Application Pending

Christina Bianco's talents are wasted in the middling new comedy Application Pending. My review's here.

Pretty Filthy

The Civilians look at the other side of Hollywood — the porn side — in the surprisingly sunny and upbeat (well, up to a point) Pretty Filthy. Click here for my review.

Texas in Paris

It's always a pleasure to watch Lillias White on stage, even in a show that doesn't give her much to chew on. My review's here.

Lady, Be Good

Encores! brings back a couple of classic chesnuts: the Gershwins' 1924 screwball musical and Tommy Tune. My review of this spry, loose, fun show is here.

Shesh Yak

You can take a hot-button subject like Syria and come up with a bland show, no matter how much brutality you throw at the stage. My review's here.

More US remakes of foreign TV shows

Most American remakes of non-American TV series suck. They suck and suck and suck. And yet they keep on coming, even though it's become easier than ever to watch the originals stateside. A quick look at what's coming down the pipeline.

It pays to open for Taylor Swift

Well usually it does. And then sometimes it doesn't. After Haim was announced to open on select dates for La Swift, I wondered if the sisters would end up like Ed Sheeran or like Kellie Pickler. Click here for the linkage.

Nevermore

Stylish, ghoulish biomusical about E. A. Poe. But boy, someone should have take editing scissors to that show! My review's here.

You Can't Take It With You redux

Anna Chlumsky (big up for 3C!) joined the cast of You Can't Take It With You so I went back to check out the show again — I know, twist my arm. My re-review is here.

Into the Woods

Catching up with some belated linkage (thanks, Blizzard of 2015, for leaving me stranded), starting with the Roundabout/Fiasco revival of Into the Woods.

I'm Gonna Pray for You So Hard

How I love watching Reed Birney play baddies! His milquetoast exterior makes it so much fun to watch. My review of Halley Feiffer's latest outing as a playwright is here.

Interview with Gillian Anderson

The best part about interviewing Gillian Anderson about The Fall is how alive she became when talking theater. Click here for the chat.

A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes

Kate Benson's A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes is a textbook example of a play eaten up and left for half-dead by its conceptual gambit. My review's here.

Honeymoon in Vegas

Honeymoon in Vegas is a typical you win some, you lose some musical, but the takeaway is overall pretty good. My review's here.

Constellations

Some very good actorly feats are happening at Constellations, courtesy of Jake Gyllenhaal and, especially, Ruth Wilson. My review's here.

In praise of Episodes

What's harder to Google, "girls" or "episodes"? Those two series have banal single-word titles, and one of them deserves more love than it's been getting. Hint: It's on Showtime, and my primer is here.

Kansas City Choir Boy

Todd Almond and Courtney Love's collaboration has drawn a lot of attention, and mostly I enjoyed it -- or should I say I enjoyed her? My review of this Prototype festival production is here.

Dying for It

It's the audience who's Dying for It -- "it" being escape from the theater -- as it suffers through a sluggish comedy at the Atlantic. My review's here.

Winners and Losers

Canadian import Winners and Losers has ups and downs, like the real-life conversation it so spookily emulates. My review of this latest Soho Rep production is here.

Under the Radar and Coil preview

Forget about January being a dead month for theater: Now it's action-packed, making it impossible to see all the cool stuff on offer. I previewed the two biggie fests on the block here.

Cafe Society Swing

59E59's holiday revue, Cafe Society Swing, has its ups and downs, but I was quite taken with Cyrille Aimée. Click here for the deets.

The Last Ship redux

Sting joined the cast of his own Broadway musical, The Last Ship, so of course I had to go. And guess what: the other guy was better! Click here for my re-review.

Pocatello

Samuel D. Hunter's Pocatello is very good, but I'm still waiting for his great play. Click here for my review.

Soul Doctor redux

Where will Soul Doctor pop up next if this new version still tanks? My review's here.

Every Brilliant Thing

The premise of Every Brilliant Thing isn't all that original -- it's the staging that makes the difference with this show. My review's here.

Interview with Tricia Helfer

I have fond memories of the winter when we watched all of Battlestar Galactica, after the series had just concluded. So it was particularly fun to interview Cylon Number 6, aka Tricia Helfer, about her new project, Syfy's Ascension. Click here for the chat.

Christmas with the Crawfords

This holiday drag extravaganza is still a little stiff, but this kind of show improves with every performance as the cast gets into the groove. My review's here.

The Invisible Hand

Ayad Akhtar's latest has more traditional action (a kidnapping, an escape attempt, etc.) than his previous efforts but once again characters and drama take a backseat to Big Issues. My review's here.

The Elephant Man

Bradley Cooper tackles The Elephant Man, the go-to play with handsome men with something to prove. He's good, too. Click here for my review.

A Christmas Memory

Based on a Truman Capote short story, A Christmas Memory is both too small and too big -- padding, people, padding! My review is here.

The Illusionists

Based on its poster, you could be forgiven for thinking The Illusionists is a remake of the magic-heist movie Now You See Me. But no: it's an actual magic show. My review's here.

Peter Pan

I can't believe last night's live telecast of Peter Pan made me think back fondly about the production I saw at the Theatre at MSG a few years ago. My review's here.

Cabaret redux

I loved what Emma Stone is doing in Cabaret. Her Sally Bowles is a manic, coked-up, often scary opportunist, and it's a very coherent portrayal. My re-review of the re-revival is here.

Interview with Annaleigh Ashford

I just can't get enough of Annaleigh Ashford, so I'm pleased as punch she's doing a cabaret show at 54 Below this month. Here we talked about some of the tunes she'll perform.

Interview with John "Lypsinka" Epperson

It was an absolute delight to talk to John Epperson about Lypsinka, working as a rehearsal pianist at ABT and the evolution of gay humor. Click here for my interview.

Our Lady of Kibeho

Katori Hall fulfills all her early promises with Our Lady of Kibeho at Signature. My review's here.

Good Wife mid-season recap

As The Good Wife wrapped up its mid-season (yes, it's a thing now), I looked at the interim finale and asked some questions.

Women in drag

Thank you Allison Williams and Peter Pan to give me an excuse to do this gallery of women playing men, or women playing women pretending to be men, or Mariah Carey with glued-on goatee.

Tristan & Yseult

OMFG how good is Kneehigh's Tristan & Yseult?!? Click here for my rave.

Me, My Mouth & I

Joy Behar's solo show is exactly how you think it'd be, which isn't a bad thing per se. My review's here.

A Delicate Balance

I was lucky enough to see the previous revival of Albee's A Delicate Balance -- yeah, the one with Elaine Stritch -- but even without comparing the two, this new production doesn't look all that great. My review's here.

Allegro

I very much enjoyed John Doyle's revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Allegro at CSC -- his MO of having the cast play their own instruments works really well in this case. My review's here.

Straight White Men

Young Jean Lee's latest is another though-provoking, unexpectedly entertaining ride. My review's here.

Punk Rock

Not a teen cliché is left unturned in Simon Stephens' Punk Rock, but something tells me we haven't seen the last of this cast. My review's here.

Side Show

Side Show has attracted quite a cult following over the past 17 years, and I can't say I was a part of it. But I kinda liked the revisal that just opened on Broadway. My review's here.

The River

I love Hugh Jackman but I deeply, disliked The River, a pretentious piece of dreck that inexplicably got good reviews in London (with Dominic West instead, but the play's problems would be the same). Click here for my review.

Interview with Jill Flint

I chatted with Jill Flint about the history between her character, Lana Delaney, and Kalinda on The Good Wife. Very happy when she handed me the perfect closing line.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular

It's that time of the year again! Can I just say how bummed I was that the Christmas Spectacular dropped the "Shine a Light" number? Seriously! My review of the 2014 production is here.

Grand Concourse

I liked the quiet way in which Heidi Schreck's Grand Concourse deals with faith and forgiveness. My review is here.

Lost Lake

Tracie Thoms and John Hawkes give their all but there's not that much to David Auburn's Lost Lake. My review's here.

The Band Wagon

Tracey Ullman needs to do more musicals, stat! My review of the Encores! Band Wagon is here.

Sticks and Bones

Not gonna lie: There were times when I was bored senseless at the revival of David Rabe's Sticks and Bones. But there were also times when I was like, Holy crap this is amazing theater and I could watch Bill Pullman and Holly Hunter forever! My review's here.

Show Boat

The New York Philharmonic goes Broadway again, this time with Kern and Hammerstein's Show Boat. A few quibbles but overall it was a treat to listen to that score in those conditions. My review's here.

The Oldest Boy

I loved Sarah Ruhl's Stage Kiss but this new one…not as much. It sure looks great though. My review of the new reincarnation tale is here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You Can't Take It With You

Kaufman and Hart's 1936 chestnut gets an appropriately funny revival on Broadway. I feel lucky to have been able to see comic snipers Kristine Nielsen, Julie Halson, Annaleigh Ashford, Crystal Dickinson and Rose Byrne on one stage. My review's here.

Interview with Kate Walsh

Kate Walsh is one of the spunkiest (including in the Australian sense of the word — look it up) actors around, and it was a lot of fun talking to her about her new series, Bad Judge. My feature's here.

Scenes from a Marriage

As much as I value the work of directors, especially Ivo van Hove's, I think his concept for the new Scenes from a Marriage at NYTW kind of stifles the show. My review's here.

The Money Shot

Neil LaBute's new play is a bit of a red herring: While set in Hollywood, it's not about Hollywood. Rather, it skewers today's moral and intellectual relativism. My review's here.

The Valley of Astonishment

Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne's The Valley of Astonishment is beautiful, sensitive, well-crafted … and it leaves you wondering "So what?" My review's here.

Love Letters

A. R. Gurney's Love Letters returns to Broadway with a cavalcade of stars. First off the gates were Brian Dennehy and Mia Farrow, so that's who I reviewed.

Rock Bottom

I've seen Bridget Everett many. many times at this point, but she still surprises me. Her new show, Rock Bottom, is more of the same yet different. Oh heck, just go see it. But first, read my review.

The Fatal Weakness

The Mint revives George Kelly's dramedy The Fatal Weakness. (Feels weird to use a word like "dramedy" for a 1947 play but there you go...) My review's here.

Mighty Real

Mighty Real is the kind of show that's not great but super-fun -- and as you may gather from the title, it is about Sylvester. Wall-to-wall live disco? I never say no. My review's here.

Dry Land

Totally bought Ruby Rae Spiegel's first full-length play, Dry Land, brought to us by the equally vital company Colt Coeur. Seating's limited so act fast! My review's here.

This Is Our Youth

What a beautiful production Kenneth Lonergan's play is gettin at the Cort! My review's here.

Bootycandy

Robert O'Hara's Bootycandy is candid and funny and sexy and mean and all kinds of fun. Also too long but hey, that's what happens when playwrights direct themselves. My review's here.

Bauer

Never heard of painter Rudolf Bauer? New drama Bauer tries to fix that. My review's here.

Looking back at Ruthless!

Once upon a time, in a faraway galaxy -- ie 1992 New York -- Natalie Portman and Britney Spears were in the same show. As that show, Ruthless!, is being revived, I looked back at its inception. Come and board the hot-tub time machine!

Boys and Girls

Four Irish youths search for love or sex or a combination of the above in the charming but slight Boys and Girls. My review's here.

The Wayside Motor Inn

Signature brings back A. R. Gurney's 1977 piece The Wayside Motor Inn, which is based on an Alan Ayckbourn-type conceptual gambit. My review's here.

Red Eye of Love

You know a show's in trouble when it can't tell the difference between charming and creepy in its leading man. And that's only the beginning of the problems here... My review of this new musical is here.

Trade Practices

Reaching Trade Practices is a bit of an adventure -- it's on Governors Island -- and the show itself keeps the audience on its toes. Balancing didacticism and satire is tough, tough. My review's here.

And I and Silence

Naomi Wallace's new play at Signature, And I and Silence, left me a little cold, which is weird considering how emotionally heated it's trying to be. My review's here.