Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Landing

The debut musical by Kander and Pierce won't make anybody forget about the many musicals by Kander and Ebb. My review of The Landing is here.

The Returned

Ace French series The Returned, aka Les Revenants, finally debuts in this US! Click here for my review.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The Good Person of Szechwan

Lear DeBessonet's wise and fun production of Brecht's 1943 morality play reopens at the Public. Yay! Click here for my review.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Grasses of a Thousand Colors

I see what Wallace Shawn is doing with Grasses of a Thousand Colors, the intent of it all, but it's just not working for me. My review's here.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Betrayal

The season's hottest ticket so far has been this Harold Pinter revival — and that was before any word of mouth, let alone reviews. With Daniel Craig and Mike Nichols on board, the show's review-proof, but mine's here.

Friday, October 25, 2013

The Snow Geese

I have a feeling I'm going to be in the minority when it comes to Sharr White's period melodrama The Snow Geese. As we know, quality and satisfaction don't necessarily match -- and I enjoyed the show. My review's here.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Fun Home

Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron's adaptation of Alison Bechdel's graphic novel Fun Home is warm and affecting, if flawed. It's not a great musical but a good one, which is nothing to sniff at. My review's here.

Monday, October 21, 2013

A Time to Kill

Any adaptation of A Time to Kill would have to be really good to make us overlook the fact that we're meant to root for a vigilante to go free. The Broadway show that just opened doesn't pull off that trick. My review's here.

Marie Antoinette

David Adjmi's Marie Antoinette doesn't cast a new eye on the queen, but the Soho Rep production is quite good anyway. My review's here.

Friday, October 18, 2013

The Winslow Boy

The Roundabout does better by The Winslow Boy than by its previous Terence Rattigan production, Man and Boy (Frank Langella and Adam Driver, oh my!). My review of this rather good yarn is here.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Romeo and Juliet

CSC's version of Romeo and Juliet is a big mess. Did anybody steer that ship or did it end up on the rocks on its own? Click here for my review.

The Model Apartment

I can't say Donald Margulies is among my favorite playwrights yet I really liked The Model Apartment. But then it's not your regular Margulies play -- he's even called it his "problem child." My review's here.

Friday, October 11, 2013

A Night with Janis Joplin

A sanitized tribute show at Broadway prices — and you get to pay extra for the privilege of drinking in sippy cups. My review of A Night with Janis Joplin's here.

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

Julius Caesar

Phyllida Lloyd's production of this tragedy, set in a women's prison, kicks serious Roman butt. Click here for my review.

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Anthem

I can deal with almost any sci-fi concept, no matter how far-fetched. It's ponderous speechifying I have a hard time with. Click here for my review of this Ayn Rand–based show.

Monday, October 07, 2013

Lady Day

Enjoy the songs during this Billie Holiday biomusical, but cover your ears during the book scenes. My review of Lady Day's here.

Big Fish

Rarely has there been such a discrepancy between a production and its score as in Big Fish. Susan Stroman's show looks great; Andrew Lippa's music is by-the-numbers. Click here for my review.

Friday, October 04, 2013

Bad Jews redux

Bad Jews loses a bit of its impact in a bigger venue, but it's still a vastly entertaining little comedy of hostility. My review's here.

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

The Film Society

Why bother to revive Jon Robin Baitz's The Film Society when he's written much better plays? And then why give it such a desultory production? Questions, questions... Click here for my review.