Isabella Biedenharn

f that sounds like a lot... it is. A head-spinningly packed Act I spends far too long setting up these various threads, and keeping track of everything while taking in the wildly detailed and immersive set is quite a feat. Act II is much smoother, and features some of the show's highlights, like Squidward's gorgeous tap number (backed by a chorus line of anemones), and Sandy and SpongeBob's impressively gymnastic climb to the top of that volcano.

Between the president's incessant, exclamatory tweets and a never-ending news cycle covering the White House's hirings and firings, it's nearly impossible not to be plugged into what's happening in Washington these days. It's a time ripe for analysis, not simple observation. So you'd think The Parisian Woman, a new play from House of Cards creator Beau Willimon (who also penned the 2008 drama Farragut North) would provide a sharp, fresh perspective on these strange, unprecedented times. Unfortunately, Willimon brings none of his shrewd insight into the political machine to the stage here.

Still, it's an enthralling production: John Lee Beatty's grid of a set is like an Excel spreadsheet come to life - and when those illuminated cubes are combined with Doug Hughes' direction, Ben Stanton's lighting, and Mark Bennett's sound, they can make a board meeting feel as dramatic as the Super Bowl. And despite each character's path seeming inevitable, their choices - or lack thereof - will stick with you long after the final bow.

Unfortunately, whether it's because the real world today is stranger than fiction (it's worth noting that the show's U.K. and L.A. runs happened pre-election) or because TV dystopias, like Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, are already perfecting political dread, 1984 doesn't have the same foreboding effect audiences might expect from a book that's continually felt eerily prescient for decades. Still, the acting is phenomenal and the wildly innovative production makes for a memorable show - even if it isn't quite as scary as the world outside the theater.

An interesting thing is happening at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre: all-stars Laura Linney (The Big C) and Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) are alternating the roles of headstrong, conniving Regina Giddens and meek, abused Birdie Hubbard in the Manhattan Theater Club's revival of Lillian Hellman's 1939 play The Little Foxes. In theory, it's a fascinating experiment-especially for theatergoers who have the resources to see both versions of the show, as I was able to. But in practice, one pairing has just a bit more magic in it than the other.

Admittedly, two hours of nonstop pandemonium gets exhausting, and even with the intriguing character development (or degeneration), the curtain comes as a bit of a relief. (You can only cringe so many times before getting a cramp.) But on the whole, The Play That Goes Wrong is just right: A ridiculously entertaining disaster.

Takei bookends the show playing a bitter, adult Sammy, but for the rest, his winking personality is used perfectly as Ojii-chan, Sammy and Kei's loving grandfather - quick with a joke, and providing much-needed islands of levity amidst a sea of sadness. In fact, when it's not threatening to rip your heartstrings out all together, Allegiance is quite entertaining, with 1940s dance numbers, nods to the Andrews Sisters, and bits of jazz influence. Even if it's not 100 percent original all the time (hey, not everything can be Hamilton), Allegiance is an important show with a phenomenal cast, and it deserves to be seen. B+

Thanks to a revised book by Call The Midwife's Heidi Thomas, this modernized Gigi comes bearing extra sass. Instead of feeling distressed when Gaston insults her new gown ('That collar is ridiculous! It makes you look like a giraffe with a goiter'), this Gigi snaps back at his every insult ('The door's over there. And don't forget your chocolates. I won't be able to swallow them because of this terrible goiter', she quips), and then bids him adieu with all but a kick in the head. Every moment Hudgens isn't onstage, you long for her return-not only for her dramatic talents, but also because she wears Catherine Zuber's beautiful costumes so breathtakingly well.