Matt Windman — Theater Critic

One of the simplest, purest ways to create a drama is to expose a competition or game where various individuals are all motivated to win - preferably at any cost.... The musical, which has an underwhelming but heartfelt country-rock score by Phish frontman Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green and a penetrating book by Pulitzer-winning playwright Doug Wright, creates an environment where nearly all the participants are suffering economically and are in desperate need of a financial windfall. Neil Pepe's production is quite gripping - most impressive is how the actors manipulate the vehicle and perform dance choreography while their hands are still attached to it.

...there is very little excitement to be found in this drab and dragging stage adaptation, which was penned by Richard Greenberg ('Take Me Out') and is directed by Sean Mathias...For the most part, Greenberg simply lifts passages from the book and has the writer (Cory Michael Smith) awkwardly and constantly deliver first-person narrations directly to the audience. Clarke ('Game of Thrones') imbues Holly Golightly with the vulnerability of an outspoken but fragile young woman. Her emotionally revealing performance is undoubtedly the best part of this lackluster adaptation.

It would appear that director Nicholas Martin has encouraged the cast to play their roles as broadly as possible, with the result being that their performances, on occasion, are way too aggressive. That aside, this is a smart, relentlessly silly, at times heartwarming comedy.

The show would also be better suited for a more intimate theater rather than the extended thrust stage of the Vivian Beamount at Lincoln Center. Still, Taylor gives a dynamic turn that ought to please Democrats and Republicans, Southerners and Northerners alike.

This production generated bad word-of-mouth in previews for having an actor play the ghost of Skipper, who hovered silently around the stage. While that has thankfully been cut, what remains is an unconvincing, cheesy and cheap-looking production. At least Johansson is terrific, bringing a sultry, ferocious spirit to the famous role. Particularly fascinating is how she distinguishes Maggie's rough and nasty behavior with Brick and her well-composed, dolled-up performance for the rest of the family. Walker, sporting clean-cut looks and washboard abs, makes for a bland, one-dimensional Brick. 2 stars.

Director Sam Gold, who recently secured a spot on the A-list thanks to an association with playwright Annie Baker ('Circle Mirror Transformation'), provides a very enjoyable production that successfully combines the play's lighthearted, sadder and sensual aspects.

'The Other Place' is essentially a stream of consciousness monologue padded with a few scenes and flashbacks to add a bit of substance and suspense. It feels derived from previous plays about smart women confronting illness, such as 'Proof' and 'Wit.' With all due respect to Metcalf, who never leaves the stage and gives a brave and raw performance, 'The Other Place' leaves much to be desired. 2 stars.

While Pacino aims for the same wild theatricality here, it comes off as excessive, awkward and rather kooky. His bulging eyes and unkempt hair look especially ridiculous. And Pacino's slow line readings dilute the play's intensity and pace.

Bartlett Sher, who staged Odets' riveting family drama 'Awake and Sing!' in 2006, directs with an emphasis on period style. Nowadays, most play revivals are headlined by a single, well-known film star. 'Golden Boy,' on the other hand, has been cast with an abundance of excellent stage actors, including not just Shalhoub and Numrich but also Danny Burstein, Jonathan Hadary, Anthony Crivello and Danny Mastrogiorgio. Numrich, who most recently appeared in 'War Horse,' makes a convincing transition from cockeyed youth to restless and reckless champ while exposing Bonaparte's insecurities. Shalhoub, who is best known for his comedic work, is genuinely touching in the father role. Yvonne Strahovski, one of very few females in the cast, more than satisfies as the seemingly hard-as-nails dame who engages in an affair with Joe on top of her other affair with Joe's manager.

This simple setup surely could have made for a volatile, confrontational drama. But the 70-minute play is little more than a meandering and academic debate that’s hard to follow. While I won’t spoil the ending, let’s just say that it’s quick, random and heavy-handed, much like the rest of the play.

Given the many outstanding plays that premiered Off-Broadway last month and really deserve to be seen (including Samuel D. Hunter's 'The Whale' and Christopher Durang's 'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike'), it's depressing to have yet another insubstantial, uneventful and pointless play by Theresa Rebeck on the stage…Rebeck offers just a tiny sliver of a plot, undeveloped characters and a few themes that are superficially explored…The real attraction of 'Dead Accounts' is seeing Katie Holmes in her first professional gig after deserting Tom Cruise. Oddly enough, she only has a supporting, rather uninteresting role as Butz's homely-looking, stressed-out sister.

I have an unusual Christmas wish this year: I want fewer Christmas musicals going forward...In “A Christmas Story,” which is extremely faithful to the film, 9-year-old bespectacled Ralphie (played by the big-voiced Johnny Rabe) longs to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas in 1940s Indiana The central problem in mounting a stage version lies with depicting the adult Ralphie, who serves as the film’s off-screen narrator. Here, Dan Lauria wanders aimlessly around the stage and speaks directly to the audience, rather like a Ghost of Christmas Future. His presence makes the storytelling clunky and disjointed. That said, the real perk of “A Christmas Story” lies in its highly melodic, original score by the up-and-coming team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Come to think of it, here’s a better Christmas wish: more new musicals by Pasek and Paul.

The Tony Award for fearless determination - if such a thing actually existed, ought to go to Kathie Lee Gifford. She has been developing and promoting her musical 'Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson' - for which she wrote the lyrics, book and even some of the music - for more than a decade…'Scandalous' is like a combination of 'Leap of Faith,' another musical about an evangelist, which flopped last spring, and 'Chaplin,' also a bland bio musical...The score - the work of no less than three composers - mainly consists of generic samplings from various genres: Irish jig, beer hall anthem, tambourine-shaking prayer and so on…Carolee Carmello, who has spent the past few years alternating between the tryouts of 'Scandalous' and stints in 'Mamma Mia!,' throws all of her dramatic and vocal intensity into the role, but it is an off-putting, aggressive performance.

While 'The Performers' is hardly an ambitious play and the characters tend to be either rigidly stupid or uptight, it is undoubtedly a crowd-pleasing show, combining raunchy humor with a simple setup and conservative emphasis on monogamy. As skillfully directed by Evan Cabnet, the likable and very attractive cast indulges in all the silliness without going too overboard. Of course, the real standouts are Graynor and Jackson for going to such ridiculous, childish and idiotic extremes. Winkler, whose character is three decades older than everyone else, appears to be having a good time. Silverstone, looking rather like a sad puppy, is effectively cute and pairs nicely with Breaker.

'The Mystery of Edwin Drood,' inspired by an unfinished Charles Dickens novel, is one of the most inventive, inspired and rousing musicals ever devised. And it is a pleasure to report that the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival is thoroughly well-cast and extremely enjoyable…As atmospherically staged by Scott Ellis, with sprightly choreography by Warren Carlyle and excellent music direction by Paul Gemignani, this production is a reminder that well-known musicals do not need to be reconstructed or darkened for their revivals. If the show is strong, have faith in it and all will fall into place.

'Annie,' one of the most heartwarming and beloved musicals of all time, has been all but butchered by James Lapine - a playwright-director best known for his original and edgy collaborations with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn - in his charmless and misconceived new Broadway revival. Lapine is hardly a bad director. Rather, the co-creative force behind such musicals as 'Sunday in the Park with George' and 'Falsettos' is simply the wrong choice for 'Annie.'...In the title role, Lilla Crawford, 11, has a strong presence, but lacks vulnerability and is strangely encouraged to use a thick Brooklyn accent and far too much vibrato...Two-time Tony winner Katie Finneran, who recently made a splash in 'Promises, Promises,' delivers a surprisingly hollow performance as Miss Hannigan, consisting entirely of shtick. Anthony Warlow, an unknown Australian actor, is especially convincing as industrialist turned father 'Daddy' Warbucks.

While 'The Heiress' might fall short of being great dramatic literature, it does make for an entertaining star vehicle filled with elaborate turn-of-the-century costumes, references to high society and plenty of bold dramatic gestures…what really distinguishes [Chastain's] performance, which marks her Broadway debut, is how she convincingly evolves from an insecure, loving young girl into a steely, bitter woman. Stevens, who plays Matthew Crawley on the English television series 'Downton Abbey,' also makes a fine New York stage debut, hiding his character's unsavory motives behind a sunny, guileless facade. Strathairn maintains a dour disposition to the role of the doctor, while Judith Ivey brings a sweet and lively presence as Catherine's warm aunt Lavinia.

Edmond Rostand's 1897 sentimental fairy tale romance 'Cyrano de Bergerac' is not so much a great play as it is a durable star vehicle for a skilled actor who can handle rhymed verse, swordplay and a giant prosthetic nose...The Roundabout Theatre Company's new production proves to be not as fortunate in its casting of Douglas Hodge, an indulgent English actor.

Craig Wright's 'Grace' makes for an insightful comedic drama that explores religious faith from several different perspectives - at least whenever it's not straining to be a bizarre and awkwardly constructed thriller…Rudd, who is best known for appearing in Judd Apatow film comedies, makes a fine dramatic turn, while Shannon gives an intense performance. But it is Asner who easily steals the show with a monologue relating to the Holocaust.

But these issues aside, 'An Enemy of the People' makes for exciting, politically-charged theater. Gaines, one of our best stage actors, makes a credible transition into a determined dissident, while Thomas is a perfectly smug and dapper villain.

You've probably seen worse musicals than 'Chaplin,' a forgettable biography of Charlie Chaplin. But how did this slow-paced and sentimental musical, which has the taste of a cup of coffee mixed with a dozen packets of sugar, make it to Broadway? The songs of Christopher Curtis - who has previously written theme songs for the Discovery Channel - are occasionally tuneful but mostly tacky. Still, they are far better than the show's melodramatic and strange book…Even if 'Chaplin' were a better crafted musical, it would still remain a mostly futile enterprise. Why see an impersonation of Chaplin instead of just watching Chaplin himself in his best films?

This new musical inspired by the 2000 Kirsten Dunst film about competitive high school cheerleaders...is obviously more likely to appeal to teens weaned on 'High School Musical' and 'Glee' than the majority of adult theatergoers. As you'd expect, it features unbelievable displays of acrobatics and gymnastic abilities, including but not limited to young girls being flipped high in the air. But it also proves to be a surprisingly well-crafted, highly enjoyable, feel-good musical with appealing characters, catchy R&B and rap songs, fierce hip-hop choreography and very funny dialogue packed with social media jokes.

In retrospect, it's hard to believe that 'Harvey' won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize over Tennessee Williams' 'The Glass Menagerie.' Even so, 'Harvey' remains a well-crafted, cute play with a terrific leading role, an invisible supporting character and a good deal of psychological dimension. Parsons' Elwood is not unlike a sweet and innocent child who is far more likable and trustworthy compared to the overstressed, often silly adults around him.

There are two new farces now on Broadway. Oddly enough, both revolve around dinner scenes. While one of them is hilarious, the other is as painful as a tooth pulling. 'One Man, Two Guvnors,' Richard Bean's giddy update of the commedia dell'arte classic 'The Servant of Two Masters,' is one. The other is Marc Cameletti's 'Don't Dress for Dinner,' which is now receiving its Broadway premiere following two decades of regional productions, is a derivative and labored sequel to Cameletti's farce 'Boeing-Boeing,' which had a hit Broadway revival four seasons ago...Except for a few visual gags, William Ivey Long's divine costumes and the delightfully quirky Kayden, don't expect any such magic from John Tillinger's dull pedestrian production.

Static and slow, the play would benefit from some reworking. Nevertheless, Dan Sullivan's detailed production benefits from an excellent cast of stage veterans. Lithgow fits easily in the role. He emphasizes Alsop's temperamental personality, which becomes increasingly fragile as he lives through the cultural changes of the 1960s.