Roma Torre

This jukebox musical featuring vintage rock tunes from the likes of Twisted Sister and Bon Jovi is sure to turn off some theater purists. But it's so cleverly staged and impressively performed that it's an irresistible, offbeat trip of a show that hits all the right notes.

Not quite a fully realized play, it's an extended situation comedy featuring two couples meeting to discuss a playground fight between their 11-year-old sons. It seems one of the little boys whacked the other with a stick causing him to lose two teeth. At first, the interaction is civil but there are tensions in the air. It doesn't take long before emotions erupt. And look out. Besides being exceptionally funny, there are several shocking moments in this play that are bound to take you by complete surprise.

Laurents injected added realism by having the Sharks speak in their native Spanish much of the time. And Lin Manuel Miranda of 'In the Heights' fame had the task of translating two very familiar songs, 'I Feel Pretty' and 'A Boy Like That' into 'Siento Hermosa' and 'Un Hombre Asi.' The result is very effective and certainly deepens the characters. The problem is the renewed focus on gritty realism forces more scrutiny on the rest of the elements. The gang members are hardly threatening at all.

Described as a dense epic fantasy, 'Wicked,' based on a novel, is an intricate work. It tells the story of Elphaba, the bright but neglected young girl born with green skin who is good and kind. How she turns into the wicked witch is a long, winding road filled with bizarre characters and strange plot twists. The problem with the show's book, by Winnie Holzman, is that it has to cover so much ground in a connect-the-dots fashion that we're deprived of the necessary depth and character development to make us really care about Elphaba or her unlikely friend Galinda, who later becomes Glinda the good witch. Director Joe Mantello handles the intimate scenes well, but he's not quite as successful moving the traffic on Eugene Lee's dark, mechanical set. The ensemble numbers are indistinguishable. The special effects were impressive but a show of this caliber needed more. Stephen Schwartz, the composer behind 'Godspell' and 'Pippin,' has written some lovely music, particularly his ballads for the witches, but the score is uneven and the beautiful melodies that marked his earlier works are disappointingly absent here.

Mamma Mia defies scrutiny. If you attempt to analyze this mega hit from London, it'll fall apart. It's hokey, implausible and silly. The Abba music, despite its popularity, is mediocre and many are likely to think: What's the big deal?... Audiences should come prepared to check their cynicism at the door and become dancing queens, boogying giddily into the night.