Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Rantoul and Die

Creating Mike & Molly wasn't enough for Mark Roberts, who also has a stage career. The Amoralists are producing his latest dark comedy, Rantoul and Die. My review's here.

Monday, June 24, 2013

The Two-Character Play

When those two characters are played by Amanda Plummer and Brad Dourif, you just go. My review of this Tennessee Williams oddity is here.

Friday, June 21, 2013

The Explorers Club

Nell Benjamin's new play at MTC II is a hoot. It's always fun to see actors goof around so expertly. My review's here.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Comedy of Errors

The 2013 season of Shakespeare in the Park starts with The Comedy of Errors with Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamish Linklater. I'm not sure Daniel Sullivan is the best director to handle farce… Click here for my review.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A Kid Like Jake

Always happy to see Carla Gugino onstage, especially in her first new play. Sure, this slight show isn't on the level of Suddenly, Last Summer or After the Fall, but it's still interesting for both NYC parents or those watching NYC parents with schadenfreude. My review's here.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Roadkill

I actually felt nauseated during Roadkill, and that's not something I often feel during a play. So clearly I had to give it the maximum of four stars! My rave review's here.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Venice

Venice: both the hero of this new musical and the city. Just one of the unnecessarily distracting contrivances in the new musical that just opened at the Public. My review's here.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

A Picture of Autumn

I quite liked the Mint's latest excavation job, 1951's A Picture of Autumn. Oh sure, those aging Brits aren't edgy or anything — I'm being sarcastic here! — but the play has its dark side. My review's here.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Reasons to Be Happy

Neil LaBute's sequel to Reasons to Be Pretty finds him in a pensive mode. Well, for a Neil LaBute play. Overall I liked it, but too bad so many jokes poke condescending fun at working-class people. My review's here.

3 Kinds of Exile

How do you give a star rating to a show like John Guare's 3 Kinds of Exile, which is made up of wildly inconsistent one-acts? I erred on the side of generosity because while "Funiage" is embarrassing, "Elzbieta Erased" is simply tremendous. Go here for my review of the whole thing.

Preview of Broadway Bares 23

Every June gypsies take center stage then take it all off in Broadway Bares. The 23rd installment should be a doozy— but then they all are! Click here for my preview.

Friday, June 07, 2013

Annie redux

There's no shame in typecasting: If someone does something well, why not look for variations within that kind of role? That's why casting Jane Lynch as Miss Hannigan in Annie was obvious and inspired at the same time. My review's here.

Thursday, June 06, 2013

The Tutors

Erica Lipez's play, The Tutors, shows promise despite some clunky howlers. The shut-in nerd suddenly decides to backpack in China? The toolish straight guy has sex with his male roommate out of the kindness of his art? Errr…no! Click here for my review.

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Somewhere Fun

I see Jenny Schwartz's Somewhere Fun as the second half of an absurdist language-centric diptych -- though it's less brilliant than its predecessor, God's Ear. My review's here.

Monday, June 03, 2013

Far from Heaven

Not being a fan of Grey Gardens, I was surprised by how much I loved that same team's score for Far from Heaven. Too bad the production's aesthetics are so awful. My review's here.