David Margulies' Chekhovian outing in LA

The Country House- Donald Margulies' new play is a pleasant refreshment. But for greater risk and reward, a Chekhov play might be in order. . . . Re

A stellar revival of David Hare's Skylight

Carey Mulligan  and Bill Nighy   re-invigorate this still interesting play. . .
Skylight - Well cast revival of David Hare's Play . . Read More

Stephen Belber's new play

e young and young at heart . . Read More
The Muscles In Our Toes - Stephen Belber's play is well-performed and entertaining, but where the cracks are visible, they prove unfortunately distracting. . .

The Lion: a musical memoir

The Lion - This musical memoir by Singer/songwriter Benjamin Scheuer has appeal for the young and young at heart .

Stream it-- #Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me

Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
The shooting in this documentary, now available on DVD and for streaming via itunes and Netflic, is of course done by a camera trained on the leggy, raspy-voiced Broadway legend, also known to younger audiences as the mother of 30Rock's Alec Baldwin who's also one of the film's producers. It's a combination of tribute to Stritch by director Chiemi Karasawa and Stritch's own last hurrah in the limelight.

LA premiere about Papal politics

The Last Confession - Roger Crane makes a solid debut as a playwright with this juicy, true tale of papal politics and, possibly, murder.. . . Read Mor

Kiss #Me Kate still a hit at #Barrington Stage

Kiss Me Kate - Cole Porter's sophisticated musical gets Barrington Stage's off to a grand start at its main stem . .

new technologo rescues a forgotten play

Donogoo - Modern technology gives exciting new life to Jules Romains' once popular business spoof at the Mint. . . Read More

Summer House With Swimming Pool- book review 
A  summer beach read with  a misanthropic narrator  whose many pet peeves include invitations  theater openings  to which many of our readers would love to be invited 

Turgenev a big hit with our London Critic

Fathers and Sons - Ivan Turgenev's novel beautifully adapted by Brian rFiel and staged at the Donmar. . . Read More

Will a rap musical make people holler for tickets?

Holler If Ya Hear Me Hip-Hop Icon Tupac Shakur's legend theatricalized at legendary Palace Theatre . . Read More

A beautifully acted new issues play

When We Were Young and Unafraid - Cherry Jones heads a splendid cast in Sarah Treem's new play at Manhattan Theatre Club's Stage One. . Read Mor

Much to love about this Much Ado in Central Park

Much Ado About Nothing - This is the fifteenth CurtainUp review of Much Ado. That astonishing number is obviously a testament to the play's popularity. This production does nothing to change that. . .

Alan Ayckbourn's cleverly constructed plays

The Ayckbourn Ensemble: Time of My Life & Arrivals and Departures - The prolific Alan Ayckbourn's contribution to this year's Brits Off-Broadway Festival . . Read More

Playwrights Horizon's enjoyable new musical

Fly By Night - a new musical is about the ambiguous moments where joy and sorrow meet, but it all comes together into a show that's unambiguously enjoyable. . . Read More

A very "Big Apple" play

When January Feels Like Summer - Cori Thomas's sense of humor about and love for these New York characters overcomes the play's imperfections . . . Read More

A must for Bard lovers-- with good backs

Macbeth - Atmosphere galore, and Kenneth Branagh as a memorable killer king . . Read More

A rare play worth a trip to Brooklyn

The Killer - An Ionesco rarity that's worth a trip to Brooklyn even though too long . . Read More

London welcomes back Kathleen Turner

Bakersfield Mist - Kathleen Turner and Ian McDiarmid in a little gem of a piece. Read More

The ever popular Grease at Papermill Playhouse

Grease - The best of the enhancements to this exuberantly danced staging is the addition of songs from the film version Read More

Alan ayckbourn is back at Brits Off-Broadway

This is the first of three Ayckbourn plays  in rep, but each a stand-alone piece


The Ayckbourn Ensemble: Arrivals and Departures - The prolific Alan Ayckbourn's 77th play worth seeing even though it's not his best . . Read M

Jim Dale--younger than springtime charmer

Just Jim Dale - a staged memoir buoyed by a generous dose of song, dance and charm . . Read More

Tom Stoppard gets a fine revival in Philadelphia

The Real Thing - A triumph of thought and feeling plays at the Wilma Theater . . Read More

Ayn Rand an unlikely inspiration for a musical

The Anthem -Director/choreographer/costumer Rachel Klein deserves better source material . . . Read More