The Big Love Photos - Off-Broadway

What did our critic think of HAIRSPRAY at Connor Palace? The farcical, yet message-loaded HAIRSPRAY, is the type of musical that in a bad production falls flat, but in a good production the audience gets all-kinds of involved.

Getting on the phone with Albert Poland totally swept me away and into the world we love for a glorious 45 minutes...

Now onstage by the Aerospace Players through February 6, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN tells the story of sharpshooter Annie Oakley (Julie Hinton, a natural comedienne who perfectly inhabits the role) and her romance with Frank Butler (Stephen Cathers). Unfortunately, Cathers has no chemistry whatsoever with Hinton, and try as she might to entice him, their romance seems implausible and totally unbelievable. Without two solid leads who really appear to be in love, or at least attracted to each other physically, the musical lacks the spark needed to fuel the plot.

Retro Productions celebrates its eleventh season with Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee/Big Love) drama, Good Boys and True which had its World Premiere at The Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007. The production is directed by DeLisa White who won a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Director for Vincent Marano's Lights Narrow. Good Boys and True, is Retro Productions 18th full length play. Their last production, The Butter and Egg Man played to sold-out houses and received rave reviews. Heather E. Cunningham (NYIT Award Winner for Outstanding Actress/An Appeal To The Woman Of The House) is the Producing Artistic Director, Sara Slagle serves as an Associate Producer.

The farcical yet message-loaded 'Hairspray' is the type of musical that in a bad production falls flat, but in a good production leaves the audience energized and dancing in the aisles. Fortunately the must see production at Porthouse Theatre is dynamic, creative, full of joy!

Broadway fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year, with dozens of shows having opened since January, hundreds of actors having made their debuts, and many more having returned to the stage for critically acclaimed performances. Not all news was good though, as we also suffered a loss of an incredible amount of talent. Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2014.

Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls and renowned actor Brian Dennehy bring their artistic partnership to new heights with Eugene O'Neill's haunting drama, Desire Under the Elms?marking their fifth collaboration on O'Neill's work over two decades. Falls' cast includes stage and screen stars Carla Gugino (Entourage, Spy Kids, Sin City) Pablo Schreiber (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Awake and Sing!), Boris McGiver (The Wire) and Daniel Stewart Sherman (Broadway's Cyrano de Bergerac). The centerpiece production of Goodman Theatre's two-month 'A Global Exploration: Eugene O'Neill in the 21st Century,' Desire Under the Elms appears January 17 ? February 22 in the Goodman's 856-seat Albert Ivar Theatre. Tickets are $25 - 82.