Matt Windman

At age 44, Philip Seymour Hoffman is still too young to be playing the 60-year-old Willy Loman. In a kind of dazed stupor, his Loman effortlessly switches between his out-of-control egotism and his private fears and insecurities. Still, Hoffman lacks the commanding ferocity that Brian Dennehy brought to the role in the 1999 Broadway revival. Rising film star Andrew Garfield, also too young for his role as Biff, holds his ground against Hoffman as they roar back and forth, and he emphasizes Biff's shame and discomfort. ... Linda Emond gives a radiant performance as Linda, stressing the character's unconditional love for Willy and her sober-minded ability to understand the realities of his situation. When she pronounces the now well-known line that 'attention must be paid,' a chill pervades the theater

William Shatner's new one-man show is not the most challenging piece of theater you're likely to see this year. You've probably also seen more inspired one-person shows. But it does make for a fun evening of personal reminiscence, gossip, video clips and old-fashioned humor - along with one of his strange musical performances. ... Shatner makes for a congenial presence and is very expressive throughout. He did seem a bit jittery and flustered at first, mumbling some of his lines and fiddling with the microphone packet in his back pocket, but he grew more relaxed as the 100-minute evening wore on.

It took more than a decade for 'Wit,' school teacher Margaret Edson's insightful medical drama, to make it to Broadway. But as demonstrated by Manhattan Theatre Club's elegant and intimate revival starring 'Sex and the City's' Cynthia Nixon, 'Wit' was well worth the wait...Nixon deserves a lot of credit for taking on such an unglamorous role. She nails the play's humor and captures Vivian's journey, which ends with her finally breaking down emotionally when she is no longer able to hide behind her 'wit.'

Although the production features a fine cast including Rosemary Harris, Jim Dale and Carla Gugino, it's about as exciting overall as watching paint dry. All three actors would benefit from bringing more passion to their performances. Although their characters are credibly portrayed, they approach them so gently that it makes this lightweight play feel even more insubstantial.

'The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess,' which trims the show's length to two and a half hours and adds new dialogue by avant-garde playwright Suzan Lori-Parks, both preserves the integrity of the original piece and makes for absolutely thrilling musical theater. It is directed by Diane Paulus, who staged the recent 'Hair' revival.

Something is very wrong when the transitional music played between scenes is treated as the most important part of a play...In spite of a few sincere performances, 'Stick Fly' is utterly derivative of better-known family dramas and dependent on shock value. It also doesn't help that the scene changes are painfully slowed down in order to showcase Keys' original music.

This really had the potential to be an entertaining, action-packed musical. Yet in spite of a mostly pleasant country-and-blues score and strong, sexy performances from the doll-faced Laura Osnes and heartthrob Jeremy Jordan, this remains a problematic show that lacks focus and tends to pause and meander too often.

Neither has lost any vocal power whatsoever. The problem lies in this production's really weird execution. As directed by Patinkin himself, this is a thoroughly austere and - except for a few silly bits - humorless concert. Accompanied by just a piano and bass, they tear through a large and varied stack of Broadway songs with barely any pauses or chitchat with the audience.

The play does not progress well. Douglas and Izzy more or less disappear. Kate's trajectory makes no sense at all. And by the end, it turns into a histrionic confrontation between Leonard and Martin chock-full of plot twists.

Richard Eyre's production largely fails to land even the easy laughs. While the first act - in which Amanda and Elyot rekindle their attraction - is still cute, the remainder of the play comes off as stale...Gross makes for a handsome and genuinely suave Elyot, and he has some great moments with Simon Paisley Day and Anna Madeley, who give fully dimensioned performances as Amanda and Elyot's nice but boring new spouses.

There's no getting around it: Hugh Jackman is the ultimate entertainer. Backed by an 18-piece orchestra and some very attractive back-up singers, he puts the rest of Broadway to shame in his extremely polished and thoroughly enjoyable song-and-dance show. Nay, let's call it a one-man spectacular.

As a seemingly scatterbrained young actress, Arianda is a total riot. But by the same token, she is completely convincing as the mature, mysterious and controlling figure in Thomas' play. Dancy, who stresses his character's frustrations and uprightness, gets easily seduced - along with the audience itself.

Sitting through the new Broadway revival of 'Godspell' is like watching an old high school friend getting beat up until he or she is barely recognizable. What was supposed to be fun and folksy has turned labored and excruciatingly painful.

At first glance, 'Other Desert Cities' doesn't seem all that different from numerous other family dramas in which tensions mount and secrets inevitably spill. But it is distinguished by the depth and complexity of each and every character, as well as the play's seamless structure...Under Mantello's directional finesse, this exceptional five-member cast turns Baitz's blueprint of family squabbling into a portrait of regret and denial that is as witty and entertaining as it is emotionally cathartic.

The play's best scenes, in which Hwang pinpoints the difficulty of conveying nuances and double meanings in the course of translation, are blissfully riotous. The other half of the play, depicting Cavanaugh's uneasy, often deceptive relationships with his Mandarin-speaking Australian translator and a Chinese official with whom he has an affair, is far less captivating.

While it's true that Allen’s one-act is not very good, it is considerably better than the ones written by Ethan Coen and Elaine May that also comprise “Relatively Speaking,” a truly dreadful triple-bill of comedy sketches directed by John Turturro with a pretty strange cast that includes Marlo Thomas and Steve Guttenberg...This is just an old-fashioned, third-rate farce and is hardly worthy of being done on Broadway.

The show's production team has asked reviewers not to reveal any plot twists, but let's just say it turns what had previously been a mediocre biodrama into a ridiculous embarrassment. Jackson convincingly highlights King's smoothness as well as his insecurities. If not much else, 'The Mountaintop' leaves its audience hungry for a more substantial play about King.

Eric Schaeffer’s lavish production, which features a 41-member cast and a 28-piece orchestra, originated at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It has improved since then...Peters fully captures Sally’s sweet and innocent center. Burstein violently throws himself into the role of Buddy, bringing the character’s pent-up anger to manic heights. Maxwell, who is better known as a dramatic actress, proves that she can handle a tough musical role. Raines credibly portrays Ben’s downward spiral from cocky self-denial into helplessness.

As directed by Stephen Wadsworth, Daly combines the character's tough exterior and emotional ferocity with pitch-perfect comedic timing, the theatricality of a diva, and apparent signs of insecurity and vulnerability. Sierra Boggess ('The Little Mermaid'), Alexandra Silber and Garrett Sorenson make charismatic turns as Callas' brave students and offer impressive vocal renditions from several bel canto operas.

But at the same time, it remains little more than a kid-friendly stunt spectacular with glitzy superhero costumes, bad songs and a few cheesy laughs. It's just an oversized, overpriced, longer version of what you'd find at a theme park.

Larry Kramer's seminal AIDS drama 'The Normal Heart' is the kind of show that hits you like a jackhammer. Twenty-five years since it premiered at the Public Theater, it remains a powerful example of political theater at its most direct, passionate and urgent levels. Mantello captures Weeks' confrontational, occasionally hysterical spirit but combines it with easygoing charisma and convincing emotion. He is joined by an outstanding ensemble cast.

Although Guare's play remains quite funny, Cromer downplays most of its humor to ill effect. Stiller gives a surprisingly flat performance that stresses only Artie's anger and frustration. Leigh is miscast and totally unfunny as Bunny...Falco delivers a moving performance, capturing Banana's paranoia over being sent away to a mental asylum or being force-fed pills.

The play, which revolves around corruption in big business and politics, couldn't be timelier. And the acting in Doug Hughes' excellent new production couldn't be better or more thrilling, especially from actor Jim Belushi and newcomer Nina Arianda.

Rylance gives a mesmerizing, thoroughly transformative performance that will leave theatergoers in awe of his spectacular physical and vocal abilities. Tony-winner John Gallagher Jr., who joins much of the original English cast, makes an excellent addition as a local youth about to go off to Australia. Ian Rickson's production is quite beautiful, depicting the exterior of Rooster's caravan against a backdrop of large trees, garbage and patio furniture.

This has not been a great season for Broadway musicals based on movies. 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' was a total bust, and 'Catch Me If You Can' was a disappointment, too. So it's a pleasure to find that 'Sister Act,' a new adaptation of the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg film comedy, is energetic, hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable. In spite of a few issues, it has all the makings of a feel-good hit.