Kobi Kassal

At the end of the day, Heathers is Big Fun and boy, are folks loving it. Having now gone twice since their return last month, both audiences were so rabid with screams and cheers for both iconic lines and even more iconic riffs, sometimes it was hard to hear the music. It knows what it is, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

With a terrific full band right on stage the entire time, we are transported to the streets of East Harlem, Vegas, and even Portofino thanks to versatile nightclub scenic design by Derek McLane. I task you with finding a leading man today with half the charisma that Jonathan Groff possesses. He brings not just the story, but the very soul of Bobby Darin to life. If there is one musical to see this season, you might as well grab your bathing suit and come Splish Splash in the basement of Wicked - you won’t be disappointed.

Enough can’t be said that this production doesn’t just change the game of Broadway, it smashes the game board and shoots it into a new dimension. When you take one of the most watched television shows in history and bring it to the stage, the pressure is high but Netflix and producer Sonia Friedman cracked the code thanks to the work of hundreds of artisans and crew—a nod should be given to Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher for their work on illusions and visual effects. Stranger Things: The First Shadow may just be the best production, visually speaking, to ever hit Broadway—well in this universe, anyway.

Death Becomes Her is a smart, brilliant adaptation that honors the original without fighting too hard at making sure it recreates every moment from the film. It’s clear the team has worked hard to put together one fun night of theatre, and boy do they deliver. I don’t think I stopped smiling from the first downbeat to the final curtain call. It’s high camp and Broadway heaven, need I say more?

Marc Bruni directs this entertaining, if uneven at parts, production with ease and style reminiscent of his stunning work on Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. With fierce, high octane choreography by Dominique Kelley on top of Paul Tate DePoo III’s stunning scenic and projection design (ay my performance the back LED wall did fade to black quite a few times accidentally), pleasant costume design by Linda Cho, and on the money lighting design by Cory Pattak, the world of Gatsby comes alive.

Where I’m fascinated is that spark the production seems to have found over here in the States. I can’t necessarily pinpoint what particlualy changed but the world Frecknall has created now works for me. The team has produced a stunning feat the likes of which Broadway has not experienced in a while. If London is any indication, we are in for a long healthy run with exciting new stars every few months, and I look forward to experiencing the wonderment of the Kit Kat Club again and again.

What makes The Outsiders so brilliant is director Danya Taymor at the helm of the ship. Her swift yet intuitive direction is stunning and the team she has surrounded herself with both onstage and behind the curtain is a match made in heaven. Taymor’s ability to hone her storytelling while marrying it with a contemporary theatre gaze is a pure delight on stage, and we should be so lucky to experience whatever she cooks up next. For a story that centers masculinity, brotherhood, and family, the ensemble cast shines and breathes new life to a property that is so beloved by millions across America.

Further, it's hard to go wrong when you have Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez above the title. The heart of the show lies with this trio whose genuine connection and truth shines out across the Hudson stage eight times a week. Groff, who has the charisma down pat, dazzles as Frank. When paired with Radcliffe’s Charley, filled with loveable charm, and Mendez’s Mary who is utterly gut-wrenching to watch as her true love slips away, this trio equals Broadway perfection.

Oftentimes when we get mega-musical adaptations here on Broadway, we shun them out the door and liken them to cheap theme park entertainment. It makes one wonder, why? A multi-million dollar production that packs houses and entertains audiences of all ages are what we should be welcoming right now. No one is claiming we are looking for the next Pulitzer Prize Award-winning work with every new show. Fun Home this is certainly not, but to see the thunderous cheers and screams of fans pouring out after the curtain call, who are we to say this doesn’t belong. Does Back To The Future need to be a musical? Of course not. But it makes for one helluva good night on Broadway. Diehard fans will love it, and new fans will be born — my plus one for the evening had never seen any of the films but is planning her watch party soon. Head to the Winter Garden and buckle in cause this musical will catapult you right to 88mph, and that’s a great place to be.

Mantello allows a deliberate clash between his horror-y staging and Holloway’s penchant for knowing humor. The clash sometimes works. Max is initially unfazed by the children’s creepy behavior, even meeting their strangeness with gallows humor. (When Marlow bemoans the difficulty of killing her with a small knife, Max does not miss a beat before replying: “You could go for the throat.”) At other times, the play’s humor confuses its overall tone. Max greets the house’s bizarre happenings with calm at one moment but fear the next, depending on the demands of the story. Metcalf fires off Raleigh’s explosions of anger with a sardonic “DAD’S DEAD” delivery style that deflates serious moments.

What I admire about this production is that it knows exactly what it is. A monologue at the top of the show states, “the viewing of too many musical comedies with sentimental and over romantic plots may cause serious and sometimes incurable damage to the playgoer and the critics’ standards. Therefore, what you are about to see is an almost plotless musical.” And boy, do they deliver on that promise.

Arden’s direction effortlessly weaves together the moving tale from scene to scene with effective tableaus interspersed throughout. Dane Laffrey’s scenic design and Sven Ortel’s excellent projection design remain intact, the only shift being the orchestra down in the pit rather than on stage. With just over a thousand seats compared to City Center’s 2,750, the large production is now running in an intimate house that helps you lean in even more. Very few changes have been made, except the addition of Erin Rose Doyle’s Mary Phagan now on a swing suspended far above the stage, which I’m not sure was all that necessary. Jason Robert Brown's score is a masterpiece. From lush and haunting ballads to spirited melodies, there is a reason Broadway has hungered so long for the show's return. The powerful musical is a reminder that theatre is a beautiful art form that can speak so eloquently to the current times.

There are a few scenes in Mr. Saturday Night, the new musical which opened tonight at the Nederlander Theatre, where the titular star, played by Billy Crystal, performs for sleepy retirement homes. You might find that the projections behind him, depicting throngs of patrons 65-and-up, are not too different from your surrounding audience members. It shouldn’t be a surprise: Crystal is a decades-spanning comedy legend, here recreating a role first created in 1984, and immortalized in a 1992 film of the same name. What is surprising, given that no one really asked for this, and considering the general soullessness of such reboots, is how perfectly charming and entertaining the work is.

Grandly directed by Mayer, this tinkering of a classic works well on David Zinn's elegant mirrored scenic design, especially when paired with Kevin Adams' lighting and Susan Hilferty's exquisite costume work. Funny Girl is a brilliant work, and with Feldstein, radiates pure theatrical joy. It's a revelation for the stage that is certainly not to be missed. Dare I say one of the most enjoyable revivals of the last decade? Go see what all the People are raving about for yourself.

The council is sat at their desks for most of the play, so Letts' language is perfectly on display in this masterpiece of tension-filled Americana. When you aren't hilariously cracking up at the witty jokes and delicious direction, take some time to look at the detail of the desks and just what those items say about each member of the council, from colorful water bottles to 5 Hour Energy drinks. One thing is clear, if there is one play you choose to see on Broadway this season, have it be The Minutes.

Where the show truly shines is with the fantastic company that director Jerry Zaks has assembled. Rob McClure is a theatrical force to be reckoned with. Seamlessly transitioning back and forth between Daniel and Doubtfire, McClure is giving a career defining performance that would surely make Robin Williams proud. The lovely Jenn Gambatese as Miranda and their on-stage children Analise Scarpaci as Lydia (terrific), Jake Ryan Flynn as Christopher (enthusiastic), and Avery Sell as Natalie (adorable) make up the Hillard clan.