Ronni Reich

In Lisa D'Amour's 'Airline Highway,' named for the home to the motel, a group of misfits take care of each other and hold one another back from the vices that tempt them. Each is something like an open wound, with harrowing pasts that have repercussions they can't seem to shake. If its characters can feel familiar, D'Amour's writing unsparingly, unabashedly gets at fundamental aspects of the human condition. There are patches of the drama that drag when everyone talks over one another. But this feels realistic and uncovers something about each character's desire to connect -- however scarred they may be -- over bonds they've formed and broken in the past. Director Joe Mantello creates a detailed world, with nuanced performances from an ensemble cast...

The work is both recognizable Kander and Ebb style and a departure and is the last they created together...it comes across as something of a morality play or fable. Its book by Terrence McNally relies on symbolism and ideas more than multifaceted characters. Director John Doyle's staging and the music both call to mind a contemporary oratorio, with the company facing front for much of the staging and a score that pulls in dissonance, percussive noise and intricate textures. The form is fascinating, as are the central issues and the strangeness of the piece...But the book and lyrics can be blunt and redundant...As Claire...Rivera...savors her dry punch lines. Still, at this stage in her venerable career, she's mostly speak-singing, even when there's an appealingly eerie chorus of her countertenor eunuchs to back her. Roger Rees telegraphs excitement in his scenes with her, and we feel the weight on him as he considers his possibilities.

Chock full of show tune references, theatrical puns and Shakespeare quotes, the show is a field day for drama nerds. Casey Nicholaw's direction and choreography constantly amp up the silliness and energy, and the cast of veterans is more than game...The bouncy score is crammed with production numbers and clever rhymes...As Shakespeare, Christian Borle is in prime stage animal form...he begins gyrating in skintight pants as he quotes his most famous lines...Yet he seems to have a viable adversary in nervous Nigel, played by Cariani as a sweet-voiced, endearing underdog...The sincere aspects of the musical are its weak points...One could also quibble with the show's reliance on parody and pastiche. But, then, you don't go to 'Something Rotten!' expecting something profound. With great comedic timing and expression, James is perfectly cast as the striver Nick.

As it chronicles love, war, survival instincts and purpose in a rapidly changing world, 'Doctor Zhivago' is an earnest romance with an epic, operatic scope...the new Broadway musical covers ample ground, with nothing extraneous...Des McAnuff directs a thoughtful production. Yet in encompassing so much plot and philosophy so economically, the characters and their fates can sometimes feel oversimplified...Tam Mutu proves one of Broadway's strongest current leading men...A spirited Lara, Kelli Barrett shows off an impressive, wide-ranging voice...Simon gives them surging melodies with bold colors, and the score is filled with Russian-style grandeur...As it spans decades, the drama of the play can occasionally feel forced or reductive...The musical is true to the spirit of its age and presents unabashed emotion too rarely seen on the contemporary stage.

'Living With Love' flies by, with nearly as many jokes as there are sparkles on a 'La Bohème' costume Raquel sports...It's not exactly full of surprises, but the light comedic throwback is well executed by the cast and creative team. DiPietro's script takes a kernel of an idea from Garson Kanin's 1985 'Peccadillo' and spins it into something completely different and quite entertaining. Director Kathleen Marshall has a knack for the piece's scale and the quick rhythms of its banter. As Vito De Angelis, Douglas Sills gives a skillful, rangy performance. He's highly entertaining as he lashes out at Robert, primps for Iris or lounges amiably and with the playfulness of someone who knows just how to lead a scherzo...The role is written in such a way that it could be foolproof for Fleming - Raquel is always playing the diva, ready with a song, her speech even taking on a half-sung quality as though it were recitative...But she's a joy to watch when she gets to stick it to diva stereotypes. There's a wonderful self-mocking quality when she walks center stage and talks through the process of one of her famous scenes, telling her costar, 'no one is looking at you, you're the tenor.'

Sher's vision subtly augments tradition, with lifelike details of the new world in which Anna Leonowens finds herself...As Anna, O'Hara is a terrific fit, with an exquisite, melting soprano as well as dignity and quick wit. Ken Watanabe...is a captivating actor, blazing-eyed and sharp as he portrays the virile character's single-mindedness, playful side and the childlike temper of one who has never been contradicted...Watanabe's diction could occasionally be clearer, his singing more confident and his bearing imbued with more gravity. For her part, although O'Hara builds a rich, likeable character, she does not sound quite as vocally lush as she did last season in 'The Bridges of Madison County.' Still, as they find their ideals in conflict, they make worthy adversaries, and also find real chemistry. Watanabe and O'Hara enchantingly convey the sparks of intelligence and will that bring their characters together...This remains a production in which all aspects have been satisfyingly thought out, and a work that stands the test of time.

Director Diane Paulus coaxes compelling character portrayals. But the work fails to live up to the story's promise. Sure, there are lovely sprinklings of golden fairy dust and actors who take flight. But the music and lyrics by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy...too often lean towards syrupy ballads riddled with clichés...Morrison's Scottish accent sometimes flags and his presence in romantic scenes can seem a little under-energized. Still, there's more depth to his singing voice than one might expect from his TV role, and he has a fine rapport with the children...Gemme, as the serious-minded Peter who needs to find his childlike sense of play again, is especially moving and sings with strength and purity.

A Jewish bride marries a Christian groom, overbearing mothers go to war, the older sister feels left out and there are countless hitches on the way to getting hitched. If you think you've heard this one, you're only partly right. The new musical 'It Shoulda Been You' takes the wedding day setup that fuels so many romantic comedies, but offers a twist that livens up the proceedings...David Hyde Pierce directs with a sure hand for comedy, and Brian Hargrove contributes book and lyrics full of clever banter. Yet the score by Barbara Anselmi is thoroughly conventional, and, before and after the musical's surprising mid-show revelation, the characters are often overly familiar and the sentiment sticky. The interval of surprise is undeniable, and Anselmi's music is soundly constructed - but one wishes the musical felt more consistently original.