Ghost the Musical

I almost enjoyed Ghost the Musical on a car-crash level. But the bottom line is, this is a pretty bad show.

The Lyons redux

Linda Lavin & Co. move The Lyons to Broadway. I felt the play read broader than at the Vineyard, but Lavin's still well worth the trip.

A Streetcar Named Desire

I like a lot of what Nicole Ari Parker does in A Streetcar Named Desire. Blair Underwood, not so much. Full review of this Tennessee Williams revival here.

Clybourne Park redux

Two years after its run at Playwrights Horizons, Clybourne Park transfers to Broadway with its cast and bite intact. Good stuff.

Three Sisters

Lev Dodin and Maly Drama Theatre bring a particularly grim Three Sisters to BAM. You don't need to fasten your seatbelts, this ride is going to be slow. Full review here.

One Man, Two Guvnors

As a big fan of farce — duh, I'm French! — I had a great time at One Man, Two Guvnors. Had the second act held up the pace, it would have been a four-star review for sure. Still, a very positive one in today's paper.

Ionescopade

An old review of the Ionescopade, a "musical vaudeville" based on Eugene Ionesco texts — oh blogger, why don't I ever check your drafts folder?

In Masks Outrageous and Austere

Only one playwright could have come up with In Masks Outrageous and Austere, and that's Tennessee Williams. It's a compendium of his themes and obsessions, minus the need to make sense. Which is pretty awesome if you're into Williams. My review's here.

Peter and the Starcatcher

Peter and the Starcatcher transfers to Broadway. And I still like it.

A Slow Air

David Harrower (Blackbird) returns with A Slow Air, which he also directed. Full review's here.

Massacre (Sing to Your Children)

The least I can say about José Rivera's "Massacre (Sing to Your Children)" is that it's not your regular off-Broadway drama. Which doesn't mean it's good, but it's certainly trying for something different. My review's here.

Magic/Bird

Magic/Bird is about just that: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. And the show's not bad for Broadway hoop dreams.

Federer versus Murray

Those who know me are aware of my all-consuming passion for tennis. Although I prefer playing it to watching it, I was looking forward to Federer versus Murray. Alas, tennis plays second fiddle to a grief drama. My review's here.

Evita

What can I say? I loved the revival of Evita that just hit Broadway.

End of the Rainbow

I like Judy Garland but I'm far from obsessed with her. I don't know if this made me more or less inclined to enjoy Tracie Bennett's performance in End of the Rainbow -- but I enjoyed it I did, as outré as it is. Details here.

The Taming of the Shrew

I have to admit, I wasn't too keen on Theatre for a New Audience's latest batch of Shakespeare productions, but this new one hits the spot -- which is especially sweet since The Taming of the Shrew is so easy to mess up. Read on for my review.

The Best Man

Gore Vidal's 1960 play The Best Man returns to Broadway, in sync with yet another presidential cycle. Lots of bold names in this one, and among them I thought the women fared best. Full review here.

Pipe Dream

The title of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1955 musical Pipe Dream is a rare case of a literal metaphor: The heroine literally moves into a boiler pipe. I won't forget the sight of Will Chase crawling out of a pipe to visit Laura Osnes. Still, this is an enjoyable entry in the Encores! canon. My review's here.

Newsies

Disney's 1992 movie musical Newsies has made the transfer to the stage. Fans rejoice! My review of the new Broadway show can be found here.

Elephant Room

Trust Steve Cuiffo, Trey Lyford and Geoff Sobelle to put a fun twist on the hoary magic show. It's called Elephant Room, it's at St. Ann's Warehouse, and I liked it.

Now. Here. This.

I'd liked [title of show] but Now. Here. This., which is basically more of the same, really annoyed me. There's a thin line between introspective and narcissistic. Full review here.

A brief look ahead at the spring's offerings

In today's Post, I list some of the shows I'm looking forward to this spring.

Regrets

MTC misfires again with Regrets, a regrettable new play set in 1954 Nevada. Why? Why? Why? My full review's here.

Tis Pity She's a Whore

BAM brings us a rocking take on John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. Fans of sex and gore, head to Brooklyn, stat! Full review here.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Des McAnuff's revival of Jesus Christ Superstar opened last night. It's not all great but I loved that it's really loud. Click here for my review.

The Big Meal

My review of Dan LeFranc's The Big Meal is out in today's paper.

Once redux

Once has reopened on Broadway, and I loved it just as much the second time around.

The Voice judges

I had a lot of fun writing about the four judges on The Voice for the Post's TV section this weekend. Check it out here.

The Maids

The reliably stylish Red Bull company brings back The Maids, and I say yay!

Death of a Salesman

Attention must be paid -- but not to the new Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman. My full review's here.

An Iliad

Oops, forgot to link up to my review of An Iliad, starring Denis O'Hare and Stephen Spinella on alternate nights.

The Lady from Dubuque

David Esbjornson makes a good case for Edward Albee's The Lady from Dubuque, a flop back in 1980 (click here for my review). And yes, it's yet another show currently playing the Signature Center.

Carrie

I'm in the camp that thinks that the musical Carrie can work on stage, but it needs a visionary director. Stafford Arima, who handles the new revival, isn't that director — though admittedly the show itself, as revised, has problems. Sigh. My full review's here.

Rated P for Parenthood

A new musical revue about parenting, Rated P for Parenthood, just opened at the Westside Theatre, and my review's here.

Assistance

Loved loved loved Leslye Headland's latest comedy, Assistance. It's a short run, so head to Playwrights Horizons, stat. In the meantime, you can read my review of it here.

Hurt Village

Katori Hall follows the not-so-good Mountaintop with Hurt Village. Show's uneven but there are enough good scenes and characters — and actors — to make it worthy. Plus, you can never get enough Tonya Pinkins. Full review's here.

Rutherford & Son

The Mint presents yet another great obscure yarn with Rutherford & Son, from 1912. Well worth the trip, especially for Anglophiles. Full review here.

Galileo

If the CSC's revival of Galileo accomplish one thing, it's to show that you can have a subject as dramatic as Galileo's fight with the Church, and end up with tepid theater. My review's here.

Early Plays

The Wooster Group and Richard Maxwell team up for a trio of Eugene O'Neill's Early Plays, at St. Ann's Warehouse. I'm not entirely sold.

Blood Knot

Hot on the heels of The Road to Mecca, still playing on Broadway, comes another Athol Fugard play, Blood Knot (review here). There's two more on the way, so these are good times for Fugard's NY fans.

Shatner's World

William Shatner returns to Broadway with Shatner's World -- We Just Live in It, which is to the one-man show genre what cozies are to thrillers. Full review here.

CQ/CX

Gabe McKinley's CQ/CX dramatizes the Jayson Blair story, and makes it boring. How is that even possible? My full review's here.

The Ugly One

Marius von Mayenburg's The Ugly One is at Soho Rep. While it's not quite as great as the buzz from Germany and England would suggest, it's still an interesting work. Full review here.

Rx

Catching up with my latest reviews, we've got Rx, a spry little comedy at Primary Stages. Full appraisal here.

Look Back in Anger

Director Sam Gold strikes again with a revival of Look Back in Anger for the Roundabout. Me liked! Full review here.

These Seven Sicknesses

Seven plays, five hours: It's These Seven Sicknesses, Sean Graney's adaptation of Sophocles' surviving works. And it's a slog.

Yosemite

Two reviews of plays with one-word titles in today's paper! Brief titles is all that Wit and Yosemite have in common, though.

Wit

Manhattan Theatre Club brings Wit to Broadway, with Cynthia Nixon in the lead. I'm not sold on Nixon's performance, but found the play even better than I remembered it.

Gob Squad's Kitchen (You've Never Had It So Good)

God Squad returns with a tribute to Andy Warhol's 1960s movies, including Kitchen, Kiss and Eat. The show is absolutely terrific. More detailed reasons to go here.

Richard III

Kevin Spacey bulldozes his way through Richard III at BAM. I'm a big fan of the way he usually portrays villains, all smooth maliciousness, but he goes over the (big) top here, with almost cartoonish results. My review's here.

The Road to Mecca

Athol Fugard's The Road to Mecca is worth a gander, especially since it's headed by Rosemary Harris and Carla Gugino. The play drags a bit, but it does pay off. Full review here.

Untitled Feminist Show

Young Jean Lee returns with Untitled Feminist Show, which I liked quite a bit.

LEO

A cool piece of physical theater, LEO does extend its welcome somewhat. It's always hard to know when to stop. Review here.

Classic BAM shows

I had another piece this weekend, about some classic 1970s productions at BAM: article or slide show. Check out my NY Post blog as I'll publish leftover goodies from the interviews I conducted for the article.

some cool arts tours

Catching up with some linkage, follow this one to my piece about backstage and behind-the-scenes tours -- Lincoln Center, the Met, Radio City Music Hall, etc.

Porgy and Bess

My review of the revival of Porgy and Bess is in today's paper. Not so hot.

Outside People

Another tale of a hapless American man struggling in China hits the boards with Outside People at the Vineyard. You may want to check out Chinglish instead, but in the meantime, here's my review.

Hypnotik

Cheeseball alert at Theater for the New City! I'm referring to Hypnotik: The Seer Will Doctor You Now, and my full review's here.

Close Up Space

Though it's common for critics to moan about all the bad plays we have to see, it's actually rare to be subjected to one as inept as Close Up Space, currently at MTC I.

Peter Pan

Peter Pan is back in town, and so is Cathy Rigby. Of course, I was there.

Lysistrata Jones

I liked Lysistrata Jones off Broadway, and I still like it on Broadway: a cheerier show is hard to find. Full review here.

Farm Boy

Farm Boy, Michael Mopurgo's sequel (of sorts) to War Horse hits 59E59. Warning: no puppets on stage.

James X

My review of Gerard Mannix Flynn's James X, about abuse in church-run institutions in Ireland, is in today's paper.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Michael Mayer's revisal of this 1965 musical maudit has finally opened, and my review's in today's paper. In brief: Instead of a show with a great score and a clunky book, we now have a show with a great score and a different clunky book. The more things change, the less they do.

Stick Fly

Lydia R. Diamond's sudser Stick Fly opened on Broadway last night. My glass half empty/glass half full review is here.

Maple and Vine

Two of my stage faves, Marin Ireland and Jeanine Serralles, star in Maple and Vine, and despite that cast plus a great premise, the show flounders.

Neighbourhood Watch

Alan Ayckbourn's 75th (!) play lands at 59E59. To, er, watch or not to watch? My take's here.

Once

New York Theatre Workshop may have a new Rent on its hands with Once, the stage version of the Irish movie. Read my review, then go buy a ticket — if there are any left.

Misterman

Cillian Murphy stars in Enda Walsh's Misterman at St. Ann's Warehouse. And when I say "stars," I mean just that: He's terrific, plus he's alone onstage. Full review thataway.

Happy Hour

Ethan Coen complete his trifecta of one-act anthologies with Happy Hour. At least I hope he's done, because the shows have steadily worsened. More here.

The Cherry Orchard

CSC delivers a Cherry Orchard that's all over the map, and weirdly gripping in its own disjointed way. I elaborate here.

Elective Affinities

David Adjmi's tasty curtain-raiser, Elective Affinities, gets the deluxe treatment courtesy of director Sarah Benson and star Zoe Caldwell. My full review's here.

Bonnie & Clyde

Six months after Wonderland tanked, Frank Wildhorn has another musical on Broadway: Bonnie & Clyde, inspired by you-know-who. What I thought? Read on.

Wild Animals You Should Know

Last review before the Thanksgiving break: Thomas Higgins' Wild Animals You Should Know.

An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin

In my case it was an afternoon, since I saw this show at the Sunday matinee. Never mind the time: An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin is a terrific production, and it certainly surprised me.

Seminar

Theresa Rebeck's new Broadway comedy, Seminar, cruises into port with a great cast led by Alan Rickman and Lily Rabe. My review's here.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular

If it's mid-November, it must be time for Yule cheer. Yep, I saw The Radio City Christmas Spectacular last year -- not sure if it was my 6th or 7th time. This edition introduced quite a few tweaks, and I wasn't crazy about all of them. More details in my review.

Private Lives

Kim Cattrall and Paul Gross duke it out in a revival of Private Lives on Broadway. Much to my surprise, I was delighted by Cattrall, while Gross -- whom I loved in Slings & Arrows -- left me cold.

Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays

The subtitle of the new anthology Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays needs a hyphen. After all, the pieces are about gay marriage -- they're not gay takes on marriage on general. More quibbles in my review.

Burning

Thomas Bradshaw moves up to off-Broadway with Burning, at the New Group. He insistently pushes a lot of buttons — like a man pressing a buzzer again and again and again. My review's thataway.

How Much Is Enough?

The Foundry Theatre examines our values in its new participatory piece, How Much Is Enough? A bit too consensual for my taste.

Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway

Who can carry this type of razzmatazz singing-and-dancing solo show at this point in time? I can only think of one, and it's Hugh Jackman. His Back to Broadway is a hoot, and left me grinning ear to ear.

Nightwish is back!

I'm taking a break from linking to my theater reviews to breathlessly gush about the new Nightwish song. Yes, Nightwish, ie the most grandiose band on Earth, is back at long last. New single "Storytime" was worth the wait: It's basically steroidal neo-romantic metal Abba! Clearly this song was written just for me.

Also, the video has evil clowns.

The Blue Flower

When was the last time Second Stage did a musical? Could it have been Sherie Rene Scott's Everyday Rapture, back in May 2009?  That place doesn't produce many of them, and I'm afraid The Blue Flower, sweet and misguided, won't do much to change that attitude.

King Lear

The third King Lear of the year is the weakest. Only hardcore fans -- of Sam Waterston, Bill Irwin or the play itself -- would want to catch this middling production at the Public.

Venus in Fur redux

After Other Desert Cities, another off-Broadway show moves up -- this time, Venus in Fur. Though the balance between the two characters is much improved with the casting of Hugh Dancy, I'm not sure David Ives had to make his play longer. At 1:45, it overstays its welcome.

Godspell

Godspell is back on Broadway for the first time since 1977, and I really wish I'd liked the revival more. I may have been more lenient if I was 13. My review's here.

Other Desert Cities redux

Other Desert Cities reopens on Broadway with a couple of casting switcheroos: Rachel Griffiths in for Elizabeth Marvel, Judith Light in for Linda Lavin. How does the show fare?  My take here.

Now the Cats with Jewelled Claws

Tennessee Williams wrote Now the Cats with Jewelled Claws two years before his death, and you can tell that 1) he had nothing to lose anymore and 2) his brain was foggy. Which means that it's completely fascinating, and the production at La MaMa stars no less than Everett Quinton and Mink Stole. My review's here.

Love's Labor's Lost

Shakespeare's comedy gets slightly Americanized at the Public — and that includes not just the title, but references to Beyoncé and "Boo-yah!" My review's here.

Chinglish

Ooops, forgot to link to my review of David Henry Hwang's Chinglish, now on Broadway. Here it is.

The Atmosphere of Memory

I seem to be in the minority to have enjoyed David Bar Katz's admittedly nutty play, The Atmosphere of Memory (review here). Is it realistic? No. Does it always make sense? No. Is it entertaining and surprising? Yes and yes. I never knew what was coming, which is a big plus for me.

Asuncion

Jesse Eisenberg wrote and co-stars in Asuncion, at the Cherry Lane Theatre. It had the potential to be a lot better, but fans of Eisenberg and Justin Bartha (swoon!) should see it. My review's here.

Cries and Whispers

I consider myself an Ivo van Hove completist so I would have gone to see his Cries and Whispers at BAM no matter what. Admittedly, this isn't one of his best productions, though it does have a couple of his signature high-energy scenes. My review's thataway.

Big Apple Circus: Dream Big

The Big Apple Circus' latest show, Dream Big, is at Damrosch Park until early January. Our group had a great time, including our two special consultants (six and a half, eight and a half).

Sons of the Prophet

Stephen Karam's new Sons of the Prophet is one of the best-received plays of the new season. I concur! Catch it if you can.

Relatively Speaking

Or, as it's been nicknamed, Relatively Unspeakable. Ethan Coen, Woody Allen and Elaine May strike out in their joint evening of one-act plays. I survived long enough to review it.

The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

Mike Daisey tackles the cult of Apple in his new show at the Public -- review here. Turns out your shiny phone is made by Chinese children who work 70-hours weeks and develop arthritis in their 20s. Actually I say "your" because I don't have an iPhone, but I suspect the source of my cheapo LG isn't much better.

The Mountaintop

Katori Hall's The Mountaintop opened last night. Here's the deal: Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Martin Luther King Jr. And here's my review.

We Live Here

Zoe Kazan's playwriting debut, We Live Here, just opened at MTC. I went, so you won't have to.