Matt Windman — Theater Critic

There's a reason why Eugene O'Neill's 1942 two-hander 'Hughie' is usually presented on a double bill with another play: it is only an hour long and is essentially a rambling monologue, with a few lines here and there for a secondary character...Christopher Oram's towering set design of a decaying hotel lobby is visually impressive but inappropriate for such a small piece. Whitaker gives a hyperactive yet sensitive performance that reveals the unease and desperation behind Erie's jovial exterior, while Wood does a fine job serving as the blank-faced listener.

Stephen Karam's family drama 'The Humans'...is unapologetically depressing and lacking in narrative. Its pretentious and generic title is also a turnoff. Nevertheless, it makes for a compelling and often terrifying character portrait...there isn't much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and none of the problems are resolved or ameliorated by the play's end...'The Humans' is not as appealing as Karam's terrific comedic dramas ('Speech & Debate,' 'Sons of the Prophet'), but Houdyshell's razor-sharp delivery of her character's witty responses earns laughs. Under the direction of Joe Mantello...the actors deliver vulnerable, truthful performances while also handling simultaneous action on the two-story set, overlapping dialogue and many silent pauses.

Stage and screen actress Linda Lavin, 78, who has made a specialty out of playing difficult and domineering Jewish mothers (most recently in the 2012 play 'The Lyons'), is at it again in Richard Greenberg's underwhelming dramatic comedy 'Our Mother's Brief Affair'...The play has witty lines and a few surprises, but it's also sluggish, messy and short on plot. Greenberg's attempts to play with time and dramatic structure...come off as labored. Meadow's staging is generally flat. Lavin, nailing her character's acerbity, is terrifically funny but also identifiable and sympathetic. Keller and Arrington, in underwritten and underwhelming roles, passively sit on the sidelines while Lavin tells the tale.

There's no need for reinvention when it comes to 'Noises Off'...For 'Noises Off' to work on a basic level, its thoroughly intricate physical activity must be staged with the precision of a ballet. But a great production, which this revival certainly is, builds the slapstick around truthful performances, thus making the chaos feel natural...Jeremy Herrin, who recently staged 'Wolf Hall' on Broadway, has brought together a dynamic ensemble cast of stage veterans...Hilty is especially memorable as a buxom, airheaded actress, often waving her arms like a cheerleader doing a routine, and Shamos is endearing as a sensitive actor who gets nosebleeds at the slightest hint of violence.

Bartlett Sher, the director behind the acclaimed Lincoln Center revivals of 'South Pacific' and 'The King and I,' respects the material while enlivening it. The scenes are staged with acute sensitivity, while a full orchestra plays the timeless score. The opening sequence is somewhat new. Danny Burstein, dressed in modern attire, is apparently looking to retrace his ancestry. As he recites Tevye's opening lines ('A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no?'), the shtetl community, like a ghost being summoned back, comes forward and breaks into 'Tradition.' The fiddler also flies, a la Peter Pan.

Featuring an exceptional all-black cast led by Jennifer Hudson (in her Broadway debut), Danielle Brooks ('Orange Is the New Black') and English actress Cynthia Erivo, this marks one of the rare occasions where a musical's revival manages to outshine the original production...At first, Doyle's production comes off as overly mannered and limited in movement. But on the whole, it is far more dramatically charged and focused than the elaborate but undistinguished original production. This feels less like a revival than a revitalization, or a new musical altogether. Erivo credibly conveys Celie's 180-degree transformation in personality. The big-voiced Brooks burns with ferocity while slipping into moments of good humor. Hudson is fully authoritative and altogether fantastic in the diva role. Johnson has both a crisp edge and the air of a broken man.

Essentially a modern version of 'The Music Man,' it charts how out-of-work musician Dewey Finn (Alex Brightman) lands a gig as a substitute teacher at a snobby prep school and turns his class into a garage band, giving the children self-confidence in the process...The dozen or so children are wildly talented and absolutely adorable. I dare you not to smile as they stomp around and chant that they will 'stick it to the man.'

For the most part, 'China Doll' is a rambling, incoherent monologue. Since we never hear from the people that Pacino is speaking to by phone, it is the equivalent of a conversation where half the lines are missing...With big gestures and expressions, Pacino delivers a highly worked-up, outlandish performance that could be interpreted as a desperate attempt to add entertainment. Despite the play's problems, Pacino's theatrics throw it off further dramatically. The visual opulence of Pam MacKinnon's production is also questionable. It would be interesting to compare this with a leaner production of the play. But on second thought, it may be best to just put 'China Doll' to rest.

Whereas Rob Reiner's film was chilling, the 90-minute Broadway production (directed without focus by Will Frears), comes off as a psycho version of 'The Odd Couple,' with audience members laughing throughout at Annie's apparent insanity. Those who don't see the humor are likely to find it a pointless star vehicle. Metcalf is big, loud and over-the-top as Annie. On the other hand, the gruff-looking Willis displays little energy or presence, which easily allows Metcalf to overtake the show.

Hove takes a scalpel-edged, stripped-down yet over-the-top approach that drains the play of its naturalistic flavor...But what really hurts the two-hour production is Hove's never-ending use of an unsettling, dirge-like soundscape, which interrupts the dialogue and is often disconnected from the storytelling. It is most effective at the play's brutal climax, which also contains a splashy visual feat. Mark Strong conveys Eddie's inner torment with a quiet intensity...For the record, this production received big raves in London, and I'm sure that many people here will be similarly turned on by it. But by the same token, I suspect that plenty of others will find it pretentious and obnoxious.

It's so depressing when a new musical that explores an important historical event turns out to have so many problems.78-year-old George Takei, who appears in a supporting role, was himself interned when he was a young boy and spearheaded the musical's development.

'On Your Feet!' has a whitewashed, corporate-approved texture, which makes Gloria and Emilio come off as utterly devoid of personality despite their accomplishments and personal drama. It's so self-congratulatory that one gets the impression that they personally vetted every line. The production (directed by Jerry Mitchell and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo) comes to life during upbeat production numbers, which have lively, salsa-flavored movement and a hot sound. But more often than not, it gets mired in flashbacks and other downbeat sequences in which the songs lack impact. It feels rather like a pop concert that is too often paused...Ana Villafañe...is a beauty with a bright presence. She receives solid support from Josh Segarra as the gentle Emilio and Andréa Burns as Gloria's stern mother.

When was the last time you saw a new play that was written in iambic pentameter, or a futuristic fantasy about real-life, still-living political figures? Mike Bartlett's 'King Charles III,' a critical and commercial hit in London, audaciously applies the conventions of the Shakespearean history play to today's British royal family, who are portrayed immediately after the death of the currently reigning 89-year-old Elizabeth II.

If Daniel Sullivan's Broadway revival doesn't necessarily make you a fan of dogs, it will most definitely make you a fan of Annaleigh Ashford...Ashford gives an absolutely wonderful performance as the title character...As playfully portrayed by Ashford...Sylvia is everything at once: innocent, excited, confrontational, scared, silly, tender, hormonal, adoring and always adorable. This truly is one of those must-see performances that will stick with you for some time. Broderick gives the sort of cartoonish, oddball performance previously seen in shows such as 'The Producers' and last year's 'It's Only a Play,' but it works unusually well here, and he has terrific chemistry with Ashford. In their hands, 'Sylvia' is a most unusual, quite touching love story.

In a mind-boggling move, the show (which has not aged all that well) is being revived on Broadway, where it is uncomfortably out of place...The score has a few hummable melodies, but it's hardly top-drawer work. The jokes, which were intended for a gentler sensibility and an audience that was familiar with the 1930s films being evoked, land flat, as do all the references to celebrities from the period. Staged by director-choreographer Randy Skinner with lots of pep but little personality, the hardworking six-member cast tries to overcome the lackluster material by aggressively playing up the campiness, to the point of relentless irritation.

Although it's hard to believe that it deserved a Pulitzer Prize, 'The Gin Game' is a nice little play about an unlikely friendship, and Leonard Foglia's revival is generally pleasant. Showing strong chemistry, Jones and Tyson make fine sparring partners. With pitch-perfect delivery, Jones digs into every line with fervor, booming bombast and an endearingly cranky spirit, while Tyson has a warm presence and navigates her character's dramatic moments with aplomb.

The thin 70-minute drama, which won acclaim three decades ago and was made into a film with Kim Basinger, is essentially an unsettling character study with a sense of mystery behind it. Daniel Aukin's focused, highly physical revival is built around the intense interplay between Arianda, who evokes both a hurt young girl and a torrent of violent emotion, and Rockwell, who coolly struts around and cockily plays with his lasso as if he were the Marlboro Man.

There's really no middle ground when it comes to the late English playwright Harold Pinter. You're either mesmerized by his mysterious, menacing, pause-filled psychological dramas or you find them puzzling, inert and empty -- as I usually do. That being said, the Roundabout's new revival of his 1971 three-actor, 65-minute drama 'Old Times' (which has an all-English cast and is directed by Tony-winning English actor Douglas Hodge) more than captures the playwright's distinctive style, packed with steel and sexiness. It is far better than the 2013 Broadway revival of Pinter's 'Betrayal,' which starred Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz.

The use of sign language (which functions as a kind of gestural choreography) reflects how the teens are unable to meaningfully talk with their parents or teachers, while the adults cannot hear them. Standouts among the cast include Krysta Rodriguez as the sad but fierce runaway Ilse and the spirited Ali Stroker, who may be the first wheelchair-bound actress to appear on Broadway. Oscar winner Marlee Matlin makes a cameo as one of the adults, alongside Camryn Manheim ('The Practice') and the crisp-voiced Patrick Page.

I must confess that I gave one of the less enthusiastic reviews of 'Hamilton' back in February, finding the plot to be too dense (it is, after all, a biography) and the hip-hop sound to be monotonous. On second viewing, I was determined to accept the show on its own terms, and I ended up being absolutely entranced by Miranda's inventive writing, Thomas Kail's masterful direction and Andy Blankenbuehler's nonstop movement. I may be the last critic to join the 'Hamilton' fan club, but better late than never. Miranda tackles Hamilton's life, as well as the chaos and culture of the Revolutionary War and early years of the Republic, with genuine historical analysis, humor, tenderness and an eye for contemporary relevance.

On the heels of President Barack Obama breaking into 'Amazing Grace' during a eulogy, a well-meant but embarrassingly uninteresting musical depicting the life saga of the hymn' writer has opened. Watching it, you keep thinking, 'How in the world did this get to Broadway?'...Resembling an old-fashioned adventure novel, 'Amazing Grace' is packed with changes of fortune, sentimentality and one-dimensional characters. Smith's mushy, forgettable songs sound like the work of someone who loves 'Les Miz' but has little talent of his own...Too bad they couldn't just sing 'Amazing Grace' at the start and save everyone 2 1/2 hours.

'Airline Highway' presents a lively, detailed portrait of a lower class community in the South. But nice as it is to have a wide assortment of colorful characters, the focus too often drifts away from the central players of the plot. It ends with many of the conflicts unresolved. It's no surprise that this production was previously seen at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, which is renowned for its emphasis on ensemble acting. As directed by Joe Mantello ('Wicked'), the cast delivers detailed, sympathetic performances.

Although it makes for a provocative thriller, the score is weak, dreary and derivative of Kander and Ebb's earlier work. Considering how Rivera and Rees are limited vocally, it may sound better with stronger singers. Doyle's streamlined and ultra-stylized production...is visually striking, but perhaps too ghoulish for its own good -- to the point of being excessively creepy and gloomy. Take, for instance, the two blind eunuchs who follow Clara around, wear clown makeup and speak in falsetto. Rivera, unquestionably a Broadway treasure, has the star quality and grand composure to play the diva-like Claire. By comparison, Rees portrays Anton as a sad, broken man, all too willing to meet his dismal fate.

You could describe 'Something Rotten!' as 'Shakespeare in Love' meets 'Spamalot'...With all its showmanship and silliness, 'Something Rotten!' begins on an extremely promising note, sustains it throughout act one, and then falters in act two, where attempts are made to resolve the haywire plot...Even so, 'Something Rotten!' is a great deal of cartoonish fun, especially for musical theater fans who can appreciate the inside references...Its cheery songs are enjoyable and hummable...The cast is comprised of musical theater veterans who deliver larger-than-life performances. Borle is especially hilarious, portraying Shakespeare like a narcissistic rock star, and James gives a sympathetic turn in the leading role.

The musical is unexpectedly easy to follow despite heavy exposition, multiple character arcs and constant action...The songs are soft and often moving. And while it's admirable that the creators largely avoided bombastic gestures, it never captures the emotional agony and historical turbulence its characters confront. You come away with no sense of why 'Doctor Zhivago' has been turned into a musical in the first place. The lead actors are capable, but they turn in one-dimensional performances. Tam Mutu brings dashing looks to the title character but little else, and Paul Alexander Nolan ('Jesus Christ Superstar') resembles just a rush of intensity. As the elusive Lara, beloved by all the men, Kelli Barrett is attractive but hollow.