An auspicious Broadway debut for Robin Williams .

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo- Original and bubbling with ideas as this play is, and even with a ticket selling name like Robin Williams above the title, this is a risky Broadway venture.. . .

A new music from the York Theater Company

Tomorrow Morning-There's nothing terribly wrong with this musical, but neither is there anything terribly right.

Elyse Sommer's take on Curtainup's review of Broadway's big hit

The Book of Mormon - Additional thoughts on the irresistibly compulsive irreverently endearing hit .

London's inventive Kneehigh's latest classic screen to stage show

Andrew Durand as Guy and Carly Bawden as Genevieve in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - Emma Rice's version of the French film; you will either adore it or hate it . . .

Interesting, well staged and superbly acted: Don't Miss this. . .

Laurie Metcalf is  a knockout as the central character

The Other Place - If the name Sharr White doesn't ring a bell, don't let that keep you from buying a ticket to see his first New York world premiere, . . .

Nothing second place about this second LaCage Aux Folles cast

La Cage Aux Folles' Second Cast — Havey Fierstein is a lovable Albin and Christopher Sieber is a perfect Georges. . .

Lizzie Loveridge & Tim Newns on 2 London productions. . .

Mary Broome- The Orange Tree in Richmond, known for its interesting revivals of rare plays, and here is an entertaining and thought provoking Edwardian . . .

Remembrance Day- Aleskey Scherbak's play may not appeal to the masses but it certainly could be an interesting comparison to problems much closer to home..

Harry Potter sings and dance on Broadway

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying- Daniel Radcliffe's performance is certainly and purposefully predicated on the need for hisJ. Pierrepont Finch, to beguile us with his opportunism. He does

Ken Ludwig's golf farce at New Jersey's George Street Theater

A Fox on the Fairway - You don't have to know anything about golf to get all the in-jokes, but you should know that Ludwig's latest farce is sufficiently above par for the course.. . .

A London play that may have a USA life .

Greer Dale-Foulkes as Rhiannon

Lidless- a most original play, albeit with an ending which is tidier than the many difficult issues the play raises. . . .

An old hores racing show still gets laughs

Three Men on a Horse- an amiable antique offerd by TACT to audiences willing to be jockeyed into a receptive position . . .

It looks as if those Mormon boys will be a huge hit

The Book of Mormon- the irresistibly compulsive irreverence that pervades the show becomes increasingly endearing and even (dare I say it) spiritually empowerin

Neil LaBute's latest play premieres in London

Matthew Fox as Bobby and Olivia Williams as Betty (Photo: Alastair Muir)

In a Forest, Dark and Deep - Like all Neil Labute's plays this one engages you intellectually long after curtain down

It may not be ALL Shakespeare--but it's worth seeing

Double Falsehood- Is this really Shakespeare? Why not judge for yourself and be one of those lucky few to have seen a professional production in many generations. . .

John Leguizamo turns his solo into real theater

Ghetto Klown- This may be John Leguizamo's most deeply felt and therapeutic performance piece. It may also be the most entertaining . .

A new not to be missed play

Kin - Bathsheba Doran touching and often funny new play is beautifully acted and staged. . .

The Papermill does Forum. . .

Charles C. Vogt
(Photo: T. Charles Erickson)

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum- As Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart's book aspires to give burlesque a bad name, director Mark Waldrop aspires to amuse us with the madcap chases and the obligatory parade of courtesans delecti . . .

a promising new company for Londoners to check out

Charlotte Marfhan in the Caucasian Chalk Circle (Photo: Navin Agarwal)

The Caucasian Chalk Circle- A promising and engaging production for an innovative space that certainly has some bright years ahead. . . .

You don't have to be a Brooklynite to enjoy this musical

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - this revival's book and score work as organically as a tree growing from the soil. .

X-rated chamber opera in a SoHO loft --

Hello Again - Composer-lyricist-librettist Michael John LaChiusa's sexual roundelay performed in a downtown loft is certainly a different from more conventional theatrical story telling. . .

An enjoyable play from the venerable Pearl Theater

L to R: Scott Greer (Faustus) & Sean McNall (Hamlet) (Photo: Jacob J. Goldberg)

Wittenberg - there's a lot to be said for a play which takes on three major story arcs and sets them up believably and enjoyabl

For a glitzy fun Broadway spectacle-- Priscilla. . .can't be beat

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical- the pink bus has landed on Broadway

Mike Leigh's play still fascinates

Ecstasy- Friendship, disappointment, racism and desire are just some of the many themes that are explored in this revival of Mike Leigh's play . . .

The well-made play to see in London

Sienna Miller as Patricia and Harry Hadden-Paton as Teddy in Flare Path
(Photo: Johan Persson)

Flare Path- Trevor Nunn celebrates Terence Rattigan's centenary with an atmospheric revival of his well crafted play about the Royal Air Force in World War. .

Where's Charley? At Encores! But never for long. . .

Rebecca Luker and Howard McGillin in Encores! Where's Charley?

Encores! Where's Charley? -- it's a treat to hear not just the hits but the less familiar songs from Frank Loesser's first full length musical score. . .

Are audiences still in love with Any?

Rebecca Luker and Howard McGillin in Encores! Where's Charley? 

 

Watch for our review of Encores! Where's Charley?

Arcadia remains challenging and astonishingly entertaining

Arcadia - You might call this a Pinata Play — Tom Stoppard's theatrical version of the Mexican candy and toy filled papier-mâché pot, with the Stoppardian pinata is filled with ideas to be tossed about in witty exchanges . . .

A contemporary take on Genet's The Maids

Laura Hankin (Photo: Richard Termine)

Play Nice!- a dark fairy tale with an ebb and flow of theatricality and gritty realism . . .

Our LA critic likes the musical Little Miss Sunshine

Dick Latessa and Georgi James (Photot: Craig Schwartz.)

Little Miss Sunshine - Buoyed by a cast of Broadway veterans, a quite winning 10-year-old and the team of James Lapine and William Finn this screen to stage adaptation is more delightful than squirm-worthy. . . .

Sylvia Plath's suicide relived in LA

Wish I Had A Sylvia Plath- playwright Edward Anthony's hilarious and soulful tribute to the late poet.. .

New Andrew Lloyd Webber songs but no Judy for this Wizard

The Wizard of Oz- I found that this has all the ingredients on paper as whole, the only character I really cared about was Toto. . . .

A new theater company off to a strong start. . .

Evgeniya Radilov

Blood Wedding- Marvell Rep has neither the money nor the stage to recreate the galloping horses of escaping lovers or the wild celebration of the ill-fated wedding, but Leibowitz makes the audience see and feel the offstage action with all the skill of the ancient Greeks. . .

Unflattering portrait of Judy Garland -- but a winning performance

Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland (Photo: Robert Day)

End of the Rainbow- show about Judy Garland's final days nominated in 4 Olivier Award categories. . . .

a new playwright for Londoners to check out

Savannah Gordon-Liburd as Dee and Malachi Kirby as Jason (Photo: Jonathan Keenan)

Mogadishu- Vivienne Frantzmann's first play is well worth seeing . . .

Cactus Flower no longer blooms

Maxwell Caulfield and Lois Robbins in Cactus Flower 

 

Cactus Flower -The problem with once very funny hit is that the audience is no longer laughing.

The rock 'n'' roll hit arrives in London

London

Ben Goddard as Jerry Lee Lewis

Million Dollar Quartet- an American import for rock 'n' foll fans . . .

Peter Pan kid's book is "adultized" for the stage

Peter and the Starcatcher- a prequel to Peter Pan, big on imagination though occasionally too precociously clever . . .

an entertaining history play at Hartford Stage

Peter Strauss
(Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

Divine Rivalry- an intelligent play, with lots of history and multi-layered characters directed by Michael Wilson . . .

Frankenstein = London's hot ticket -plus lots of other openings

Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature in Frankenstein (Photo: Catherine Ashmore)

Frankenstein - Danny Boyle's spectacular production it becomes a study of cruelty in our treatment of otherness. . . .

Structurally clunky play with a "champion" cast

Publish Post

That Championship Season- a stellar cast buoys this play relying on a favorite plot device: a one night party that climaxes with a top-it-all shocking revelation .

This Treasure Island's a Treasure

Treasure Island- Stevenson's adventure tale gets a lively, fun production at Brooklyn's Irondale Center . . .

The clever Rude Mechs--catch them while you can

The Method Gun- Leave it to the Rude Mechs to take a topic that would seem to only speak to insider (aka theater insiders), and make it not only fabulously funny, but also universal

Frankenstein-- London's hot ticket

Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature in Frankenstein (Photo: Catherine Ashmore)

Frankenstein - Danny Boyle's spectacular production it becomes a study of cruelty in our treatment of otherness

London gets Spelling Bee musical

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee- This regional theater to Off-Broadway to Broadway musical hit has reached London's Donmar Warehouse . . .

Good People -- a better than good new play

Good People- David Linday-Abaire and the superb Frances McDormand lighten his picture of a segment of our society that is struggling to keep from sinking from low-income to no-income . . .

A chance to see TV hearththrob Colin Morgan

Our Private Life- a quirky but murky black comedy from Columbian playwright Pedro Miguel Rozo at the Royal Court studio space.. . .

The unbeatable best buy in town!

Timon of Athen - Any success with this play rests on the shoulders of the actor who undertakes the title character. Here it is Richard Thomas, and he is terrific. . .