‘The Father’ Broadway Review: Frank Langella Loses It in a Very Big Way
The beauty and horror of seeing Florian Zeller’s play is that we’re taken inside the head of a man who’s losing his mind
-
-
‘Nathan the Wise’ Theater Review: F. Murray Abraham the Comic Keeps It Wry
The Classic Stage Company presents a theater rarity, as well as a clash of religions and acting styles
-
‘Antlia Pneumatica’ Theater Review: Title Means ‘Air Pump,’ Which Is All You Need to Know
Anne Washburn asks and answers many deep questions in what sometimes resembles a radio play, with the audience too often looking at a bare stage
-
‘The Crucible’ Broadway Review: Ben Whishaw, Saoirse Ronan Battle Forces of Evil
Ciaran Hinds and Sophie Okonedo also join the Salem foray in Ivo van Hove’s remarkable and disturbing new staging of an Arthur Miller classic
-
‘Head of Passes’ Theater Review: Phylicia Rashad Confronts God, and He’s Mad as Hell
Job had it easy compared to Tarell Alvin McCraney’s put-upon heroine, who endures not only God’s plague of death but a crumbling set
-
‘Bright Star’ Broadway Review: Steve Martin, Edie Brickell Write a TCM-Inspired Musical
Elements from such unwed-mother movie classics as “A Summer Place,” “To Each His Own,” and “Way Down East” are set to bluegrass score
-
‘Dry Powder’ Theater Review: Claire Danes, John Krasinski Level Low Blows Over High Finance
Krasinski is far more relaxed on stage than Danes, which leads to a peculiar sexist subtext to Sarah Burgess’ financial drama at the Public Theater
-
‘The Effect’ Theater Review: A Playwright Takes a Page From Tom Cruise
David Cromer builds the suspense up to an eerie sex scene in Lucy Prebble’s new thriller. What will Act 2 bring? It’s not what you expect, unfortunately
-
‘She Loves Me’ Broadway Review: Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti Channel Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan in Song
A fine new revival is as sweet and sugary as its most famous tune, but never loses touch with the characters’ pain and heartbreak
-
‘Hold on to Me Darling’ Theater Review: Timothy Olyphant’s Fake Tears Make for Real Laughs
Kenneth Lonergan’s new comedy looks at the Nashville/Hollywood axis and a monster it has spawned
-
‘Southern Comfort’ Theater Review: Transgender Men and Women Sing About Falling in Love
Kate Davis’ 2001 documentary about a transgender man is now a musical. The songs aren’t as didactic as “I Am What I Am,” but a few anthems come close
-
‘The Robber Bridegroom’ Theater Review: Steven Pasquale Soars But Show Is More ‘Hee-Haw’ Than Southern
Pasquale brings his easy, natural charm to the stage, while the rest of the cast gets lost in the sticks of Ma and Pa Kettle
-
‘Blackbird’ Broadway Review: Jeff Daniels, Michelle Williams at Odds in Many Different Ways
Daniels reprises a great performance. Williams is mannered to the point of distraction
-
‘Disaster!’ Broadway Review: ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ With Songs and Fewer Laughs
Occasionally a performer breaks through the ice of mediocrity to showcase real comic chops in this jukebox musical homage to the 1970s
-
‘The Royale’ Theater Review: Jack Johnson Lives to Fight Again Despite Doubts
Marco Ramirez’s play depicts a thinly fictionalized version of the pioneering black boxer from the early 20th century, taking us inside the athletes’ heads
-
‘A Room of My Own’ Theater Review: Mario Cantone, Ralph Macchio Remember a Meatball Mama
The sleeping arrangement in “A Raisin in the Sun” is luxurious compared to what the Morelli family endures. Also, they’re a lot funnier than the Youngers
-
‘Hughie’ Broadway Review: Forest Whitaker Makes Debut in Edward Hopper-Style O’Neill
The Oscar-winning actor delivers a most endearing Erie, right down to the nervous giggle he adds to punctuate the character’s otherwise bottomless despair
-
‘Smokefall’ Theater Review: Zachary Quinto Goes from Footnote to Fetus and Back
Noah Haidle’s play takes us inside the womb to give us the inside track on what it’s like to be born. It’s as audacious as it is pretentious
-
‘Nice Fish’ Theater Review: Mark Rylance Takes the Plunge as Actor and Author
Rylance offers an older version of Sean Penn in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” in this play about ice fishing, thermal underwear and life up north
-
‘Buried Child’ Theater Review: Ed Harris, Amy Madigan Dig Deep Into Sam Shepard Territory
Nat Wolff (“The Fault in Our Stars”) and Taissa Farmiga (“American Horror Story”) also star in revival of a play with no good words for the male sex
-
‘Smart People’ Theater Review: Joshua Jackson, Tessa Thomson Gets Caught in Racial Crossfire
Lydia R. Diamond’s new play is about racism in the way that Jules Feiffer’s “Carnal Knowledge” screenplay is about sexism. Nothing else is open for discussion
-
‘Prodigal Son’ Theater Review: John Patrick Shanley Loves What He Sees in Mirror of His Youth
The young student hero of Shanley’s play talks like a 65-year-old playwright who took an adult education course in Western civilization
-
‘Our Mother’s Brief Affair’ Broadway Review: Linda Lavin Looks Back With Angst
Richard Greenberg’s fictitious revelations can’t compare to the play’s central bombshell, which can be found on Wikipedia
-
‘Noises Off’ Broadway Review: Does Andrea Martin Lead a Laugh Riot or Smile Contest?
Return visitors to Michael Frayn’s three-act comedy may find watching its play within a play too much of a bad thing
-
TheWrap Picks 10 Best and Worst in Theater 2015
TheWrap Rewind 2015: From “Hamilton” to “The King and I,” critic Robert Hofler looks backs at the highlights and lowlights of theater on and off Broadway
-
‘These Paper Bullets!’ Theater Review: Billie Joe Armstrong Combines the Beatles and the Bard
There isn’t enough of Armstrong’s music and there’s way too much of Rolin Jones’ book, which achieves the uneasy feat of being both amateur and frenetic
-
‘The Color Purple’ Broadway Review: Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo Lead Sexy Revival
Under John Doyle’s inspired direction, sex emerges as a major ingredient in this very adult musical, whether it’s sex to make love, to abuse someone, or just to have fun
-
‘Lazarus’ Theater Review: David Bowie Revisits ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’
“Dexter” star Michael C. Hall plays the alien who wants to travel back to outer space, but this time it’s more a trip to our common inner space
-
‘School of Rock’ Broadway Review: Julian Fellowes, Andrew Lloyd Webber Try to Rock
In a rock musical based on the 2003 American movie, you exit humming Mozart — yes, Mozart
-
‘China Doll’ Broadway Review: Al Pacino, David Mamet Play With Politics and Greed
Pacino never hides his technique, which is what makes him so entertaining to watch. Here, he brings out his entire arsenal of shtick
