Sequel to my Prequel for Betrayal-- it works!

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Betrayal- While Craig is the ticket selling magnet, and both he and Rachel Weisz are excellent, the truly unforgettable character here is Rafe Spall as Jerry, the man sharing seven years of illicit afternoons with Emma. And Mike Nichols' more lavishly illustrate and , yes, funny production somehow works. . . . . . Read More

An endearing solo show about Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer

Becoming Dr. Ruth - Welcome to New York, Dr. Ruth! That is, Debra Jo Rush in her endearing portrayal of the 4'7" dynamo with the German-French-Israeli accent best known for her witty sound bites about any and all sexual matters.. . . Read More

A brilliantly inventive production of Brecht's parable

Good Person Of Szechwan - The Foundry Theatre's brilliantly inventive production is giving a larger audience a chane to contemplate how to help good people everywhere to a happy end — and as part of that process seeing one of the most enjoyable shows to be found anywhere in Manhattan. . . Read More

3 hours with Wallace Shawn-- well spent

Grasses of a Thousand Colors - From this stew that Wallace Shawn spent well over three hours stirring there arose an unmistakable (if discomfiting) flavor that hits far too close to our gut. No wonder, then, that Shawn spends so much of his play fretting about "awful stomach illness" and "digestive collapse." . . . Read More

Betrayal --the season's show for all claiming with-it-ry credentials

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Betrayal- a Prequel - No chance that any New Yorker claiming "with-it-ry"credentials would be caught unable to make a few choice comments about Daniel Craig's performance. . . Read More

WWII movie From Here to Eternity now a British musical--

From Here to Eternity - hopefully word of mouth will encourage people to make the trek to the far end of Shaftesbury Avenue to see this evocative wartime musical with its realistic edge. . . Read More

Betrayal --the season's show for all claiming with-it-ry credentials

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Betrayal- a Prequel - No chance that any New Yorker claiming "with-it-ry"credentials would be caught unable to make a few choice comments about Daniel Craig's performance. . . Read More

Snow Geese- a schmaltzy, elegantly staged Chekhovian drama

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The Snow Geese - Sharr White's Americanized Chekhovian familial drama is underscored by broader world in disarray and marks a welcome return to the stage by Mary-Louise Parker . . . Read More

Review of The Landing -- a triptych of mini-musicals

The Landing - John Kander and Greg Pierce's first collaboration is a trio of loosely connected stories that could use more songs. Effectively staged and well performed, especially by David Hyde Pierce. . . Read More

3 new off-Broadway play reviews just posted

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Fun Home - Book writer-lyricist Lisa Kron and composer Jeanine Tesori have turned Alison Bechdel's graphic book into an unusual and well worth seeing musica.'. . . Read More

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Marie Antoinette - while David Adjmi's play is as steeped in Marie mythology as one might expect, the portrayal is ultimately human, if not consistently engaging. . . . Read More

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Eager to Lose - refreshing evidence that burlesque has the potential to have the smartest and dumbest guy (or girl) in the room drooling over what you're doing. . . . Read More

Eager to Lose is a winning new look at burlesque

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Eager to Lose - refreshing evidence that burlesque has the potential to have the smartest and dumbest guy (or girl) in the room drooling over what you're doing. . . . Read More

A provocative new look at Marie Antoinette

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Marie Antoinette - while David Adjmi's play is as steeped in Marie mythology as one might expect, the portrayal is ultimately human, if not consistently engaging. . . . Read More

Fun Home is a provocative new musical

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Fun Home - Book writer-lyricist Lisa Kron and composer Jeanine Tesori have turned Alison Bechdel's graphic book into an unusual and well worth seeing musica.'. . . Read More

good grade for play but not the school system

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And Miles to Go - Chad Beckim is blunt in his indictment of a current state of affairs, and Hal Brooks' production fulfills the goal of the script in tackling its subject matter directly and forcefully. . . Read More

Another non-traditional Shakespeare

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Hamlet Hallucinations - Dario D'Ambrosi's surreal journey through the protagonist's psyche is told from the Gravedigger's point of view . . . Read More

The page-to-stage A Time to Kill unlikely to make a killing at the box office

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A Time to Kill - Some nifty stage craft, well-paced direction and a dedicated cast make for an entertaining enough play, but not as rich as its source,John Grisham's first courtroom drama . . . Read More

The Winslow Play still a winner: well-crafted, superbly acted

The Winslow Boy - Sometimes what works in London for a director, doesn't transfer well to Broadway, especially when that director must now deal with a new cast. But Lindsay Posner has another top drawer cast to make this first Broadway revival of Terence Rattigan's play since 1947 a most welcome one. . . . Read More

Some of our most recent postings

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The Model Apartment - While Donald Margulies ranks high on my list of fine contemporary playwrights, I can't say that his troubled early play has blossomed into a misunderstood and unfairly neglected treasure whose time has finally come. . . Read More

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The Seagull -Long before Madame Arkadina's — oops, I mean Isobel's — sensitive son Constantine improves his pistol marksmanship in time for the play's tragic climax, my inclination to compare Max Stafford-Clark's Irish production to some of my favorite and more traditional versions, gave way to appreciating and enjoying it. . . Read More

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Jericho - Jill Eikenberry is billed as this New York premiere's star, Eleanor Handley plays the s main character and delivers a fine performance, while Eikenberry is somewhat miscast . . . Read More

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Going Fishing for a Big Musical Hit - a rumination inspired by the new musical Big Fish . . . . . . Read More

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Julius Caesar - Extended to 11/09! Shakespeare's most manly of plays with an all female cast . . . Read More

Review of early Donald Margulies play

The Model Apartment - While Donald Margulies ranks high on my list of fine contemporary playwrights, I can't say that his troubled early play has blossomed into a misunderstood and unfairly neglected treasure whose time has finally come. . . Read More

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Checkhov's Russians with an Irish accent. . .

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The Seagull -Long before Madame Arkadina's — oops, I mean Isobel's — sensitive son Constantine improves his pistol marksmanship in time for the play's tragic climax, my inclination to compare Max Stafford-Clark's Irish production to some of my favorite and more traditional versions, gave way to appreciating and enjoying it. . . Read More

Jericho explores post 9/11 trauma

Jericho - Jill Elkenberry is billed as this New York premiere's star, Eleanor Handley plays the s main character and delivers a fine performance, while Elkenberry is somewhat miscast . . . Read More

Joplin sings again via Mary Bridget Davies

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A Night with Janis Joplin - Mary Bridget Davies perfectly embeds into the songs the impassioned intensity that marked Joplin.

Julius Caesar as a female prison drama-a Wow!

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Julius Caesar - Shakespeare's most manly of plays with an all female cast . . . Read More

A theatrical ode to the Yankees. . .

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Bronx Bombers - Of Eric Simonson's three sports-themed plays Bronx Bombers, comes closest to being a real play. No books and videos on the same subject to invite negative comparisons and more to work with for the actors . . . Read More

The Big Fish in Big Fish is Norbert Leo Butz

Big Fish -wonderfully grounded by the terrific performance of Norbert Leo Butz . . . Read More

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Woody Allen's mashup of a stage classic and the Madoff Scandal at our stage & scree page

Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen's Homage to the poet of the Contemporary American theater, Tennessee Williams

Our LA critic visits rogue Machine

The Lost Girls Rogue Machine brings its usual high quality elements to John Pollono's new play .. . . Read More

Ingmar' Bergman's trouble marital film gets a fine stage adaptation

Scenes From a Marriage - Olivia Williams gives a remarkable and intense performance in this adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's film. . Rea

A much done Billy Holiday show at NY's Little Shubert

.Great songs  in  a somewhat too familiar   show
Lady Day - when we hear Bridgewater stake a personal claim on such Holiday classics like "My Man", we are in true rapport with the legend Read M

A family gathering from hell-- but great fun

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Bad Jews - You definitely don't have to be Jewish to find plenty to laugh at and — if you're unlucky enough to have a sanctimonious, razor-tongued relative like Daphna Feygenbaum — to identify with. Even without a Daphna on the family tree, there are plenty of problems likely to cause bad feelings and even long lasting hostilities in families of all faiths. . . Read More

A fine cast makes Jon robin Baitz's first play worth seeing

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The Film Society - The Keen Company's revival of Jon Robin Baitz's rarely produced first full-length play proves that a promising new play can, given the right cast and direction, continue to live up to its promise. . . . Read More

A fun but flawed cross country bike trip

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Bike America - Scene by scene this is a fun and funny, if occasionally hokey, ride across a diverse landscape. From indecisive Ohio to a merciless New Jersey, Mike Lew skewers each state in broad strokes, providing laughs for New Yorkers with predictable prejudices.. . . Read More