Jennifer Vanasco

“The result is a stylish, resonant, high-energy musical, much fuller than the Off Broadway version at Theater Workshop in 2016.”

“Wilson's low-stakes romance is a bit worn around the edges, despite Michael Mayer's sprightly direction.”

“The result is thrilling, thanks in part to enchanting stagecraft — including flying wizards, glowing wands and fantastic spell-casting duels.”

“It's Yazbek's lovely score that makes this Off-Broadway transfer captivating and carries it through the occasional aimless scene.”

“We are left with the bleak idea that some chasms are too deep to ever be bridged, no matter how well-meaning the intentions.”

“An old-fashioned musical done in an old-fashioned way—with vivid costumes, a cast of (so it seems) thousands, exceptional choreography and a bona fide star at its center…Midler is sassy and brassy, and her comic timing is so good...But—in the preview I attended—there wasn't enough of her being herself.”

“It's an evening of big Broadway, with music that will move you and set pieces that will thrill.”

“But without a unifying vision, it all just falls apart into shiny dots of color instead of combining to become art.”

“It feels a bit sleazy to watch this play now, a bit tone-deaf — especially the first act.”

“Under Jonathan Ken's direction, this show, particularly in the second act, feels more like an excuse for showboat acting than an organic portrait of a family in decline.”

“'American Son' is not about the narrative, which has a few too many theatrical 'gotcha' moments for my taste. Instead, it is interested in airing an argument about the pervasiveness of racism...I thought a lot about Washington's performance....There's little humor and almost no nuance, just 90 minutes of close-to-tearful raging.”

“Any of these might be enough to sustain a play, but the way Rebeck strings them together makes this almost two-and-a-half-hour production feel too slight.”

“But as a character study, ‘Choir Boy’ is simply unparalleled.”

“'Away' is a love letter — to Newfoundland, to New York, to what people can do if they set aside fear and hate. Don't miss it.”

“Director and choreographer Randy Skinner doesn't take the show too seriously, which is a good thing. It's a cotton candy plot we've heard before…But the cast of six is tremendous, and the focus stays squarely on the thundering tap dancing, where it belongs.”

“In other words, much of the quirky charm of the film is missing, which can make the musical feel lumbering at times.”

“'Heisenberg' is not rocket science — or particle physics. It's just a sweet story about two people who think they don't deserve love.”

“Indeed, this short work is a wonderful character study and an affecting portrait of grief.”

“That's a sweet thought, and this is a sweet, earnest musical.”

“As directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, this is a magnificent production, one of the best shows to be staged this year.”

“Heart. Also, purpose. And passion.”

“This new ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ is a joy.”

“She keeps the play focused on the tragedy of the concept of discrimination, instead of the pain and humanity of the characters.”

“Like the comet it's named for, the show brings wonder in its wake.”

“Cranston's performance may be pitch-perfect performance, but his Howard Beale is still a cipher.”

“Deaf West has taken this idea and grounded it in a robust physicality that makes the musical — even this signed version — sing.”

“It's one of the most extraordinary shows I've ever seen.”

“This production is extraordinary — don't miss it.”

“Jones and Tyson are worth a better hand.”

“That's what's so beautiful and moving about ‘The Humans.’”

“Daniel Sullivan's production is thrilling.”

“It's an unexpectedly funny story, thanks to DeVito and Ruffalo's crack comic timing.”

“This story, at its heart, is about a workplace where a man pretends to be a woman and then sails to success, presumably because it's so hard and unfair to be a man.”

“But ‘War Paint’ could have done with a little less panache — and a lot more plot.”