Friday, November 30, 2012

Dead Accounts

Oh dear, what a bad, bad play Norbert Leo Butz, Katie Holmes and company are stuck in! My full review's here.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A Christmas Story, The Musical

Much to my surprise, I was totally charmed by the musical version of A Christmas Story. My review's here.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Elf -- The Musical, redux

Elf is back and much improved from its debut two years ago. Goofy, stupid fun for the holidays. Thataway for my write-up.

The Twenty-Seventh Man

I can't say Nathan Englander's debut play is very theatrical -- it's more of a long conversation -- but it's set in a Stalinist prison and that alone goes a long way with me (the Gulag is one of my pet interests). My review's here.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Scandalous

It actually was a good idea for a musical: the life and times of starvangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. But the result is remarkably dull for being about someone who performed faith healing and brought Hollywood tricks to church. My review's here.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Giant

I love Edna Ferber's novel Giant, so I was particularly looking forward to Michael John LaChiusa's musical adaptation. It's a disappointment, but a valiant one. Thataway for my review.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Performers

What year is this, 1963? The Performers is oddly moralistic and prurient, like an old tee-hee farce. My review's here.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Christopher Durang looks sideways at Chekhov in his new play. As with Annie, a bit of casting undermines the show. My review's here.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Friday, November 09, 2012

Checkers

As Richard Nixon, Anthony LaPaglia gets to deliver parts of the infamous 1952 speech in the new play Checkers. My mixed feelings are here.

Annie

The revival of Annie that opened on Broadway last night is very good. But it features a real conundrum in Katie Finneran: so fun to watch, and so miscast. My review's here.

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Sorry

With the third installment, Sorry, Richard Nelson's Apple plays have officially turned into a great family saga. My review's here.

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

The Whale

Not sure if anybody's in the mood for a sad show right now, but Samuel D. Hunter's The Whale is very, very good. My review's here.

Friday, November 02, 2012

The Heiress

I'm only half-sold on Jessica Chastain in The Heiress, but the play is well made and chugs along. My review's here.