Matt Windman — Theater Critic

Fleming and Sills serve up over-the-top caricatures, while O'Connell and Chlumsky dutifully serve as their pawns and playthings. Fleming occasionally breaks into bits of familiar arias, adding some operatic flavor...The most inspired bit of comedy involves an encore curtain call that mocks the self-indulgent, overextended ones you can still see during revivals of Franco Zeffirelli productions at the Met. Directed with Technicolor flair by Kathleen Marshall...'Living on Love' might have been enjoyable were it not for the complete emptiness of the piece itself. Although reminiscent of the screwball film comedies of the 1930s, it never moves beyond a simple, static scenario.

'Fun Home' is a thoroughly dynamic piece that is just as emotionally piercing, good-humored and enjoyable as it is sharp, focused and culturally conscious. It belongs on the list of the smartest, most innovative musicals written in the Sondheim tradition of the past decade, such as 'Spring Awakening,' 'Next to Normal' and 'The Scottsboro Boys.'

The King and I' holds up incredibly well as a piece of drama. The songs are beautiful, the characters are complex and its themes of democratization, cultural miscommunication and gender inequality are timely. Sher's production, which features a 51-member cast and a 29-piece orchestra, is generally impressive and satisfying...It is very difficult to understand what Watanabe is saying. He has an imposing presence and highly theatrical spirit, but his diction stops the show in its tracks. O'Hara, one of the finest actresses working in musical theater today, delivers a fine, sympathetic performance as the staunch Anna, but it is hardly as captivating as her sexy Nellie. The standout of the production is Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang, the King's chief wife, who understands him better than anyone else.

It's frequently said that 90% of a director's job lies in the casting, and David Hyde Pierce indisputably nailed that part of the job as director of the new wedding-themed musical comedy 'It Shoulda Been You'...It's just a shame that the show itself is so dated and unfunny. When the material is this disappointing, no one can save it...Under better circumstances, this might have been a fun, feel-good trifle. Unfortunately, the sitcom humor is well-worn and hokey, the music is weak, the characters are one-dimensional stereotypes and the concept is tissue-paper thin. Ironically, having great actors involved doesn't make it any better. Instead, you feel frustrated that they're not in a better show...Pierce, who emphasizes the over-the-top, lighthearted tone in a clean and efficient production, might have a future as a director, but he needs to be more careful when choosing his material.

Lucas stresses the cultural tensions in postwar Paris, bringing up the painful stains of Nazi occupation... Though heavy-handed and drawn out, he deserves credit for trying to add depth to the film rather than simply recreating it or sanitizing it (i.e. 'Gigi'). Regardless of the book, the music is glorious, the visuals are innovative and the performances are top-rate.

Although full of intrigue and cruel twists of fate, 'Wolf Hall' is a stiff, step-by-step, plodding march through English history, leaving little space for character development. One-liners and broad jokes have been added in that inappropriately contradict the ominous tone. Given that Part Two is hardly the end of the King Henry saga, 'Wolf Hall' is incomplete as a narrative. Perhaps they should have waited for Mantel to finish all of her books before doing this onstage.

The stage version of the 1958 MGM movie musical 'Gigi' is a good example of what the late composer Mary Rodgers called a 'why musical' -- a tolerable but ultimately pointless adaptation that adds little to, and is inferior than, the source upon which it is based...Efforts to flesh out Gigi and her beau Gaston come off as labored...As directed by Eric Schaeffer ('Newsies'), the production has an elegant look and lively movement but nevertheless feels empty and stalled. Hudgens gives the sort of sincere but clumsy performance you'd expect to see in, well, a high school musical. But all things considered, she has been given a near-impossible task of injecting life and charm into what is essentially a two-and-a-half-hour slog.

'Hand to God' -- a dark, irreverent and smart comedy by the young, previously unknown playwright Peter Askins -- is one hell of a great success story, having graduated step by step from off Off-Broadway to Off-Broadway to finally Broadway itself. This is the kind of raw and raunchy play you don't typically see on Broadway, but once there ends up making Broadway a more exciting place...Yet despite how silly it gets, 'Hand to God' is also a seriously disturbing portrait of an emotionally scarred mother and son who have spent so long suppressing their rage that it comes out in unpredictable and inappropriate ways.

The Roundabout Theatre Company's new production with Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher doesn't live up to all that the musical could be theatrically, musically and comically. That being said, the production is still pretty damn enjoyable. To speak metaphorically, the glass may not be full, but it's certainly more than half full.

With its nonlinear format, the play was bound to be choppy. Some scenes are more dramatically charged than others, and some characters are more fully developed. There is also no overall conflict or plot. But taken as a whole, 'The Audience' is a fascinating meditation on the historic and present day role of the English monarch. Mirren, whose recent film credits include 'The Hundred-Foot Journey' and 'Hitchcock,' capably handles the challenging role, constantly altering her appearance while conveying the Queen's firm respect for tradition, a sympathetic ear and a witty sense of humor.

'Fish in the Dark,' the new Broadway comedy written by and starring Larry David, might as well be called 'Curb Your Enthusiasm: Live' or 'Larry David and Friends'...the bespectacled, balding David is playing the same sort of socially awkward, extremely inappropriate, befuddled, self-centered smartass. Hardly a great work of dramatic literature, 'Fish in the Dark' hearkens back to the silly and insubstantial Broadway comedies of the 1960s, full of one-dimensional characters and nonsensical farce...'Fish in the Dark' is essentially just a showcase for David, with the other characters serving as stick figures for him to play off. Without him, there would be no point to the play. It would be casting someone else to play him on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' David's abilities as a stage actor are limited (especially his vocal projection), but he is nevertheless idiosyncratic, relatable and sort of endearing. You may not want to see him do Shakespeare, but you do leave the theater wanting to hang out with the guy.

Here and there, Brown offers an exciting, finely crafted song, and the show starts to soar. During those moments, you feel as though you're watching a modern-day 'Guys and Dolls,' and not yet another forgettable movie-turned-musical churned out for Broadway. But more often than not, 'Honeymoon in Vegas' is mired in a pained attempt to enliven and exaggerate a simple but heartfelt boy-meets-girl/boy-loses-girl story into a broad, over-the-top musical comedy. There is an air of desperation to some of the antics...Tony Danza, as the card shark, has a congenial presence, but his character drags down the sparks flying between the dynamic Rob McClure and alluring Brynn O'Malley.

The 70-minute play is structured like the films 'Memento' and 'Sliding Doors' and the Broadway musical 'If/Then,' with variations on the same scenes being explored based on different choices that the characters might make, as per the theme of infinite possibilities. After dozens of short scenes and stops and starts, plus many lighting changes and a few balloons falling to the ground, the relationship has seemingly come full circle. The play manages to feel slight and jam-packed at the same time, combining an uninteresting boy-meets-girl romance and a well-worn premise of right turn versus left turn with a hard-to-follow structure. I actually found myself more interested in figuring out the symbolism of the set design than in following the plot. It at least allows Gyllenhaal and Wilson to engage in a variety of dramatic scenarios under demanding circumstances, though Wilson easily outshines Gyllenhaal with her astonishing vibrancy.

Much of the play is tediously consumed by Treves debating notions of morality and normalcy with his colleagues. But even if the play lacks narrative power, the setup is still fascinating. Unlike the film, where Merrick's grotesque figure was displayed through prosthetics, Cooper solely relies on his physical and vocal abilities to convey all of this, keeping his face and body in twisted positions, speaking in a wobbly tone and moving with a pained gait. It is an extremely demanding role and he pulls it off.

When you put a bunch of great actors together...and get them to perform a Pulitzer-winning drama (by no less than Edward Albee), you expect fireworks. But the starry new Broadway revival of Albee's 1966 drama 'A Delicate Balance' is surprisingly flat and likely to disappoint both those unfamiliar with the three-act play, as well as those who still remember its much acclaimed revival from two decades ago with Elaine Stritch and Rosemary Harris...Despite the witty lines and a handful of exciting moments, the production is a three-hour, very static bore. Pam MacKinnon, who directed the 2012 Broadway revival of Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', never manages to combine these accomplished performers into a unified ensemble. Perhaps that balance will be reached as the run continues.

Although the best parts of the show have not been touched (including virtually the entire second half), the new dialogue and songs and added back-story do not make the show any more effective. If anything, they take away from its sense of momentum. But for the most part, Condon's production is a stunning achievement and a must-see attraction for anyone who cares about serious, Sondheim-style musical theater. Unlike the original production, which was light on design elements, the new 'Side Show' is ultra-elaborate and realistic when it comes to depicting the so-called 'freaks.' Erin Davie and Emily Padgett may lack the starry presence of Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner (the original Violet and Daisy), but they credibly portray the twins and convey their conflicted emotions.

Hugh Jackman deserves a lot of credit for returning to the New York stage in 'The River,' a new work by the little-known English playwright Jez Butterworth ('Jerusalem'), considering that most major film stars come to Broadway in revivals of fail-proof, classic dramas (i.e. Denzel Washington in 'A Raisin in the Sun,' Scarlett Johansson in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'). 'The River' is, instead, a quiet, elusive drama with little mainstream appeal.

Tom Stoppard, at his best, is linguistic and philosophical fireworks. Watching an ineffective production of one of his cerebral plays, such as the Roundabout's new revival of his 1982 drama 'The Real Thing'...is not just challenging for the average theatergoer. It's hopeless...Sam Gold's production comes off as vacant and smug instead of engaging. Virtually all its comedic elements go to waste...McGregor makes a solid Broadway debut, and Gyllenhaal has great rapport with him. Nixon, on the other hand, is noticeably miscast, appearing far older than everyone else and having a poor handle on a British accent.

Some plays have a soft and gentle feel. Others build to a climax but remain mellow for the most part. And then there's Ayad Akhtar's explosive race relations drama 'Disgraced,' which makes its audience feel like it was just uncomfortably blindsided and hit with a ton of bricks...Even if some of the plot developments are relatively over-the-top, Akhtar raises a provocative debate over racial and religious identity that is as compelling as it is disturbing. 'Disgraced' is essentially a modern tragedy, leaving its audience in a state of fear and pity. Just as Oedipus was helpless to alter his fate, Amir is seemingly unable to escape his heritage. Kimberly Senior's engrossing production is marked by strong performances all around. Dhillon convincingly depicts Amir's descent out of cool professionalism, while Radnor brings a professorial, purposely unpleasant touch to his character that is a far cry from the ultra-romantic Ted Mosby.

In a refreshing change of protocol, Sting has written a new score in a folk Celtic style, full of sweeping choral and orchestral arrangements and unabashed, open-hearted sentiment. The originality and sincerity of the enterprise are certainly worthy of applause. Joe Mantello's production manages to be thoroughly atmospheric without turning into a spectacle. (Spoiler alert: We only see a small portion of the ship.)

In essence, this is a commercially attractive package deal for theatergoers eager to relive their memories of Lane and Broderick in 'The Producers' and indulge in what looks like a dizzying laugh fest commanded by stage pros...While act one offers plenty of silly, lightweight fun, the play essentially collapses in the self-indulgent, overly sentimental act two. At an overall length of close to three hours, one can't help but wonder why it wasn't seriously cut. Director Jack O'Brien could have done a better job coordinating the broad performances offered by the cast into a cohesive, farcical whole. Lane is relaxed and altogether terrific, and Mullally, Channing and Abraham have their moments. Less successful are Grint, who looks amateurish in his heavy makeup, and Broderick, who throws everyone else off with a labored performance.

There are many plays opening on Broadway this fall, mostly limited engagements of well-known plays with starry casts. But if justice prevails, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,' an exhilarating stage version of Mark Haddon's 2003 young adult/mystery novel, will emerge from the onslaught of openings as the surprise, must-see hit.

Scott Ellis' zippy and giddy revival -- which sports a top quality cast including James Earl Jones, Rose Byrne, Elizabeth Ashley, Kristine Nielsen, Julie Halston, Mark Linn Baker and Annaleigh Ashford all letting loose -- has a comfort food, feel good flavor to it.

Staged by Anna D. Shapiro with raw intensity and a rough edge, the current Broadway production features Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin and writer Tavi Gevinson...There's no escaping the fact that Cera is giving a performance that closely mirrors his nervous nice guy persona from 'Arrested Development' and 'Superbad.' Even so, it suits his character and he brings plenty of laughs. The 18-year-old Gevinson, who has terrific rapport with Cera, vigorously conveys Jessica's suspicious nature. Culkin displays greater range as Dennis, who embodies cocky 1980s materialism, seeing himself as an entrepreneur.

One would think, or at least sincerely hope, that 'Holler If Ya Hear Me,' the new musical incorporating songs and poems by the late rapper and hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur...would turn out to be an innovative, socially conscious work... So it's extremely disheartening to report that 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' is a total mess and misfire. Perhaps it needed more time for development...Rather than focus on Shakur's short and tumultuous life, which would have provided some structure, 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' integrates -- or at least attempts to integrate -- Tupac's songs into an aimless and confusing tale of gang violence in a generic urban landscape that is full of undeveloped characters. In other words, it's a really poor imitation of 'West Side Story.'