Marilyn Stasio

Come back, come back, wherever you are, David Mamet. All is forgiven (even 'Race') if you will just quit jerking us around on non-plays like 'China Doll' and get a grip. There's material for maybe a one-act in this overblown character study of a power broker whose sins are about to catch up with him. But even with Al Pacino putting him through his emotional paces, this tarnished titan is going through hell in a vacuum, with no one to play off but unheard voices on the other end of the telephone.

The eek! factor is largely missing from 'Misery,' starring a laid-back Bruce Willis as the bed-bound author held hostage by his 'greatest fan,' played here by Laurie Metcalfe. Despite the physical intimacy imposed by its stage setting, William Goldman's theatrical version of the 1987 Stephen King novel lacks the stifling sense of claustrophobia that made Rob Reiner's 1990 movie version starring Kathy Bates and James Caan so unnerving. Or maybe the atmosphere of fear and dread was just wiped out by the show's undercurrents of arch humor.

The strength of 'Allegiance' is in the story. Not the musical's book, which is no more than serviceable, but the disturbing real-life events behind it. The book by Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione and Jay Kuo (who also contributed the bland score), does what musicals tend to do when dramatizing major historical events - attempt to 'humanize' complex issues by refracting them through the experiences of a small representative group.

If the producers of 'On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan' know what's good for them (odds are, they do), they're ad-bombing Spanish-language media outlets and pitching group sales 24/7. That's the way to go with a surefire audience pleaser like this jukebox musical built around the life and career of Cuban-American superstar Gloria Estefan. Newcomer Ana Villafane (who originated the role in the show's Chicago premiere) is a knockout in the leading role, the dazzling centerpiece of this flashy, splashy spectacle helmed by Jerry Mitchell.

Director Rupert Goold's ingeniously abstract staging calls upon the players in this Almeida Theater production to amplify -- even to the point of parody -- the correlation of the real-life characters they play to the Shakespearean models they're based on. Prince Harry (Richard Goulding), cavorting with his Falstaffian friends, embodies the very soul and image of Henry IV. Will and Kate effortlessly transform themselves into the Macbeths. And all the politicians who betray Charles represent all the court villains who brought down the ill-fated kings in the history plays. There's even a tragic parental ghost and some wicked witches to dispense bad advice.

Gabriel Ebert, who won a Tony for his music-hall turn as Mr. Wormwood in 'Matilda,' brings the same goofy sensibility to Camille Raquin...But even for such a bona-fide fool as Camille...the characterization is much too light-hearted (and empty-headed) for this Grand Guignol tale of murderous lust and obsession...Knightley is infected with the same stupid-bug...she slouches around her mother-in-law's bourgeois flat looking petulant and behaving rudely in front of visitors...Knightley hangs onto Therese's girlish demeanor until Laurent puts her out of her misery by seducing her -- at which point, Knightley comes alive and delivers Zola's lushly romantic sentiments with the exuberant joy of a woman famished for love and ripe for a lusty affair...Getting rid of the buffoonish Camille brings out the best in everyone...Knightley and Ryan are ravishing -- and articulate -- as these fierce bourgeois Macbeths, undone by their own greed and passion.

Ashford does her considerable bit by finding realistic human actions suggestive of doggy behavior...So long as she's jumping all over the furniture, slobbering all over Greg, and turning Kate's new shoes into chew-toys, Sylvia is innocently adorable. As is Ashford, who has created an endearing persona that's equal parts doggy charm and girly sex appeal...In helmer Daniel Sullivan's super-slick production, everybody pitches in to sustain the illusion that the soul of a shaggy dog can live in the shapely body of a gifted comic actress...As long as we can sit back and laugh at Sylvia's doggy antics while admiring Ashford's comic flair, 'Sylvia' is harmless fun. But...Gurney's point is that having a dog socializes and civilizes a dog owner -- especially a dog owner whose wife is insensitive to his existential crisis.

How cruel, to make comparisons with a legendary star! How unkind! How unfair! Well, tough luck, because here it comes: the new leading lady of 'Dames at Sea' is no Bernadette Peters. There's nothing wrong with this revival that Peters, who played the role of Ruby in the original 1968 production, couldn't fix. But musical theater stars of her caliber don't grow on trees, and although newcomer Eloise Kropp is a power tapper par excellence, she hasn't the saucy charm of a Broadway Baby like Ruby -- or the magnetic appeal of a star like Peters.

...this two-hander really is a slip of a thing, elevated to dramatic art by captivating Broadway performances from two of the most enchanting actors you'd ever hope to see on the same stage...the real name of this game is 'Let's Pretend,' and Fonsia and Weller are doing a brilliant job of pretending that they are still alive and that they still matter -- if not to society, then to each other...Like the principals in any other romantic comedy, the stars handle this relationship with delicacy, restraint, and great wit -- until the supposedly untutored Fonsia starts winning big-time. Both stars play to their strengths in Leonard Foglia's beautifully paced production. Jones makes wonderful use of Weller's superior size and strength to bully and bluster his way through every contested hand, while Tyson's priceless skills in the gentle art of passive aggression make the oh-so-delicate Fonsia a fierce and formidable opponent.

The tormented lovers in 'Fool for Love' are a broken-down cowboy named Eddie (Rockwell, wonderfully at ease in the role) and his beaten-down girlfriend May (Tony Award winner Arianda, exhausted from battle)...These ritualized couplings (carefully choreographed by David S. Leong) consist mainly of one lover throwing the other against the wall or across the bed -- although Eddie adds his signature touch of twirling a lasso...His legs bowed and his posture a perpetual slouch, Rockwell is so genuinely invested in this cowboy role that anyone would take him for the real thing...'Fool for Love' is far more physical than other plays by Shepard, and physicality is Arianda's strong suit. The actress has a remarkably supple back, which she uses in expressive ways -- curled in on itself like a beaten puppy, or hunched in a corner like a rabid dog.

Director Douglas Hodge...has made some curious production choices, but once the erotic games begin, you hardly notice that the writer's signature pauses and ominous silences have been trimmed. The most baffling aspect of the production isn't the play's elusive meaning or Pinter's ambiguous dialogue -- it's the setting...what to make of that solid block of ice in the shape of a door that dominates the room, which itself takes a twirl on a turntable for no earthly reason? Or the eyeball-searing strobe lights and that giant psychedelic whirligig and the loud metallic assault on our ears? It's a blessed relief when things settle down and Pinter's seductive parlor game for grownups can begin in earnest. In Reilly's controlled performance as the play's most controlling character, Kate doesn't seem to be looking forward to a visit from an old friend she hasn't seen in years...Owen has perfected the smoldering, could-be dangerous look of an imperfectly civilized hoodlum, so it's a nice jolt when he drops his cool facade and jumps at the idea that Kate's old friend might provide some insights into his inscrutable wife...There's nothing reserved about Anna, who exudes that air of confidence that comes from being married to a rich man.

The wonderful dancing chorus seems to have more room to perform its leaps and bounds, and the individual characters have always been larger than life in the first place. In fact, Leslie Odom Jr. seems even more invested in the difficult character of Aaron Burr, really sinking his teeth into the frustration and yearning that this troubled character reveals...Like any true landmark, 'Hamilton' stands up to repeated viewings. After six months, the show's initial impact hasn't dulled a bit; in fact, the qualities that made it so extraordinary the first time around are all the more striking...That rapper style, with its interlocking interior rhymes and pounding cadences, perfectly captures Hamilton's feverish intelligence and hyperarticulate manner. But instead of keeping to a single uniform musical style (hip-hop or otherwise), as traditional shows often have, Miranda continues to draw from all available styles and musical sources, from nursery lullaby to rock 'n' roll and operetta, in order to capture the soul of a character and the spirit of the moment. If this sort of thing catches on, the old, reliable Broadway showtune may be a thing of the past.

There's an audience out there for 'Amazing Grace,' flawed as it is, but they may not get to see this religious-uplift musical if the $16 million show's marketing machine doesn't reach its target audience. Christian congregations and other faith-based groups should respond to this epic-scaled saga of how John Newton, an 18th-century British slave trader played byJosh Young, experienced a 'miraculous' religious conversion, became an Anglican minister, and went on to write 200 church hymns, including the stirring title piece. But ye of little faith will find it tough sledding.

They really know how to throw a party in New Orleans. The rowdy bash in Lisa D'Amour's 'Airline Highway' is a real blowout, and the disorderly partygoers seem to be having great fun. But like a lot of all-night parties, this one doesn't stand up to the light. The scribe has installed a well-observed group of misfits and losers in the Hummingbird Motel, a haven for social outcasts. But aside from throwing her makeshift family that state-of-the-art shindig, she doesn't give them much to do - or let them do anything for themselves.

The show is more literary piece than conventional musical. But it has a dark, sinister beauty -- and who could resist a visit from Chita?...And what a commanding figure she strikes...Like the play, McNally's musical treatment of the central dilemma doesn't add much tension to what seems a foregone conclusion. And, like the play, it begins well and ends well, but sags in the middle. The real problem, it seems, is the inadequacy of Anton's soul-searching about his own guilt. Rees looks very much like someone who's going through hell, and he expresses it well in 'Fear.' But this morally shabby character hasn't got an ethical leg to stand on. Kander just can't help himself. Even in what may well be his darkest work, he writes beautiful romantic melodies.

This shamelessly silly parody of Broadway musicals -- and outrageous spoof of all things Shakespeare -- was hatched from the fevered brains of brothers Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick...Although comic desperation descends on the second act, it's still a deliriously funny show...That synthesis of highbrow/lowbrow humor is what makes the show so irresistible. The cockeyed creative style works brilliantly in that showstopper, 'A Musical,' which simultaneously celebrates and sends up everything we hold dear about this peculiar art form, from the 'jazzy hands' of Bob Fosse to the synchronized line dancing of the Rockettes...And that's all the plot you need to know, because there's entirely too much of it in the messy second act. But by that time, the show is steaming ahead, fueled by the bold-as-brass music, the ingenious lyrics and the sheer lunacy of the whole enterprise.

The echoes of 'Les Miserables' are so intrusive that it takes a firm act of will to shake off impressions of 19th century France and reset the mental clock for a later generation and a different country...Lara may be too vigorous a presence in Barrett's hearty performance, but Mutu's Doctor Zhivago isn't forceful enough. Which is actually rather strange, because the other actors tend to sing at top pitch, perhaps to make themselves heard over the gunfire, explosions and cannon booms from the never-ending wars being played out in the background. Helmer Des McAnuff...gives quite a lot of play to these bombastic war scenes...by the time the red flags are waved to signal victory, we seem to be back in 'Les Miz.'

Kathleen Marshall helms this lightweight material with a properly playful touch...Sills...has Maestro's bravura moves down cold...Fleming's fans should be thrilled to hear that their idol is a natural, completely at her ease in the most ridiculously farcical situations and so personable she confirms her reputation as 'The People's Diva'...Chlumsky...knows the drills and executes them with flair. But O'Connell isn't playing in the same league, and his discomfort repeatedly throws off the comic rhythms...It's all very charming until the ill-advised saccharine payoff which has half the audience cheering and the other half wondering how long we have to put up with yet more shameless pandering to the social zeitgeist.

New! Fresh! Original! We toss those kudos around a lot in this business. (It's like calling everyone 'darling.') But 'Fun Home' really earns the praise. Lisa Kron, who wrote both book and lyrics, assembles words and images in unexpected ways to dramatize the bittersweet memoir (based on the 2006 graphic novel by Alison Bechdel) of a grown woman remembering the troubled father she loved in spite of himself. Sam Gold's direction brings lucidity to the complex mechanics of staging a story that takes place in three time frames. And Jeanine Tesori's haunting music doesn't sound a bit like anyone else's music.

In its heart of hearts, the extraordinarily deep and often underutilized thrust stage of Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater has probably always yearned to host an opera. That's pretty much what director Bartlett Sher has wrought with his sumptuous revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1951 musical, 'The King and I.' Broadway's darling, Kelli O'Hara, is ravishing as the English governess to the children in the royal household of the King of Siam, played by the powerfully seductive Japanese movie star Ken Watanabe. But the production itself, with its operatic sweep and opulent aesthetic, is the star of its own show.

There's not enough flying in 'Finding Neverland' -- metaphorical flying, that is, those giddy flights of wit and imagination that make us believe, if not in fairies, then at least that the American musical is still alive and well. Despite the technical marvels that director Diane Paulus brings to producer Harvey Weinstein's beloved obsession, this ambitious version...remains stubbornly earthbound. The lead in its feet has a lot to do with the ponderous lyrics, but at the heart of the matter, this material doesn't cry out to be a musical...Morrison ('Glee') is extremely well cast as the hypersensitive Scottish playwright, investing him with a stirring voice and a tender heart. But what can he do for a repressed character whose cerebral solo numbers are internalized thoughts?...In a way, the whole show seems to be holding its breath for this death scene, which Paulus ('Pippin') has staged with imaginative flair...It's just too bad that this magic is all in the service of transporting Sylvia Llewelyn Davies off to her death -- er, that is, to Neverland. Try explaining that one to the kids.

'It Shoulda Been You' is awfully funny. That's strange, because there's nothing especially clever about this musical comedy...The characters are broadly caricatured comic types you might find at a sitcom wedding (overbearing Jewish mother, high-strung bride, alcoholic mother of the groom, flamboyantly gay wedding planner, etc.), and instead of saying 'Comedy Tonight!' the music says 'Take a Nap!' But with impeccable instincts for finding their laughs, Hyde Pierce and his terrific ensemble players make this hokum seem terribly funny.

Fairchild and Cope are trained ballet dancers, so every move they execute in this pas de deux is poised, eloquent and technically flawless. But these stars prove equally credible as all-around Broadway performers who can sing and act on a professional level, too. Throughout their last dance, American G.I. Jerry Mulligan (Fairchild) and his beloved Lise Dassin (Cope) hold each other's gaze as closely as they hold each other's body, oblivious to the rest of the world.

There's plenty of juicy material to go around in Mantel's two books...But there's nothing bookish about the highly theatrical approach taken in director Jeremy Herrin's lucidly told, handsomely staged and emotionally charged production. In fact, it's not bookish enough...Miles is a subtle character actor, as well as a classical performer in the heroic Shakespearean tradition, and there's genuine grief as well as seething anger in his reaction to the royal court's humiliation of Wolsey...But that second play is still problematic...Parker is a protean actor, and he keeps finding fresh ways to keep King Henry interesting as he becomes increasingly petulant, impatient and intractable. But Leonard's initially compelling Anne Boleyn becomes increasingly shrill and grating as her power over the king begins to slip...But it's disappointing that the scribe fails to expand on the political issues he introduced early in the narrative...So, just when you expect the drama to move into deeper and darker political territory, it shrivels up and becomes what a lot of American kids took away from high-school history class -- the salacious story of a horny king who chopped off his wives' heads whenever he wanted a new bride.

There's nothing to offend their tender sensibilities in this antiseptic version of 'Gigi'...Rather than empowering Gigi, putting more years on her makes this young adult seem dimwitted instead of innocently naive. In the same blundering way, drastically dropping the age of her jaded older suitor incongruously forces the boyish Corey Cott ('Newsies') into the unconvincing guise of that sophisticated boulevardier Gaston Lachaille. Now that the kids are perfectly matched, there's no longer any intergenerational sexual tension between the principals. Further distorting the characters' original relationship, Hudgens ('High School Musical') has the clarion voice and aggressive delivery of an unabashed Broadway belter, which gives Gigi vocal dominance over Gaston's delicately voiced tenor...Who hasn't lost their minds in this ill-conceived adaptation? The designers, for sure, have held their own...But if the physical look of the show suggests Paris...whenever someone opens his mouth, we're dragged back to America, where nice people don't do naughty things.