Robert Feldberg

It's the glory of courtroom melodrama that all kinds of flaws can be overlooked if the story is tense and dramatic, with juicy revelations and legal fireworks. But this production has all the snap of a plate of overcooked linguine. There are a couple of trial tricks, as Jake tries to get Hailey acquitted with an insanity defense, but the evening mostly just bumbles tediously along.

'The Winslow Boy' often uses dialogue to fill us in on what we don't see, committing the supposed sin of telling rather than showing. But the failure to stage the climactic courtroom scene is actually one of Rattigan's finest touches. The play is not about whether Ronnie is guilty; it's about the impact on his family. Focusing on its members' reactions, in their home, as they and we ponder whether their quest for truth and justice was worth it, is exactly right.

On a set oddly decorated with clusters of small table lamps, she pierces the air with primal, lung-bursting screams and screeches, storming through such Joplin hits as 'Me and Bobby McGee,' 'Mercedes Benz,' 'Piece of My Heart' and 'Ball and Chain,' as well as a deconstruction of Gershwin's 'Summertime' that's deeply emotional, if barely recognizable. Davies' fervent singing italicizes Joplin's role as a rock pioneer, a strong-willed, free-spirited performer who was as tough and distinctive as the most notable male singers.

With any revival, there's the question of what re-thinking of the play has spurred a new production. In this case, it's hard to find a reason for restaging 'Romeo and Juliet' - and, as it turns out, lots of reasons not to.

Levi (TV's 'Chuck') and Rodriguez (TV's 'Smash') both sing well, and establish a very winning rapport. It would have been nice to get to know Aaron and Casey in more tranquil circumstances.

Other tango revues have provided context for the dances, presenting the rich history of Argentina's tango culture, which originated in the 1890s in disreputable districts of Buenos Aires, as well as charting the evolution of its style over the years, as it became one of the world's most popular dances. 'Forever Tango,' however, tries to get by with the bare minimum, assuming the word 'tango' is enough to entrance an audience. It isn't.

With its lively pop score by Stephen Schwartz, 'Pippin' was one of the big Broadway musicals of the 1970s, running for nearly five years. It's hard to believe, though, that the production could have been better than the dynamic revival that opened Thursday night at the Music Box Theatre. With the addition of beautifully integrated circus acts, the show is an eye-catchingly physical, as well as song-and-dance, treat.

The play moves along deliberately, and glibly. It's easy to root for Carrie to establish her independence and reconnect with the joy of her youth, but her trip doesn't make great demands on our emotions.

Taken in its entirety, this 'Macbeth' edges close to being a stunt - a highly artistic one, but still a stunt.

There are lots of ballads, and the singers - besides J&H, the only significant character is a prostitute (played by pop performer Deborah Cox) - increase their intensity as they go along until they're shouting at us full blast. It's like being trapped at an audition for 'American Idol' (on which Maroulis, who grew up in Wyckoff, appeared in 2004). I've seen a few worse shows than 'Jekyll & Hyde,' but none as dispiriting.

The play, which opened Wednesday night at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, is very, very funny, and, as it ends, deeply moving. What's most impressive, though, is Greenberg's command of his craft in weaving an ambitious, intricately connected tapestry of family relationships: husbands and wives, brother and sister, and, most profoundly, parents and children.

'The Nance,' which opened Monday night at the Lyceum Theatre, is a great showcase for the performing skills of Nathan Lane. Beyond that, things get a little murky.

With neither character seeming to do more than go through the motions of romance, the relationship is as tepid as the rest of the Gordy saga. The only thing hot in 'Motown' is the music.

With its pizazz, humor, style, intelligence and all-around entertainment quotient, 'Matilda' is, far and away, the best new musical I've seen this season. I recommend it for children and smarter adults.

What 'Kinky Boots' sorely lacks is a dramatic commitment to what it's doing. Which is why a show that seems to make few false steps is so relentlessly tedious.

'Lucky Guy,' which opened Monday night at the Broadhurst Theatre, is Tom Hanks' rookie Broadway appearance, but the film star makes acting on stage look easy. Effortlessly transferring his low-key charisma to the theater, Hanks is quick, funny and surprisingly tough as columnist Mike McAlary and, at the end, makes the character much more touching than you'd think possible.

You wish the second act were faster and funnier - but, taken as a whole, 'Cinderella' works, providing a solid and congenial framework for Rodgers and Hammerstein's wonderful songs.

If the first act belongs to Maggie, the second is the province of Big Daddy (Ciaran Hinds), Brick's vulgar, outsized father, who makes great noises in rejecting pretense and dishonesty. (Of his servile wife, Big Mama (Debra Monk), he says, 'I haven't been able to stand the sight, sound or smell of that woman for 40 years now.')

My one quibble is with Stan's performance. Physique aside, it's sometimes hard to perceive Hal's mesmerizing appeal. The character remains blurry, and is too often played as a goofball. All in all, though, the production is theater you can sink your teeth into. Old-fashioned can be good.

The play succeeds best as a showcase for Metcalf's acting skill. Perry, who also has a third role as a kind of interloper in the story, provides strong support. Stern, though, gives a lightweight effort as Juliana's put-upon husband.

The play is dated and melodramatic, with slang-filled dialogue that can sound tinny. But it has decent theatrical bones, and if well-acted and offered on a humbly human level, might work well on both personal and political levels. But director Bartlett Sher, it seems to me, goes at it in exactly the wrong way, presenting 'Golden Boy' as a loud, brassy, tough-talking period piece. Add in unimpressive performances, and the result is a long evening that, for all its slam-bang moments, is tedious and uninvolving.

'The Anarchist' only runs 65 minutes, but I doubt there'll be any complaints that it's too short.

If there were a Tony Award for extraordinary effort in trying to breathe life into a flat-lining play, Norbert Leo Butz would win, hands down.

So, although Carmello, who's onstage for almost the entire evening, gives a knock-out performance, pulling off gospel numbers and novelty songs with equal mastery, her character remains remote. The score, with music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman, is serviceable, and often performed very loudly. Welcome contributions are made by the amusing Roz Ryan, playing a Kansas City madam turned McPherson assistant, and George Hearn, as the evangelist's sweet-natured father. But 'Scandalous,' despite its title, is remarkably tame.

Ever run into an old acquaintance who's way down on his luck? After you realize there's nothing you can do to help, you feel awkward and embarrassed, and just want to slink away. I had a similar emotion at 'The Performers,' which opened Wednesday night at the Longacre Theatre. The play, which is beyond wretched, stars Alicia Silverstone ('Clueless') and Henry Winkler ('Happy Days'), two actors who've earned our affection over the years. To see them slogging through a scuzzy 'comedy' about moronic porn actors, amid a snickering procession of crude sex jokes, was distressing. Is work that hard to find?