All stories by Ben Brantley on BroadwayStars

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Theater Talkback: Good Glitch, Bad Glitch by Ben Brantley

When something goes wrong during a show, the illusion of reality that has been created on stage can fall apart before your eyes.

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Monday, February 7, 2011

Theater Review | 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark': Good vs. Evil, Hanging by a Thread by Ben Brantley

"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" is not only the most expensive musical ever to hit Broadway; it may also rank among the worst.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:08PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 4, 2011

Theater Review: 'The Witch of Edmonton': Black-Magic Woman by Ben Brantley

This seldom-seen Jacobean drama, based on an actual incident in 17th-century England, been given an insightful production by the Red Bull Theater company at Theater at St. Clement's.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:21PM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 3, 2011

Theater Review | 'Three Sisters': Russian Ennui, American Idiom by Ben Brantley

A fresh and affecting Classic Stage Company production of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" features Jessica Hecht, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:01PM[SHARE]
Monday, January 31, 2011

Theater Review | 'Gruesome Playground Injuries': Love Hurts, and for Some Couples, That's the Point by Ben Brantley

"Gruesome Playground Injuries" is a blood-spattered twig of a play from the up-and-coming dramatist Rajiv Joseph.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:01PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Theater Review | 'The New York Idea': Love in City of Intemperate Mores by Ben Brantley

David Auburn's version of "The New York Idea" updates a 1906 comedy of mores.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:01PM[SHARE]

Theater Talkback: A Master Class With Christine Ebersole, a Singer of Many Voices by Ben Brantley

Ms. Ebersole, I was reminded with renewed force, is a rarity among musical comedy stars.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:30PM[SHARE]

ArtsBeat: Theater Talkback: A Master Class With Christine Ebersole, a Singer of Many Voices by Ben Brantley

Ms. Ebersole, I was reminded with renewed force, is a rarity among musical comedy stars.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:30PM[SHARE]
Friday, January 21, 2011

Surface Thrills: Remembering the Costumes of Theoni V. Aldredge by Ben Brantley

More than perhaps any other Broadway costume designer of the past half century, she understood that for a certain kind of show, nothing less than all-out dazzle would do.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:58PM[SHARE]

ArtsBeat: Surface Thrills: Remembering the Costumes of Theoni V. Aldredge by Ben Brantley

More than perhaps any other Broadway costume designer of the past half century, she understood that for a certain kind of show, nothing less than all-out dazzle would do.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:58PM[SHARE]
Monday, January 17, 2011

Theater Review | 'Cymbeline': Simply Shakespeare, No Tangled Web by Ben Brantley

Shakespeare with a small cast, multiple roles for each actor and streamlined scenes.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:15PM[SHARE]
Thursday, January 13, 2011

Theater Review | 'John Gabriel Borkman': Ibsen's Big Chill, With Soul Mates Frozen in Time by Ben Brantley

Ibsen's "John Gabriel Borkman," from the Abbey Theater of Ireland, is in production at the Harvey Theater in Brooklyn.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:01PM[SHARE]

Theater Review | 'Other Desert Cities': Drowning in Domestic Denial in the Sands of Palm Springs by Ben Brantley

Audiences will surely find something wonderful in each of the five performances at the center of Jon Robin Baitz's new play, "Other Desert Cities," at Lincoln Center.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM[SHARE]

Critic's Notebook: Rocking the Cradle of Experimental Theater by Ben Brantley

La Mama, the East Village theater Ellen Stewart created and led, is not a 1960s relic; it continues to produce unexpected and even prophetic art.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:30PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Theater Talkback: When Political Theater Feels Truly Dangerous by Ben Brantley

The idea of theater as an act (and an instrument) of political defiance is a strange one these days to most Americans.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:37PM[SHARE]

ArtsBeat: Theater Talkback: When Political Theater Feels Truly Dangerous by Ben Brantley

The idea of theater as an act (and an instrument) of political defiance is a strange one these days to most Americans.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:37PM[SHARE]

Theater Review | 'The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church': Prolific Communication From an Isolated Man by Ben Brantley

The British monologist Daniel Kitson comes to know a dead man through his correspondence.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:00PM[SHARE]

Under The Radar Review: 'Diciembre' by Ben Brantley

"Diciembre," at Under the Radar Festival, is a witty, sharply focused vision of a time well past celebration.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:24PM[SHARE]

ArtsBeat: Under The Radar Review: 'Diciembre' by Ben Brantley

"Diciembre," at Under the Radar Festival, is a witty, sharply focused vision of a time well past celebration.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:24PM[SHARE]
Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Importance of Being Astonished by Ben Brantley

Brian Bedford, who seems to pick up a Tony nomination whenever he steps foot on a Broadway stage, has returned to portray Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Earnest."

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:30AM[SHARE]
Thursday, January 6, 2011

Theater Review | 'Being Harold Pinter': Political Theater, Brought to You by the Politically Powerless by Ben Brantley

In its performance of "Being Harold Pinter," the Belarus Free Theater confirms the power of a single playwright to inspire those who are addressing abuses of power.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:29PM[SHARE]
Thursday, December 30, 2010

Onstage, the Irreverent (and Maybe Irresistible) by Ben Brantley, Charles Isherwood, Scott Heller and Erik Piepenburg

Critics and writers for The New York Times write about shows and performances they are looking forward to seeing on New York stages in 2011.

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Hath Not a Year Highlights? Even This One? by Ben Brantley

In a year that recapped some of New York theater's least appealing aspects, a few productions made us remember the singular power of theater to astonish.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:19PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 15, 2010

ArtsBeat: Theater Talkback: When Familiar Words Are Heard Anew by Ben Brantley

Sometimes a familiar line or phrase can be heard in new ways thanks to an actor's unexpected interpretation.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:35PM[SHARE]

Theater Talkback: When Familiar Words Are Heard Anew by Ben Brantley

Sometimes a familiar word or phrase can be heard in new ways thanks to an actor's unexpected interpretation.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:34PM[SHARE]
Sunday, December 12, 2010

Theater Review | 'Pass the Blutwurst, Bitte': Egon Schiele Seen From Many Angles by Ben Brantley

The performance artist John Kelly channels Egon Schiele in his reprise of "Pass the Blutwurst, Bitte," at La MaMa.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:05PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Theater Review | 'The Great Game: Afghanistan' : The Curtain Rises: Enter, Reality by Ben Brantley

A cycle of a dozen plays follows foreign involvement in Afghanistan, its results and the lack thereof.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:05PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 1, 2010

ArtsBeat: Theater Talkback: Speaking the Same Language by Ben Brantley

Why good productions of Shakespeare and Pinter require actors to speak the same language.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:17PM[SHARE]

Theater Talkback: Speaking the Same Language by Ben Brantley

Why good productions of Shakespeare and Pinter require actors to speak the same language.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:07PM[SHARE]
Thursday, November 25, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide: Theater Tickets by Ben Brantley

Let some masters of eloquence deliver your holiday message.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:37AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Theater Review | 'The Red Shoes': Dance-Struck Little Girls: Run! Run in Horror! by Ben Brantley

The Kneehigh Theater's adaptation of "The Red Shoes" presents a raw view of Hans Christian Andersen's tale.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:16PM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off