StageZine

“It’s consistently funny, and it ranks among the season’s best new musicals.”

“Also, what works against Ms. McDonald are the hideous costumes she has to wear, for they strip her of any femininity and vulnerability.”

“Ink is a masterpiece because as well as being meticulously written by Mr. Graham and tightly directed by Rupert Goold, it is an eerily prophetic tale of how Rupert Murdoch saw the potential for selling populism to the masses decades ago.”

“He has taken a familiar story and presented it in new terms as a musical that is worth visiting and enjoying.”

“After the final curtain falls, All My Sons gets audiences thinking about the long-term impact of war on families, making it an unforgettable, important evening of theater.”

“Hadestown is a towering theatrical journey to hell.”

“Other than being a star vehicle for Nathan Lane, why is Gary even on Broadway?”

“Mr. Fish has stripped Oklahoma! of any breath, color, insight, delicacy, intimacy, choreography, costumes, subtle acting, and beautiful singing.”

“This is the perfect antidote for these harsh times we live in.”

“Just go see the show, overlook the weak spots and be prepared to be dazzled.”

“Even Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom couldn’t have created such a mess as hard as they would have tried.”

“Torch Song still holds up more than 36 years later as an epic of LGBTQ life that has a lot to say about sexuality, family, gender roles, love and acceptance to a new generation.”

“Mr. Butterworth’s saga is a multi-layered, searing reminder of centuries-old animosities, exquisitely directed and produced.”

“Daniel Sullivan’s direction keeps the plot and actors constantly moving and you really have to pay attention to the dialogue. Because of the regional British accents in the show, it makes it difficult to understand all the punch lines, thus extra listening is required to get the most out of them...”

“He has derailed the proceedings without imbuing any seamless shadings or editing. In this case, it is a free-for-all of the preposterous with no reining in of the rough edges that are way over-the-top for his leading lady and the plotline.”

“Pretty Woman was a mega-hit Hollywood movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and has now been turned into a colorful, entertaining but otherwise middling rom-com musical that will thrill fans of the film.”

“What is worse is when the clichés start piling up and the dialogue and setups become juvenile and dreary.”

“The show grows on you if you simply go along with it and accept it for nothing other than the mindless, splashy entertainment it is.”

“What we are left here with not so much as a rewarding play but an unfulfilling setup of a premise.”

“Denzel Washington and David Morse provide solid performances and manage to make this ponderous evening bearable.”

“This production is about as sumptuous as you will ever get...However, there is a clear shift here that contradicts what the creators originally conceived...Ambrose is an unexpected miracle...She starts out rocky...but transforms into a magnificent butterfly...Hadden-Paton as Higgins never quite registers...”

“This is a classic saga of parents and children and the things in life threatening to tear them apart.”

“This time around everything is stale, wilted and tiresome.”

“If one can get past the convoluted and confusing narrative, Travesties has a lot going for it, including exquisite performances from a gifted ensemble, clever sets and costumes by Tim Hatley and Mr. Stoppard's witty, crisp, erudite dialogue.”

“Besides seeing one of Albee’s best and least revived plays, you will be experiencing a ferocious force known as Hurricane Glenda, a powerful tour de force in the best of ways.”

“Regardless, there is still much to admire in this ambitious yet unevenly paced production.”

“In conclusion, the show has bounce and verve, it’s joyful and has a healing message; it’s colorful and a delight.”

“Other than the brilliant score, this version of Carousel is totally unhinged, never gets to spin and stalls.”

“The show's trump card is the four brilliant performances.”

“Finally, the cast is superb and many of the performances are among the best in the past decade.”

“However, as colorful, festive and good-intentioned as this show is, it’s likely something only Parrotheads (as Buffett’s fans are known) will appreciate.”

“What should have been a bright, buoyant musical entertainment just plods and plods through dark, drab and somber moments.”

“If it wasn’t for that, there isn’t a single reason why anyone would want to see this wisp of a marginal ‘comedy.’”

“However, as a Broadway show, it lacks the substance to sustain an evening of entertainment.”

“At nearly two hours long without an intermission, the show, with many unnecessary scenes, can be a slog to sit through.”

“Whereas theirs was ‘pulp fiction,’ no pun intended, and can be read over and over again as escapism, this is expensive babbling at high Broadway ticket prices and it will be dated within four years hopefully (if not earlier, if there is any justice in the political world of today).”

“This Island is a colorful, immersive experience for everyone, giving audiences a helluva joyful ride, making it one of the season’s freshest surprises.”

“Every time you think you have seen all the faces of Mr. Shalhoub, he manages to come up with yet another one, and this one is sheer joy.”

“They have taken this Butterfly so close to the sun that they have managed to singe its gossamer wings.”

“All in all, it is an entertaining, if not wholly satisfying or fulfilling evening.”

“I suggest you rush to the Belasco Theatre for a cathartic, amusing and healing evening in the theater.”

“When seeing Hello, Dolly, you are really seeing Hello, Bette!”

“Although an often touching play, this mostly reverent revival of Scott McPherson’s Marvin’s Room never fully envelops you.”

“With expert writing and excellent performances, I can easily see The Doll’s House, Part 2 being named the Best Play of the Year.”

“After seeing so many movies turned into mediocre musicals, I can honestly say it was a thrill to enjoy this gem of an original musical.”

“Although the show has many funny lines, ultimately Six Degrees should be presented as a tragedy, and Mr. Cullman just misses the mark in all the wrong places.”

“This ‘doctored’ musical-comedy interpretation of Charlie is the weakest by far of all the adaptations.”

“The Little Foxes, directed by Daniel Sullivan, is one of the year’s best revivals.”

“The fireworks that burst from the stage are nothing more than the vibrant talents of Andy Karl.”

“Complex, fascinating, and sometimes confusing drama...It’s exhausting yet riveting to watch from the opening scene...Despite the heavy subject matter, 'Indecent' is a visually arresting piece of theater...There is a frenetic lyricism to Rebecca Taichman’s direction of the actors...It is Ms.”

“J. T. Rogers has masterminded an epic journey of the events that took place and keeps us riveted throughout.”

“Certainly better, tighter and more disciplined direction is needed than what Mr. Connor has provided.”

“Seen by this perspective, The Price is profoundly relevant today.”

“Away is unlike anything we’ve seen on Broadway, a musical that celebrates and glorifies humanity, understanding and the reasons to embrace the differences of people we don’t know, while showing how no one is really that different—without coming off hokey or contrived.”

“Thanks to Trip Cullman’s fast-paced, breezy and inventive direction, he keeps this otherwise obvious fluff story afloat.”

“What is truly remarkable in this production is Jake Gyllenhaal.”

“If nothing else he is worth the price of admission and more.”

“As if we haven’t been disappointed enough earlier this year–what a way to end the 2016. Broadway season on another sad note indeed.”

“This outstanding production never feels dated.”

“Although The Front Page is a comedy, it lacks a lot of humor.”

“Of all the two-character plays that have come out in the last decade, Heisenberg has got to be one of the most provocative dramas of bringing two diametrically opposed people together, and is certainly one of the best.”

“Holiday Inn is fluff that you enjoy while watching but won’t retain for long after leaving the theater.”

“One wonders if Mr. Nunn’s revival might have been more powerful had he put a modern, fresh spin on the show...However, gimmicky revivals almost never work so Mr. Nunn was wise not to tamper too much with Mr. Lloyd Webber’s winning formula.”

“You’ve not truly seen Jessica Lange perform until you catch Roundabout’s revival of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night— for this is probably her best performance in years, if not ever.”

“Tuck Everlasting is a well-intentioned musical but ultimately presents nothing new.”

“Unfortunately, most of the characters aren’t fleshed-out characters but voices Sam has to interact with on the telephone; from family, friends and bosses to lame customers with astounding demands.”

“The performances are brilliantly nuanced and paced by Lisel Tommy.”

“This revival won’t please Arthur Miller purists.”

“This down-home tale has a lot going for it, from energetic choreography by Josh Rhodes to a great cast directed by Walter Bobbie and a breakout performance from golden-voiced Carmen Cusack in the lead role...If one overlooks the two things that bog down 'Bright Star'—Ms.”

“Considering there is no plot or point to this play, the bravado has to be an essential part of the show, for without it the show becomes a big snooze.”

“Steven Karam, best known for his 2011 drama Sons of the Prophet, establishes himself as one of America’s leading playwrights here with the saga of the Blakes.”

“All you have to do as the audience is sit back and enjoy an hysterical evening of high jinks in the theatre.”

“Ivo van Hove certainly has stripped the play down. However, he has added so much more. Depending on one’s tastes, one could view this as either good or bad. It has European sensibilities and none of the American aesthetics, and this play is as American as you can get...”

“We know Mr. Willis is a great superhero on the screen; unfortunately, he is one-dimensional on the stage.”

“With some heavy script doctoring, Allegiance could have been a modern classic but as is, it is one big missed opportunity.”

“Considering Sylvia's wispy and dated plot, Mathew Broderick's low-energy performance, and Daniel Sullivan's flimsy direction, there is hardly any reason to sit up, pant or roll over with delight.”

“As for Dames at Sea, it may have a rough time staying afloat on the Great White Way.”

“They are both superb and sublime.”

“As an acting exercise, you can’t improve on the casting of Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda as Eddie and May respectively.”

“Clive Owen, making his Broadway debut as the passive/aggressive husband, Deeley, is remarkable.”

“However, it would be remiss to not point out that some of the original drama and intensity, performed by both deaf and hearing actors, is lost in translation here.”

“Hamilton has truly started a Broadway revolution and will continue to influence the American musical theater for years to come.”

“The intent may have been very sincere, but the results are stock scenes with stock characters in stock situations and are not aided at all by Gabriel Barre’s lackluster direction.”

“And so it is with An American in Paris; the fusion of the Broadway musical and ballet, set to the sublime music and lyrics of the Gershwin Brothers’ songbook, is an evening of pure enchantment.”

“In the end, the hero and savior of this musical is Harvey Weinstein, for if it wasn’t for his dogged persistence, the theater would have lost a lovely score, a hammy Kelsey Grammer, a yummy Matthew Morrison, and a fun, familiar family show.”

“At times scathingly hilarious but ultimately disturbing, this tragicomic masterpiece takes digs at everything from Christianity and teenage angst to taboo sex.”

“Mr. David aims to please, but the end product is an unsatisfying half-baked comedy.”

“This explosive story demonstrates that great original theater— the type that overwhelms the senses and restores one’s faith in quality, live entertainment that actually says something— is definitely possible.”

“Regardless, Beautiful has a guilty-pleasure sense of fun and nostalgia and a few hearty performances, making us overlook the show’s many shortcomings.”

“A Gentlemen’s Guide ranks as one of the highlights of the fall season.”

“Kinky Boots and its cast get a standing ovation because they have earned and deserve it.”

“The show’s seamless songs and witty lyrics celebrate Mormonism while mocking it simultaneously.”

“As a whole, The Phantom of the Opera is still a gem of a show, the last of its kind.”

“They discarded the magnificently paced original direction by Trevor Nunn and John Caird and replaced it with their own underwhelming vision.”

“Besides, Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell directs everything nicely with his usual entertaining touches, making On Your Feet! a ‘Gloria-fied’ hit.”