Brian Scott Lipton

This misbegotten, meshugana mess wastes the talent of a top-notch cast and an often-delightful score from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, not to mention 2 ½ hours of your time.

Warren is a marvel, her powerful voice and expert skills as an actress painting a complete portrait of the defiantly happy, defiantly determined and defiantly angry Cathy. She’s properly mournful in the melancholy “Still Hurting”; hilarious in the vaudevillian “A Summer in Ohio”; and cockeyedly optimistic in “I Can Do Better That.” Jonas (likely cast for his formidable name value) is rather too appealing as Jamie; he simply lacks the character’s formidable egotism and neuroticism.

More importantly, though, it’s a solid evening of theater. Yes, perhaps it’s a less-than-dramatic one -- unless you’ve never seen the movie or don’t know your 1950s history -- but it remains eminently watchable as it recounts Murrow’s crusade to take down Wisconsin’s junior senator, Joseph McCarthy, through his news program 'See It Now.'

Still, one’s viewing pleasure derives largely from the show’s superb five-person cast (three of whom are also its co-creators), whose ability to do quick costume changes and switch genders and characters on a dime – as well as handle the many challenges of Felix Hagan’s accomplished pastiche score -- are truly medal-worthy.

Jacobs-Jenkins is a fantastic storyteller, and it is possible to walk away from Purpose without considering any of the play’s further implications, simply having relished in his almost unparalleled gifts for dialogue and characterization. (It won’t be a surprise if he ends up with back-to-back Tony Awards.)

For nearly two hours, the Tony Award-winning icon -- surrounded by a superlative supporting cast of four – gets to frequently show off her still-breathtaking belt to tremendous effect. Unfortunately, it’s too often in the service of a generic pop-sounding, lyrically banal score by musical theatre newcomer Kate Diaz, with too many songs that simply reinforce emotions that have already been expressed and do little to advance the barely-there plot. Indeed, no matter how strikingly songs like “Great Escape” or “No Repair” are performed, there’s no number here like “Defying Gravity” or “Over the Moon” that Menzel’s admirers will want to hear for years (or decades) to come. Further, librettist and director Tina Landau’s frustrating, oddly structured book basically dares us to sympathize with Menzel’s self-absorbed, self-pitying character.

Sadly, I would not expect a repeat performance (aka a Broadway transfer) from the less-than-ideal “revival” now being presented by City Center Encores! Part parable and part spoof of musical theater, the production, directed with a too-heavy hand by Teddy Bergman, takes its seemingly outlandish plot a bit too seriously, robbing the show of some of its much-needed laughs.

Don’t bother! Harrison makes it clear that such actions would merely be performative. Indeed, one can’t really argue that “The Antiquities” is a cautionary tale. There’s no question that artificial intelligence is here to stay; all that’s left for us to discover is whether Harrison’s dire predictions about the future of the human race – and technology’s part in making it happen -- will come true or turn out to be mere figments of the playwright’s vivid imagination.

A glimpse into theatrical history (although clearly a mix of fact and faction), “Kowalski” is a satisfying combination of drama and melodrama, much like many of Williams’ plays.

Yes, the show may be called “Gypsy,” but it’s Rose who is front and center. Luckily, McDonald offers the kind of fully committed, thoroughly thoughtful and often breathtaking performance people will talk about for decades. Don’t miss it!

Meanwhile, the board, for their part, seems far more worried about the financial health of the school than the physical health of their students, or in the case of Suzanne, furthering her own personal agenda. (Hecht’s brilliant delivery of a small monologue explaining her “reasoning” is heartbreaking and slightly terrifying.) But here’s the biggest problem of all: as Covid still looms, the concept of people resisting and refusing vaccines isn’t likely to engender much sympathy in New York theatergoers (many of whom have started to wear masks again). Worse yet, with the prospect of vaccine-denier Robert F. Kennedy Jr. becoming the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services – and asking the FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine – the issue no longer feels fit for satire. Ultimately, even in a better production than this one, the day to produce “Eureka Day” has passed.

If truly dark musicals are not your taste, I’d suggesting staying away from “Swept Away.” Others are urged to come sail away on this often-remarkable journey.

Others may see trees of green and red roses too as the show ends. What I see is that “A Wonderful World” is a story that might have been best served by one single vision.

Gold has shrunk most of the Circle’s playing space into a literal black circle in the center of the floor, designed by the ever-clever collective dots, and which contains one extraordinary surprise – almost as big as the care he brings into creating a truly effective “Romeo & Juliet.”

What bothers me more is not understanding why Ephron would dilute what could be a truly inspiring tale of senior citizens stepping out of their respective comfort zones to take a chance at happiness? As it stands, “Left on Tenth” feels like watching a rom-com with two extremely good-looking middle-aged people.

And these two stars do, to quote the script, have faces. And voices. And presence. A singer of phenomenal power and range, Scherzinger hits and holds the notes written by Andrew Lloyd Webber in a way that can induce gasps (not to mention two mid-show standing ovations at my performance). Better yet, she also brings an incredible intentionality to the song’s lyrics (by Christopher Hampton and Don Black) as if she’s thought for years about the meaning of every single word that comes out of her mouth, especially in her showstoppers “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.”

Most importantly even if we might actually hate her on some level for admitting that she only stays in “posh hotels” now, sleeps with two mattress toppers, and is severely uncomfortable with her current level of fame and wealth (of course, your level of pettiness may vary), one really has to cheer Gadsby for achieving the ability – wanted or not – to live the proverbial dog’s life.

While this dysfunctional family drama slides by surprisingly smoothly over its 2 ¾ hours running time, thanks to his colorful writing, the superb work of an ensemble cast, and the seamless direction of the great Sam Mendes, it’s only on your train or taxi ride home that it will hit you just how overlong, overpopulated and undernourished the work really is. It’s ultimately little more than a worthy imitation of something Tennessee Williams or Edward Albee might have written in their prime, and not a play as sui generis as Butterworth’s “The Ferryman” or “Jerusalem.”

Directed with his usual finesse by Jack O’ Brien and beautifully designed by Bob Crowley (who has created a spacious, airy Midwest farmhouse) and lit gorgeously by Natasha Katz, the play serves mostly as a showcase for the spectacular Mia Farrow (in a long-awaited return to the stage) and her real-life bestie, Patti LuPone, each of whom do their considerable best to both illuminate and overcome Silverman’s often facile writing.

The idea of home – as a safe place that one desperately wants to return to – is a powerful concept all-too-present currently on the New York stage, from “The Wiz” to “Breaking the Story.” But nowhere does it feel like a more potent destination than in the late Samm-Art Williams’ powerful, picaresque, poetic -- and aptly named --“Home,” now being given a splendid Broadway revival by the brilliant director Kenny Leon at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s recently rechristened Todd Haimes Theatre.

Anyone else ready to settle in at the Atlantic Theater Company Stage 2 for an evening of dystopian gloom and doom? Well, if that’s your thing, you’re about to be disappointed by Shayan Lofti’s touching 75-minute two-hander, seemingly set in a peaceful here and now, detailing the differing lives yet ultimately unbreakable bond between two siblings. Simply yet smartly directed by Jennifer Chang, this poetic work speaks to all of us who have had to navigate complicated familial relationships.

The biggest issue with the play, however, is how hard Winters tries to make the lovers’ class distinction a major issue, but their different economic statuses is not really the thing that comes between them. Nor are their mothers. Alfonso, a successful data scientist, ultimately has trouble seeing a future with the unambitious Lucy, who can’t even commit to touring a community college for one afternoon. One wishes this subject was explored more – and resolved far less easily -- than it is. Still, original works that can make audiences laugh – and even cry – are a rarer commodity in theater than they should be these days. So, I’ll take “All of Me.” You should too!

These errors in judgment are also indicative of who “Gatsby” will work for – and who they won’t. Simply put, if you treasure the novel, don’t come to the theatre. If you’ve never read it (or don’t remember it), you’ll probably be fine. Ultimately, the essence of the story– especially its messages on class differences and moral failings -- are mostly absent from Kait Kerrigan’s book, which mistakes Fitzgerald’s story for a standard romance novel. And when she keeps in a few lines of Fitzgerald’s actual prose (spoken by Nick), you become even more aware of Kerrigan’s modern sensibility.

I’d be a bit more forgiving of this production if it was part of some free summer festival rather than the big Spring offering from one of our finest institutional theaters. But I wasn’t sorry I saw it, and I imagine you won’t be either.

Under Anne Kaufmann’s straightforward direction, and aided by Brenda Abbandandolo’s simple but effective costuming, four excellent actresses -- April Matthis, Susan Pourfar, Lily Santiago, and Brenda Wehle -- handle all the supporting parts with true aplomb, creating distinct characterizations in mere minutes. (Pourfar and Wehle also appeared in the play’s 2016 Off-Broadway debut at New York Theatre Workshop.)