Friday, October 31, 2014

The Real Thing

Cynthia Nixon the realest thing in The Real Thing, a revival whose pulse I wished speeded up sometimes. My review's here.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Lips Together, Teeth Apart

Not a season goes by without at least one, often two, sometimes three pieces by Terrence McNally. Hot on the heels of It's Only a Play comes the Second Stage revival of Lips Together, Teeth Apart. Which I mostly like despite problems having to do with the casting. My review's here.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)

Suzan-Lori Parks' latest is just the beginning of her nine-part Father Comes Home from the Wars epic. It sure made me want to see more. My review's here.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

The Last Ship

Can't say I loved Sting's Broadway debut as a composer, The Last Ship, but I found enough to enjoy — especially the love story. My review's here.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Disgraced redux

It's not until I saw Hari Dhillon in Disgraced that I fully realized just how good Aasif Mandvi had been in the same role. The new production's a bummer. And not in a good way. My review's here.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Deliverance

James Dickey's Deliverance doesn't look like it could be turned into a play, but the ingenious production now playing 59E59 proves otherwise. My review.

The Fortress of Solitude

The new musical based on Jonathan Lethem's The Fortress of Solitude is a valiant effort, but some key structural problems get in the way. My review's here.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Billy & Ray

Billy & Ray, about Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler's collaboration on the screenplay for Double Indemnity, pretty much gets everything wrong. Click here for my review.

4:48 Psychosis

One must tread with caution when dealing with Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis -- a play about a suicidal woman written shortly before Kane killed herself. My review of the Polish production at St. Ann's Warehouse is here.

Monday, October 20, 2014

This week's Good Wife posts

First, I chatted with costume designer Dan Lawson about Alicia's evolution from politician's wife to politician. Then I welcomed the return of FBI Agent Lana Delaney (Jill Flint) back to The Good Wife.

The Belle of Amherst

I was pleasantly surprised by The Belle of Amherst, a well-made bioplay starring Joely Richardson. And give me a break about Julie Harris owning the role: I didn't see her, and it was 30 years ago. My review's here.

Friday, October 17, 2014

On the Town

Best thing about the new revival of On the Town: Megan Fairchild as Ivy Smith -- a role that, for some reason, is usually boring. (Second best thing: no Lea DeLaria.) My review's here.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Found

Another satisfying off-Broadway musical! Found is completely different from Ghost Quartet yet it also satisfies -- this is a show that does what it sets out to do really well. My review's here.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Ghost Quartet

Dave Malloy's new song cycle, Ghost Quartet, doesn't have the satisfying narrative drive of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, but it's still a wondrous night at the theater. My review's here. At this point, just go see whatever this guy's doing on trust.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Generations

First stumble in years for Soho Rep, one of my favorite companies. Ah well, the law of averages... Click here for my review of Generations.

More Good Wife articles

I talked to costume designer Dan Lawson about how he makes Lemond Bishop look so darn good on The Good Wife. And for good measure I chatted with Mike Colter, who plays said sexy kingpin.

While I Yet Live

Billy Porter's play-as-therapy-as-play effort is well-meaning but a bit of a mess. My review's here.

Friday, October 10, 2014

It's Only a Play

After I genuflect to Nathan Lane, let me correct the title to Terrence McNally's comedy: It's Barely a Play. Details in my review, which is here.

The Walking Dead

My review of The Walking Dead's season 5 premiere is here. Some people think there are spoilers; I don't. In any case, you've been warned.

Thursday, October 09, 2014

Shakespeare's Sonnets

I started by adoring Robert Wilson. Then he bored me to death in the 1990s and '00s (those Lou Reed and Tom Waits shows? Yikes!) Now I've come full circle and love him again. My review of Shakespeare's Sonnets at BAM is here.

Interview with Rob Halford

Ah, Rob Halford, Metal God™ and consummate gentleman. Click here for my interview with Judas Priest's frontman.

Sunday, October 05, 2014

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Almost predictably, I quite loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on Broadway. Formally inventive, smart, heartfelt. Now my question is: Why do American productions have such a hard time pulling off this mix? My review's here.

Friday, October 03, 2014

The Country House

Mild entertainment — very, very mild — at Donald Margulies' latest, The Country House. A textbook example of an MTC production at the Friedman, I'm afraid. Click here for my review.

Cinderella redux

I revisited Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella on Wednesday, now with Keke Palmer and Sherri Shepherd. Those expecting a Rosie-type crash will be disappointed. My re-review is here.

Thursday, October 02, 2014

Tail! Spin!

Mario Correa's bright idea: to use only the public record for his play about political sex scandals, Tail! Spin! We went through it all before -- Anthony Weiner, Larry Craig, etc. -- but hearing those words resonate is just mind-blowing. My review's here.

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

A Walk in the Woods

Kathleen Chalfant is predictably good in gender-bending revival of A Walk in the Woods, but that play doesn't really go anywhere now does it? Click here for my review.

Indian Ink

My issue with Tom Stoppard's Indian Ink is the same I have with most of his plays: very smart but paper-thin characterization. In this case it's especially frustrating because the cast includes the awesome Rosemary Harris and Romola Garai. My review's here.