Matt Windman — Theater Critic

The characters are simple, the storytelling is derivative of better-known musicals ('West Side Story,' 'Jersey Boys') and the tone is excessively sentimental and solemn. But 'A Bronx Tale,' the new Broadway musical based upon actor-writer Chazz Palminteri's coming of age in an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx of the 1960s, is nevertheless an entertaining crowd-pleaser and a poignant piece of theater. If it works, it works.

It truly is an opera (with sung-through scenes and arias instead of traditional songs) version of a novel (with plenty of exposition, long conversation and quiet meditation). Since it premiered, I have always found the show to be extremely uneven, with a stop-and-start momentum that alternates between all-out liveliness and long episodes of slow tedium.

Schreiber's Valmont is disengaged and stiff instead of smooth and sexy. He looks uncomfortable and out of place in a period wig and dressy attire. McTeer gives an authoritative performance as the devilish Merteuil, but she has zero chemistry with Schreiber. The real find of this production is Sørensen, a Danish actress, who makes for a vulnerable and beautiful Tourvel.

Lapine's production is energetic, finely textured and extremely well-cast. Visually, it is built around a novel scenic design (by David Rockwell) in which a giant cube is pulled apart to reveal building blocks that suggest various settings. Borle (who will star as Willy Wonka later this season in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory') captures Marvin's emotional journey from combative egotist to supportive father and lover. The cast scores vocally, comically and dramatically, bringing out the manic heights and tender pauses of this truly extraordinary musical.

Jack O'Brien's lively and lavish production holds nothing back in terms of busy movement and broad comedy, but the three-act play does not hold up so well by today's standards, containing fewer one-liners and much more exposition than you'd expect from a comedy. I often found myself admiring the production but unable to enjoy it. Slattery is an ideal Hildy, with a cool and unfazed aura. Lane steals the final third of the show with an over-the-top performance with shades of Max Bialystock (his shifty and shameless character from 'The Producers). Goodman is loud, but strangely ineffective, relying heavily on a country accent.

'The Cherry Orchard,' Chekhov's final play and a timeless tragicomedy about how people choose whether or not to respond to a changing world, proves to be less powerful than usual in the Roundabout Theatre Company's disjointed and flat revival, which stars Diane Lane alongside an accomplished ensemble.

It opens on an intriguing note: Georgie suddenly goes up to Alex at a London train station and kisses him on the neck. This unusual introduction leads to dinner, dancing, sex and long conversations. But despite its initial promise, this static two-hander quickly goes flat.

Nick Kroll and John Mulaney's eccentric and enjoyable two-man comedy routine 'Oh, Hello,' which gained popularity on Comedy Central's 'Kroll Show' and is now playing a limited run on Broadway, is intended for aging, oddball, scruffy, cranky, culturally (if not authentically) Jewish New Yorkers - and anyone else who identifies with or appreciates the same demographic.

White Christmas' - no wait, I mean 'Holiday Inn' - has a sentimental, old-fashioned plot where boy meets girl, loses girl, and finally wins girl while the gang puts on a show in the barn. It also sports a cozy post-World War II setting, lovely songs that have stood the test of time, decent performances from a likable cast (led by Bryce Pinkham and Corbin Bleu) and polished dance choreography.

'The Encounter' resembles an immersive, sensory take on the old-fashioned radio play, with multiple voices, heavy breathing and other sounds fully engulfing the listener. But after a while, the novelty wears off and you are left with unending bits of description and psychological contemplation.

The revival could be better in some respects. The original production provided a more transporting experience because it played on a wider stage, which increased the intimacy, and its theater was more extensively transformed to suit the show's unique physical environment. Musically, the size of the orchestra has been cut in half.

The show has been updated to include a few new zingers. For instance, God announces that he knows full well that the crowd is only there because they couldn't get tickets to 'Hamilton.' In fact, God can't snag a ticket, either. Even at just 90 minutes, 'An Act of God' (directed by the prolific Joe Mantello) is long-winded and full of unoriginal jabs at easy targets, but it is cute and occasionally witty . Hayes, who appeared on Broadway six years ago in the musical 'Promises, Promises' and is best remembered as the flamboyant Jack on 'Will and Grace,' has terrific stage presence and makes for a giddy, loosened-up and irreverent host.

All things considered, 'Paramour' is a lame, harmless alternative for international tourists who want to see a Broadway show but would prefer something with the Cirque du Soleil imprimatur than a long-running hit like 'Chicago,' 'The Lion King' or 'The Phantom of the Opera.' Frankly, I think they can do better.

Whether old or new, it is a hot mess of the highest caliber - a dazzling and dizzying documentary mixed with star turns, syncopated rhythms, stylish attire, fierce tap-dancing and weak subplots...For nearly three hours, 'Shuffle Along' throws at its audience nonstop sound and fury and historical detail. It's like climbing aboard a rocket that doesn't stop spinning...But the storytelling is chaotic and choppy, and the characters are painted in broad strokes. The second act, set after the show has become an overnight sensation, comes off as superfluous...McDonald plays it up as an over-the-top diva, while Stokes once again proves himself to be an outstanding leading man...It should come as no surprise that something so experimental and ambitious needs more development.

This is an extremely difficult play to pull off, relying on rich prose instead of overt action and featuring miserable characters basking in overwhelming despair. The performances here are exceptional all around, but the production is likely to grow smoother and more engrossing as the run continues...Lange's Mary is a performance of unmistakable stature and refined acting ability...Lange exhibits more dramatic control, emphasizing Mary's downward progression from denial and erratic mood swings into drug-induced euphoria. As James, Byrne shows vulnerability behind the miserly and defensive exterior.

The Fountain of Youth is just a spring hidden in the backwoods of a rural community in 'Tuck Everlasting,' the G-rated, surprisingly well-crafted new Broadway musical based on Natalie Babbitt's 1975 coming-of-age novel...Its whirlwind adventure plot touches upon serious themes like mortality and loss. Claudia Shear and Tim Federle's book for the musical successfully expands upon these themes. The folksy score (by composer Chris Miller and lyricist Nathan Tysen) emphasizes a child's sense of wonder, along with some tender spots...'Tuck Everlasting' is refreshingly free of camp and flash...Lewis makes an assured, professional debut, capturing Winnie's eagerness and vulnerability.

The heart of 'Fully Committed' lies in Sam, who is willing to endure an overwhelming job where he is routinely humiliated and mistreated in order to pursue his acting ambitions. But for the most part, it is an empty, overextended actor showcase. By the end, it has become a whirling blur of silly voices and high-strung personalities. Under the direction of Jason Moore ('Avenue Q'), Ferguson throws himself into it head first. And if it was being staged at a smaller space, it may very well have been captivating. But on the Lyceum Theatre stage, it looks naked. The overly elaborate set (full of pipes, file cabinets and chairs that ascend to the heavens) also takes attention away from Ferguson's performance.

Director Rupert Goold, songwriter Duncan Sheik and book-writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa persuasively capture the designer chic milieu, materialistic attitude and dance club sound of 1980s Manhattan while adding a pervading sense of eerie unease...Benjamin Walker's Bateman brings to mind a Ken doll with a dirty mind and a butcher knife. He captures the character's crisp, cocky demeanor and the lost, twisted psyche underneath the impeccable exterior. The strong cast also includes Heléne Yorke as Bateman's high-strung girlfriend, Jennifer Damiano as his sweet young secretary and Tony winner Alice Ripley as his heavily medicated mother...Notwithstanding all this, the piece has serious structural problems...It also ends on an unapologetically depressing note.

..The audience can never be sure what's going on, where we are or who everyone is in 'The Father,' a jarring and intense French drama by Florian Zeller (translated into English by Christopher Hampton) that is told from the perspective of an 80-year-old man suffering from severe dementia...Doug Hughes' focused production is built around an all-out, highly emotional performance from Langella that brings to mind King Lear's extreme fall from security into chaos...a dramatically effective and culturally important one that forces the audience to see the world through the eyes of someone with dementia and identify with him. It should be mandatory viewing for anyone who knows a person with dementia.

Ivo van Hove's Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's 1953 Salem witch trial drama/political allegory 'The Crucible' is so bewildering that I hardly know where to start. That being said, the production is, more often than not, absorbing and blazing with intensity...More importantly, why does one of the young girls levitate in the air at one point? Why does the set fall apart at a climactic moment? Is van Hove suggesting that the girls really do have supernatural abilities? Or, more likely, is this all just striking but overblown and overindulgent imagery?...These are all great actors, but they achieve uneven results in this twisted environment. Whishaw comes across as too weak and lacks chemistry with the fully aggressive Okonedo. Ronan and Hinds are so assured and terrifying in the predator roles that it's no surprise to see Camp and Harner looking so shaken up and helpless.

Compared to other new Broadway musicals, 'Bright Star' is a total anomaly. It's wholly original and unashamedly sentimental and romantic, with a country-folk score and no well-known actors in the cast...The storytelling can be jumbled, improbable and sappy, and the characters are undeveloped. Nevertheless, it is a heartwarming and crowd-pleasing musical, sporting many pleasant country songs (backed by piano, guitar and banjo), a sunny disposition and a Southern Gothic flavor...Walter Bobbie's attractive production is marked by vibrant performances, brisk movement...and a backwoods visual design.

I dare you to find a flaw in 'She Loves Me,' Harnick and Bock's intimate, tender-hearted, altogether exquisite 1963 musical comedy/romance...With her superb vocal abilities and comedic instincts and open emotionality, Benanti scores a homerun as the hopeful but staunch Amalia, and the same can be said about Krakowski as Ilona, the gal pal who's been around the block one too many times. Levi...is likable but underwhelming as the hardworking, affable clerk Georg, but that hardly matters. The overall impact of this winning production leaves you teary-eyed and overjoyed.

It is a lean and muscular piece of drama, where two emotionally damaged characters with a terrible past are brought together for an uncomfortable reunion that is sure to end in further disaster and trauma. Mantello...once again shows how he can draw out fully-developed performances from great actors that are both believable and richly detailed. The interplay between Daniels and Williams could not be rawer or more dramatically charged. From the start, Daniels is jumpy and terrified, while Williams starts off as playful and confident and then lets her guard down in reliving the past.

'Disaster!,' the scrappy, witty, ultra-campy new musical that parodies 1970s disaster flicks like 'The Poseidon Adventure' and 'Airport 1975' to a soundtrack of disco-era pop hits, may have been better off staying off-Broadway instead of making the unanticipated and improbable move to Broadway, where it looks and feels out of place and its flaws become more apparent...'Disaster!' takes ridiculousness to an extreme that, at its best, can be hilarious. Visual gags are plentiful and each hit song is integrated with the dialogue in an unusually artful manner...Even so, the show's relentless, one-note silliness grows tiresome, resembling a 'Saturday Night Live' sketch that goes on way too long.

'Eclipsed' is not an easy play to take in. It brings the audience uncomfortably close to a destructive environment. But it is an important one that brings attention to the ongoing plight of women in war-torn Africa. The performances are exceptional all around. The production (directed with graphic detail by Liesl Tommy) also has historical significance, marking the first Broadway show with a female playwright, a female director and an all-female cast.