All stories by ELISABETH VINCENTELLI on BroadwayStars

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Alice is lost in Blunderland by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There's a lot of talk about time in "Wonderland." There's also so much laborious exposition and overexplaining, you'd think this flat new Broadway musical was inspired not by Lewis Carroll, …

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Vivid, powerful scenes stirrup emotion by Elisabeth Vincentelli

A magnificent, exhila rating feat is taking place at Lincoln Center. Over the course of nearly three hours, the London import "War Horse" takes us to a farm in Devon, England, then to the ki…

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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Something wickedly good by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The thrilling, mind- bending new show "Sleep No More" is loosely based on "Macbeth" -- but it's unlike any "Macbeth" you've ever seen. Or, for that matter, any play you've ever seen. T…

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Inside jokes leave crowd off 'Back' track by Elisabeth Vincentelli

David Greenspan cuts an idiosyncratic figure in theater. As an actor, he has zero range: Whether he's in Adam Rapp's "The Metal Children" or Sarah Ruhl's adaptation of "Orlando," he offers h…

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

B'way bow: Rock's off by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In his Broadway debut, Chris Rock plays Ralph D., the AA sponsor of Bobby Cannavale's Jackie. They share some heavy scenes -- red-blooded, profanity-laden bouts -- but Rock is a lightweight:…

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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Clumsy 'Catch' fumbles by Elisabeth Vincentelli

It reunites most of the creative team from "Hairspray," boasts energetic '60s music and a fantastic performance by Norbert Leo Butz. It even has leggy chorus girls in small skirts and big ha…

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Friday, April 8, 2011

Stars Phil out 'Company' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The big question at Avery Fisher Hall Thursday night wasn't how the New York Philharmonic sounded per forming Stephen Sondheim's "Company." It was: Can Stephen Colbert sing? For this s…

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Thursday, April 7, 2011

'Macbeth' sure isn't spot-on by Elisabeth Vincentelli

How pared down is Declan Donnellan's "Macbeth"? The Witches don't huddle around a cauldron, because there isn't one. In fact, there are no props and no Witches -- the "weird sisters" are red…

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Actors make drama a divorce of nature by Elisabeth Vincentelli

In the first few minutes of the New Group's "Marie and Bruce," the title couple take their place among some of history's most codependent antagonists: George and Martha in "Who's Afraid of V…

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

'Daughter' doesn't take after predecessors by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Over the past few years, shows like "The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side" and "Happy in the Poorhouse" have heralded the Amoralists as one of the most vibrant troupes in New York. Whet…

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Friday, April 1, 2011

Cuddle up to 'Boyfriend' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There are shock comedians and then there's Mike Birbiglia, who's more of an "awww" guy. In his first off- Broadway outing, 2008's "Sleepwalk With Me," the stand-up won over audiences with hi…

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Subdued Robin in 'Tiger' of a flawed stripe by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Robin Williams is in a tricky situation. If he launches into his familiar, manic style, he's accused of being predictable. If he soft-pedals and goes introspective, then he's underusing his …

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Monday, March 28, 2011

Metcalf at the head of the class by Elisabeth Vincentelli

So devastating is Laurie Metcalf in "The Other Place" -- so vivid her anguish, confusion and despair -- that at times she's hard to watch. But it's even harder not to. She's giving such a…

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'Cage' comeback by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There are big, fun, gaudy numbers in the beloved musical "La Cage aux Folles," but the show really hangs on the emotional strength of its stars. Happily, Harvey Fierstein and Christopher …

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Show's good, clean fund by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Daniel Radcliffe is so ador able in his Broadway musical debut, you just want to pinch his cheeks. It's not just his youth -- the "Harry Potter" star is 21 -- but the endearing amount of ded…

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Sad HS drama not all it's chalked up to be by Elisabeth Vincentelli

David West Read's delicate new drama, "The Dream of the Burning Boy," makes its points gently. Too gently, perhaps -- the play feels slight, even if the cast hits precisely modulated grace n…

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Droll play by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Comedy may make millions, but it doesn't get much respect, awards-wise. So whenever funny people want to be taken seriously, they get serious. Nowhere is this more obvious than on Broadway t…

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'Klown' suits Leguizamo by Elisabeth Vincentelli

John Leguizamo may be only 46, but he's been through enough to fill five autobiographical solo shows -- including 1998's "Freak," 2001's "Sexaholix . . . a Love Story" and now "Ghetto Klown,…

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Tryst or treat: 'Hello' not really a turn-on by Elisabeth Vincentelli

There's such a thing as too close for comfort -- espe cially when you're sitting inches away from thrusting buttocks. And there's a lot of pelvic action in Michael John LaChiusa's "Hello …

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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Queen of B'way by Elisabeth Vincentelli

So confident is "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" in its ability to ramp up the thrills that it doesn't wait for the finale to drop the confetti " it falls a mere 30 minutes in shamelessly fe…

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Divine 'Comedy' shakes up Shakespeare by Elisabeth Vincentelli

If you like your Shake speare genteel and stiff- upper-lipped, stay away from "The Comedy of Errors" at BAM. But if a Latin-lover cop and a nunchuk-wielding spinster delivering the Bard's…

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

The tedium is the message in tangled tale by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" is witty, erudite and cunningly structured. David Leveaux's revival, which opened on Broadway last night, looks handsome, and its cast, including Billy Crudup and Ra…

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Thursday, March 10, 2011

This wilted 'Flower' should be scent back by Elisabeth Vincentelli

IN the right hands, old-fash ioned farce can still kill, as the 2008 revival of "Boeing-Boeing" proved. The return of "Cactus Flower" -- another French comedy from the mid-'60s, this one ada…

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Spoof's a 'Swan' fake by Elisabeth Vincentelli

You know a movie's a bona fide phenome non when it spawns a spoof or a stage version. "Black Swan" delivers on both counts with "SWAN!!!," which the irreverent troupe QWAN (Quality Without a…

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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Little method in this badness by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Method acting, famously adopted by Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, involves actors digging deep within themselves to find their character's emotional truth. Though the technique's lost c…

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Monday, March 7, 2011

Rebound not worth a shot by Elisabeth Vincentelli

The most exciting mo ment in "That Cham pionship Season" comes when Jason Patric's character, Tom, falls down a flight of stairs. For a couple of seconds, you're involved in what's happening…

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Friday, March 4, 2011

A mystery man in fantasy land by Elisabeth Vincentelli

TEN-year-old Michael has been going through some changes lately. His par ents are distracted by their new baby, and they've all just moved to a ramshackle house. When Michael explores the…

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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Onstage riches from poor folks in 'People' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Gritty, tough-talking, blue- collar characters are hardly a rarity onstage. But most of the time their low cash balance is part of the background: It provides color and gives set designers a…

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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Captivating boxing drama a ringside feat by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Boxing moves are often compared to ballet. "Beautiful Burnout" -- a high-octane show set in a boxing gym -- takes this analogy literally. The training and bouts explode on the elevated ring-…

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An entertaining way to get Bard by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Let's face it: You don't go to "Timon of Ath ens" expecting much -- if you go at all. Widely assumed to be co-written by Shakespeare and fellow playwright Thomas Middleton, this uneven tr…

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Location, location, location: enter 'Hallway' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

Shared space plays a big part in Adam Rapp's new "Hall way Trilogy." It even extends to the Rattlestick Theatre itself, where the stage now runs along the entire side of the house. Hallways …

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