Brian Scott Lipton

"If there is one lesson though to be taken away from 'Golden Shield,' it’s that we all need to let our armor down and be honest with one another, both in how we behave and what we say." Full Review

"4/5 stars...Her thought-provoking play – sometimes deadly earnest and sometimes surprisingly (but intentionally) hilarious under Stori Ayers’ accomplished direction – focuses on two strong-willed African-American women...The Civil War-era scenes are full of contemporary speech and directed in an often over-the-top, slightly farcical manner that can seem disconcerting – especially in contrast to the seriousness of the present-day sections. Indeed, despite the universally terrific performances... Full Review

"It seems impossible that each and every person watching the poignant musical revue 'Notes from Now'...won’t see themselves somehow reflected on stage...This collection of 17 songs—inventively staged by director and choreographer Billy Bustamante—speaks eloquently to the trials and tribulations of modern life, most especially in the era of COVID...Each of the songs are immeasurably enhanced by the extraordinary work of a spectacular six-piece mini-orchestra led by music director Sean Peter Fo... Full Review

"Yes, the plot is predictable, and the score by Henry Kreiger (very much in the style of his megahit Dreamgirls) and Robert Lorick is primarily pleasant but forgettable. Still, the dance numbers are often intricate and breathtaking, from “Fabulous Feet,” which is a tour-de-force showcase for the multi-talented Jackson, to the ensemble-driven “Dipsey’s Vaudeville” and “Dance If It Makes You Happy.”" Full Review

"Given the admittedly talky nature of the piece, director May Adrales deserves her own letter of commendation for keeping us involved with the story on all levels...But as this quartet of troubled souls struggles to properly explain themselves, their lives, their actions and, yes, their own long-buried truths through this seemingly simple act, I suspect everyone in the audience should sympathize with their pain and confusion — and applaud their courage." Full Review

"Unquestionably, '72 Miles' is an involving story, albeit one told too episodically for my taste. And if Bettis' dialogue can feel a bit prosaic, she nonetheless creates five characters you can really invest in - even the one, Anita who we basically just hear on the phone at sporadic intervals." Full Review

"Conor McPherson and the singular American songwriter (and Nobel laureate) Bob Dylan. Their seemingly disparate sensibilities have come together to create one of the most haunting - and hauntingly beautiful -- musicals I've ever seen, "Girl from the North Country." Full Review

"The show offers a truly dynamite central performance by the fiery Beth Malone, some first-rate choreography by director Kathleen Marshall and a tuneful-enough score to create a diverting entertainment." Full Review

"O'Connell's work deserves some sort of special award, as she flawlessly manages to not only precisely repeat Higginbotham's words but replicate every inflection...all while constantly gesturing, looking down at a manuscript, and essentially physically becoming this still-troubled woman." Full Review

"To Birch's credit, she offers no pat explanation for Carol and Anna's urges; if anything, we suspect that their drive toward self-annihilation is primarily genetic, and therefore unstoppable." Full Review

"By showing us the cheerfulness of the family's child-like elderly servant Aniuska (the legendary Vinie Burrows) or the blissful demeanor of a woman raising two adopted children (Liu, faring better in this small role), Tolstoy does his damnedest to remind us money isn't everything." Full Review

"The production fortunately has one thing that never fails it: an ideal interpreter in the extraordinary Rose Byrne, who gives an sometimes seductive, sometimes terrifying and consistently intense performance as Anna." Full Review

"If this sounds like heavy stuff, it may well be thematically, but Wohl has salt-and-peppered the script with plenty of sitcom-like situations guaranteed to make you giggle (even if you don't want to) and more zingy one-liners than a vintage Neil Simon play." Full Review

"The Paris in Eboni Booth's darkly comic play has no Eiffel Tower nor Moulin Rouge; it's a small town in Vermont (circa 1995) where a night out at the local bar drinking vodka and singing karaoke appears to be the pinnacle of entertainment." Full Review

"The only moments where I completely believed Linney were at the play's end, when Lucy speaks as the fiercely independent, successful writer who has made peace - more or less - with her past and her decision to escape it." Full Review

"The show shines brightest when Connick really finds a way to make a song his own. The evening's highlight is an extended version of "Begin the Beguine," which, among other things, features Connick playing a stage-length piano and tap-dancing alongside the ultra-talented Aaron Burr." Full Review

"Equally importantly, and even more timely, the play is an indictment of mob mentality as the people in Hudetz's small town collectively first support him then condemn him, completely en masse. There's no evidence anyone thinks for himself or herself." Full Review

"In Ivey's flawless turn, we realize why the down-to-earth yet spirited Maggie is one of the most beloved residents of Clements, a tiny, depressed "town" in Idaho which has, in fact, decided to 'unincorporate'..." Full Review

"Admittedly, New York City is full of ways to make two hours 'disappear' during the holiday season - looking at store windows, shopping for gifts, ice skating - but few if any of these options can provide both the thrills and laughs of the latest edition of 'The Illusionists,' now at the Neil Simon Theatre." Full Review

"One of the joys - and occasional sorrows -- of Horton Foote's many works is the opportunity to periodically revisit the lives of characters with whom we've become acquainted in the past and discovering what has become of them." Full Review

"The fluidity of identity is a subject that almost seems tailor-made for Will Eno, one of our most philosophically-minded playwrights. So it's slightly surprising to discover how prosaic his new play on the subject, 'The Underlying Chris' turns out to be. Full Review

"You'd have to be in super-Grinch mode to dismiss out of hand an entertainment which begins with costumed cast members handing out clementines and cookies...and ends with a burst of snow from the ceiling and remarkable hand-bell carol performed by a truly multi-talented cast." Full Review

"Its social message aside, Lopez's riveting two-part examination of how America's gay men do - and sadly, don't - learn lessons from previous generations (as well as each other) is a feat of unexpected theatrical daring, passion and beauty." Full Review

"'Fires' turns out to be blazingly relevant today. The nearly two-hour piece not only explores the still-timely concepts of identity, racism and tribalism, but how, to quote Smith herself, 'the reach towards another human - knowing full well that there will always be distances between us - is a potent reach.'" Full Review

"The super-spectacular Adrienne Warren undergoes her own act of transformation...This petite powerhouse not only continuously lifts this often-earthbound show into the stratosphere, Warren expends so much energy on stage that she could probably power a rocket into space." Full Review

"We do not deserve Heather Headley. ... But never have I felt more strongly about Headley than in City Center Encores! superstar-studded production of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s beloved musical 'Into the Woods,' transforming the Witch into the actual heart and soul of this many-pronged story." Full Review

"Porter (who is the show’s director and adaptor but does not appear on stage) succeeds in his main goal: giving more context to the societal circumstances that led some of these characters to enter 'the life.' But too much of the new material simply feels overwrought or unnecessary, stretching the show to nearly three hours. More importantly, the show’s new, darker tone doesn’t jibe with the essential Broadway brassiness of the Coleman-Gassman score (even though it’s consistently well perform... Full Review

"These subjects (and more) are a lot for one play to handle – never mind one that also mixes elements of Greek tragedy and magic realism into its constantly stirred pot. But Harris, director Whitney White (aided by a brilliant design team led by set designer Adam Rigg), and a truly exquisite cast of actors keep this consistently compelling 2 ½-hour play from boiling over into melodrama." Full Review

"Yes, Harmon’s play might even be more effective without that last storyline, which feels tacked-on. And while the show does flow smoothly enough, feeling much shorter than its running time, Takeshi Kata’s set design – which relies on a lot of furniture moving – isn’t ideally suited to the City Center space. Still, we should be profoundly grateful that a work of such ambition, scope and importance was not only written by Harmon, but made it to that stage. The many questions the play poses,... Full Review

“Pass Over...finds its own singular way to shine a light (technically, a streetlight) on the personal, systemic and institutional racism that pervades this country. Many audiences will be tempted to pass on “Pass Over.” Do not pass. Go!" Full Review

"One feels a deep gratitude that Friedman lived long enough to pen this score and an equally great sadness that we won't hear new creations from this singular talent...Based on 'Unknown Soldier,' Friedman would have become a true musical force to be reckoned with." Full Review

"Like a good hot wing, the play ends up having not just fire, but remarkable depth and flavor, all of which is brought out to perfection by an incredibly talented cast under Steve H. Broadnax III's assured direction." Full Review

"The interconnected stories of the Singer's past, not only serve as effective cautionary tales; they are also designed to bring some form of comfort to those who have been or are in pain. But it's the show's songs that really drive Lee's singular message home." Full Review

"Van Hove's mostly stunning production should give us all hope that any musical, no matter how beloved, can be made relevant -- never mind thrilling -- for 21st-century audiences!" Full Review

"Hamill has transformed Dracula into a powerful and thought-provoking social statement about feminism. Fear not, though (well, just a little, maybe), Sarna Lapine's clever production still provides its traditional share of thrills and chills." Full Review

"Each of these performers displays real commitment both by fully tapping into their characters' minds and by revealing as much of their physical bodies as their parts require. (If it's a contest, Perez wins, pants and hands down)." Full Review

"Busch has also long mastered the vocal delivery of these much-missed women, although he never resorts to mere imitation. More importantly, though, he brings real humanity to the character of Lily." Full Review

"Somewhat shockingly, it's taken 38 years for this first-class work to finally make it to the Great White Way - specifically, the Roundabout's American Airlines Theater. Fortunately, Kenny Leon's riveting, must-see production proves to be more than worth the wait." Full Review

"This is among the most passionate versions of the play ever performed. Chief among the main players is the impressive Brittany Bradford, who smartly captures Macbeth's almost quicksilver transition from meek but loyal nobleman to halfheartedly ambitious throne-grabber." Full Review

"Fortunately, the Irish Repertory Theatre's founder and award-winning director Charlotte Moore has found the right formula to pull this tricky kind of comedy off with her assured production of Dion Boucicault's 1841 play London Assurance." Full Review

"Audiences looking for an involving 90 minutes will be more than satisfied by this play; while those seeking a larger, deeply philosophical examination of psychic phenomena -- or the existence of the so-called "thin place" between our reality and the other world -- will at the very least have cause for debate." Full Review

"I suggest you immediately grab a ticket for Stephen Adly Guirgis' often-hilarious (and quite profane), deeply humane and ultimately heart-wrenching 'Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven.'" Full Review

"Beloved TV stars Harry Hamlin (L.A. Law) and Stefanie Powers (Hart to Hart) not only work their proverbial tails off to make even the weakest material sound believable, but audiences can simply bask in the glow of the duo's ever-present glamour when the ride gets particularly bumpy." Full Review

for a previous production "Elizabeth Stanley, in the performance of her career, is positively shattering as matriarch Mary Jane, who bravely (if foolishly) attempts to maintain her air of perfection and poise while her world crumbles and almost destroys herself completely in the process." Full Review

"The fluidity of identity...is a subject that almost seems tailor-made for Will Eno, one of our most philosophically-minded playwrights. So it's slightly surprising to discover how prosaic his new play on the subject...turns out to be." Full Review

"Reichel's ultra-imaginative staging and the impressive score by Lesser and Rosenblum, which shows off the pair's consummate skill with everything from heartfelt ballads to quasi-patter songs, both prevent much of the more science-oriented material from becoming completely inaccessible." Full Review

"As good as Faridany is, Mulgrew walks off with the show with her piss-and-vinegar portrayal of the often-strident Ayrton, delivering her barbed lines with astonishingly expert comic timing, yet never becoming a caricature, and fully capturing the character's humanity." Full Review

"Pfeiffer's stunningly sung, perfectly enunciated and smartly acted portrayal of Argentina's former first lady in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's devilishly difficult work should effectively help the actress skip a rung or two (or three) on her recent ascent to musical theater superstardom." Full Review

"Still, the show's tallest order has been fulfilled as Dinklage brings his now-signature brand of razor-sharp wit, melancholy, intelligence - and a decent baritone singing voice - to the piece. Indeed, our hearts break simultaneously with his as he talks about being 'too ugly to love.'" Full Review

"Fortunately, the magnificent Kathleen Chalfant not only commands our attention - practically daring us not to listen - but she also charms us, makes us laugh (sometimes with her, occasionally at her), even periodically annoys us as she offers a summation of her life and philosophy." Full Review