Barry Gordin

“Art isn't quite a work of art, but it's fun and offers an exceptional comic turn from Corden.”

“It's a perfectly passable production, but does not approach stronger ones I've seen such as previous Broadway versions starring Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin in 2009 and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in 2013.”

“This is a delightful reworking which is not an improvement on the original, but just as much fun.”

“For The Last Five Years to succeed, both players must deliver equally vibrant turns. Here we only get one and half, so it's more like a strong three years and six months.”

“Good Night, and Good Luck is, to my eyes, a sturdy contribution to the sparsely populated landscape of recent political drama.”

“It fails, however, to exert the emotional or psychological conviction of Wilde’s novel, sacrificing its literary strengths for performance goals that lessen its impact.”

“Purpose will be on every best play list.”

“The sixth Broadway production of Gypsy, the classic musical based on the memoirs of legendary stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, is a theatrical miracle.”

“Jamie Lloyd's brutally aggressive reinterpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1993 musical is not a revival – quite simply, it's a hijacking.”

“Much as The Hills of California is consistently entertaining, its premise of siblings gathering to await the death of a loved one seems overly familiar.”

“In the end, McNeal is a piece of sordid sensationalism masquerading as profundity.”

“Yellow Face doesn’t fire on all cylinders but one can’t deny its relevance to contemporary concerns.”

“Once Upon a Mattress has proved its value for amateur groups; I suggest that's where it should remain.”

“Job doesn't quite do the job as a play, but enough drama remains in Friedman and Lemmon's performances to satisfy most theatergoers.”

“Because Frecknall shocks us the entire evening, we emerge from the Kit Kat Club, dazed and numbed rather than horrified at what happened in Germany in the '30s and what could easily be repeated here in the US, or anywhere.”

“The current production at the James Theater after a successful run at BAM, restores this neglected, insightful portrait of the early 1960s to vivid life.”

“A lot of money must have gone into this physically elaborate, but frequently disappointing, effort, a kind of sloppy wet kiss to the immediate postwar years of 1946-1947.”

“That Hayes is so exceptional here has to do with the depth of his observations, about himself.”

“In the real world, theatregoers will be thankful for MacArthur Genius Larissa FastHorse's having exploded and explored the Thanksgiving story through satire both broad and subtle.”

“With this single role, in which she assumes dozens of hues—sardonic, sexy, comical, enraged, triumphant, joyous, tragic, fiery, rebellious, and so forth—all of it entwined with an extraordinary physical, facial, and vocal expressivity, Ms. Comer leaps into the front ranks of leading British actresses.”

“And magic is exactly what this Camelot most obviously lacks.”

“Shucked harvests a truckful of laughs while somehow managing to engage our sympathies for the corniest of romantic plots and characters.”

“Bob Fosse's Dancin' may not be perfect, but if you want two hours of nearly nonstop, essentially nonverbal demonstrations of the beauty, power, and expressiveness of Broadway dancing as conceived by one of its foremost creative geniuses, this is the moment.”

“When a thrilling story finds a comparably thrilling scenic form, including all the marvels of lights, projections, and sound, theatre magic is created.”

“Ms. Chastain, aided by Mr. Lloyd’s theatrical insights, has met the role’s challenges and left her indelible mark on it.”

“Despite their considerable acting chops, the actors fail to convince.”

“But for all the actors’ enthusiastic histrionics, the script rarely seems more than a series of contrivances more artfully artificial than artistically authentic.”

“McDonald and director Kenny Leon illuminate Kennedy's dark visions with emotive power and skillful, suggestive staging.”

“Pierce gives the performance of a lifetime as the defeated drummer, ripped apart by delusions of business success and crushed by his own illusions and the very real scourge of racism.”

“You may not pee in the pool at the Beaumont, but I can't guarantee you won't pee in your pants.”

“Only the actor’s gift for storytelling, with its surprising deftness at delineating the voices, brogues, and mannerisms of the multiple characters he portrays—a talent he too rarely gets to demonstrate in his stage and film roles—lift these familiar tropes to a level of compelling theatre.”

“All these production elements, along with the high-level acting, combine for a fierce and involving evening in the theater.”

“For all the show's performative excellence, the book crams too much into its two hours and 40 minutes, the characters can be formulaic bordering on cartoonish, and, apart from a scattered moment here and there, humor is an afterthought.”

“In his Broadway debut, Reid delivers an eye-opening performance as the honest man among a den of corrupt council members.”

“The performance is a tour-de-force marathon of technical mastery, played largely at top speed and full vocal throttle.”

“Mr. Broderick and Ms. Parker are both very popular—as their entrance applause and curtain calls demonstrate—but neither is perfect casting.”

“The Music Man still comes out a winner.”

“The evening is definitely a mixed bag. While the libretto is confusing and unfocused, many fascinating facts are disclosed.”

“The only flaw is that Clyde remains a mystery while we know all about the other characters.”

“Trouble in Mind is a curious curio. It's a rather uneven play, the dialogue can sometimes be clumsy or clichéd, and Charles Randolph-Wright's sometimes overwrought direction is not a sine qua non of the art.”

“November 1, 2021: If one of the purposes of theatre can be said to be communion, the sense of shared emotional and intellectual response to an event, then the experience of watching Thoughts of a Colored Man certainly fits the description.”

“Santiago-Hudson brings all these people to life with remarkable physicality and magical changes of voice.”

“The disappointing Diana—The Musical occupies an awkward position—not entertaining enough to be a guilty pleasure and not bad enough to be a campy hoot.”

“Pass Over raises several difficult issues and addresses them with humor, pathos, and ingenuity.”

“This production is both a refreshingly radical take on a classic and an emotionally effective appeal to the tear ducts.”

“Underwood's oracular style is honest and spellbinding.”

“But the play's horizons are too easy and narrow.”

“Tina may be one of many jukebox musicals, but it's definitely among the best of the genre.”

“Linney is an actor one just loves watching.”

“The current production flounders under Lopez's overblown writing, which includes political polemics, moral debates and very long monologues about past events; and founders under Stephen Daldry's direction, which too readily accommodates Lopez's every whim.”

“The production is more than a sugar coated pill, or a sappy Mother's Day card.”

“Cox brings a kind of quotidian ease to this enormous role. Still, he drives this impactful show with urgency, achieving the sense of volition which characterized President Johnson's administration.”

“Marisa Tomei gives us a passionate, sensual, and sexy Serafina Delle Rose.”

“With insightful and subtle acting, direction and design Sound takes us inside a writer's mind and her aching heart, a rare feat on Broadway where musicals and comedy reign.”

“Jamie Lloyd combines the two qualities for a perfect blend of light and dark in his current bare-bones production, now on Broadway after a hit run in London.”

“Director Jonathan Kent masterfully leads the way through the land minds Zeller has put in place.”

“Directed by Carrie Cracknell, the production is animated, deeply human, and highly personal.”

“Still, it's especially exciting to watch these two magnificent actors, who live nakedly on the stage, moment to moment.”

“As Dorothy, he’s adorable, and fierce. Fires the show with energy, and enthusiasm. And he is a swashbuckling tenor.”

“It's a brilliant, understated portrayal of a man whose life is as unfulfilled, and whose ending is as tragic, as Loman's.”

“In fact, they go to such extremes that at one point even Murdoch is uncomfortable. But not enough to stop the process. Goold keeps the play moving at a pace that reflects the frenzied energy of the paper and its staff.”

“Metcalf, on the stage throughout the entire production, never loses her cool, raises her voice, or fails to keep us wrapped in her easy natural presence.”

“Its revival is worth seeing just for the chance to see one of our most exciting young actors bring scorching machismo to Broadway.”

“This is truly a bleak vision, one that may deserve its own musical.”

“Gold's rendition is a mixed bag with as many moving moments as confusing ones.”

“Still, the musical numbers, 'Another Op'nin, Another Show,' 'Too Damn Hot,' and 'Wunderbar,' among the greatest in the American Songbook, are the soul of this extraordinary show. And it's totally entertaining!”

“But, as slickly polished entertainment, it comes together beautifully, capturing both heartbreak and joy.”

“The new Roundabout Theatre Company revival is a blazing hot showcase for a mature, but still dangerous Ethan Hawke and a subtly intense Paul Dano with insightful, soulful direction from James Macdonald.”

“The resulting production, however, makes this reviewer wish the estate had not compromised.”

“If you’re looking for didactic theatre challenging the never-ending stream of America’s black sons being shot by cops (including black ones), American Son is for you.”

“If there's a rally that New Yorkers may go to, this is it!”

“The Prom is one of the funniest shows to hit Broadway in years.”

“May painfully and perfectly captures the bewilderment and anxiety of no longer understanding what’s happening to the world you once knew.”

“It's a comedy well timed for the zeitgeist.”

“McTeer encompasses Bernhardt’s self-dramatizing style, her shameless self-promoting, her altogether eccentric nature, with utter aplomb.”

“Marked by the strength of the acting, the production is engrossing, with the physical life of these four charismatic men creating the life of the story.”

“But even at its best it never surprises.”

“The acting and direction are strong and precise, Crowley's bitchy wisecracks are dropped like nasty bombs exactly on target.”

“A fearless actor, Washington, sitting in a chair at the edge of the stage delivers his lengthy soliloquy.”

“More than a guilty pleasure, My Fair Lady, is a joy, an undaunted celebration of emancipation.”

“This production, directed by Jack O'Brien, is a brilliant reimaging of this classic, boasting such memorable songs as June is Bustin' Out All Over, and You'll Alone.”

“Indeed, the brilliance of the acting shines through in this marvelous production.”

“That this production happens to mark the 2001. Broadway debut, of Lonergan’s 2001 play is especially thrilling, as it is such a simple and charming work.”

“He manages to take the gimmicky role of an alien posing as a university professor and turn it into a tour-de-force comedy turn, full of subtext and depth.”

“Farinelli and the King looks good but it's not exactly the music of the spheres.”

“Tina Landau's enchanting production is a silly merriment bursting with energy and optimism that's unapologetically geared to the young at heart.”

“That’s why it’s a pity that The Parisian Woman, the first major Broadway show to tackle the Trump administration, is such contrived claptrap.”

“The Band's Visit – not to be missed!”

“Prince of Broadway is perfectly enjoyable, but not the stunning blockbuster we've come to expect from Mr. Prince.”

“All the choices in this tender revival reveal an involving and human story, unmarred by overdrawn theatrics.”

“A Doll's House, Part 2 is often quite funny and always penetrating.”

“Indecent now on Broadway is performance art of the highest caliber and a rare opportunity for any serious theater lover.”

“Noblezada produces an amazing transformation from innocent child to mature mother and maintains it until a flashback scene where she is a young girl again. Her portrayal is riveting and far beyond the abilities of most actors her age. Her singing voice is lovely boasting a wide range and is more than able to handle all of the belts required.”

“Bandstand is a laudable work, steeped in classical American music and dance styles, with a nostalgic sense of story telling that still requires attention.”

“In every respect, it's a beautiful show to watch.”

“Manhattan Theatre Club’s decision to revive the play under the brilliant direction of Daniel Sullivan is in itself commendable.”

“The result although amusing is uneven with Kline standing out as the glorious spirit of the evening.”

“Nothing is authentic and the result, despite Sally Field's gallant performance, is an unconvincing evening that fails to engage with emotional impact.”

“Fortunately, director Michael Greif recognizes what we’ve come to see, and delivers it joyfully.”

“Over a two hour-plus running time the repetitive conceit becomes preciously thin.”