Roma Torre

'Sunday In The Park' won't appeal to everyone. But fans will not be disappointed. Director Sarna Lapine, employing state-of-the-art projections, delivers an immaculate production combining art, science and poetry in perfect harmony.

August Wilson may be a master interpreter of the black experience in America, but his plays more often than not evoke the gray areas of life. And how fortunate to have Ruben Santiago-Hudson in the director's chair, a frequent collaborator who recognizes, more than almost anyone else, the universal themes in Wilson's plays that sing to us all.

Though dated, and at more than two and a half hours, overwritten, 'The Heidi Chronicles' under Pam MacKinnon's thoughtful direction remains an invaluable work reminding us how far we've truly come.

David's play exploits human foibles - those silly, petty, mindless things that we think and do, like trying to find some real wood to knock on. In David's world, everything is a setup for his characters' self-centered behavior. With the stellar cast directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the payoffs are genuinely hysterical...He generously surrounds himself with masters of comic timing; Jayne Houdyshell, Lewis J. Stadlen, Rosie Perez, Rita Wilson, MaryLouise Burke and Ben Shenkman among them. Fans will be happy to note that David has the exact same whiny high-pitched persona from TV, hilariously kvetching all the way.

Nick Payne's compelling drama is one for the heart just as much as the mind...The setting for the play...is 'The Multiverse,' past, present and future. As Marianne explains, cosmologists see time as an illusion; and so the theory is put into dramatic practice by showing us how each encounter can be re-played adjusting to changes in verbal nuance or personality. It's a heady conceit, and in the wrong hands, the constant repetition could be a drag - but under Michael Longhurst's splendid, balloon strewn staging, I found it most compelling. But if that doesn't blow your mind, the wonderfully fine-tuned performances will...And without sacrificing characterization, they both expertly maneuver through each new scene shift, revealing how love, that immutable force of nature, transcends the laws of time and space.

Fortunately the ensemble is top shelf. Alessandro Nivola engagingly conveys Treve's soft heart and stiff spine. As the actress Mrs. Kendall, Patricia Clarkson is splendidly regal and warm, though strangely, her British accent did a disappearing act. Best of all, though, Bradley Cooper, forced to contort his body and render his face emotionless, managed to express a vast array of emotions through the tiniest of gestures. It's a towering performance delivered in the most subtle fashion and I was extremely moved by him.

Cynthia Nixon, featured at age 17 in the original Broadway production, is Charlotte now. She and Josh Hamilton as Max are quite good. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a deeply honest portrayal as Annie. But it takes a special talent to pull off Henry's awakening. And Ewan McGregor is just the man. He delivers an array of emotions in this role, each one more real than the next. Some people find Tom Stoppard's writing not much more than brain candy but the brilliance of this eloquent writer is his ability to go beyond the head straight to the heart.

Akhtar writes with insight and passion, raising every imaginable argument associated with the Islam debate in America. And while the play's second half is riveting, it's also somewhat contrived as the characters' motivations and actions sometime strain credibility. It is acted beautifully by a five-member ensemble featuring Hari Dhillon, Gretchen Mol, Josh Radnor, Karen Pittman and Danny Ashok as Amir's impulsive nephew. And under Kimberley Senior's bracing direction, get ready to gasp.

There's so much to love in 'On The Town' it's easy to overlook its flaws, such things as plotting, characterization, logic. But I choose to view the show as a gloriously messy love letter to New York, gushing with gorgeous tunes, endearingly nutty characters and some of the loveliest dancing on Broadway. If it were just a concert, you'd still get your money's worth. Leonard Bernstein's magnificent score is richly enhanced with a 28-piece orchestra. And once that trio of hyped up sailors takes off on their 24-hour leave, New York does truly become 'one helluva town.'

Sally Bowles ranks right up there as an iconic figure in modern literature. Reckless and carefree, she's a British club singer in Weimar Germany of modest talent. Irresistible to men, she's insecure and must be seen as vulnerable. Natasha Richardson had those qualities in spades. Granted, this is not an easy role, but Michelle Williams, whether miscast or just not up to the challenge, is missing some vital ingredients. Sally talks of allure, but Williams' Sally is largely lacking in that department. And because of this, the entire show is thrown off. Suddenly, the people we care most about are Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. And while Linda Emond and Danny Burstein are marvelous in the roles, they upstage the main plot - Sally's relationship with her American bisexual lover, Clifford Bradshaw.

Every rare while, a great play is given the production it deserves. That's how it is with this revival of 'A Raisin In The Sun'. Director Kenny Leon tackled the drama 10 years ago with Sean Combs in the lead, but what a difference a star makes. And because the 55-year-old work remains astonishingly relevant today, I can happily say Denzel and company are 'da bomb.'

But whoa Andy Karl! Channeling Stallone's star-making performance, he is a marvel. As a triple threat actor, singer and boxer, no one works harder on Broadway. Pound for pound, he ranks number 1. Theatre purists may balk at the flaws, but give the fans a guy to cheer for and a thrilling fight to the finish, and 'Rocky' is sure to emerge victorious.

Bryan Cranston is the big draw in 'All The Way,' a biographical drama about President Lyndon B. Johnson. And while the 'Breaking Bad' star actually exceeds the hype, the best news is that the play does, too. With 20 actors in dozens of roles, this is high drama spanning the year between the Kennedy assassination and the '64 election. The main focus is the intense fight to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As staged, the legislation is treated with the gravity of our nation's founding and the suspense of a first class thriller, and despite knowing the ending, we're on the edge of our seats.

It's very well cast. Hunter Foster, as the decent but culturally limited husband, is a strong presence. But of course, it's all about the lovers. Stephen Pasquale is excellent. As a charming, troubled soul, he sings with the kind of power and conviction that leaves no doubt a new star is born. And the stunningly gifted Kelli O'Hara should win her fifth Tony nomination with this role, the most finely tuned of her illustrious career, and she sings her heart out. Yes, it's a soap opera, but an irresistible one; and if you're in the right mood, expect to be utterly smitten.

Eric Simonson's play is a disjointed work divided into four disparate scenes. The first scene, the only one that qualifies as drama, features a notorious episode in Yankee history. In 1977, manager Billy Martin and slugger Reggie Jackson had it out in a Fenway Park dugout, and it was all caught on camera. As the scene unfolds, Yogi Berra, then the coach, tries to diffuse tensions by inviting Martin and Jackson to a hotel room along with team captain Thurman Munson to hash it out.

Shanley has captured a very authentic voice with these characters. The lonely gentleman farmer, the plain-spoken, dry-humored elders and the spunky girl next door may at first seem to be standard types, but Shanley has nicely shaded them in. And Doug Hughes' immaculate production provides a very satisfying emotional arc.

The large cast is in top form, with Suzanne Bertish as the mother, Michael Cumpsty, the husband, and Morgan Spector, the lover, standing out. But Rebecca Hall has the toughest job as the nondescript murderess. Resisting the urge to soften her, Hall manages an honest, wrenching portrayal of a woman you'd be very hard pressed to call a friend. 'Machinal' is not for the faint of heart. But if you're up for an intense theatrical experience, this one's a first-class punch to the gut.

'The Snow Geese' characters share Chekhov's thematic constant - boredom. The challenge is how to write about it without becoming it. Chekhov masterfully avoided that dramatic pitfall. Not quite Sharr White. And if his first act is slow to take off, he's got the ideal company to ensure a heartfelt landing.

In other hands, 'The Winslow Boy' could be slow going at nearly three hours, but director Lindsay Posner deserves much credit for doing great justice to this rich old play.

Davies' physical resemblance is limited to hair and costume, but none of it matters once she opens up that glorious sandpaper voice. And fans who never saw Joplin in concert, wondering what they missed, should find an instant jolt in this, the next best thing.

Davies' physical resemblance is limited to hair and costume, but none of it matters once she opens up that glorious sandpaper voice. And fans who never saw Joplin in concert, wondering what they missed, should find an instant jolt in this, the next best thing.

I've seen quite a few productions of Tennessee Williams' 'The Glass Menagerie,' and yet, this one stands well above the rest. It retains the haunting resonance of the great classic that it is, and yet, it possesses the originality of a never-before-seen work of art.

This is a tender, deceptively simple work that requires great sensitivity. Director Michael Wilson has the right touch, but the dynamic seems off in the earlier scenes. Vanessa Williams comes on so strong, the other two characters seem in danger of being eaten by her. Later on, they all seem to find their stride, and by the end, Cuba Gooding Jr. delivers a moving portrayal.

Broadway can add yet another blockbuster to its roster of kid-friendly shows. 'Matilda', based on Roald Dahl's 1988 children's novel, is wickeder than 'Wicked', as beastly as the beasts in 'The Lion King' and as crowd-pleasing as anything on the Great White Way.

One might easily think that a solo show would be swallowed up on Lincoln Center Theatre's largest stage, but given Richards' dynamism and Taylor's outsize talents, the ladies had no problem filling the space.