Fiorello!

The first Encores! I ever saw was Pal Joey, back in 1995, so I missed out on Fiorello!, which opened the series the previous year. I had my chance again on Wednesday, and I took it. My review's here.

Collision

There were times during Lyle Kessler's new play, Collision, when I started doubting my eyes. Also my sanity. Full review's here.

All the Rage

I'm not crazy about All the Rage, Martin Moran's sequel to The Tricky Part. I'm just not feeling his need to do a show, so no wonder it wanders all over the place. My review's here.

Manilow on Broadway

After last week's bronchitis-related postponement, Barry Manilow was finally back on Broadway last night. I was there among the Fanilows. My review's here.

The Fever

Wallace Shawn's The Fever gets a revival staged by Lars Norén at La MaMa. My review's here.

The House of Von Macramé

Granted, they already had me at the title, but the show is a fun romp. With some judicious trims, this could go far. My review's here.

Life and Times: Episodes 1-4

I watched all ten hours of Life and Times: Episodes 1-4 on Sunday so I can spare you the agony and tell you to just see Episode 2, which is truly amazing. My review's here.

Bethany

The Women's Project's Bethany, starring America Ferrera, a nice surprise, and makes you realize how few plays have tackled the current recession. Click here for my review.

Not by Bread Alone

Several of my colleagues found this show from the Israeli deaf-blind company Nalaga'at mawkish, and I can't say that I entirely disagree. But it did touch me, too. Maybe I just have a higher threshold. Full review here, with a sidebar about my experience dining at the adjoining BlackOut restaurant.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Granted, I love me some Tennessee Williams in almost any condition, but the latest revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ain't too bad. My review's here.

Midsummer (A Play With Songs)

David Greig's charming Midsummer (A Play With Songs) deserves to be a sleeper hit. Click here for my review.

Opus No. 7

Dmitry Krymov's Opus No. 7, now playing at St. Ann's Warehouse, is the must-see show of the new year. My full review's here.

Picnic

There's a lot to like in the Roundabout revival of Picnic -- the supporting cast, for starters. More in my review here.

The Other Place redux

Aside from supporting-cast chances, The Other Place is pretty much the same on Broadway as it was at MCC a couple of years ago: a vehicle for a go-for-it actress. My review's here.

Water by the Spoonful

Not overly impressed by the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner, Water by the Spoonful, which opened last night at Second Stage. My review's here.

Coil festival preview

A belated link to my preview of this year's Coil festival, organized by PS 122. Click here for the deets.

Flipside: The Patti Page Story

Innocuous songs and an innocuous life: not the best premise for a biomusical, right? That didn't stop the makers of Flipside: The Patti Page Story. My review's here.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Drats, how did I forget to link to this review? This show was one of the few musical highlights of the fall!

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical

What a handful of a title for this undernourished show. Click here for my review.

P.S. Jones and the Frozen City

Robert Askins' new play is both ambitious and low-flying. Weird mix, which doesn't always work. Still, what a great production design! My review's here.

A Chanukah Charol

Jackie Hoffman's bilious holiday special is a hoot. Recommended to anybody with an allergy to year-end schmaltz. Full review here.

What Rhymes with America

Melissa James Gibson's latest, What Rhymes with America (answer: "nothing"), is one grace note after another. You'll laugh, but you'll also tear up. Full review here.

Working

The off-Broadway revival of Working hit several high notes, which make up for the sappy numbers. My review's here.

Volpone, or the Fox

I was so looking forward to this one — the play is very rarely done in New York — but what a crashing disappointment it was! Thataway for my review.

Glengarry Glen Ross

The latest revival of Glengarry Glen Ross is a bit meh, which isn't something you should be able to say about this play. Full review here.

Golden Boy

I love Clifford Odets so even the uneven revival of Golden Boy satisfies me on a primal level. My review's here.

A Civil War Christmas

A Civil War Christmas makes you wonder why Paula Vogel doesn't write more. Some may argue she's busy teaching, but I'd rather she give us new plays. Click here for my review.

Golden Age

Terrence McNally's newest play, Golden Age, can't quite decide what it's about, but I had a reasonably good time.

The Anarchist

Patti LuPone and Debra Winger star in The Anarchist on Broadway. That's all you need to know, really. Full review thataway.

Dead Accounts

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

My Name Is Asher Lev

This stark, well-produced family drama is worth a look. My review's here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Performers

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

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.

Ivanov

CSC nails its latest Chekhov production, Ivanov. My review's here.

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.

Sorry

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

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.

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.

Bad Jews

Well this one's awkward. Because of Sandy, I'm not sure Bad Jews officially opened last night, but like several other news outlets, we ran our review today.

Big Apple Circus: Legendarium

The Big Apple Circus' newest show is one of its best — though I still miss the Wheel of Wonder (aka Wheel of Death). My review's here.

A Summer Day

We don't see plays by Jon Fosse too often in NY, so A Summer Day would stick out even without the presence of Karen Allen. My review's here.

Wild with Happy

Colman Domingo's latest as a playwright, Wild With Happy, is quite wonderful. My review's here.

Disgraced

They sure like their issue plays at LCT3, and here's another one: Disgraced. Thataway for my review.

Modern Terrorism

It's hard to be funny about terrorists. Possible, but hard. My review of Jon Kern's Second Stage debut can be found here.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

It's a mouthful of a title, so here's my suggestion for a catchier alternative: Best Musical of the Year. More in my review.

Don't Go Gentle

Stephen Belber's latest play is a good ride.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The Steppenwolf production of Albee's classic is as good as a naturalistic production can get. My review's here.

A Tweet foretold

It had to happen, so it did: I'm now @EVincentelli on Twitter.

Heresy

There's no getting around it: A.R. Gurney's new play, Heresy, is a disaster. My full review's here.

Cyrano de Bergerac

Douglas Hodge stars in the latest incarnation of that French chestnut. I'm on the fence.

Him

Daisy Foote is Horton Foote's daughter. Her new play, Him, stars her sister, Hallie Foote. What happens in the family stays in the family. Thataway for my review.

Harper Regan

The Atlantic Theater company strikes again -- or not -- with Harper Regan. Bad play, bad production: enjoy!

The Best of Everything

Rona Jaffe's novel finally makes it to the stage. I'm disappointed.

Grace

Craig Wright's Grace is a nifty little surprise in this young Broadway season. Among them is the way it ties up love, religion and real estate -- which, of course, share quite a lot. My review's here.

Marry Me a Little

Craig Lucas and Norman René's Sondheim revue is back, courtesy of the Keen company. Thataway for my review.

Through the Yellow Hour

Unlike some of my colleagues, I tend to like Adam Rapp's work. But even I was defeated by his latest, Through the Yellow Hour. let's just pretend that one didn't happen. Click here for my review.

An Enemy of the People

It's fun to watch Boyd Gaines, aka Mr. Normal, played a riled-up guy for a change, and in Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, he's the cuddliest fanatic ever. My review's thataway.

Red Dog Howls

Red Dog Howls is bad enough with Kathleen Chalfant in it. Without an actor of her caliber, that pompous play may be simply unwatchable. My review's here.

If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet

The weight of expectations (Jake Gyllenhaal's NY stage debut!) and an overblown staging (the stage is flooded!) crush this middling play. Thataway for my review.

Red-Handed Otter

I really liked Ethan Lipton's delightful new comedy, Red-Handed Otter, which opened last night at the Cherry Lane Theatre Studio. And tickets are only $30! Full review here.

The Exonerated

The big mama of docu-theater returns for a tenth-anniversary run. If nothing else, catch it for Stockard Channing. Click here for my review.

Detroit

Lisa D'Amour's Detroit is so so good! And I'm not saying that just because it ends with an awesome bacchanal set to blaring hip-hop. See for yourself -- if you can get a ticket. In the meantime, my review's here.

Crossing the Line

Click here for my piece about the Crossing the Line festival, with a special focus on Brian Rogers' Hot Box, which I caught on Friday.

Einstein on the Beach

Einstein on the Beach is just a bit more common than Halley's Comet -- the last NY revival was in 1992. So I'm glad to have been at BAM on Sunday for the latest sighting. My review's here.

Fly Me to the Moon

Marie Jones' sweet and sour comedy Fly Me to the Moon opens at 59E59, and my review's in today's paper.

Fall preview: the musicals

When it comes to new musicals on Broadway, this fall season is a stinker -- so much so that I find myself looking forward to the revival of Annie. Oy! Thataway for my preview in the Post.

Mary Broome

The Mint Theater picked a tricky play with Allan Monkhouse's Mary Broome, and its revival comes up short. Full explanation thataway.

Chaplin

Summarizing the big plot points of a decades-long career in a biomusical isn't necessarily a good idea, as the new Broadway show Chaplin demonstrates. My review's here.

The Train Driver

Signagture's Athol Fugard season ends with a whimper, aka The Train Driver. My review's here.

Forbidden Broadway

I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised that my colleagues seem to think the new Forbidden Broadway is mean. If only! My lukewarm review is here.

Harrison, TX

A belated link to my review of Harrison, TX, an anthology of three one-act plays by Horton Foote. He works the short format particularly well, and that's not as easy as you'd think.

Tail! Spin! preview

Unfortunately I'll be on vacation and won't be able to review the new play Tail! Spin! So I wrote a preview instead.

Richard III

The lean, efficient production of Richard III at the Public is so gripping that it made a young woman in my row gasp loudly a couple of times. Cool! My review's thataway.

Summer Shorts Series B

Neil LaBute's piece in Summer Shorts B is such a fun little spitball! Meanwhile Paul Rudnick's offering isn't up to his high standards, but the middle musical led me to a composer of promise, Sam Davis. More here.

Into the Woods

Into the Woods isn't out of the woods at the Delacorte. Will anybody ever solve this show? Is it even solvable? My review's here.

Bullet for Adolf

Woody Harrelson's playwrighting and directing debut, Bullet for Adolf is the kind of bad show I love because you never know where it's going. I'd take it over any of those snoozy well-crafted plays that litter off-Broadway. Full review here.

My Mind Is Like an Open Meadow

Erin Leddy's solo show just opened at 59E59. A small, unprepossessing summer gem. Full review here.

The Last Smoker in America

The Last Smoker in America is bad — but not in a fun, demented way like, say, In Masks Outrageous and Austere. No, this is more the painfully bad type. Full review here.

In Paris

Alas, it's not me who's In Paris, but Mikhail Baryshnikov, via the Lincoln Center Festival. Full review here.

Summer Shorts Series A

A one-act play can feel very long indeed, as demonstrated by the new anthology Summer Shorts Series A. Click here for my review.

Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

I never thought I'd see the day -- or rather, the night -- when I'd spend two hours in a Broadway theater watching Mike Tyson talk about his life. And yet. Thataway for my review.

Bring It On

Boo, Bring It On -- The Musical has very little to do with the movie of the same name, other than them both being about cheerleading. And I so wanted to love this show! Oh well, it's still ok. Full review here.

New Girl in Town

Bob Merrill's 1957 musical New Girl in Town gets revived at Irish Rep. Thataway for my review.

Warrior Class

I like that Second Stage is producing young playwrights at its uptown location, but the returns have been disappointing since Leslye Headland's Bachelorette exactly two years ago. Warrior Class is yet another not too bad, not too good offering. Full review here.

Uncle Vanya

Here it is again, Uncle Vanya! I enjoyed the Sydney Theatre Company's production even more than when I saw it last year, at the Kennedy Center. Someone give Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving a rom-com, stat! Full review here.

Hand Stories

I was pretty excited to see a hand-puppet show, as opposed to a bunraku one, but Hand Stories deflated me pretty quick. Why it's at the Lincoln Center Festival is beyond me. Full review thataway.

Re-Animator: The Musical

Because musicals based on The Toxic Avenger and Evil Dead, weren't enough, here comes one based on Re-Animator. B-grade horror movies live! Of course that's a particularly apt sentence when it comes to Re-Animator. I got tired of the splatter shtick after a while though. Full review here.

Dogfight

The musical adaptation of Nancy Savoca's movie hits Second Stage. Of course I was there.

Fela! redux

Fela! comes back for a limited summer engagement. The first act still kicks major butt; the second is still a mess. More here.

Nymph Errant

The obscure Cole Porter tuner Nymph Errant gets the revival nobody had been clamoring for. Thataway for my review.

DruidMurphy

In case you were wondering what I was up to this past Sunday: In the morning I wrote my review of Alan Cumming's take on Macbeth; then at 1pm I rushed off to John Jay for nine and a half hours of DruidMurphy (review here). Granted, there was a 90-minute dinner break, but that still leaves quite a bit of theater.

Macbeth

Not just any Macbeth, but one with Alan Cumming in all the parts — he plays a mentally ill man who retells the Scottish play inside his loony-bin room. I'm not entirely sold.

Terminator Too -- Judgment Play

After Point Break Live! get ready for Terminator Too -- Judgment Play. That it's staged not in a theater but at Santos Party House should give you an indication of the overall vibe. My review's here.

Why do people hate 3C so much?

David Adjmi's 3C has turned out to be quite a divisive little show. I asked him, director Jackson Gay, and stars Anna Chlumsky and Hannah Cabell what they thought about the hoopla. Click here for my feature in today's paper.