All stories by ELISABETH VINCENTELLI on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Brit Ayckbourn gives us crime and fun-ishment by Elisabeth Vincentelli

To call Alan Ayckbourn prolific is an understatement. "Neighbourhood Watch," which just opened at 59E59 Theaters, is his 75th play. And since the British master is a mere 72 and spry " he of…

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

'Once' more than enough for Dublin your pleasure by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In 2006, the intimate Irish movie "Once" conquered millions of hearts with its sincere romance between two young musicians in Dublin. The film earned back 100 times its $200,000 budget, and …

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You'll need a drink after this 'Happy Hour' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Ethan Coen's new show may be titled "Happy Hour," but by the time it finally ends, you may have renamed it "Two Miserable Hours I'll Never Get Back." The movies Coen and his brother, Joel, m…

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Show's not the sane old story by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There's an intense, otherworldly quality to Cillian Murphy. Maybe it's the Irish star's memorable, piercing-blue eyes. Maybe it's the way in which he disappears into his roles, whether it's …

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

A perfectly sweet 'Cherry' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" is one of the funniest dramas ever written. Or maybe it's one of the saddest comedies. That makes it tough to pull off, and shows often fall into a bland…

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Friday, December 2, 2011

An 'Elective' worth taking by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Alice Hauptmann lives in a fancy Fifth Avenue townhouse, and she couldn't be more welcoming. Visitors parked in her parlor while waiting to meet her are served tea in dainty cups, along with…

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Wanted: edgier 'Bonnie' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Going by numbers alone, Frank Wildhorn is Broadway's most successful composer, with six new shows in 14 years. We're talking quantity here. The quality is debatable. Wildhorn's best known fo…

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Be prepared: It's a narcissistic-teen jungle by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Teenagers tend to be self-centered, but Matthew, the blond hunk in "Wild Animals You Should Know," is a grade-A narcissist. In the first scene of Thomas Higgins' new play, he recites the Boy…

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Some enchanted 'Evening' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

You may have heard about the Australian star currently setting Broadway on fire. The heat that emanates from "An Evening With Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin," three blocks away from Hugh Ja…

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Rickman, 'Seminar' so write by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There are teachers who gently coax their charges. And then there's Leonard, the brilliant editor who runs the titular fiction workshop in Theresa Rebeck's new Broadway comedy "Seminar." His …

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Friday, November 18, 2011

On Santa's 'nice' list by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Upon hearing that there were changes in the new edition of the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular," a friend shrieked, "They'd better not have cut the ice rink!" No worries: The ice rink and …

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Cattrall sexes up dull 'Lives' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Those critical of star-casting on Broadway should catch Kim Cattrall " the single best thing in the humdrum new revival of Noël Coward's "Private Lives" that opened last night. Best known…

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

No 'Standing' ovation, but it's worth a sitting by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Following in the feel-good footsteps of "Love, Loss, and What I Wore," here comes "Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays." The basic presentation is the same. Likable actors " in thi…

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Play's provocative matches don't light up by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The brave cast in "Burning" should get combat pay. You have to wonder what's harder to pull off: the nudity and graphic sex scenes, or the sincere, overwrought dialogue. Oh, to be a fly on t…

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Onstage debate has issues by Elisabeth Vincentelli

For its latest piece, "How Much Is Enough?," the Foundry Theatre reconfigured St. Ann's Warehouse. A new space has been set up in what is usually the bar and hangout area, and the audience s…

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Oh, boy: It has to be 'Hugh' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Hugh Jackman, the Wolverine of the "X-Men" franchise, turns out to have real-life superpowers: In "Back on Broadway," which opened last night, he turns his entire audience into a bunch of 12…

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Doesn't bloom by Elisabeth Vincentelli

'The Blue Flower" takes place in the first third of the 20th century, mostly in Germany, against a backdrop of WWI, Weimar and the rise of Nazism. Three of the main characters are visual art…

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Lukewarm 'Lear' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Having your eyeballs pulled out -- an act infamously featured in "King Lear" -- is horrific. Yet in the Public Theater production that opened last night, the scene barely registers. It's not…

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'Venus,' if you will, 'fur' a dominant force by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There's a divan in "Venus in Fur," and it's pretty versatile. At first it's a potential casting couch -- after all, the play takes place during an audition in which an actress, Vanda (Nina A…

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Monday, November 7, 2011

A bit Bible campy by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Way before "Wicked," composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz had a blockbuster under his belt: 1971's "Godspell," which ran for 2,700 performances, 500 on Broadway. Not bad for a score Schwartz w…

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Dry wit & slick acting in 'Desert' dramedy by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There are a few plays within Jon Robin Baitz's drama "Other Desert Cities," which reopened on Broadway last night, after a successful run earlier this year at Lincoln Center. The show starts…

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Monday, October 31, 2011

More giddy than witty by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In his zany comedy "Love's Labour's Lost," Shakespeare quadrupled the romance factor: There's not one, not two, but four young couples, and they engage in four times the amount of word play,…

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'Claws' is up to scratch by Elisabeth Vincentelli

A show doesn't have to be first-class to make a memorable impression. Exhibit A: "Now the Cats with Jewelled Claws," an obscure Tennessee Williams one-act at La MaMa. The production is ramsh…

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

'Memory' worth holding onto by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The tiny Bank Street Theatre is a freakishly appropriate place to watch the excellent new dark comedy "The Atmosphere of Memory." There's no stage to speak of; if you're sitting in the first…

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Lost in translation, hilariously, amid Chinese by Elisabeth Vincentelli

If miscommunication is comedy gold, David Henry Hwang has set his new Broadway show, "Chinglish," in a veritable mine. Though he doesn't tap the vein to its full potential, there are still p…

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Pot, but not a lot of plot by Elisabeth Vincentelli

If you want to score easy laughs, put a wacky dance in your play. Having characters trip on acid is another time-tested recipe. "Better safe than sorry," Jesse Eisenberg must have thought, s…

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Artsy 'Cries' lacks Bergman's Swede stuff by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Imagine the exact opposite of a joy ride: That would be "Cries and Whispers," the stage adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's 1972 movie. Set in a literal house of pain, the show tracks the final …

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Tent-up creativity jest right for Big Apple Circus by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There are two big circus trends nowadays. You can hit people over the head with a loud, garish, pseudo-poetic extravaganza such as Cirque du Soleil's recent "Zarkana" at Radio City Music Hal…

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

'Tis a far, far greater play by Elisabeth Vincentelli

A big shadow looms over Stephen Karam's lovely, surprisingly funny new play, "Sons of the Prophet." It's that of Kahlil Gibran and his best-selling collection of vague, inspirational prose p…

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Honestly speaking, it's 'Relatively' unfunny by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The new Broadway anthology "Relatively Speaking" is subtitled "3 One-Act Comedies," and there's some truth to that: It is indeed made up of a trio of short plays -- by heavy-hitters Woody Al…

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Monday, October 17, 2011

Fruit of the poisoned Mac by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Hell hath no fury like a geek disappointed. Example No. 3,854: "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," the new solo piece by Mike Daisey. With shows such as "The Last Cargo Cult" (about m…

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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