Variety

“Jocelyn Bioh's sensational play, ‘School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play,’ captures this magic and anguish, set against the specificity of mid-1980s Ghana.”

“The stage version of ‘Paranormal Activity’ performs on an intimate and domestic scale yet delivers more thrills, chills and screams than Broadway has seen in years, and giving the franchise a legit afterlife.”

“This stunner of a show, based on the Joel Schumacher film, is a solid theatrical transformation, rich in imagination, humor and heart — and with spectacular special effects.”

“Bursting with heart and humor, the production showcases all of the intricacies and beauty of Black American life, the never-ending costs of slavery, racism and discrimination and how Black people flourish and move forward despite it all.”

“But basically, it's just a messy drag.”

“Sadly there's little wind beneath this uninspired musical's thin and tattered wings.”

“The effervescent stage show, from creator Cinco Paul and director-choreographer Christoper Gattelli, is all but irresistible — a giddy love letter to the form that’s enough to turn even the most skeptical curmudgeon into a walking heart-eye emoji.”

“‘The Balusters,’ which debuts tonight at Manhattan Theatre Club, may be the most vital and timely show on Broadway this season.”

“The two are so silly, so loopily in synch, that the scene, which occurs halfway through the second act, lifts the entire show, giving it a buoyancy that has been lacking during its exposition-heavy beginning.”

“'Proof' remains a scintillating play. Its questions about hereditary mental illness, the truth, and who can be labeled a genius — especially with a Black woman at the center — continue to resonate.”

“‘The Fear of 13’ is deeply moving. Yet it falls short of being remarkable with uneven pacing and its ever-shifting tone.”

“The opening of the cult hit ‘Titaníque’— the musical spoof of the 1997. Oscar-winning smash ‘Titanic’ — is the latest theatrical evidence that one can be stupid and smart at the same time.”

“‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ just might become the next much-needed, must-see touring show from the House of Broadway.”

“The revival is worth seeing for her performance alone.”

“As Max, the adopted son of a dysfunctional family, Ehrenreich delivers an astonishing Broadway debut.”

“Fortunately, the play's second act packs a gut-punch that almost makes one forget about the discordant way the first ended.”

“The film updates ‘Afternoon’ to an awareness of this union and what it means that’s more upfront and unapologetic and, in its way, more sentimental.”

“Navigating his moods is, for the other characters on stage (including his pained fiancée Liccy, played by Rachael Stirling) a challenge; for the audience, it is a thought-provoking pleasure.”

“Award-winner Daniel Radcliffe, the solo production is unique and thrilling, reminding viewers of life's magical and, yes, brilliant delights.”

“‘Silver Manhattan’ succeeds on virtually every level.”

“Manic, disturbing and relentless, ‘Bug’ gets under the audience’s skin and remains there long after the final curtain drops.”

“Furry, funny and fully-formed, the much-anticipated ‘Paddington’ musical has finally arrived in the West End and it’s alive not only with joy but that vanishingly rare theatrical quality: completely beguiling charm.”

“Alas, the debate of whether ‘Chess’ can be saved or fixed must continue, for this is likely not the best iteration of the material. What Florence sings rings true for ‘Chess’ overall: ‘I’ve still a lot to prove; there must be more I could achieve.”

“Unfortunately, Greenfield’s dazzling assessment of greed, consumption and the American dream doesn’t translate on the stage.”

“The play takes ample metaphorical advantage of both couch and void.”

“‘Liberation’ is a brilliant, well-acted, and sobering account of the women’s rights movement, complicity, and the lens through which we view our caretakers — namely, our mothers.”

“In productions large or small — or, here, imperfectly in-between, though still glorious — everything is the service of the show that creates with words, music and movement a grand American tapestry — tears and all.”

“This lower temperature approach too often misses the work's humor, horror and emotional resonance.”

“The current Broadway climate has been thick on the ground with revivals of familiar titles anchored by big-name stars; the performances in 'Art”'..make the case for this as something more urgent than that.”

“It's a feast for your pleasure centers.”

“But while it delivers in spades for the sensation-generation, something major is missing.”

“But having a super-saturated production insist upon you having a good time all the time proves less entertaining, more enervating.”

“Smart elevates the material and makes Izzy's story feel fresh, authentic and always compelling.”

“On the surface, 'Dead Outlaw' is a boisterous and wildly entertaining show that should attract young audiences who like their entertainment bold, bracing and outrageous.”

“The same can be said for the artistic team behind this appealing, tuneful and politically potent show based on Josefina López's 1990 play and the 2002 film which she co-wrote with George LaVoo, and which starred America Ferrera.”

“Although a bio-jukebox need not necessarily glorify its subject, it must at minimum justify why they are the subject of a musical in the first place, which ‘Just in Time’ never does.”

“There might be a few bumpy waves in this piratical adaptation, but the booty is well-worth the effort.”

“For others, it will feel like just a shadow of a play.”

“There may be treasure hidden deep in the cave that is ‘Floyd Collins,’ but it may just be too dark and difficult to fully extract it.”

“‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ is the best play of the season, but even more significantly, it is a feminist masterpiece sure to become one of the defining works of art from and about the #MeToo era.”

“Either way, it is, in fact, what you've been needing.”

“More than a tribute, it’s a feast — and one of the most heartfelt and joyous shows of the season.”

“‘Boop!’ shows that cartoon makeovers may be an enticing novelty, but to really succeed it first needs to be well drawn.”

“It packs a wallop — and so does this production.”

“Dialed to a slightly lower register, the delicacy and intricacy of the language here lands with a punch whose impact comes on the subway ride home.”

“Wilde himself wrote that we should not sort things into good and bad, but charming and tedious; this production falls squarely with the latter.”

“That Washingtonian authority demonstrates the production’s one big idea — to place two big stars at the center of the stage and trust that their talent and charisma will carry the day.”

“Too British? Not if you want to laugh uproariously — and perhaps even unexpectedly shed a tear or two.”

“Decades later, its music became the source of a Grammy-winning album, then a popular film — and now it's the most intoxicating and rapturous show of the Broadway season.”

“‘Purpose’ is a brilliant and profound narrative about legacies, ambition, mental illness and who you may become if you were never allowed to know yourself.”

“Others, too, might welcome that sense of comfort in a production of grandeur and heart, telling a story of grief, healing and wonder.”

“‘English’ very rightfully won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2023, and it's hands down a masterpiece of theater.”

“The growing absurdity of everyone’s behavior is, surprisingly, extraordinarily funny, best of all in the late stages.”

“'All In' brings a different kind of comedy to the stage, a gentler kind of wit”

“The latest revival is an electric and truly unique production that will undoubtedly become a crowning jewel in the canon of 'Gypsy.'”

“There is so much good and sharp in ‘Cult of Love’ — its treatment of grown siblings reckoning with their parents, its tactical observations about how in-laws fit into a family unit — that its slack moments rankle somewhat.”

“'Eureka Day' is a cleverly staged social satire, one that earns enough goodwill”

“Depending on your comic tastes, you're either on board for this ultimate vanity project or not.”

“People will come to see 'Swept Away' for the music, and they'll be glad they did. And they'll come for the acting, too, which is accomplished and polished.”

“The songs are undistinguished and unrooted in character, filled with generic and immediately forgettable power ballads, Christian pop tunes and revivalist floor stompers.”

“‘A Wonderful World: Armstrong Musical’ is a majestic spectacle, paying homage to a towering figure and his distinctive legacy.”

“‘Maybe Happy Ending’ is an undeniably moving, well-made, adorable musical, and it is a pleasant surprise to see an audience weep at a show about two robots in love.”

“What we have here instead is a fun night out and a hangover.”

“Scherzinger has plainly been waiting for the right stage, and she puts every bit of fierceness and charisma into proving herself.”

“Life is fragile and fleeting, and love is all that matters.”

“‘Yellow Face,’ from its title on down, is a provocation, and it's one vastly more complicated than any easy soundbite an activist might deliver about the values of inclusivity and sensitivity.”

“While beautifully staged and produced, ‘McNeal’ is a dull and garbled play that says very little about ethics and artificial intelligence and instead hoists up a pompous and exhausting man who has only ever cared about himself and his legacy.”

“As in ‘The Ferryman,’ Mendes once again guides a finely-tuned ensemble cast.”

“In the main, ‘The Roommate’ is a spirited entry on Broadway and a welcome showcase for LuPone and — in particular”

“What they fail to do is write a taut or convincing book to elicit that.”

“And the show finally cannot overcome the casting of Foster, a game and fantastic performer who simply can’t find her way into a character who’s all sloppy id.”

“...reveals itself to be a terrifying trip to the dark side of the internet.”

“Cooke and company have seized an old-fashioned show, unexpectedly provided vanishingly rare but hugely welcome genuine charm, and made it zing.”

“The play itself is a masterclass in comedy, relying on the impeccable timing of the actors to keep each joke perfectly in tune with the audience.”

“And it couldn’t be more ironic that in a show wholly about rivals fiercely racing to win, the missing elements are momentum and tension.”

“Justin Peck's dance-driven musical adaptation of Sufjan Stevens' album creates moments of transcendent beauty, even if the storytelling sometimes feels as ephemeral as morning mist.”

“Lange is magnificent in her depiction of a woman who, across the decades, can’t quite reconcile what her life or her children have become.”

“It’s nearly impossible not to be taken in and enjoy the shimmering, sparkling spectacle before you.”

“Judged by Rickson own past record, this only intermittently touching and funny production is a disappointment.”

“‘Mary Jane’ stays with viewers long after they leave the theater.”

“These charmless characters are broadly outlined, psychologically shallow and simplistically played.”

“That's the beauty of this production—and of live theater.”

“For all the familiar jukebox musical templates of thin characters, unsurprising plot developments and oldie pop/rock songs shoehorned into the narrative, there's something to be said for simple packaging that knows what it is and does it well.”

“Frecknall's ravishing and mercilessly introspective production... no one is safe from the turmoil rattling their psyches.”

“Instead, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is a sparkling story paying homage to New York, to that beautiful and heartbreaking transition between girlhood and womanhood and to the women who hold our hands through it all.”

“Audiences may feel the same way after seeing this work of theatrical virtuosity, realizing that all the tiny details, wild rhythms, and clever hooks presented on stage have added up to a work that is brave, purposeful, and rich.”

“It's evident in its inventive storytelling, combined with its musical richness and emotional engagement, fueled by the vigor of brilliant outsiders demanding their place not only in history but on Broadway.”

“Dizzying visuals and overamplification too often swallow both actors and storytelling in a swirling sensory overload.”

“But even as it works to cast Lempicka in a new light, this complex artist still remains just beyond the frame.”

“Overall, however, his production doesn’t fully sustain the tricky balancing act.”

“Maybe if you'd missed the '70s, when The Who's exceptional album stirred the hearts of kids making enough noise to change the world, you wouldn't care that this production of ‘Tommy’ is basically for old people, and not for a new generation.”

“‘Water for Elephants’ could be the greatest show on Broadway.”

“This production has much to recommend it, and Strong in particular should return to the stage as often as he can.”

“But without leading characters, story or songs that are elevated, this love story remains not only leaden but as slight as jottings in journal.”

“Uncomfortable and thought-provoking, the themes of ‘Doubt’ have never been more urgent.”

“Williams’ staging of his own adaptation opens with a fierce close-up of Snook’s exuberant face on a large, portrait-style screen — the first of many — hanging down at the center of the proscenium arch.”

“That's symbolic of this boisterously played but problematic musical about Live Aid/Band Aid: tremendous musical performances, shame about the book.”

“But it doesn’t tell it in a compelling or nuanced manner — despite Harmon having set himself up to succeed with a flashback story that could, but does not, provide real context and present-day interlocutors who could, but do not, push the Benhamous beyond platitudes.”

“Under director Lila Neugebauer, ‘Appropriate’ creates one of the most engaging family dynamics presented on stage.”

“They're in search of a more visceral, live hit of the show's successful comedy-horror-sci-fi combination, and that's what director Stephen Daldry's eye-widening, often heart-racing production delivers.”