Emlyn Travis — Theater Critic

Herein lies Bad Cinderella's biggest problem: like its protagonists, it doesn't know what it wants to be. At times, it's an ominous cautionary tale of how the beauty industry — led by the Fairy Godmother (Christina Acosta Robinson), who excitedly waves a syringe instead of a wand — preys on insecurities and coerces others to conform to its unrealistic standards. At others, it's a critique on how fairytale endings don't actually exist, only for the show to culminate in its own highly dramatic happily ever after. And, at its best, it's a hilariously campy romp that doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest.

The same monument is projected across the brick wall behind the stage when audiences step into the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre each night to see Parade, Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown's Tony award-winning musical that dramatizes Frank's trial and how government officials and local media played a role in his death. Following a celebrated sold-out string of performances at the New York City Center in November, the show is returning to Broadway once again for the first time since its original 1998 run in a phenomenal production that feels more poignant and powerful than ever.