Spider-man draws unofficial critics. . .and psychics

Spider-man-ia-could the beleagured musical actually create a new profitable Broadway template? . . .

Chicago has a sizzling revival of Albee's famous fighting couple

Amy Morton and Tracy Letts in Who's Afraid of Viriginia Woolf?

Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?- Tracy Letts and Amy Morton make this latest visit to George and Martha riveting. . .

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical in DC

Florence Lacey

Sunset Boulevard- This revival, like its main caracter is now nothing more than faded glory. . . .

A Lincoln Center bound not-to-be-missed Shakespeare

Greg Hickas As Leontes and Kelly Hunter as Hermione (Photo: Alessandro Evangelista)

The Winter's Tale- this Royal Shakespeare production will be at New York'sLincoln Center next summer . . .

Classical music and theater make for a fun mash-up

Three Pianos- this hard to classify 3-man show is probably one of the most unusual approaches to serious music as theater . . .

New Jersey revels in amusing mystery drama

Carmit Levité and Vince Nappo (Photo: SuzAnne Barabas )

The Tangled Skirt- This pulp fiction drama's primary virtue is in its ability to keep us glued to and amused by every cliché that comes from the mouths of its two purposely enigmatic characters.. . .

For London Farce Lovers-- Fedou's classic

Jonathan Cake as M Tournel and Tom Hollander as Monsieur Chandebise (Photo: Manuel Harlan)

A Flea in Her Ear- Fedou's farce at the Old Vic . . .

Theater-related reading gifts. . .

Holiday Gift Books- 3 memoirs and a tales of Manhattan novel that turns into a musical. .

Helen Hunt as Shakespeare's Beatrice

Helen Hunt in Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing-A starstudded production well worth seeing . . .

Still dancing and singing teens on Broadway

The Osmonds

Donny & Marie: A Broadway Christmas Show- A nostalgia visit with TV's squeaky clean teen siblings

King Lear now at the Donmar-- soon at BAM

London

Derek Jacobi as Lear (Photo: Johan Persson)

King Lear- Derek Jacobi make Shakespeare's tragedy life changing and unmissable. . . .

Erik Segal's famous weepie romancce musicalized

Emma Williams as Jenny and Michael Xavier as Oliver (Photo: Manuel Harlan)

Love Story- if you are not afraid of sentiment or if you adored the film, this 90minute long musical adaptation will probably charm. . . .

Willy Russell's perennially popular solo play at Long Wharf

Judith Ivey (Photo: T. Charles Erickson )

Shirley Valentine -Judith Ivey is the latest bored Liverpoolhousewife to renew herself on a Greek Island holiday .

sci-fi with puppets, masks and imagination aplenty

Baby Universe (Photo: Jim Baldassare )

Baby Universe: A Puppet Odyssey- If you think puppet entertainment is limited to children's shows don't miss . Wakka Wakka's story of a dying universe reborn.. . .

Candide still all glitter and be gay-- in DC

Candide- Mary Zimmerman brings her distinctive, style to a fine revival of the often troubled but enduring musical. . . .

You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy this musical game. . .

Golf: The Musical- Having played throughout the United States andaround the world, this sport-y revue returns to the city of its birth. . .

Brenda Blethyn makes Haunted haunting. . .

Haunted- Edna O'Brien has captured a sad trio of characters, each with solitary desires, but she lightens the dreariness with appealing injections of humor

a 12-play marathon about the Afghanistan quagmire

The Great Game: Afghanistan-This dramatic political smorgasbord makes for a lengthy meal with much to chew on and digest. . .

London musicalizes Dumas swashbuckler

The Three Musketeers-There's talk of bringing this swashbuckling musical to the West End and it certainly deserves a wider audience. . . .

London does HGWells proud. . .

John Gordon Sinclair as the invisible man & Maria Friedman as Mrs Hall

The Invisible ManThe most refreshing entertainment for the holiday season is the Chocolate Factory's production of Ken Hill's adaptation of HG Wells's story . . .