The Folksbiene's gentle musical adaptation of Canadian film:

Lies My Father Told Me - a gentle musical with something of a rambling plot line. But thanks to the lively musical numbers and memorable characters, it remains interesting and entertaining. . . Read More

A.R. Gurney new play, and old-fashioned family drama

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Family Furniture< - It's back to WASP country and the 1952's in A. R. Gurney's new play at the Flea . . . Read More

Something new-- and charming-- about this Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol - Patrick Barlow's adaptation is an a entrancing and enlightened way to get into spirit of the season. . . . Read More

Ethan Hawke's Macbeth: "a mingled yarn, good and ill together".

Macbeth - Perhaps the best way to sum up this production is to borrow a phrase from Shakespeare himself: "mingled yarn, good and ill together". . . "macbethlc13.html">Read More

Terrence McNally's witty whirlwind romp through theater history

The riffs on  Waiting for Godot and Shakespeare are especiially timely giving   Beckett and Shakespeare's current star powered  Broadway productions

And Away We Go - Terrence McNally has clearly had a grand time stuffing his whirlwind romp through centuries of theatrical history with sly allusions and amusing dialogue. . . Read More

A touching farewell to the Apple family plays at the Public. . .

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Regular Singing,Scenes From Life in the Country - Richard Nelson completes his plays about the Apple family in tandem with inrep production of the three leading up to this highly emotional finale. . . Read More

2 perfect paired plays & 2 perfectly paired Knights-- Not to be missed!

' New York-Broadway

No Man's Land & Waiting For Godot in rep - McKellen and Stewart have figured out how to jiggle the balance of power like a long-standing partnership Read More

Small Engine Repai, a guy play but women are a powerful presence

Small Engine Repair - John Pollono's play has an all male cast, but women are a powerful presence . . . Read More

Actress Amanda Peet's entgertaining new play: The Comons of Pesacola

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The Commons of Pensacola - Amanda Peet's entertaining debut play at MTC's City Center Main Stage deals with much the same issues as those explored in in Dennis Kelly's Taking Care of Baby at the neighboring smaller stage: profeteering from other people's tragedies, what to believe or not believe, and how the central players in a tragedy move on with their lives. . .

3 new reviews of old hits from our London critic

Mojo - For those expecting to see a repeat from the Jerusalem team of director Ian Rickson and writer Jez Butterworth, there may be disappointment . . . Read More

Twelve Angry Men -For a period piece, Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men delivers a classic drama full of impassioned debate. . . Read More

Jeeves and W

we review a new "mocudrama" exploring leies/truth and exploitation

Taking Care of Baby - Dennis Kelly has "Americanized" his play for its off-Broadway premiere which benefits from a top drawer cast. . . Read More

A true musical hit has landed on Broadway: here's our rave!

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A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder - A hilariously macabre and deliciously tuneful musical has landed on Broadway. It's a sure-fire Tony award collector . . . Read More

A site specific solo: This is My Office

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This Is My Office - Our time with Andy in his office is about the non-spectacular, average struggles that life brings to us all. But the honesty and intimacy with which we go on this journey with Andy is what makes it truly special, and far from average. . . . Read More

Movie-to-stage musical Little Miss Sunshine short on good ballads

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Little Miss Sunshine - William Finn and James Lapine have musicalized the movie about the dysfunctional Hoover family. The 2nd Stage production is vastly revamped from its California premiere. . . . Read More

Bard Stormin seaon inspires feature "To Revamp or Not to Revamp. . .that is the question"

To Revamp or Not to Revamp. . . - that is the question especially in a Bard Storming season.

The Patron Saint. . .is puzzling but not without its good points

The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters - Marlane Meyer's new play may not always be pleasant to watch, but it's a cerebral and well-composed dramedy that is worth seeing.. . Read More

All that Fall might just outsell Beckett's Broadway Godot

All That Fall - Samuel Beckett's rarely seen radio play gets a theatricalized treatment and has Dame Eileen Atkins and Sir Michael Gambon aboad to give it star powerered buzz . . . Read More

This in-rep Shakespeare is truly a not-to-be-missed event

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Rchard III & Twelfth Night in Repertory - Each play stands on its own. . .but seeing both is a hard to miss treat . . . Read More

Another "failed" Tennessee Williams play revived---and our critic liked it

ew York Off-Broadway
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The Mutilated - Chivu's ferociously funny and fearlessly embraced production is, for the most part, irresistible and it is certainly a must for those who have maintained a genuine fondness and admiration for Williams through thick and thin. Read More

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We review The Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's latest offering

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How to Make Friends and then Kill Them - Haley Feiffer takes three characters representing polar behavioral extremes and puts them in close quarters with little room to breathe. The result is a sometimes amusing but mostly disturbing picture of human relations. . . Read More

A stellar cast populates The Jacksonian

. The Jacksonians - Murder and drugs (more unusually imbibed than you're likely to have ever seen) heighten the macabre shenanigans of Beth Henley's new play at the New Group . . . Read More

Our review of La Soiree at the Union Square Theater

La Soiree - All the world's a stage and at the Union Square Theatre where La Soiree proves it can be a sexy, screwy, spell-binding stage of circus, cabaret, and burlesque. . . Read More

Bruce Norris takes on the political confessional

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Domesticated - Bruce Norris's take on the political adulterer's confessional is enlivened by a terrific cast and dialogue . . . Read More

A chance to see an early Caryl Churchll play at Yale Rep

Owners- A well directed and acted production of Caryl Churchill's first professional staged play at Yale Repertory Theatre. . . Read More

Murder For Two is back-- but mistakenly longer rather than shorter

Murder For Two -The piano playing duo's Agatha Christie spoof gets a second life at New World Stages . . . Read More

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Disaster, a small new musical that's lot's of fun

Disaster - This musical knows exactly what it is, and it happens to be a lot of fun. Disaster? Anything but, . . . . Read More

Julie Taymor back in top form with dreamy Dream

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A Midsummer Night's Dream - Julie Taymor's production provides a spectacular launch for TNA's new home in Brooklyn . . . Read More

More features coming to curtainup

We've created a special  section  on our front page for   features  in anticipation of   expanding our  theater-related features:   Essays  about  trends. . .interviews. . .ruminations  about  econimics   for  theater goers  as well as  presenters,  and more.   We're open to free lance submissions;  also  reprint  or re-use  rights  requests.


. Features
Double your pleasure - This season a group of Powerhouse Brits are doubling the event-ability of Shakespeare, Pinter and Beckett with in-rep productions. But event-ability isn't strictly a Broadway thing. . . Read More

Going Fishing for a Big Musical Hit - a rumination inspired by the new musical Big Fish . . . . . . Read More
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Kander & Ebb's last musical a hit with our London critic

The Scottsboro Boys - If you can overcome the satirical delivery of these very sad story, you will be blown away by this last collaboration between Kander and Ebb, by the exhilarating dance and wonderful singing in this thrilling production. . . Read More

After Midnight-- a song and dance feast

After Midnight - This is one show that could go on well after midnight without wearing out its welcome Read More

Our LA critic raves about Alison Pill in this award-magnet role of a blind girl

Wait Until Dark   Watching Alison Pill's star turn should prove an effective remedy for the end of daylight savings time's darker afternoons. She lights up the stage. .. . . Read More