Brian Scott Lipton

“The show allows Rapp, in superb voice, to remind us just how brilliant Larson’s score was...Maybe it’s time for Rapp to do a true cabaret act rather than rehashing the past.” Full Review

"Much of the beauty of Guirgis’ play is how often it curves off the road you might expect it to stay on. Thankfully, the work could have no better driver than the amazing Henderson...just fasten your seatbelt and come along for the ride!" Full Review

"Indeed, acceptance is the key to just sitting back in your seat and embracing all the great stuff onstage in Some Like It Hot' -- even if this overstuffed show sometimes feels that it should have been renamed 'Some Like A Lot.'" Full Review

"As a lifelong fan of Diamond, I wish I could tell you that 'A Beautiful Noise' is 'so good. so good. so good.' Sadly, it’s not, but it’s a mostly enjoyable outing thanks largely to Swenson’s impeccable characterization and the songwriter’s enduring brilliance." Full Review

"Admittedly, I feel a bit like Scrooge himself not to be fully embracing this production." Full Review

"So many questions, with such difficult answers. 'Downstate' begs us not to avoid them. I beg you not to avoid this remarkable work and production!" Full Review

"If there’s a lesson to be learned from 'Kimberly Akimbo,' it’s that deciding one’s own fate is a truly heroic feat -- at any age." Full Review

"Not only is the script too cinematic in nature to work well on stage, but Crowe also simply fails to understand that great theater is about story, not atmosphere." Full Review

"It’s hard not to imagine this show might have been even more effective in a small, undecorated black box, as the Music Box lacks the intimacy the show really requires." Full Review

"The play doesn’t necessarily leave one satisfied. It runs barely 90 minutes ... and is almost overwhelmed by Ruben Polendo’s inventive multimedia production, which often floods the wall of the Workshop space with memorable graphics and projections." Full Review

"But no amount of knowledge—not to mention the impeccable acting of the four-person company really does much to change one’s feeling that, at the evening’s end, you’ve simply spent two-and-a-half hours watching four rather difficult people trying to live. " Full Review

"What does it mean to be a gay black male in America today? It’s a question that’s been pondered on many New York stages this past season ... Here, that thorny, topical question is examined through the lives of four very different, interconnected men, each of whom grapples with his sexual identity differently. " Full Review

"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

for a previous production "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 show is filled with too many unnecessary factoids about these men’s lives. As a result, the piece often feels more like a compendium of Wikipedia entries than a full-blown play." Full Review

"Best known for her bracing brand of stand-up comedy, Izzard primarily treats the material in the spirit of how its written...taken on its own terms, 'Great Expectations' is a very satisfying wintertime treat." Full Review

"The piece is a quasi-monologue and I honestly think it would work better without the mostly visual presence of the other characters...And, let’s be honest, it’s impossible to look away from McDonald, even if society overlooked – and still overlooks – the Suzanne Alexanders of the world." Full Review

"Admittedly, Helen Park and Max Vernon’s all-original score, performed in a mix of Korean and English, bears very little connection to the show’s flimsy plot and doesn’t make much of an emotional impact." Full Review

"While there’s not a bad performance to be found, this slightly tricky material rests on the legs and shoulders of Courtney, a relative newcomer, who delivers both her spoken and musical material with complete assurance." Full Review

"As much as the work is Birbiglia’s very personal life story, I imagine every audience member – whether they be 24, 44, 64 or 84 – will find plenty to relate to in these 85 minutes. So, dive right in! The water’s perfect!" Full Review

"The rather literal, too-large backdrop of the mountains meeting the sea is just unnecessary. A picture does not always take the place of 1,000 words." Full Review

"Its minor flaws notwithstanding, you will definitely want a ticket to enter the world of 'A Man of No Importance.' With any luck, as well, this world will expand to Broadway in the near future, so even more audience members can experience it!" Full Review

"Especially given the pair’s performances, we’d like to think these two men, despite the hands they’ve been dealt, will always have each other. But if we’re smart – and willing to read the clues Parks has given us – we know otherwise." Full Review

"Dinners and dinner parties, the automatic catalyst for awkward, revealing and often life-changing interactions, have fascinated such writers as Thornton Wilder, A.R. Gurney, and especially James Joyce. Now, we can add Brian Watkins to the list. His haunting new play 'Epiphany' ... borrows elements (and names) from Joyce’s 'The Dead,' while providing a contemporary spin on this age-old formula." Full Review

"The powerful core of this story occasionally gets lost due largely to the excessiveness of Cowhig’s script, full of flowery speeches and extraneous characters that could easily be excised — allowing us to focus more intently on the complex plot. " Full Review

"As for the title, I will only say that a rather daring and unexpected ending may provide some with an adequate explanation . . . or perhaps it’s just the reality that even in the depths of disappointment and uncertainty, Hunter assures us, that real human connection is still possible." 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