Theater review THE LOST BOYS Two hours and 40 minutes, with one intermission. At the Palace Theatre, 160 W. 47th Street. At long last, a vampire musical that doesn’t suck. A captivating and moody rock show about teenage fangst, “The Lost Boys,” flew open Sunday night at the Palace Theatre and brought an end to … Read more
Theater review JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE Two hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. At the Barrymore Theatre, 243 West 47th Street. Almost without fail, the brilliance of August Wilson emerges even in mediocre stagings of his plays. That is the unshakable feeling at the revival of his “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” that … Read more
Theater review THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW One hour and 50 minutes, with one intermission. At Studio 54, 254 W. 54th Street. It’s just a jump to the left. And then a step to the right. Put your hands… over your mouths! “You will not be seeing a film, but a live theatrical performance,” goes a … Read more
Theater review BEACHES 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. At the Majestic Theatre, 247 W. 44th Street. Pay close attention to the lyrics of the song “Wind Beneath My Wings.” They’re pretty cruel. “It must have been cold there in my shadow.” Ouch. “So I was the one with all the glory; you … Read more
Theater review THE BALUSTERS One hour and 50 minutes, with no intermission. At the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th Street. It’s the Battle of the Affluent! Or, at any rate, the latest Battle of the Affluent. David Lindsay-Abaire’s bracingly funny new HOA play “The Balusters,” which opened Tuesday at the Samuel J. Friedman … Read more
Theater review SCHMIGADOON! Two hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. At the Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st Street In the early aughts, it was all the rage on Broadway for musicals to send up other musicals. First there was “Urinetown” and “The Drowsy Chaperone,” two nerdy parodies that were very funny and had teeth. … Read more
Theater review PROOF 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. At the Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th Street. Just one piece of the first Broadway revival of David Auburn’s most famous play answers the question “What exactly is ‘Proof’ + 26 years?” That’s Ayo Edebiri, the ubiquitous actress from FX’s “The Bear” who plays … Read more
Theater review THE FEAR OF 13 One hour and 50 minutes, with no intermission. At the James Earl Jones Theatre, 138 W. 48th Street. It speaks volumes about Adrien Brody’s choice of roles that next to his anguished, Oscar-winning turns in “The Pianist” and “The Brutalist,” his Broadway debut as a wronged man who spends … Read more
Theater review DEATH OF A SALESMAN 2 hours and 50 minutes, with one intermission. At the Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway. The vast stage of the Winter Garden Theatre is grimier than usual. The boards are covered in mounds of dirt and dust, and tiles have fallen off the pillars. Dingy and in disrepair, the … Read more
Theater review CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL 2 hours and 25 minutes, with one intermission at the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th Street. There’s a loud, pulsing party happening every night in Midtown. Bodies gyrate in a warehouse as the club beats nntz nntz. The neon outfits range from “Let’s Get Physical” to fully architectural while … Read more
Theater review BECKY SHAW 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. <br>At the Hayes Theater, <br>240 W. 44th St. Discomfort at the theater usually makes the audience do one of two things: squirm or lean forward. But the knock-out funny and audaciously awkward revival of the play “Becky Shaw,” which opened Monday night at … Read more
Theater review DOG DAY AFTERNOON 2 hours,15 minutes, with one intermission. At the August Wilson Theatre, 245 W. 52nd St. There’s been a robbery! A new Broadway play starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach has stolen the title of the classic New York film “Dog Day Afternoon” and slapped it on a midseason-replacement sitcom. You … Read more
A couple of words are nowhere to be found in the title of the new Broadway play “Giant,” about children’s author Roald Dahl — namely “friendly” and “peach.” Theater review GIANT 2 hours and 15 minutes, with one intermission. At the Music Box Theatre. By the bitter end, it’s clear why. Because this Dahl, viciously … Read more
Theater review BUG One hour and 55 minutes, with one intermission. At the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th Street. Typically in a theater, crickets mean calmness. Here’s our cue to settle in for a meaningful summer’s night chat on a porch. Or, when the word is used in a review of a play, … Read more
Showbiz is getting ready to pop the cork at midnight on Jan. 1. But first allow me to burst their bubble. Like the schlub who pledges to go to the gym more, the entertainment industry could always use some improvement. Here are my New Year’s resolutions for movies, Broadway and TV. “Stranger Things” returned for … Read more
Theater review PADDINGTON: THE MUSICAL Two hours, 40 minutes, with one intermission. At the Savoy Theatre in London. At one point watching “Paddington: The Musical” at the Savoy Theatre in London, I could have sworn I saw the bear actually start to cry. That’s impossible, of course. Pad’s a puppet. But his artificiality is easy … Read more
Theater review MARJORIE PRIME 1 hour, 20 minutes, no intermission. Hayes Theater, 240 W. 44th St. From the moment June Squibb takes the stage at the Hayes Theater in “Marjorie Prime,” you feel lucky to be in her presence. The stage and screen legend is back home on Broadway, where she got her start in … Read more
It’s time for an early curtain call. Kristin Chenoweth’s musical “Queen of Versailles” first began previews on Broadway on Oct. 8 before officially opening two weeks ago. Now, it’s been announced that the show is set to close on Jan. 4. Despite originally being slated to run through March 29, per tickets on the website, the show … Read more
Theater review TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) Two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. At the Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th Street. Like unwrapping a present under the tree, you’re not quite sure what you’re in for at the start of “Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York),” the little … Read more
Theater review OEDIPUS 2 hours, no intermission. At Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St. Old “Oedipus” wouldn’t seem an ideal candidate for modernization. It’s hard to imagine the jaw-dropping fate of the legendary Theban king befalling any politician today. And even if his sticky situation were to somehow happen to an average Joe, it would … Read more