Stephan Lee

Disaster!, the new musical from Broadway personality Seth Rudetsky, has all the ingredients to live up to its name. It's a jukebox musical of assorted '70s hits (and a few deep tracks) that's also a broad, shticky parody of retro epics, all spread over two campy acts. There's so much that could go wrong, but the performances are so unapologetically silly and the production is so bright with flashing disco lights that ultimately you're blinded to its flaws: humor that can miss the mark and campiness that's sometimes a bit too overwrought...Disaster! is pure maximalism -- a big, old-fashioned musical with big numbers and big performances. A lot of the fun is in recognizing the '70s references, but even '80s babies like me will be swept up in the show's energy. B+

Thanks to Karam's script and the ensemble's performances, every slight, every shared memory, and every knowing glance feels utterly lived in. The brilliant direction by Joe Mantello helps hugely with believability as well -- the movement of the actors throughout the David Zinn's two-floor set, which we look in on like a dollhouse no one would want, is wonderfully intricate yet fluid...Some moments are absolutely devastating -- Reid Birney, as the hollowed-out father prone to thousand-yard stares, is the standout of the cast -- but it's unfair to label the play as simply 'depressing,' because it's depressing in the way life is depressing and hilarious in the way life is hilarious...Karam's transcendently mundane play is a reminder that family dinner dramas can still be surprising -- and they doesn't need ghosts or things that go bump in the night to achieve that. Real life is scary enough. A-

Luckily, in director Jeremy Herrin's high-energy staging at the American Airlines Theatre, the cast, which includes Andrea Martin, Campbell Scott, and Megan Hilty, knows how to fail like pros...In true slapstick form, each of the players has a hidden game or bit of actorly preciousness that contribute to the dysfunction...The script gives each of the stars several moments to shine, and Andrea Martin anchors Herrin's production with a brilliant manic energy -- there's a certain athleticism to her almost graceful fumbling amidst the chaos. The direction, performances, and set design by Derek McLane create a symphony of shouting and flop sweat, turning pure slapstick into high art. A-

Parsons is always the blazing focal point of the show, even when she's sharing the stage with Spinella and a glowingly orange tree. With seeming effortlessness, she plays a woman who's mind is failing her despite flashes of wit and rage and pettiness and compassion. Spinella plays her foil lovingly -- both as an actor and character, he can't contain his delight and amusement with his costar. Both performances are engaging enough to power through what's otherwise well-worn terrain. For a breezy 90 minutes in Parsons' company, we're happy to be held hostage. B+