Robert Feldberg

Seldom has an enigma been as ravishingly compelling as in the provocative revival of 'Old Times' that opened Tuesday night at the American Airlines Theatre. With a trio of fine British actors breathing life into their cryptic characters, the dance of memory and seduction in Harold Pinter's brief 1971 play - it runs a little over an hour - never flags for an instant.

The play certainly looks good. The De Angelis apartment, designed by Derek McLane, is properly luxurious. And Michael Krass' costumes are perfect: dazzling, 1950s-inspired outfits for Raquel and blindingly bright pajamas with matching robes for Vito. For Fleming, the fine work she does in 'Living on Love' could lead to a second career as a stage actress. That would make any descent into mezzo territory totally irrelevant.

The brilliant show, which opened on Sunday at the Circle in the Square after an extended run at the off-Broadway Public Theater, suggests that families - in this case the Bechdels of small-town Pennsylvania - are very complicated assemblages, made up of individuals with private dreams, sorrows and secrets

Fresh-faced, attractive and amusing, Fairchild holds the stage in leading-man style. He acts effectively and sings remarkably well. Cope, whose dark, gamine good looks suggest the film's Leslie Caron, has perhaps less acting range, but she can sing and is thoroughly appealing. Their dancing is exhilarating, especially in the big 'American in Paris' ballet, which begins and ends as a performance piece by Lise's ballet company, with a romantic middle of Lise and Jerry conveying their growing relationship.

There is one performer who creates a small center of warmth and feeling, the wonderful Victoria Clark, as Gigi's loving grandmother. When she and Hoty join for a duet on 'Little Girls,' the two theater veterans give us a glimpse of the pleasure musical theater can provide. (The song belonged in the film to Honore, but having an elderly man sing a paean to pre-adolescent females obviously no longer seemed advisable.) Clark, who has a lovely voice, also created a special moment with her solo on 'Say A Prayer.' Otherwise, 'Gigi' is the night the Champagne went flat.

If you're religious, you might see Tyrone as the Devil; if you're psychologically inclined, you'll regard him as the uncorking of Jason's repressed id, an escape hatch for sorrow and confusion. Either way, Boyer's performance - remarkable both for his acting and his dexterity - is a sight to behold. Under the direction again of Moritz von Stuelpnagel, 'Hand to God' seemed to me better than it was off-Broadway - faster, rowdier and more assured. If its message of human folly doesn't register as profoundly as playwright Askins seems to have intended, it's still a very clever, extremely entertaining show.

It's hard to discern such nuances, however, when Moss' deliberate portrayal is blown off the stage by her co-stars' more vibrant work. It's true that they have most of the amusing lines and better-defined characters, but Pinkham, in particular, gives a richly hilarious - and also rather touching - performance, while Biggs (who grew up in Hasbrouck Heights) provides a telling portrayal of a raging narcissist.

Kristin Chenoweth, who established her career on Broadway but hasn't had a real impact there since 'Wicked' in 2002, returns in what's probably her most entertaining performance yet. Playing the impossibly self-centered '30s movie star Lily Garland, in the altogether delightful revival of the 1979 musical, she reminds us that, besides having a great soprano voice, she's the funniest leading lady around. Using her distinctive high-pitched speaking voice - little-girl mixed with brass - as a deadpan comic weapon, she cavorts buoyantly through the show, as nimble physically as she is verbally.

There is one rousing scene in 'Honeymoon In Vegas,' near the end. A troupe of impersonators, the Flying Elvises - also the highlight of the film - fly toward Las Vegas, accompanied by a very nervous Jack, and prepare to parachute into the city. They perform an exuberant, super-charged Presley-like number, 'Higher Love,' led by the ebullient head Elvis (a marvelous David Josefsberg, who also plays the lounge singer). Song and story, verve and imagination, come together, and the result, for that moment, is musical-comedy bliss.

If 'Constellations' begins as something of an amusing theatrical stunt, it evolves into something much more powerful, as we eventually connect to Marianne and Roland as individuals facing something we all share - mortality. The actors are extremely enticing.

: 'A Delicate Balance' is a long play, and, particularly in Agnes' lengthy speeches, it can slow down, and become gloomy. It's a pitfall that this production, which is mostly rewarding, doesn't completely avoid. Its biggest asset is Lithgow, who gives one of those masterful performances that's entertaining even as it's dramatically potent.

Each of the actresses (if you're wondering, Cush Jumbo - her real name - is an attractive young Englishwoman) does this very well, but it's Jackman's character, sometimes intense, other times oddly remote, who fascinates us. The actor gives a strong, yet beguilingly subtle, portrayal of a man whose life has become an endless loop. There's a final surprise in 'The River,' which is startling and feels completely right. It's a moment that's deeply revealing - or so it seems.

'Disgraced,' which races by in less than 90 minutes, is not a comforting play. It forces us to reflect on who we are, and what we really think about the guy with the different race, religion or ethnicity who lives next door.

The musical's book, written by John Logan and Brian Yorkey, settles for simply pushing the story forward, from A to B to C. But the failure also falls on Sting, who created the inexpressive score, in his theater-writing debut. The songs permit the characters to reveal their feelings - 'I love you. I hate you' - but not who they are and why they have those feelings. And while there are some nice melodies, especially a gentle courting song, 'What Say You, Meg?' much of the score consists of thumping declarations and anthems. A lot of effort obviously went into 'The Last Ship,' with very little reward.

Director John Rando does an adroit job of blending dance and comedy, with the aid of a dynamic cast (that includes a pleasingly large chorus). Things do run aground, though, in the relatively short second act. While most stories speed up as they near a climax, 'On the Town' slows way down, with a series of repetitive nightclub scenes - primarily excuses for specialty numbers - before Gabey and Ivy reunite for their final clinch.

Mullally, meanwhile, turns Julia into an irritating caricature, affecting a squeaky, drawling, little-girl voice that suggests the character has escaped from a cartoon. The two portrayals aren't the production's only problems. The play, in which nothing much actually happens, requires zippy pacing. But Jack O'Brien's direction is unusually sluggish, especially in the first act, dulling the impact of the script's often-sharp one-liners.

All in all, though, 'The Curious Incident' is a singular, rather remarkable production. Beyond the staging, lots of credit goes to Sharp, who uses the distinctive way he holds his body, gestures and speaks to totally inhabit Christopher. A recent Juilliard graduate, the young actor makes a notable professional debut.

The grip it maintains for much of its 90 minutes is partially due to Gurney's shrewd employment of tried-and-true dramatic elements. The passage of time - people going from youth to late middle age - is always poignant. And so is the notion of two individuals failing to recognize the true love they're meant to share. But the playwright also deserves credit for a crisp, amusing and actor-friendly script. He gives skilled performers such as Farrow and Dennehy the opportunity, under limiting circumstances, to bring characters to vivid life.

Given a physically dynamic staging by director Anna D. Shapiro, 'This Is Our Youth' is diverting, and frequently funny. It does, though, go on too long. Stretched to 2 1/2 hours, it reveals its slenderness, as Dennis' bad behavior becomes repetitious, and we wait impatiently for his inevitable showdown with Warren. Despite that, it's the rare play that takes a serious and perceptive look at the challenging rituals and relationships people go through on the way to adulthood.

While the language might be rough, the material chosen for 'Holler' is almost unrelentingly on the side of the angels. It decries violence and lawlessness, ill treatment of women, discrimination and grinding poverty, and their collective destructive impact on the lives of many African-Americans. With the same messages repeated, and enacted by the sketchy characters in fairly generic scenes, the show has a hard time moving forward.

'Cabaret,' which opened at Studio 54 Thursday night, is the last show of the 2013-14 Broadway season. And perhaps the most exciting. Yet, it's totally fresh and crisp, and completely seductive, with Alan Cumming repeating his memorable performance, and Hollywood's Michelle Williams making a triumphant Broadway debut.

Under the direction of Joe Mantello, the play benefits from superb acting, with each male character creating a strongly individual, convincing female self. Westrate's tough Gloria, Birney's careerist Charlotte and Ebert's awkward Miranda are all particularly vivid. 'Casa Valentina' is very uneven, with abrupt changes in mood, action and attitude. But its illumination of a neglected corner of human activity is diverting, and often thought-provoking.

Everyone knows Neil Patrick Harris is a versatile actor and singer. But in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch,' which opened Tuesday night at the Belasco Theatre, his performance profile takes a visceral leap forward. As Hedwig, a (mostly) transgendered East German rock singer, he gives one of the Broadway season's fiercest, most compelling - and funniest - portrayals.

Playwright McDonagh is known for his black humor, in such works as 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane' and 'The Lieutenant of Inishmore.' And there are certainly lots of dark jokes in 'Cripple.' But McDonagh blends them with an unusual sympathy, a compassion that's rare in his plays. It's his most broadly appealing work, and audiences that come for Daniel Radcliffe will get to enjoy much, much more.

Moss Hart's autobiography 'Act One' was big news in 1959. But are people interested in a man whose fame on Broadway happened well over a half-century ago? If they're not, it's hard to see what they'll find to savor - other than a delightful performance by Tony Shalhoub - in James Lapine's stage adaptation of the book, which opened Thursday night at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.