Front Row Center

“This is a play that sneaks up on you.”

“This strong focus on the fire in the guts of the play gives it its power.”

“This is a beautiful, emotional true life narrative that will stay with you for some time.”

“It should unsettle you and entertain you in the same breath, and make you think while you're still laughing.”

“It is an impressive, multi-layered piece of writing and an absolute must-see.”

“One of the top one-man shows I've seen this year, full stop.”

“This colorful cabaret from another dimension takes us on a delightful, genre-bending journey from inter-galactic drama to a garden of earthly delights.”

“Everything about this production is wonderful and it will have you standing and cheering come curtain call.”

“I recommend it for anyone who loves the work of words and seeing a show that holds the human being in high regard as an intellect and a creature who loves, and loves deeply.”

“Jones raises so many questions and delivers so many truths that the message becomes murky.”

“Smith’s deliverance itself is striking and haunting.”

“The Body of Mary is a play that blew my mind.”

“This is Not Not a Drill is a unique opportunity to look at familiar streets with unfamiliar eyes.”

“It is unfortunate, then, that at the climactic moment of the play, when the three characters should all be having at each other after a stark revelation, playwright Sheffer lets only Yvonne rage out, leaving the other two in a stunned and, disappointing to the audience, wordlessness.”

“Ireland’s debut writing effort—she’s also an actress and fixture of the New York theater scene—is compelling and devastating.”

“This ripping apart of Shakespeare's arguably most famous creation was a grounding adventure for me.”

“This beautiful tender city of humans needs someone as playfully joyful and talented as Damien Warren-Smith to suspend our vigilance and allow us to laugh at the glorious absurdity of everything.”

“You will walk away in wonder as to how any of this can be accomplished.”

“‘Disruption’ is a welcome addition to the ‘Speak Truth To Power’ division of theatre.”

“This is a pleasure to watch even if the story lags behind.”

“While there’s much to be desired in story development and character wants and goals, the connection between Pearl and Walker was most exposed, by far.”

“The vocals on this cast is astonishing.”

“With impressive craftsmanship, Spector and director Teddy Bergman employ their characters to simultaneously examine four different facets of our complex world as they move from youthful innocence to painful lessons learned.”

“This was one of those performances that will stay with you.”

“Dad Don’t Read This is tender, piercing, and deeply human.”

“The proceedings have the veneer of a Black Mirror episode, and there are a few truly disturbing images, but the premise didn’t blow my mind like the best episodes of the show have, or even leave me with much to chew on.”

“This is the first professional production of playwright Victoria Lynne Barclay, and it is a strong start out of the gate.”

“SMALL is a 100 minutes of a lush, embraceable story told by a dancer/actor who embodies with ease and art all of the remarkable real life characters who inhabit the world of horse racing.”

“Jonas has crafted a thoughtful, truthful meditation on parenthood, community, and the stories we tell to survive.”

“This production sweeps you into its arms before you have a chance to refuse, and when it releases you the world around you has changed.”

“The two plays also share some unfortunately flat, at times redundant dialogue, and, under Wills’s direction, there are long pauses and indulgent pacing that do little to help the action along.”

“An absolute joy, a jostling ride, an evening of constant surprise, all of that describes what it’s like to watch clown pair Xhloe and Natasha tell the story of their love for the rodeo.”

“‘Light’ and ‘Rattle’ never achieve the same velocity that ‘Deadwood’ delivers.”

“The Emporium, a recently discovered treasure by Thorton Wilder, completed by Kirk Lynn, is compelling, entertaining, multi-leveled, and a must see.”

“The verdict, therefore, remains out as to both the depth of his performance and the pacing of the show in general.”

“Well, I’ll Let You Go is a satisfying well-made play that will leave you with a feeling that you’ve been through something.”

“It all felt shoehorned together, but by the end I came to mostly appreciate it.”

“But, it never was; I was feeling the little pushes of a build-up happening, but the plot and relationships never actually propelled the energy of the piece.”

“You don’t need bells and whistles to make great theater.”

“The ensemble is a wonderfully sharpened group of theater artists.”

“Joe Turner's Come and Gone, by August Wilson, is often quiet and subtle – you have to listen closely, or you may miss the wonder behind the various nuances he's fit into the script or the beauty behind the complexity and depth of his characters.”

“And as an acting showcase, it largely works.”

“The piece, by David Auburn, is timeless in its storytelling and still pulls at the heartstrings a quarter of a century after its debut.”

“Fallen Angels is a riotous romp.”

“Incredible performers alone can’t alone carry a musical when the writing, music, or set doesn’t hit.”

“Seagull: True Story is mostly bedlam — and I kinda love it.”

“Theater has another hit on its hands in the production of Public Charge.”

“Bughouse is truly a crafting of art itself, presenting the world that surrounded Darger, unreserved honesty and sculpture.”

“So run, yes run, don’t walk and get yourself a ticket to a show that will have you urging on others who are sweating buckets for your sole entertainment pleasure.”

“But I notice that I start cringing every time I see that facial expression because that’s about all we get from her.”

“Marcel on the Train is not merely a dramatic theatrical production; it is a haunting and real space: an ever-relevant piece of history transformed into a beautiful memory.”

“This is Holy water for your soul!”

“That feeling of disappointing those that we love did cling with me for days after experiencing this beautifully aching piece.”

“As you can surmise from the above comparisons, You Got Older is a complex layered piece that is told in a refreshingly simple way that will make you laugh at life’s absurdities and perhaps shed a tear at its soft touches.”

“But if you want a complete storyline and depth–even an opportunity to connect with these characters to which the dancers give face, you may leave Orpheum Theatre feeling very underwhelmed.”

“What we really wanted was to be in there close to the dinosaurs slinging muck.”

“Both characters are written with such love and honor, it’s impossible not to get caught in their aspirational tug-of-war, holding space and respect for both perspectives.”

“These little movements and and the starts and ends of conversations are what keeps us focused, laughing, and believeing in the rebirth of siblings, together and apart.”

“Alexander Zeldin‘s The Other Place, hisses a torrent of silent shame.”

“Give yourself a gift and go see this woman who believes in magic.”

“The factual subject matter of this play rises above everything in its prescience of what is happening right now in this country.”

“This two-and-a-half-hour respite from the world is what we all need right now.”

“As Him, Teague gives a literally sobering performance, finding a self-assured manner when off the bottle, then crumbling under the weight of his compulsions.”

“Sure to give you something to discuss on the cab ride home, this is an important piece for right now – so make your way to the Lucile Lortel this winter to catch it.”

“I was never attached to the this production’s story or the outcome, and this may be exactly what James intended.”

“As beguiling as these actors are – and they are an exquisite ensemble – they are not provided with much of a hook to pull us in and hold us close.”

“Unfortunately, very little of that tension actually exists on stage.”

“A pleasant entertainment, especially if you enjoy how good actors can elevate a script.”

“Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon is the world of music in our lives on the stage at The Marjorie S. Theater and it is a must see, must experience.”

“This play may finally be hitting too close to home.”

“Every actor, including Meighan Gerachis (as Vickie) in a very small role as a hospice nurse, was dynamite, filling out the distorted humanity of each of their characters.”

“Now if all of that intellectual psychological explanation, exploration, and questioning has sparked your interest in HardLove, and piqued your curiosity about finding out more about yourself, then I suggest you’ll enjoy the play.”

“On the other hand, if you are looking for a a story line that engages and excites you, well, that is not happening here.”

“'Let's Love!' is engaging without involving you. I could have used a little more involvement, but I'll settle for a few laughs delivered by a few pros.”

“Ragtime gives us hope to hold onto today, where hope for most of us is a spare commodity.”

“Torera is about the cost of breaking tradition and following your dreams; it’s about deep and long-lasting friendship and how culture and tradition can hold us back, even as we honor them.”

“This is an uneven production with accents flying left and right, but Graham does enough to keep a steady hand so that Joan’s struggle, generosity and open heart can be laid out by the delicate work of Clark.”

“It is, however, often difficult to spot that story flying by.”

“The result, under the breakneck direction of Andy Fickman, is that there is something for everyone, but little that feels sincere.”

“This is where Mattana's writing shines.”

“Audiences will leave the show feeling 1000x lighter and inspired by Ana’s journey to spread our wings, take action, and give joy.”

“I was wildly charmed by this chronicle of this corpse’s adventures, as directed by David Cromer.”

“Whatever-the-heck ‘Pirates! The Penzance Musical’ is trying to be, you can be assured that a good time is waiting for you in the French Quarter that never was.”

“We are high on the story of Bobby Darin.”

“They wear you down with their perfection.”

“However, the talent of this cast and their committed performances carry SMASH show over these bumps through to a happy, human ending that satisfies.”

“Odenkirk makes this crushing failure visceral: the initial desperation, the fleeting joy, the catastrophic fall—a performance of extraordinary architecture and energy that lifts the role to classic stature.”

“It is good to see a mega star, a multi-millionaire, put his money where his mouth is.”

“Cuba and the gift of the Buena Vista Social Club remind us that art made with love can ground us, heal us, unite us and maybe just save us all.”

“Gray’s madness reaches such a sustained pitch that, while Snook maintains her elevation, the rest of us are left behind.”

“Family squabble points are made, explained, and made again until we are bleary.”

“With so much talent and effort put into a production, it is startling to see how far off the mark this production landed.”

“It is astonishing how many of the songs have stood on their own and become part of the Great American Songboook: ‘Some People,’ ‘Small World,’ ‘You’ll Away From Me,’ ‘All I The Girl.’”

“A lot is covered here and it all doesn’t get fleshed out, but that’s okay.”

“What is not discussed is the volatile world these two lived in.”

“I could have used a bit less obscurity in the writing.”

“Death Becomes Her is intentional, which allows me to buy into the over the top comedy and violence and lack of limits.”

“Every piece of this production is perfection.”

“Tammy Faye taught us that love wins every time.”

“A Wonderful World is an important story, a hopeful story with a sunny disposition, a story that believes in the possibility of change and in seeing the beauty in the world and trying to build a better one – with music and with love.”