Patrick Ryan — Theater Critic

When Alex has a seizure midway through the play, the mounting dread and panicked 911 call are distressingly familiar. So, too, is the purgatory-like state of the hospital waiting room, which is brilliantly conveyed through Ben Stanton’s stark lighting and Lael Jellinek’s deceptively simple scenic design. (We won’t spoil the set reveal, but it’s breathtaking.) Herzog thoughtfully poses big questions about faith and uncertainty and leaves the audience with much to chew on after the spiritual, ambiguous final moments. The play is beautifully directed by Anne Kauffman ('The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window'), with an outstanding ensemble all playing dual roles.

A life raft in this troubled “Water” is the production's elastic ensemble, which jolts you awake with their spring-loaded flips and death-defying stunts, ranging from aerial hoops to tightrope walks to trapeze swings. A sequence of the cast pitching a big top is wondrous to behold, as is the effortless athleticism they bring to numbers like 'Zostan.' In these moments, the show feels like a divine celebration of those restless spirits who run off to join the circus. But the magic is fleeting, and by the final curtain, those in the audience may wish they'd just stayed at home.

Strong is astounding as Thomas, resisting easy histrionics even as tensions reach their boiling point. Soft-spoken and even-keeled, he imbues the character with a deep well of sadness, not only for his late wife Katherine, but for the willful ignorance that’s afflicted his community.

But “Merrily” is the most top-to-bottom perfect production of them all, from its muscular orchestrations to its vibrant ensemble to its sneakily devastating book by the late George Furth. Part of what makes the show so overwhelmingly emotional is that it transports us back to a more idealistic age: when possibilities seemed endless, friends were forever, and hopes weren’t yet dashed by life’s realities.

“Back to the Future” is a technical marvel that hits all the right nostalgia buttons, and in the immortal words of Marty McFly, your kids are gonna love it. But with soulless songs that are more obligatory than earned, you can’t escape the feeling that they’re just running down the clock.

“Back to the Future” is a technical marvel that hits all the right nostalgia buttons, and in the immortal words of Marty McFly, your kids are gonna love it. But with soulless songs that are more obligatory than earned, you can’t escape the feeling that they’re just running down the clock.

But this 'Sweeney' belongs to the spellbinding Ashford, a Broadway veteran known more recently for her TV work in CBS sitcom 'B Positive' and Hulu's 'Welcome to Chippendales.' From the moment she springs up from behind the counter, her Lovett is instantly endearing and almost pitiable in her delusion. Desperate for Sweeney's affection, she constantly hangs on his arm and flirtatiously pretzels herself around him, refusing to believe she's just a means to an end. Ashford is bloody brilliant in her elastic expressiveness and slapstick comedy, throwing and spinning herself across the stage in showstoppers 'A Little Priest' and 'The Worst Pies in London.'

But this 'Sweeney' belongs to the spellbinding Ashford, a Broadway veteran known more recently for her TV work in CBS sitcom 'B Positive' and Hulu's 'Welcome to Chippendales.' From the moment she springs up from behind the counter, her Lovett is instantly endearing and almost pitiable in her delusion. Desperate for Sweeney's affection, she constantly hangs on his arm and flirtatiously pretzels herself around him, refusing to believe she's just a means to an end. Ashford is bloody brilliant in her elastic expressiveness and slapstick comedy, throwing and spinning herself across the stage in showstoppers 'A Little Priest' and 'The Worst Pies in London.'

But this 'Sweeney' belongs to the spellbinding Ashford, a Broadway veteran known more recently for her TV work in CBS sitcom 'B Positive' and Hulu's 'Welcome to Chippendales.' From the moment she springs up from behind the counter, her Lovett is instantly endearing and almost pitiable in her delusion. Desperate for Sweeney's affection, she constantly hangs on his arm and flirtatiously pretzels herself around him, refusing to believe she's just a means to an end. Ashford is bloody brilliant in her elastic expressiveness and slapstick comedy, throwing and spinning herself across the stage in showstoppers 'A Little Priest' and 'The Worst Pies in London.'

Imagine Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance,' but as a steamy Spanish tango. Now imagine that's been mashed up with Britney Spears' 'Toxic' and The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army,' and vigorously performed by a group of hot-blooded bohemians in early 1900s Paris. It's an absurd combination that by no means should work, but winds up being the undeniable highlight of Broadway's new 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical,' a wildly entertaining adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie that opened Thursday at New York's Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Imagine Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance,' but as a steamy Spanish tango. Now imagine that's been mashed up with Britney Spears' 'Toxic' and The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army,' and vigorously performed by a group of hot-blooded bohemians in early 1900s Paris. It's an absurd combination that by no means should work, but winds up being the undeniable highlight of Broadway's new 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical,' a wildly entertaining adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie that opened Thursday at New York's Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Imagine Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance,' but as a steamy Spanish tango. Now imagine that's been mashed up with Britney Spears' 'Toxic' and The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army,' and vigorously performed by a group of hot-blooded bohemians in early 1900s Paris. It's an absurd combination that by no means should work, but winds up being the undeniable highlight of Broadway's new 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical,' a wildly entertaining adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie that opened Thursday at New York's Al Hirschfeld Theatre.