the New Victory Theatre. Not among the best things I've seen at the New Vic — one of my favorite NY houses — but still, a perfectly fine show if you want to take a kid out without insulting their (or your) intelligence. Thataway for my review.

Friday, March 04, 2011

Good People

I'd hated David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole but I loved his new play, Good People (reviewed in today's paper). Color me stunned, especially since the show is at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre -- a house I'd been considering cursed because I never seem to like anything there. Yay!

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Beautiful Burnout

The Black Watch team returns to St. Ann's Warehouse with Beautiful Burnout, a play about boxing set to Underworld tunes. I liked it quite a bit, despite the fact that the story is completely predictable — but isn't it the case with all boxing stories anyway?

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Timon of Athens

A good, pared-down production of Shakespeare's ill-loved Timon of Athens is at the Public until Sunday -- and costs a meager $15. My review's here.