CRITIC’S PICK
Heavenly lust
‘Fallen Angels’
Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara go quip for quip with abandon in this amusing rendition of Noël Coward’s 1925 comedy, directed by Scott Ellis. When, in London, two proper ladies receive letters announcing the arrival of a Frenchman (Mark Consuelos) with whom they were both entangled before their marriages, they hopelessly lose themselves to fantasy and temporarily escape the banalities of their upper-crust lives. For as pristine as they appear, the women are garish in their lust, merrily downing martinis and contemplating adultery.
From Jason Zinoman’s review:
The dynamite performances of Byrne and O’Hara are the main event. Comedically, they’re intrepid, landing every joke, but also unearthing many new ones between lines. They play off each other with superb chemistry and deliver bon mots with the same snap. Their sly insults (“I should be following her around and picking up all the names she dropped”) come at you quickly, spoken with a rat-a-tat pace.
Through June 7 at the Todd Haimes Theater, Manhattan. Read the full review.
CRITIC’S PICK
Golden Age nostalgia
‘Schmigadoon!’
In a strange village where bonhomous villagers spontaneously burst into song, you either love it or you hate it. Opposing views aren’t new to Josh Skinner (Alex Brightman) and Melissa Gimble (Sara Chase), a couple in a tumultuous period in their relationship when, stumbling off a backpacking route, they find themselves trapped in ye ol’ melodic town. Adapted from an Apple TV+ series, Cinco Paul’s parody pastiche is a mishmash of irreverence and adoration for classic Broadway musicals, notably “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel” and “The Sound of Music.”
From Elisabeth Vincentelli’s review:
Under the high-energy direction of Christopher Gattelli, the two visitors meet, in quick succession, everybody who matters, including a couple of lusty temptations. As Betsy McDonough, a flirtatious farmer’s daughter clearly inspired by Ado Annie from “Oklahoma!,” McKenzie Kurtz (already a standout in “The Heart of Rock and Roll” two seasons ago) gives us a comic creation for the ages.
Through Sept. 6 at the Nederlander Theater, Manhattan. Read the full review.
CRITIC’S PICK
Small town antics
‘The Balusters’
In a wealthy homeowners association, scandal takes the shape of a stop sign. No issue is too small for the association’s upper-middle-class board members, so when a newcomer suggests adding the traffic sign to the neighborhood, raucous uproar arises. But fixated on the minor issues at hand, the members tend to miss the complexities that face them. Marylouise Burke, Kayli Carter and Ricardo Chavira star. Directed by Kenny Leon and written by David Lindsay-Abaire, this comedy is ripe with diverse personalities, minutiae and laugh-out-loud moments.
From Helen Shaw’s review:
Lindsay-Abaire is making fun of our eagerness to leap to judgment while also, by writing this play, multiplying our opportunities to do so. I tutted under my breath, for instance, at how easily people laughed at the censorious millennial Willow — a wan joke about nonbinary voting received roars of approbation — while totally failing to notice anything weird about those moments that tickled my own fancy. Lindsay-Abaire had just offered me a slippery, sensitive, clever play about how we reveal ourselves by what we choose to bristle over and what we find funny.
Through May 24 at the Friedman Theater, Manhattan. Read the full review.
CRITIC’S PICK
‘Big gay mayhem’
‘The Rocky Horror Show’
Flair, flamboyance and raunch are certainly not new to Studio 54, and they’re all part of the spectacle in the establishment’s latest production, “The Rocky Horror Show.” The wild party atmosphere vivaciously permeates the revival, set inside the fictional Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s castle. The 1975 cult film, starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, was beloved for its encouragement of choreographed audience participation — this has changed somewhat. What hasn’t is the show’s exploration of sexual ravenousness. Sam Pinkleton (“Oh, Mary!”) directs the romp, written by Richard O’Brien. Juliette Lewis, Luke Evans and Rachel Dratch sparkle in starring roles.
From Helen Shaw’s review:
So, damn it, Janet, I’m glad that the show hasn’t entirely worked out how to do deal with the audience. The show can’t just be a sacred relic, it needs a bit of destabilizing, a tussle between the seats and the stage. All the Roundabout’s professionalism and coy signage can’t entirely keep the fans in check, which gives the revival itself a sense that it might spin off its axis. What will it be like the night you go? Dratch will probably say something hilariously quelling; Evans will probably knock your stockings off. But who can say? It’s up for grabs. The point of “Rocky Horror” is to lose control.
Through July 19 at Studio 54, Manhattan. Read the full review.
CRITIC’S PICK
Brief Encounter
‘What Happened Was’
Jackie (Cecily Strong) and Michael (Corey Stoll) stumble through a first date inside her New York apartment, eating their words before finding connection, in this Off Broadway revival of Tom Noonan’s 1992 play. He’s a paralegal at the office where she’s an executive assistant (he calls her a “secretary,” offending her), and while they’re at odds throughout much of the night, they share in what’s hidden: loneliness. The action flickers, as they come together and quickly fall apart, and by the end, the possibility of a second date still looms.
From Tim Teeman’s review:
Directed by Ian Rickson, who maintains a supple grip on the play’s crucible of ambiguities, the action is part dinner date, part confessional and part comedy, with the New York City of the early ’90s as a significant unseen character.
Through June 14 at Minetta Lane Theater, Manhattan. Read the full review.
Not quite cathartic
‘Beaches’
“Beaches,” the 1988 film about female friendship starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, and adapted from the 1985 novel by Iris Rainer Dart, is probably best known for its Grammy-winning song, “Wind Beneath My Wings.” The new onstage rendition of the story of lifelong friendship is not the same tear-jerker as the source materials. “The result is a pervasive, underwhelming blandness in a condescending production,” Laura Collins-Hughes writes. Directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart, the show stars Jessica Vosk (wearing Midler-esque red curls) and Kelli Barrett.
From Collins-Hughes’s review:
In both the novel and the movie, friction between these opposites — avatars of the Reagan-era career-vs.-motherhood debate — provides the spark of their relationship through the years. But the musical, adapted by Dart (book and lyrics), Thom Thomas (book) and Mike Stoller (music), doesn’t trust that stormy dynamic, preferring the upbeat to the uncomfortable, as if that were what the medium demanded.
Through Sept. 6 at the Majestic Theater, Manhattan. Read the full review.
The post 6 Shows Our Theater Critics Are Talking About appeared first on New York Times.
