Robert Feldberg — Theater Critic

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder' is a musical wild card, a distant relative to 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood,' perhaps, but entirely its own thing. It's fresh, and it's tremendously entertaining.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder' is a musical wild card, a distant relative to 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood,' perhaps, but entirely its own thing. It's fresh, and it's tremendously entertaining.

When Crystal comes onstage, he begins with an edge: Audiences like him. They've been responding for years to his quick wit and aura of wholesomeness tinged with a bit of boyish naughtiness. To his great credit, he doesn't coast on his credentials. In '700 Sundays,' he delivers the full measure of his talent.

As a comedy, 'Twelfth Night' more logically lends itself to interaction and horseplay, but here, too, Rylance finds a way to go the extra yard as Olivia, who goes in an instant from mourning her dead brother to swooning over the handsome Cesario, not realizing he's the disguised Viola.

While this is the most amusing 'Richard' I've ever seen, it's important to emphasize that it's not a burlesque. It's Shakespeare's play, as Rylance and director Tim Carroll conceive it.

Called 'Cotton Club Parade,' it was initially a collaboration between the Jazz at Lincoln Center program and the New York City Center, and was performed at the City Center for brief runs in 2011 and 2012. The emergent 'After Midnight' is not your typical Broadway musical. But, taken on its own terms, it's thoroughly entertaining.

No one ever thinks of Pinter as a chronicler of romance. But this is the most devastating, clear-eyed examination of the arc of a love affair as I've seen

No one ever thinks of Pinter as a chronicler of romance. But this is the most devastating, clear-eyed examination of the arc of a love affair as I've seen

'The Snow Geese,' which opened Thursday night at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, has a refreshingly unusual setting: a hunting lodge near Syracuse in 1917. What happens there is, unfortunately, much less tantalizing, despite the presence of such A-list actors as Mary-Louise Parker, Danny Burstein and Victoria Clark.The author Sharr White zeroes in on a family's life at a moment when everything i

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.

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.