Dusk Rings a Bell

Stephen Belber's Dusk Rings a Bell may have a clunky title, but it also has Paul Sparks and Kate Walsh. The latter being known, of course, for playing Dr. Addison Montgomery on Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice. Ah, Grey's… one day I'll have to do a post about my enduring fascination for that show.

The Burnt Part Boys

The Burnt Part Boys is a new musical at Playwrights Horizons. Except that it feels musty, like one of those live-action Disney adventure movies from the 1960s/1970s. Or The Goonies, a reference I did use in my review. It's a long hike in the woods, is all I can say.

Le Grand Macabre

In today's Post, I preview the NY Philharmonic's upcoming performance of Le Grand Macabre — the 1978 anti-anti-opera by Ligeti, which is finally getting its local premiere later this week. This isn't really my regular beat but then the show will be fully staged. Now I just have to figure out how I can catch both Le Grand Macabre and Chrome Cranks. Rawk!!!

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

Ka-POW!!! Go go go see The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity -- among the funniest Pulitzer Prize finalists ever. Not that I've seen or read them all, mind you, but I can't figure out how any of them could beat this brash tale about wrestling and how America fabricates its heroes and villains. Plus there's actual wrestling on stage, with big dudes in shiny shorts, loud music and bright lights. Awesome.

Restoration + The Metal Children

Boy, when it rains...

In today's paper, I review two new plays by Claudia Shear (Restoration) and Adam Rapp (The Metal Children). Same star ratings, though the shows couldn't be any more different.

That Face

So it turns out that things didn't die down at all after the Broadway season concluded, and the Off scene is just pumping out the shows. I just got around to reviewing the This and That plays — both by young British women, as it turns out. After Chloë Moss' This Wide Night, I saw Polly Stenham's That Face. The review was out yesterday but I didn't have time to update this blog as I had to write two more articles and catch two shows.

This Wide Night

Chloë Moss' This Wide Night opens, with a bang-up cast: Edie Falco and Alison Pill. Oh, but did I like it?

Gabriel

I found Moira Buffini's Gabriel, now at the Atlantic, intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying. The Sheila, on the other hand, was really into it. We tend not to disagree too much over shows but this is one of our biggest split since Hair.

Doctor Knock, or the Triumph of Medicine

Jules Romains' 1923 play, Doctor Knock, or the Triumph of Medicine, gets a rare NYC production, courtesy of the Mint company. I only wish that show had more bite.

The Kid

I enjoy reading Dan Savage's sex-advice column but I wasn't expecting much from a musical based on his memoir about adopting. I was also afraid of what director Scott Elliott, he of the wildly uneven track record, could do.

And yet I really enjoyed The Kid, which is all kinds of things I'm usually wary of: warm, cuddly, sentimental.

The Forest

Alexander Ostrovsky's 1870 play The Forest makes a very rare NYC appearance at Classic Stage Company. Dianne Wiest gives an interesting performance but the rest of the production is so muddled and slow... It's a loooong evening at the theater.

Family Week

Jonathan Demme chose Beth Henley's Family Week to make his stage-directing debut. Why, why? At least I got to see Rosemarie DeWitt (Mad Men, United States of Tara) in the flesh. My Post review is here.

Parents' Evening

Today's review is Bathsheba Doran's Parents' Evening, directed by Jim Simpson and playing at the Flea in Tribeca.

My commute playlist

WNYC has started running commuter playlists and mine has just gone up. Yep, all this stuff is on my iPod.

And speaking of WNYC, I'll be on tomorrow, discussing both the NY Drama Critics' Circle awards and the Tony nominations with Time Out New York's Adam Feldman. Not sure when it's going to air yet, but it's likely to be tomorrow afternoon.