Matt Windman

Kenny Leon's lightweight production captures the intricate rhythms of Wilson's language, but never moves beyond the play's surface. Though enjoyable, this 'Fences' feels less like a substantial drama than a broad sitcom comedy stuffed with melodramatic shocks and awes. Washington comes off not as Troy, but a charismatic movie star wearing an unglamorous sanitation jumpsuit as a lark.

Prebble frames her case study as a classical tragedy, where unethical behavior goes unchecked and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Jeffrey Skilling, the Harvard grad who seized power under the careless watch of Enron founder Kenneth Lay, is portrayed as a tragic figure along the lines of Macbeth. The play often strains as it attempts to condense an overwhelming amount of exposition and introduce complicated financial models. But for the most part, Prebble cuts a clear narrative through this unwieldy terrain. Rupert Goold's slick, aggressive production maintains a chaotic energy level mixed with playful theatricality: Enron's shell companies are symblized as hungry raptors with glowing red eyes that literally eat the company's debt, and stock traders perform as a barbership quartet. Wait till you see how Lehman Brothers and Arthur Anderson are portrayed.

Director-choreographer Rob Ashford's stylish production is marked by choreography so athletic that you can sense an ecstatic freedom in the movement. Still, the book scenes look too stretched out on the noticeably large Broadway Theatre stage. Neil Simon's book is endlessly funny, while Burt Bacharach and Hal David's pop score, which uses background vocals in most songs, is catchy and tuneful. Thank heavens that Jonathan Tunick's original orchestrations are being used as well.

The unavoidable irony of any Sondheim revue is that his songs lose power and punch when performed out of context. 'Sondheim on Sondheim' is polished and well-intentioned, but it leaves you hungry for something more substantial and involving. Watching 'Follies' in its entirety is a lot better than sampling two or three of its ballads. But it's worth noting that 'Sondheim on Sondheim' is far, far better than 'Putting It Together,' which awkwardly imagined rich people singing Sondheim songs in a Manhattan penthouse. After all, isn't that what all rich people do?

I suspect that I may grow to appreciate 'American Idiot' over time, which is essentially what happened to me with 'Passing Strange.' At first, I was thrown off by the lack of coherent storytelling in 'Passing Strange.' But after listening to the album several times and then watching the filmed performance on DVD, I became able to appreciate the musical on its own terms. I even listened to the original album today on my IPOD. It's also worth pointing out that the Green Day fanbase, by already knowing the lyrics by heart, will be better able to follow the 'Jesus of Suburbia' plotline in spite of its sketchiness and fill in (or ignore entirely) all the gaps. Nevertheless, I need to be true to my gut instincts; and for the time being, will proudly air my initial grievances over the lack of character and story development in 'American Idiot.'

'La Cage,' Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's old-fashioned musical comedy about a middle-aged gay male couple that runs a notorious drag club, is not strong enough on its own terms to survive this low-budget, slowly-paced and unevenly-acted production. I love much of the score, including the anthems 'I Am What I Am' and 'The Best of Times is Now,' the romantic ballad 'Song on the Sand,' and the hauntingly poignant 'Look Over There.' But some of the score admittedly consists of second- or even third-rate showtunes. And much of Fierstein's book is irritatingly slow and even amateurish.

What exactly is it that makes the new musical 'Million Dollar Quartet' so damn enjoyable and invigorating? Is it the pure simplicity and rapid-fire energy of four rock 'n' roll legends performing their signature tunes for 100 blissful minutes? Is it the charisma and talent of the actors who portray these legendary figures Whatever the case, it's one hell of a winner.

Considering the insane amount of hype this show has received, 'The Addams Family' would appear to be the biggest disappointment of the theater season.

Oh, the joys of light farcical comedy: doors slamming, mistaken identities, frantic pace, frenzied chaos, shameless personalities, double entendres, sexual innuendos. It's all in 'Lend Me a Tenor,' Ken Ludwig's recreation of a 1930s screwball comedy of errors. Stanley Tucci, who is making debut as a stage director, has not reinterpreted the popular comedy so much as meticulously rebuilt it as a crowd pleasing farce. The ensemble cast includes Anthony LaPaglia, Tony Shalhoub, Justin Bartha and Jan Maxwell.

'Red' could have easily turned into another lame and forgettable biodrama. But in the capable hands of playwright John Logan, director Michael Grandage and actor Alfred Molina, it turns out to be an engrossing look at Abstract Expressionist painter Mark Rothko and a spirited debate on the purpose and power of contemporary art.

'Come Fly Away,' Twyla Tharp's new dance musical inspired by the vocal recordings and nightclub style of Frank Sinatra, would probably make ideal cruise ship entertainment. But if you are looking for an engaging story and not simply an overproduced, two-hour dance recital, you had better look elsewhere.

While 'Next Fall' is a rather quiet and modestly-scaled play, it reaches a dramatic peak when confronting the uncomfortable tension between religious faith, sexuality and family. At one point, Adam confronts Luke with the brutal observation that, 'if Matthew Shepard hadn't accepted Jesus Christ before he died, he's in hell, and his killers who, say, have, are going to heaven.' Sheryl Kaller's production showcases sensitive performances that capture the heart and sadness inherent in the play.

Walken is perfectly in synch with McDonagh's disturbed universe, but gives the same kind of ghoulish, monotonic performance that has become his defining trademark. Rockwell makes a lasting impression as a cocky and creepy clerk with nothing to lose or gain. Meanwhile, Mackie and Kazan merely engage in a shouting match and act hysterically. Bottom line: While John Crowley's atmospheric production is well-staged and Walken has chilling stage presence, this slight play feels like a missed opportunity.

This being the first Broadway revival of 'A Little Night Music,' I get the feeling that many felt as if it should have been bigger and brighter and more expensive, rather like the Lincoln Center Theater revival of 'South Pacific.' Nevertheless, on the whole, this is a really beautiful production. And I do believe that many will find great satisfaction in it.

For the most part, the play is an engaging piece of cultural dialogue. But by the same token, it is considerably undercooked. The characters are broadly sketched and undistinctive, rather like mouthpieces designed just to take opposing positions. Mamet ends the play abruptly by revealing that a confession has been made, putting a quick end to the ambiguity and argumentation upon which the play thrived. And besides some gratuitously graphic language, there's nothing shocking or even original about 'Race.'

But in spite of so much to admire visually, 'Fela!' has absolutely no storyline besides some vague biographical details and quickly turns into a repetitive bore.

Occasionally, 'Memphis' feels clichéd and reminiscent of storylines already seen in 'Hairspray,' 'Dreamgirls' and 'Jersey Boys.' But more often than not, its careful balance of pure fun and character drama proves to be irresistible.

4 out of 4 stars.

4 out of 4 stars.