The Understudy, a play by Theresa Rebeck at Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre, starring Julie White. Because we've enjoyed several Theresa Rebeck plays such as "The Scene," "Waters Edge" and "Maritius" we had hoped that "The Understudy" would be better than the reviews. And it probably was. Playing a mercifully short 110 minutes, there was much to enjoy in this three hander, and the marvelous Julie White gives it her considerable all. But this was thin stuff, and it seemed longer than it was. Not a bad evening in the theater, but not worth a commute of any kind. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade C+

In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play, a play by Sarah Ruhl, at the Lyceum Theatre. Starring Laura Benanti, Michael Cerveris, Maria Dizzia, Wendy Rich Stetson, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, and Chandler Williams; Directed by Les Waters. We caught Sarah Ruhl's new play while it's still in previews and probably there will be changes and the actors, all new to their roles except for Maria Dizzia, will settle into their characters. As it is, this appears to be perhaps Ruhl's most mature work, every bit as challenging as her previous plays, but more witty, and profoundly understanding of the human condition. It's also the first play we've seen from Ruhl, a playwright we'll follow to the ends of the earth (or at least to New Haven), that is erotically charged. The set up is clever, opening like an Ibsen play, in perfect period sets and costumes c.1880, as we see how a Doctor, played by the excellent Michael Cerveris, is treating his mostly female patients for "hysteria" using the newfangled electronic vibrator. The female patient played superbly by Maria Dizzia (creator of Ruhl's Eurydice) reacts to the vibrator in ways that are both predictable and surprising, while the Doctor's frustrated wife played with giddy nervousness by a stunningly beautiful Laura Benanti is burning with curiosity to know what's going on in the office. Many subplots, including an unexpected turn by an artist hilariously played by Leo Irving, ensue. The play appears to be mostly unchanged from its first incarnation in Berkeley, but it may undergo more changes by the opening. We plan to catch this sparkling and provocative play later in the run, but as it is, this handsomely mounted production full of choice lines worthy of Austen like "What men do not observe because their intellect prevents them from seeing..." from perhaps the most original young playwright in America is a must see. A particular pleasure is hearing Benanti's exquisite voice, apparently unmiked, singing two melancholy songs. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade: B+

The Royal Family, a play by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Directed by Doug Hughes, starring Rosemary Harris, Jan Maxwell, Ana Gasteyer, Reg Rogers, Larry Pine, Kelli Barrett. We saw the 1975 revival of The Royal Family, an unforgettable experience featuring magical performances by Eva Le Gallienne as Fanny Cavendish and Rosemary Harris as her daughter Julie. So it is an indescribable and rare pleasure to see the radiant Ms. Harris ascend to the role of Fanny. And if Le Gallienne brought a unique aura, redolent of the actual period of the play, then Harris brings her own special warmth to the role based on Louisa Drew, the matriarch of the real Royal Family of Broadway, the Drew-Barrymores. Harris's role of Julie, the Ethel Barrymore part, has passed to Jan Maxwell who is wonderfully sweet and vulnerable as the hard-working and long-suffering reigning queen of the theater. As Tony Cavendish, Reg Rogers does a hilarious riff on John Barrymore's whacky Oscar Jaffe persona while John Glover brings off the John Drew stand-in, over-the-hill Herbert Dean. As faithful agent Oscar Wolfe, ailing Tony Roberts's understudy, Anthony Newfield, is excellent. Lovely Kelli Barrett makes an auspicious debut as young Gwenn Cavendish. No expense has been spared in this deluxe production. The sets by John Lee Beatty and the costumes by Catherine Zuber (my favorite is a "tea dress" worn in Act III by Julie) are spectacular. The incidental music is by no less a composer than Maury Yeston. There are many special moments in this pitch perfect revival, our favorite of which is when the actors become the audience and vice versa (or so the script goes). The moment is priceless. The play is hardly a masterwork, but it is such a pleasurable vehicle that it's been revived four times. There is no actress on the stage today more beloved than Rosemary Harris and seeing her in this entertaining valentine to acting and the theater is an opportunity not to be missed. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade B+

West Side Story, a musical by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins at the Palace Theatre. Directed by Arthur Laurents; starring Matt Cavenaugh, Josefina Scaglione and Karen Olivo. Going in for a Wednesday matinee, we finally caught up to the revival of West Side Story. Though we found the dances lackluster, it was great to see them as Robbins designed them, in context, but what makes this revival so special is the exquisite Maria of Josefina Scaglione, the red hot Anita of Karen Olivo and the soaring Tony of Matt Cavenaugh. Cavenaugh and Scaglione had a marvelous chemistry and their duets were breathtakingly beautiful. Olivo, who won a Tony, and deservedly so, really sparkled in "America." The revival would have been better with tighter and more inspired direction. The action was, at times, absolutely clumsy, and the ending, so powerful and poignant, verged on the banal. The conducting of the music was humdrum at best, and the much talked about Spanish language parts struck us as a gimmick that was unnecessarily intrusive and often annoying. "I feel pretty" was undoubtedly lost on the younger members of the audience, who otherwise cheered lustily. Though it could be better, this major revival which is likely the last one that will involve two of its original creators, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents, is absolutely not to be missed. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade: A-

Ruined, a play by Lynn Nottage at the Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I, directed by Kate Whoriskey.
God of Carnage, a play by Yasmina Reza at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Directed by Matthew Warchus, starring Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden.

After a long hiatus from New York Theatre, we doubled up on Wednesday, choosing the two most decorated plays of the season. Interestingly, "God of Carnage" actually has a passing reference to the subject matter of "Ruined", the fighting in the Congo. But awards and acclaim aside, there is no comparison between the plays - "God of Carnage" is a light as air star vehicle of no substance, and except for a few riotous lines, is forgettable fluff, which absolutely depends on its star quartet. Of these, James Gandolfini is by far the most rewarding and enjoyable, but we did like Hope Davis, and to a lesser extent, Jeff Daniels. But Marcia Gay Harden was shrill and stiff, and her Tony Award (over many more worthy candidates, especially the female stars of "Joe Turner") is unfathomable to us. Jeff Daniels does not come close to matching the performance of Ralph Fiennes in the same role in the London mounting of "God of Carnage" which, Gandolfini aside, was superior to its New York counterpart. The reference in "God of Carnage" to the fighting in the Congo is, to put it mildly, flippantly obscene and no one who attends "Ruined" will fail to see just how poor in taste it is. "God of Carnage" is, in our opinion, perhaps the flimsiest play to ever win the Tony.
"Ruined" unlike "God of Carnage" is not a star vehicle, but is instead a superbly written two act play (long acts) of great substance, haunting, heartbreaking, inspiring, and full of drama. It fully deserved the Pulitzer. The play is so old fashioned, it's as if Samuel Beckett, Edward Albee or Harold Pinter had not existed; not for Lynn Nottage is the magic realism of a Tarell McCraney (the brilliant young writer of "The Brothers Size") or the absurdism of Sarah Ruhl (author of the great play "Eurydice."). By the time the harrowing "Ruined" ends, we realize we've watched a masterwork, played to perfection by an outstandingly talented cast. That this cast had three understudies in key roles only underscores the strength of the writing, and the depth of talent employed in this production which has, along with the revival of "Our Town" and the Pulitzer runner up "Becky Shaw" made this a very memorable Off-Broadway season.
Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Grades: Ruined - A+ God of Carnage B

A Gala Evening with Kristin Chenoweth at the New York City Center! The signs said "come on get happy" and that's just what Kristin Chenoweth accomplished with her mega talent. Singing old standards and even an opera aria, and assisted by Douglas Sills in a hilarious series of comic duets, Chenoweth struck gold. The audience left happy, exactly as promised. Only the tedious interminable speeches at the beginning lasting for a leaden half hour detracted from the pleasure. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A-

Desire Under the Elms, a play by Eugene O'Neill at the St. James Theatre, starring Brian Dennehy, Carla Cugino, and Pablo Schreiber, directed by Robert Falls. The curtain rises to a gargantuan set of huge hanging boulders, a pig being slaughtered by two slobs, and a big house hanging from the top of the stage, all to raucous music. What were they thinking? Amidst all this nonsense, this rococo excess, three considerable performances are swallowed up, at times lost. When the hothouse beauty Carla Cugino makes her entrance, it's hard to see her. What should be for O'Neill, a lean, tight, drama, is overburdened. We see Cugino giving birth, but we don't see her tragic crime. This is a pity and is perhaps the reason why Dennehy who should loom so large, can't compete with the boulders and house and why his menacing hulk barely registers. He seems merely pathetic and hardly like someone who dominates his family.
The hugely talented Pablo Schreiber manages somewhat better, his hick mannerisms quite a change from his last stage performance in New York in "Reasons to be Pretty." He has a good chemistry with Cugino but even so, the potential which is flashed is never quite reached.
Cugino alone gives a complete performance, remarkable in many instances. She is brave (not only by taking off her clothes) but she is a throwback, a full throttled melodramatic, no-holds-barred flamboyant dramatic actress of a kind that one can see in old films by the likes of Miriam Hopkins and Tallulah Bankhead. She brings it off and may just cop a Tony for her efforts. But she's a jewel in the wrong setting. It made us wonder what she could have accomplished if the director had let her be the show instead of the set.
That Falls has failed badly was demonstrated when the audience in the half empty theater cackled at what should have been the most poignant moment in the play.
Considering the cast, and the extravagent review in the New York Times, we had anticipated this would be the top drama of the season. Alas, it was a tedious clunker. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade C.

Accent on Youth, a play by Samson Raphaelson at the Manhattan Theatre Club Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. In this mostly superb production, with a fabulous set by John Lee Beatty, the stage looks just like 1930's Vandam photos of Broadway's Golden Age of which this 1934 comedy by Samson Raphaelson, a playwright we had not been familiar with, is a stellar example. An expert crafstman, Raphaelson penned some of the most beloved movies in history including "The Shop Around The Corner." Starring David Hyde Pierce in a role that could have been written for him, "Accent on Youth" is a rare treat, a look into drawing room comedies of the 1930's, a genre that is seldom seen on Broadway.
The starring role of Linda Brown is nicely played by Mary Catherine Garrison, a cute ingenue, but considering it was the name role in 1934 when it starred Constance Cummings, it's a pity that an A list star like Kristin Chenoweth wasn't cast. Garrison and Pierce do not strike any sparks, so the best work is done when he's playing against the excellent Byron Jennnings and the hilarious Charles Kimbrough who nearly steals the show as the muscular elderly butler.
We had a great time as did the audience. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. B

Exit The King, a play by Eugene Ionesco at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Starring Geoffrey Rush, Susan Sarandon, Lauren Ambrose, William Sadler, Brian Hutchison, and Andrea Martin, directed by Neil Armfield. This was the first time we've seen "Exit the King" and we all found it a powerful meditation on what it means to die, the egoism of the individual, what the achievements of a lifetime amount to, the connections we all have to our loved ones and to the earth. Many plays explore this theme - the great Our Town which is currently having a historic run a the Barrow Street Theater is one of them. But using absurdest elements in a linear style, Ionesco's play hits hard even while eliciting bellyfulls of laughs. Part of this is due to the extraordinary performance of Geoffrey Rush, one of the most dazzling bravura physical demonstrations we've ever seen. Rush is astonishing, and moving as he clings to life, and at the end lets go of it. His performance is matched by two other cast members: beautiful Lauren Ambrose who is also a physical wizard and the herky jerky Guard of Brian Hutchison. They've each found the center of the play. Two other exceptionally skillful players, Andrea Martin and William Sadler play for belly laughs Vaudeville style. They are effective and know their way around a stage, but we felt their approach was inconsistent with the work of Rush and Ambrose. Unfortunately, Susan Sarandon as Queen Marguerite, looking absolutely ravishing in her green gown, is out of her depth. She apparently neither possesses the skill to play her role, nor even the voice. She is miked, and, if possible over miked (the whole cast is miked, but discretely - not so Sarandon), and in her big, key scene at the conclusion of the play, her flat, unmodulated and unsculpted reading of her lines missed countless opportunities with what should have potentially been the most poetic words in the play. How much Martin, Sadler and Sarandon might have benefited from a more unified vision by the director we will never know. 'We also felt cheated, from our upper mezzanine seats, when the King wandered into the audience to perform some of his most effective (but to us invisible) lamentations. But what is great about this production is epically so, most especially the legend in the making performance of Geoffrey Rush making this "King" a must see. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade B+

Waiting For Godot, a play by Samuel Beckett at Studio 54, presented by Roundabout Theatre Co. Starring Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman and John Glover. Directed by Anthony Page. With four superb actors at the top of their game, a terrific set and masterful direction, the venerable absurdist classic is given a near ideal performance at Studio 54. John Glover, a solid actor, gives the performance of his life as Lucky; John Goodman reveals unexpected resources as the bellowing Pozzo; Bill Erwin gives an acting clinic in movement and pathos as Vladimir; and Nathan Lane at last finds a role in a non musical that showcases his mighty talent.
This is a must. It's still in previews. Book now. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A

Joe Turner's Come and Gone, a play by August Wilson. Presented by the Lincoln Center Theater at the David Belasco Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher. "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" is an American masterwork, every sentence, every word is perfect in this powerful saga about the residents of a black boarding house in Pittsburg in 1911. In the sure hands of Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone rises to heights rarely seen on Broadway, especially this year in a season of one shallow star vehicle after another. Chad L. Coleman is a powerhouse Harold Loomis, he gives his all, shouting himself hoarse, in an idiosyncratic performance that will probably have critics divided - love him or hate him. We loved him and so did the audience on the night we saw this preview. Perhaps he's still working out the role. The rest of the cast is brilliant with Ernie Hudson a warm befuddled Seth Holly, his wife played wisely by La Tanya Richardson Jackson; a fantastic turn by Roger Robinson as the magical Bynum Walker and a breakthrough performance by the juvenile Amari Rose Leigh as Zonia, the daughter of Loomis. The set by Michael Yeargen is superb, the swirling background changes from smoky Pittsburgh steel plants to the swirling heavens of a mystical Ryder painting. Lots of Tony nominations and a few likely winners will come out of this production. This is an unforgettable night in the theater. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

Kelli O'Hara at the Cafe Carlyle. We didn't opt for the dinner, just the early seating at 8:30. She came in at around 9, talked and sang her way into our hearts, and we (and everyone else) cheered at the end, at about 10pm. An enchanted hour of pure pleasure, the finest soprano voice in New York or anywhere else singing Sondheim, Rodgers, Styne, and Loewe. We learn about her life, her history, her training, and hear a comic song about it, see her dance a love duet with her husband Greg Naughton. The Cafe Carlyle is a classic, and Kelli O'Hara fits the place like a glove. Once upon a time, we saw Bobby Short; then there was Barbara Cook; and now Kelli O'Hara. She belongs.
Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test A

Finian's Rainbow, a musical by Burton Lane at the New York City Centers Encores! Starring Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin, Cheyenne Jackson and Alina Fay. We loved every minute of "Finian's Rainbow" it was like a dream that I never wanted to see end. And to use dream again, Jim Norton was "dream casting" for Finian. This side of Barry Fitzgerald, who could be better? Cheyenne Jackson had to contend with his mike going dead during his duet and coped very well, his voice carried easily, though the balance with Kate Baldwin was thrown off. Kate Baldwin was a beautiful, ideal Sharon McLonergan. This is hopefully her breakthrough performance and she should get lots of opportunities in the future. Baldwin might be a great replacement for Kelli O'Hara in South Pacific. We loved the graceful work of the beautiful dancer Alina Faye, as the mostly mute Susan, and whose "Dance of the Golden Crock" with a Larry Adler caliber virtuoso harmonica solo played by Guy Davis was just sensational, perhaps the highlight of the musical. I would rate Encores! Finian's Rainbow as in the top tier of Encores! presentations and any who can see it should rush to do so. It's a shame that this wasn't chosen for the summer run, it deserves more than 5 performances. How they manage to assemble such perfection in so short a time span is a miracle. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. A

Our Town, a play by Thornton Wilder, at the Barrow Street Theatre. Directed by David Cromer, starring, David Cromer, Lori Myers, Kati Brazda, James McMenamin, Ken Marks, and Jennifer Grace. "Our Town" as directed by David Cromer (a production originating in Chicago), is reborn as if a brand new play, and not a time honored antique.
"Our Town" is searing in this deceptively simple staging which puts the actors among the audience as the play and Grovers Corners itself unfolds around it. Each act builds in intensity -the last act is nearly unbearable in its power and poignancy. We're used to "Our Town" as a sentimental tear-jerker of the life, love and death of young Emily Webb, usually played by glamorous actors like Martha Scott, the first Emily or Teresa Wright who was in the original cast. This cast looks as if it were pulled from the audience, and the naturalism and "everyman" quality quickly bring us into their community, their lives, and ultimately their profound humanity. Seemingly not acting at all, not showing a hint of actorly posturing or temperament, this is that rarity often spoken of, but seldom truly encountered - art that conceals art. Each actor gives the most lifelike, utterly sincere performance in this miraculous production. Three I would single out for special praise are Kati Brazda so centered as Mrs. Webb, David Cromer ideal as the Stage Manager, and the towering Emily of Jennifer Grace, who is absolutely unforgettable. No one who sees Grace's Emily will see the role again without measuring it against her definitive portrayal of our time, in what is the "Our Town" perhaps of all time. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

The Winter's Tale, a play by William Shakespeare at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Directed by Sam Mendes, starring Simon Russell Beale, Rebecca Hall, Morven Christie, Sinead Cusack, Robert Easton, and Ethan Hawke. The Winter's Tale is my favorite Shakespeare play, in fact it's my favorite play of all. While it's regularly produced in England, the play is a genuine rarity in the US, even in New York, so a first class production of it is not to be missed. The Bridge Project's performance of the Winter's Tale is one of the best I've seen. Superbly directed by Sam Mendes, it has outstanding performances by Rebecca Hall, shattering as Hermione, Sinead Cusack, a sovereign Paulina, and a star turn by Ethan Hawke as the clown Autolycus, singing, dancing, and mugging his way into our hearts and into theater history. Every other Winter's Tale I've seen has used the usual British theatre cliche of portraying Autolycus as a Cockney caricature. But at last, here is a three dimensional Autolycus of substance, humor, and brilliance. I've seen Paulinas by the likes of Eileen Atkins and Margaret Tyzack, but none have been quite as hauntingly powerful as Cusack. Simon Russell Beale is an idiocyncratic Leontes, not so much raging as usual, but out of sorts, irritated, put upon. He starts out lost, but his performance builds from the powerful trial scene to the great last act, staged better than I've ever seen it. Then there is the key Second Act, the pastoral act, in Bohemia. Mendes has cast the British as Sycillians, and the Americans as Bohemians, which works splendidly. The Western warmth of the pastoral celebration, anchored by the lovely dewey Perdita of Morven Christie, is unforgettable. A beautiful Winter's Tale to savor. Don't miss this! Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Grade A.

The American Plan, a play by Richard Greenberg at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (formerly the Biltmore), starring Mercedes Ruehl and Lily Rabe, directed by David Grindley. The Manhattan Theatre Club really strikes theatrical gold in this revival of one of Richard Greenberg's finest plays. A five hander, the principals are two tortured women, a mother and daughter, two tortured men, and a knowing servant who observes it all, during one fateful summer at the Catskills in the 1960's. Is the mother played by Mercedes Ruehl a monster? Is the daughter, played by Lily Rabe, crazy? And just what do the men really want? Much of this is answered as the play unfolds, but some secrets are not revealed and this fine edge is what makes the play so rich and satisfying. The performances by the great Mercedes Ruehl and the beautiful, ever rising, Lily Rabe are sizzling. A good unit set, though I was fatigued by the repetitious monotony of it. Tremendous, riveting entertainment. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A-

Music In The Air, a musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II at the New York City Center Encores! Starring Kristin Chenoweth, Sierra Boggess, and Douglas Sills directed by Gary Griffin. Restored by Bruce Pomahac, conducted by Rob Berman, directed by Gary Griffin, "Music in the Air" a 1932 musical miraculously springs to life. This "wedding cake" frothy musical, seemingly a send up of old fashioned operettas is actually more a send up of the New York music and show business industry of the 1930's era, moved to Germany, and it has one of the most beautiful scores we've heard on Broadway and anywhere else. But performing it, getting the early 1930's sensibility right, not camping it up, and being true to the material is not easy. But Encores! has done it wonderfully. The incomparable, mega talented Kristin Chenoweth is at her best, funny, and singing this operetta score with soaring ease. Sierra Boggess shows that her snub by Tony last year (no doubt snobbery against Disney) was a big mistake. She's an ideal ingenue, stunningly beautiful with a voice as clear as the bluest sky. She has the best song, "I've Told Every Little Star" and I will hear her singing it in my head for a long time. Douglas Sills is hilarious as Bruno Mahler. The direction, taken from Hammerstein's own complicated instructions couldn't be more effective. The costumes by David C. Woolard are especially gorgeous. This is one of our favorite Encores! presentations. There are two performances left. See this. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

The Third Story, a play by Charles Busch at the Lucile Lortel Theatre. Starring Charles Busch and Kathleen Turner, directed by Carl Andress. Every year we subscribe to the MCC Theatre company in order to see their annual presentation of a Neil LaBute play. But at the last minute, this year's was canceled, and we ended up with "The Third Story." We had liked Busch's "Tales of The Allergist's Wife, especially the first act (the second is a relative let down) and with Kathleen Turner, we figured this was a good alternative. Turner is fine, and Busch does his expert work in drag - all right so far. And Busch's concept for a play about writing, imagination, creation, control, children is intriguing. But that's it, that's all there is. All of this, including the superb sets and production is wasted on a sophomoric, inane, campy play without one decent line of dialog. Oh the audience, loving Busch's drag work, chortles. And they laugh at lines like "I'm a Nebraskan at heart" (talk about provincial snobbery). But this is empty, devoid, worthless, not worth the commute, not even worth crossing the street. Because of the cast and production values, we give a + to the grade of F, making this an F+

Hedda Gabler, a play by Ibsen, adapted by Christopher Shinn, directed by Ian Rickson, starring Mary Louise Parker. The Roundabout Theatre Company. When Hedda Gabler was a brand new play, it was daring and controversial. Over the years it became a fossilized classic only resuscitated by the individual brilliance of the Hedda. In this outstanding new adaptation by Christopher Shinn, the play suddenly seems new again, sizzling and contemporary, and the slate-like texture of Ibsen's landscape is heightened. But even so, it still requires a great Hedda, and in Mary Louise Parker, the Roundabout gives us a Hedda that will be talked about for years. Looking absolutely beautiful in the superb traditional period costumes, Parker is sexy and sizzling, she prowls the stage like a lioness and her physicality and grace are riveting. The eroticism she brings to the part is stunning, shocking, dazzling; it is impossible to take one's eye off of her. More than any other Hedda I've seen, even including the great Fiona Shaw, whom I was privileged to see in London, Parker brings out the merciless sociopathic qualities of Hedda. As Tesman, Michael Cerveris is quite good and while the Judge of Peter Stromare is a mustache twirling scene chewing villain, he works well in forming his "triangle" with Parker and Cerveris. Unfortunately, the production falls short in the weak performances of Paul Sparks as the doomed writer Ejlert, and most especially in the utterly unbelievable Anna Reeder as Thea. Reeder, who was very good in "Top Girls," is not credible as a rival to Mary Louise Parker's Hedda. The set is superb, and the lighting designer Natasha Katz deserves to take a bow all her own. Despite the uneven quality of the cast, this is a can't miss because of Parker's special genius. I predict that one day, Parker's Hedda will be spoken of the way Alla Nazimova's was in the first third of the 20th Century. This was a sold out preview performance - it opens in one week and it's sure to be a very hot ticket. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A-

Orfeo ed Euridice, an opera by Gluck. The Metropolitan Opera House, starring Stephanie Blythe, Danielle De Niese and Heidi Grant Murphy, conducted by James Levine. The great Mark Morris production of Gluck's masterwork "Orfeo ed Euridice" is back on the boards at the Met and with a much different cast. The very large Stephanie Blythe is a force of nature as Orfeo, unlike the light voiced David Daniels of two years ago. She blasts her way through the role, with very little sublety, but a lot of heart and more voice than anyone who has sung this role in many years. Danielle De Niese is a wonderful Euridice, plastic and animated, her lovely voice ideal in the role - she turns a perfect trill. Heidi Grant Murphy alas, has little voice left it seems. Perhaps she had a cold. She is perky and charming, but surely there are other soubrettes who would fare better these days. James Levine's conducting has if anything deepened in his feeling for the work. Hearing a majestic voice like Blythe's in this sublime timeless score is an opportunity not to be missed. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. A-

Becky Shaw, a play by Gina Gionfriddo at the Second Stage Theatre, starring Annie Parisse, Emily Bergl, Kelly Bishop, David Wilson Barnes and Thomas Sadoski, directed by Peter DuBois. "Becky Shaw" was the breakout hit of the Humana Festival and every theater company wanted to produce it. The buzz was so strong that we bought full price tickets in order to be sure and see "Becky Shaw." We were glad we did. The play is very entertaining, with a surprisingly twisty plot for what seems at first to be a standard domestic dramedy, it's very well written with witty dialog that signals an original voice. Though in early previews, the performance by the excellent quintet of actors is tight and there is considerable chemistry between them which will probably get even better. The superb Annie Parisse created the role of Becky at Humana and David Wilson Barnes was the original Max, a role of considerable complexity. It's easy to predict that "Becky Shaw" will be a big hit when it opens, and a likely transfer to Broadway. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A

Pal Joey, a musical by Rodgers and Hart, adapted with a new book by Richard Greenberg. Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54. Starring Stockard Channing, Matthew Risch, and Martha Plimpton. This sparkling adaptation of the classic Rodgers and Hart musical "Pal Joey" starts off like a house on fire in the opening number choreographed by Graciela Daniele. Act I keeps up this pace, with one great standard following another, splendidly choreographed. At the intermission I was thinking that this is finally a musical at Studio 54 worthy of the wonderful revival of Cabaret. Like Cabaret, the sets and the work itself fit beautifully into the seedy, shabby theater. Unfortunately Act II is a bit of a letdown. Part of the problem is an added Rodgers and Hart number, "I Still Believe in You" not originally in "Pal Joey." As sung by the sweet pretty ingenue Jenny Fellner, playing Linda English, it stops the show dead in its tracks. It seems to go on forever and the lost momentum is never recovered. I don't think Greenberg's new book is an improvement over the original and the elimination of a Melba Snyder character who sang "Zip", in this revival giving the number to Gladys Bumps, superbly played by Martha Plimpton, is a mistake. Plimpton, displaying a sumptuous, smokey singing voice of near Jo Stafford-like quality, creates a believable floozy and is marvelous in "I'm A Red Hot Mama," but she is not suited to "Zip" and, in fact, her personification of Gladys as a bitter, over-the-hill bimbo actually robs the comic number of its, pardon the expression, zip. Stockard Channing is a fabulous Vera Simpson and she brings off her songs with aplomb although it must be said that she cannot make the magic with them that Vivienne Segal did - something that a Donna Murphy might have accomplished. Nevertheless it is Channing's show. And that is because the Joey, who is utterly believable in the part, lacks a certain "it," that requisite star power, and his dancing is only workmanlike. He's a plus, but he's not a star. This show is still a preview (although late in the preview run) and Matthew Risch, originally the understudy, is a promising work in progress. He may yet get that special insouciance and confidence which would make him into a star. As of now, Gene Kelly, or even Harold Lang, he is not. The production is sensational looking - late 1930's Chicago is onstage at Studio 54. With some more improvements this could be a Chicago-like hit. As it is, it's a very enjoyable 2 1/2 hours with some of the best Broadway music ever created, played by a first rate ensemble led by the legendary Paul Gemignani. We were "Bewitched" by the score. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade B.

On The Town, a musical by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green at the New York City Center Encores! Starring Jessica Lee Goldyn, Tony Yazbeck, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Christian Borle, Andrea Martin and Leslie Kritzer, conducted by Todd Ellison. This is a flat out, incredibly joyous revival of the magically evergreen musical by then 20 somethings Bernstein, Comden and Green (and Jerome Robbins). Dating from 1944, this evocation of war time New York strikes a chord today. What a cast! Leslie Kritzer is a knockout in the Nancy Walker role of Hildy, Tony Yazbeck is superb as Gaby - surely big future Broadway stardom beckons for him - and Jessica Lee Goldyn as Ivy, the Sono Osato role, brims with glowing youthful beauty, vitality, grace and joy in her dancing, singing and acting. It was fun to watch Goldyn grin with pleasure in the talk back in hearing the reminiscenes of the great Sono Osato herself. Todd Ellison conducted Bernstein's masterful score with vigor and the choreography of Robbins was splendidly recreated and augmented by Warren Carlyle. This is one of the very best Encores! revivals. Few performances remain. Do anything to see it. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A+

Dividing the Estate, a play by Horton Foote at the Booth Theatre. Starring Elizabeth Ashley and Hallie Foote. No, this is not another August Osage County, though perhaps it's possible to say that Dividing the Estate is the best play written by a 90 year old playwright, we can't find any other praise for what we felt was a creaky and tedious comedy drama about dividing up the estate of an old woman. The old woman is played by the legendary Elizabeth Ashley who takes the role and runs with it for all its worth. She's hammy, but at least she has style and wit. The most words come from the mouth of Hallie Foote, the playwright's daughter. Would she be cast, say in August Osage County? Think of Mary Louise Parker's quirkiness and mannerisms without that singular actress's talent and that is Foote, in our estimation. She was not the only poor actress on the stage. In fact, other than Ashley, we felt the only actress to shine in her role was Virginia Kull in her tiny role as Irene (at the very end of the play). The rest ranged from poor to decent. Except for Arthur French who is a Stepin Fetchit caricature in a racist role that has somehow escaped critical censure, the men fared better, we liked Gerald McRaney of Deadwood fame. The set was handsome, though the curtain drop was curiously a mix of superb and bad painting. We didn't feel that Dividing the Estate passed our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. C+

Speed-The-Plow, a play by David Mamet at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Starring Jeremy Piven, Raul Esparza, Elisabeth Moss. This crack revival of David Mamet's play about Hollywood heavy hitters is tremendous entertainment, better in fact than the original New York production which had gimmick casting with Madonna. The ebulliant Jeremy Piven is seemingly typecast as Bobby Gould, but in fact, the superficial resemblance to his TV character on Entourage is quickly forgotten as Piven's Gould is, unlike Ari Gold, a tortured, insecure, disloyal, and conflicted studio honcho. Piven is simply brilliant while Raul Esparza is astonishing as Charlie Fox and a Tony nomination is surely in the cards for him. Esparza's Fox is a fully defined character, hungry, desperate even, and willing to go to the mat to fight to get his film project greenlighted. Esparza pulls out all the stops, prowling the stage like an angry wraith, but a ruefully funny one. His rival for Gould's loyalty is played by Elisabeth Moss as an enigmatic secretary who is more than she seems at first. This elicits the inevitable comparison to her role on Mad Men, but they are in fact very different roles. Here Moss is a manipulator, hard, calculating, and clueless. Moss finds depths in this role that were completely beyond the meager abilities of Madonna. The 90 minutes of Speed-The-Plow fly by in the capable hands of this superb trio. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. A-

Saturn Returns, a play by Noah Haidle. Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse. Starring Rosie Benton, Robert Eli, John McMartin and James Rebhorn, directed by Nicholas Martin. "Saturn Returns" marked our first play in months after a long hiatus working as an unpaid volunteer in the Obama campaign. We picked a winner in both instances. "Saturn Returns" is a marvelous play, reminiscent in many ways of "Our Town" in its seeming down home simplicity that belies its cosmic truth. That the music often heard is Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony #6 is only fitting for this achingly beautiful, melancholy play which unwinds in a lean 75 minutes that seems both an eternity and all too fleeting - like life itself. The direction by Nicholas Martin is pitch perfect and the four actors - three men playing the same character at different stages of life and one woman playing three different characters in those stages - are brilliant. We both loved the work of the lovely Rosie Benton whose voice and well- centered acting reminded us of the young Kate Winslet. John McMartin is a sovereign presence as the older Gustin and James Rebhorn is equally fine as his middle aged self. Robert Eli gives an exceptional performance, tinged with an unconscious wistfulness as the young Gustin - it is he who sets it all in motion. "Saturn Returns" is still in previews, but I can't imagine them changing one word or gesture - it's perfection and is exactly the kind of theater experience that makes any commute (and this was a nasty day) worthwhile. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

The Glass Cage, a play by J. B. Priestley. The Mint Theater Company. As befits a name like the "Mint" this company is usually money in the bank when it comes to mounting quality revivals of obscure plays. "The Glass Cage" is a superb late work by Priestley and the second we've seen by him at the Mint. There are starrier casts in New York right now, but likely none operating at a higher level than this well honed ensemble led by the three "strange" McBane cousins played by Aaron Krohn, Saxon Palmer and most especially the very lovely, scintillating and intense Jeanne Serralles. The play is a tense and moving period piece about growth, redemption and reparation and is beautifully written by the great Priestley. This is one of the best productions we've seen at the Mint. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade - B+

Don Giovanni, an opera by Mozart at the Metropolitan Opera House. Starring Erwin Schrott, Susan Graham, Mathew Polenzani, Krasimira Stoyanova, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Isabel Leonard, conducted by Louis Langree. Don Giovanni is one of the masterworks of Western civilization, but though performances of it are rather common and more often than not on a high level, it's very rare to find a performance of such exalted caliber. For one thing, this was an uncommonly well balanced cast with not a weak link in it. The conducting by Louis Langree was focused and powerful. No Don Giovanni performance can succeed without a great Don and in Erwin Schrott, the Metropolitan has the finest to essay this role since the legendary Cesare Siepi. Schrott, a genuine hunk, has a silken smooth and strong baritone voice that carried through the house with ease. Schrott acts the role to perfection and his "La ci darem la mano" with Isabel Leonard was the sexiest I've ever seen in this duet of seduction. Isabel Leonard was totally believable as the minx Zerlina, Krasimira Stoyanova sang with a laser-like intensity as Donna Anna and the great Susan Graham has added another leaf to her laurel wreath. As for Matthew Polenzani, he is the finest Don Ottavio I've seen even including my first - Fritz Wunderlich. Outstanding work from Ildebrando D'Arcangelo who was mellifluous and funny as Leporello. Bravo! A+

Buffalo Gal, a play by A. R. Gurney at Primary Stages. Starring Susan Sullivan, Jennifer Regan, directed by Mark Lamos. We felt A. R. Gurney's "Indian Blood" was a play to set beside O'Neill's " light masterwork of Americana, Ah Wilderness!" So when it was announced that the same playwright would present another nostalgic look at his native Buffalo, and at the same theater with the same director, we jumped even though we've been taking the summer off from NY theater. Unfortunately, although there are rewards in "Buffalo Gal", mainly a superb performance from Susan Sullivan who is virtually typecast in the role of a television star trying to go home, the polemical nature of the play and the uneven performances of other cast members, particularly Jennifer Regan made this a much lesser experience. It's possible that with better cast members and a different directorial slant, and with a little editing of the speeches about regional theater (similar to platitudes one hears come Tony Awards time), there is a gem here. As it is, we had a split decision. I enjoyed it, particularly when Sullivan and the fine Dathan B. Williams were lighting up the stage, and our daughter was positive, but my wife was less enchanted. We all agreed that "Buffalo Gal" was enjoyable, but not worth a commute. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Grade C+

Damn Yankees, a musical by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, at the New York City Center Encores! Starring Sean Hayes, Jane Krakowski, Randy Graff, and Cheyenne Jackson.
This near ideal, deluxe revival of a beloved vintage, if not quite great, musical of the 1950's begins with a delightful "turn off your cel phones" announcement from the New York Yankees radio announcers John Sterling and Susan Waldman. This is just one of the many production touches that make this revival such a delight. The 1950's sets and costumes are colorful perfection, easily the best we've seen from Encores! The cast is wonderful with Sean Hayes in his New York stage debut a revelation. A triple threat, he can play the piano, he can sing, and he has the dry Devil role to a T! The audience ate him up. As Lola, Jane Krakowski, a favorite of ours, is a warm and engaging presence. She doesn't have the dance moves for the Fosse ballets (which are still very much a joy to see), but she sings well and looks great. Character wise, Krakowski's a little too lovable (it's impossible not to like her from the start). But all in all in all she's a plus in a strongly cast revival which includes the marvelous Randy Graff as Meg Boyd, and P.J. Benjamin as Joe Boyd. Cheyenne Jackson, a hunk who can sing and dance, is a superb Joe Hardy. We had a marvelous time at this fizzy, colorful revival. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test mark A-

Romeo and Juliet, a ballet by Mark Morris, set to a newly discovered first draft of the score by Prokofiev at the Bard Summerscape Festival. The trip to Bard is 2 1/2 hours from Princeton. It wasn't a nice day but traffic was light and we arrived early, about 12pm for a performance at 2pm. This was our first time to the Summerscape Festival which is a fairly edgy one as Summer music festivals go. The theater is a gem, a beautiful Frank Gehry auditorium with superb acoustics. It was sold out for this was the second of a handful of performances of Mark Morris's new setting of Romeo and Juliet to a newly discovered first version of the great score by Serge Prokofiev. This is the first full length ballet we've seen from Morris, and it is a near masterwork. There are so many unforgettable moments not the least of which is the "happy" ending in which Romeo and Juliet spin away into a galaxy of bright stars. I can't wait to see it again when it comes to New York. Will Morris make some changes? With a little tweaking it will stand up to any version ever choreographed including the classic Kenneth Macmillan version. The score is breathtakingly beautiful, perhaps even finer than the more familiar and heavier version that has come to be one of the best loved ballet scores in the world and it was well conducted by Leon Botstein and finely played by his American Symphony Orchestra. We saw the same cast as on opening night. The dancers were brilliant particularly the lovely Juliet, Rita Donahue, the ardent Romeo David Leventhal, the energetic Nurse Lauren Grant and the two feuding cousins Tybalt played marvelously by Julie Worden and Mercutio effervescently danced by Amber Darragh who practically steals the performance. We were less impressed by the lack of warmth and hospitality at the Bard Summerscape Festival. The audience was elderly, and incredibly aggressive and rude. They sniped at the young Bard students who were handling food and working in the auditorium making it very unpleasant even when the lights were out for the performance (loud annoying conversations as the music was playing). It would take another event of this magnitude to bring us back to the Bard Summerscape Festival. We give the Festival itself a C+, but Romeo and Juliet merits an A.

Some Americans Abroad, a play by Richard Nelson at the Second Stage Theatre starring Tom Cavanagh, Anthony Rapp, Emily Bergl and Enid Graham, directed by Gordon Edelstein.

The Marriage of Bette and Boo by Christopher Durang at the Laura Pels Theatre starring Victoria Clark and Julie Haggerty, directed by Walter Bobbie.

On a hot and sultry day, we went in for a double theater dip, going to a matinee of "Some Americans Abroad" and "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" in the evening. Both plays are in previews, but each already has an enviable track record: "Some Americans Abroad" was produced in the UK and at Lincoln Center in 1990 to critical acclaim and award nominations, while "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" announced a singular talent in Christopher Durang when it was produced in 1985 with a remarkable cast headed by Joan Allen. We had figured that we would enjoy "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" the most since we had loved Durang's recent "Miss Witherspoon". Instead it was "Some Americans Abroad" that really connected with us.
In only its 3rd preview, the cast, led by a terrific Tom Cavanagh, who twitches and winces as the not so admirable Department Chair, Joe Taylor, has their academic characters nailed in "Some Americans Abroad", a very entertaining play showing supposedly smart Americans acting very badly in England. The direction by Gordon Edelstein is superb, every scene change leads to the props of the previous scene deposited in the back of the stage, gathering up like shameful detritus. The play is a moral tale and even a bit of a mystery. The talk back with the director was highly enjoyable and insightful. 30% of the audience that stayed for the talk didn't get "Some Americans Abroad", but the happy majority, including us, was enthusiastic. "Some Americans Abroad" can only improve as the cast settles in, but if it opened tomorrow, we are confident it would be a big hit with the summer theater crowd.
"The Marriage of Bette and Boo" was a huge disappointment for us. It's a play that must have been considered daringly original and quirky in 1985, but having seen so much better absurdest plays in the interim, including the brilliant work of Sarah Ruhl and even Durang's far superior "Miss Witherspoon", we found "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" tedious, boring, and insultingly stupid. The various references to great and classic literature by the wry stand in for Durang "Matt" (Charles Socrarides) sounded like the student work it originally was. We fled at the intermission. Some Americans Abroad B+ The Marriage of Bette and Boo. F

Reasons to Be Pretty, a play by Neil LaBute at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Starring Alison Pill, Piper Perabo, Pablo Schreiber and Thomas Sadoski, directed by Terry Kinney. The third play in a trilogy that began with "The Shape of Things" and "Fat Pig," "Reasons to Be Pretty" is a superb meditation on what it means to be beautiful, to be faithful, to love, and above all, to grow and mature. Crackling with vintage LaBute dialog and pacing, "Reasons to Be Pretty" is tremendous entertainment, and is brilliantly played by a quartet led by the versatile young dynamo Pablo Schreiber (whose range is once again demonstrated); the fearless Alison Pill whose coiled fury unwinds with moving tenderness and warmth in perhaps her most complete performance; beautiful Piper Perabo in a spectacular stage debut; and Thomas Sadoski as the moving protagonist who painfully grows up at last. This is one of the finest works of perhaps the most facile scribe in the business. Despite the miserable weather outside, and a grueling and never ending commute, we were thrilled by "Reasons to be Pretty." A

Big Apple Barbeque Block Party. Madison Square Park. Several of the most famous pitmasters in the United States brought their cookers to Madison Square Park, there was Country Western Music and bright skies. The day should have been perfect. But it wasn't. The problem this year, the fourth Big Apple Barbeque Block Party, is that there were too many people and it was just too darn hot. The event is a victim of its own success. And the pitmasters and security and the lines were just not able to handle the crowds. Some food came out piping hot, but too much of it was not, even Ed Mitchell's great pulled pork (the finest delicacy of the whole event) was luke warm. There was good 'que from Alabama and Mississippi and of course the incomparable Salt Lick Barbeque, but the line for the legendary Texas grub was so humongous we couldn't get it. We enjoyed this event tremendously last year, but this time around, it wasn't worth our commute. C+

Top Girls, a play by Caryl Churchill at the Biltmore Theatre. Starring Martha Plimpton, Elizabeth Marvel, Marisa Tomei; directed by James Macdonald. This was the first time we've had a chance to see a play by the famous British playwright, Caryl Churchill , and we were very impressed with the brilliance of her writing in this daring and provocative work which brings together five intriguing women, both historical and fictional characters, at a modern dinner party to celebrate the promotion of a female executive in Margaret Thatcher's England. When I look back on this play it will be the performance of the great Martha Plimpton as Pope Joan, a woman who, masquerading as a man, became the Pope of Rome in the 9th Century, that I will long remember. An equally sensational performance comes from Elizabeth Marvel, a wonderful actress with a top reputation Off-Broadway, whom we had not seen previously. Excellent work also from Marisa Tomei, a favorite of ours, who shows remarkable range in several roles. Splendid supporting performances from Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Ikeda, Anna Reeder, and Mary Catherine Garrison. All of these actresses are truly "Top Girls" and this first Broadway production of Churchill's 1982 feminist masterpiece is an event of the highest order, one that was unaccountably and unforgivably neglected in this current Awards season. Nonetheless, we enthusiastically give "Top Girls" our top grade: A+

Eurydice, a play by Sarah Ruhl at the Wilma Theater, Philadelphia. We are willing to follow Sarah Ruhl's plays to the ends of the earth and Philadelphia is thankfully hardly so very far for us. In fact the trip from Princeton is an hour. It was our first visit to the Wilma but considering the quality of the work we saw, it will not be our last.
We first saw Eurydice at the Yale Repertory Theatre with many of its original West Coast cast including Maria Dizzia and it was that production which had an acclaimed run at the Second Stage Theater. Now the Wilma in Philadelphia is presenting Eurydice in a new staging, directed by Blanka Zizka and with a fine young cast headed by Merritt Janson who if anything has even surpassed Dizzia for her dewy sweetness and poignancy. Equally heartbreaking in his portrayal of Eurydice's father is Stephen Novelli. The sad trio is completed by the excellent Benjamin Huber as Orpheus. A notable feature of this production that is quite different from the New Haven is the prominence of the incidental music composed by Toby Twining and it is a fine enhancement giving this new production added power.
Eurydice is a modern masterwork, one of the finest recent American plays we've had the privilege to experience. No father or daughter could possibly see it without experiencing a profound catharsis. This is not to be missed. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade: A+

From Up Here, a play by Liz Flahive at Manhattan Theatre Club; Good Boys And True by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa at Second Stage Theatre.
Two plays about bad boys, but very different in range and quality. The more finished of the two was the first we saw - "From Up Here" a superbly penned and extremely powerful symphony of pain and recovery by Liz Flahive. The play deals with the plight of a family and in particular a mother who must reconcile with her son who has devastated his and their lives by threatening school violence. The cast is uneven but at the core, Julie White is magnificent as Grace and the young Tobias Segal gives an award worthy performance as the troubled Kenny and Brian Hutchinson is moving as the stepfather. The problem with the play is that the short burst scenes, punctuated by a rock and roll transition, perfected by the likes of Neil LaBute, is becoming a cliche. Still, "From Up Here" is a fine work and possibly could go to Broadway with a little more tuning.
The second play we saw "Good Boys and True" appears to be influenced by the notorious Duke Lacrosse scandal, especially as it deals with the corrosive feeling of entitlement conveyed to the students of elite prep schools. The meshing themes of entitlement, rape and homosexuality are not entirely reconciled, but "Good Boys and True" is nonetheless engrossing and with some more work could be a sturdy vehicle. It's still in previews at Second Stage, having originated in Chicago at Steppenwolf. Like "From Up Here," "Good Boys and True" suffers from uneven casting. The two boys Brian J. Smith and Christopher Abbott are terrific. Abbott reminded me of a young Robert Sean Leonard and should have a fine career ahead of him. The biggest problem is the pivotal role of Elizabeth, the mother, as played by J. Smith-Cameron. Smith-Cameron has a distinguished award winning resume and is not without skills, but she seemed totally out of her depth in the role of a patrician blue blood. Living in Princeton, we meet and know many "Elizabeths" and Smith-Cameron hasn't brought this role to life. She is brittle and stiff, but brittle and stiff are not what the upper class are, they are assured, infinitely confident and poised. Perhaps she will settle into the role. I've been told that the work has changed considerably since Chicago and it would appear that more work is in order.
From Up Here B+. Good Boys and True. B-

Report From London 2: That Face by Polly Stenham at the Duke of York's Theatre, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza at the Gielgud Theatre.
Two plays by extremely talented women: Yasmina Reza of "Art" fame, and Polly Stenham, a 21 year old wonder who has taken the British theatre world by storm. Each play deals with barely suppressed and troubled families. Yasmina Reza probably has her biggest hit since "Art" and with a cast headed by Ralph Fiennes and which includes the great Janet McTeer, Tamsin Greig (a fabulous actress whom I had not caught before), and Ken Stott who was in the original London production of "Art" it's no wonder. "God of Carnage" does not disappoint, although it rarely goes below the immediate surface. But so solid is the acting and the direction by Matthew Warchus, its smash hit status is beyond question. Briefly two families get together to discuss playground violence committed by one family's son against the other's and they then proceed to devolve into the same inane playground violence, albeit with rum instead of a stick. It was great fun. But on this day on which I also saw "That Face" by Polly Stenham who is all of 21 years old, it is the play by the young prodigy that I will remember for a long time. It's hard to believe that a 21 year old (she must have been even younger since it was staged at the Royal Court last year) could have written such wise and understanding dialog for a range of characters from a teenage girl and boy to a besotted and horrific mother superbly played by the great Lindsay Duncan, and a distant and cold father played by Julian Wadham. The play unmasks a terribly dysfunctional family beginning with the young daughter's shocking poisoning of a schoolmate. "That Face," already published, appears influenced by the work of Edward Albee, although it is more linear than his more recent work, and I would expect it will start appearing everywhere, extending beyond its 10 week run at the Duke of York, both in the UK and the US. God of Carnage B+. That Face A-

Boeing Boeing, a play by Marc Camoletti at the Longacre Theatre. Starring Christine Baranski, Mark Rylance, Bradley Whitford, Gina Gershon, Kathryn Hahn, Mary McCormack; directed by Matthew Warchus. "Boeing Boeing" is a high octane French sex farce, suitably translated for American sensibilities. Although I've seen the great Shakespeare actor Mark Rylance (probably the finest Hamlet of his generation) in such roles as Olivia in Twelfth Night, I was not prepared for his great gifts for physical and slap stick comedy. Channeling Stan Laurel, Rylance makes a long delayed Broadway debut in great style. Keeping up with his antics is Bradley Whitford (of West Wing fame) Christine Baranski hilarious as a ditsy maid and above all the hysterical trio of voluptuously sexy stewardesses (the play is set in the 1970's -- the days before political correctness when airlines could still hire stewardesses solely for their looks and sex appeal - the days when to date a stewardess was to be instantly "lucky.") Gina Gershon does a fantastic riff on Gina Lollobrigida, Mary McCormack is a Teutonic wonder as the Lufthansa girl and there is Kathryn Hahn who is a very free and horny American. The stereotypes play well into the comedy. Without a stitch of redeeming value or purpose, "Boeing Boeing" is a fast moving and always funny French farce (people are going in and out of doors the whole time) and it's brilliantly paced and staged by Matthew Warchus. We had a miserable day yesterday in New York, it was cold and rainy and the traffic was terrible. "Boeing Boeing" was the perfect cure. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A-

Gypsy, a musical by Jule Styne. St. James Theatre. This production of Gypsy originated at the Encores! last summer. We reviewed that production and raved about it. But now it is at the St. James and happily it is actually improved. As good as the stellar cast was last summer, they've all settled into their roles so that they now inhabit them. What was sketchy in the summer is now fully fleshed out. No one though has made more of a metamorphosis than Patti LuPone. Where she was all brass and belter in the summer, she's toned it down, reached for the character of this complicated woman called Rose (who is emphatically NOT a monster) and found her core. LuPone builds her performance so that instead of one socked out number after the other, it is a slowly formed tidal wave that crests with an astonishingly powerful "Rose's Turn." This is a monumental performance - one for the ages. Laura Benanti had already found the core of Louise last summer, but she now adds real authority to what was already the best Louise seen on stage. The always superb Boyd Gaines is the most faithfully frumpy Herbie imaginable. These three make up the best balanced cast "Gypsy" has ever had. It is their incandescence that carry what is otherwise a routine and cheap looking production that brings nothing new to the work. Shockingly, the orchestra does not play well (the first famous trumpet note was sour), the choreography by Robbins has gone stale (no doubt because the master's hand is not available), and the stage direction seems frozen in amber from 1959. But as long as this incomparable trio prowls the stage of the St. James, this "Gypsy" is a can't miss. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Grade. A

Sunday in the Park With George, a musical by Stephen Sondheim. Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54. This chamber musical (in our mind an opera) is a brilliant meditation on the solitary and brave act of creating a work of art. The first act is a clever musical picture of Seurat's painting of "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." The painting comes to life before our eyes and sings for us. But as witty as this is, it is the second act that is the key to the work for we see the perhaps silly, perhaps visionary attempt at a light show by the great grandson of Seurat and experience all his doubt just as his ancestor might have done. This production which originated in England uses video to wonderful effect. Two performances are outstanding - Daniel Evans as George (he should give Paulo Szot a run for his money in the Tonys) and Jenna Russell as Dot. It's Russell who has the most moving song: "Children and Art" and she sings it with tremendous feeling and quietude.
Any revival of a major Sondheim work is an important event. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade: B+

Macbeth by William Shakespeare at the Lyceum Theatre. Starring Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood. Productions of Macbeth are not very common and although we had seen Macbeth at the Shakespeare Globe in London, that production was so poor that we felt this was the first time we've seen "The Scottish Play." For though the production is a high concept one, it is a production which enhances the play's qualities without adding any distortion. The action takes place in a spooky hospital basement with plenty of video effects. Though the time period is quasi Soviet, the production owes a great deal to Japanese horror films, particularly "The Ring." In this concept, the witches are three scary nurses, played so well that I would venture they are the most successfully realized part of the production. Patrick Stewart is a towering Macbeth, his soliloquies are masterfully presented, "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" in particular. Kate Fleetwood is a fierce, ruthless and very sexy Lady Macbeth. Her sleepwalking scene is devastating. When the two leads and the witches are onstage, the production is outstanding. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not as good, which makes the second act seem very long when the action switches to England, a tedious and almost interminable scene. At the same time, the modernistic horror effects start to wear thin. Fortunately the climax is chillingly rendered and the bloody head of Macbeth sends the audience away thoroughly shaken. We enjoyed seeing this masterwork in the lovely jewel box Lyceum. When first rate Shakespeare is offered, it is a must and this production certainly qualifies. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade: B

South Pacific, a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont starring Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, directed by Bartlett Sher. "South Pacific" is the only Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece that has never had a Broadway revival since its historic 1949 premiere. Now at last this towering musical, perhaps the most majestic of all their works, is back and in a production and performance that are close to ideal. When the revival was announced it was immediately clear that the logical choice for Nellie Forbush would be Kelli O'Hara, a brilliantly talented performer. She does not disappoint in giving a brave performance of intelligence, grace and subtlety and which builds to a powerful climax. Her singing is very beautiful and controlled, the loveliest singing I've heard in this score, possibly even more skillful than the great Mary Martin for whom it was written. O'Hara makes the character of Nellie, warts and all, fully her own creation, one that is quite different from the exuberance of Martin. O'Hara is quieter and more restrained, but when she lets loose with "I'm in Love With A Wonderful Guy," her joy and ours is unrestrained. Her acting in the part is perfection. But if the Nellie was easily cast, not so Emile De Becque, a part that was indelibly created by Ezio Pinza, merely the greatest operatic bass of the 2oth Century. But miracle of miracles, the young opera singer Paulo Szot also creates his own character, and sings the music with enormous beauty of tone and feeling, bringing the house down with "This Nearly Was Mine." Szot, like O'Hara, acts his part to perfection. My wife and I both felt the presence of Pinza's benevolent ghost hovering over Szot. He's wonderful.
The rest of the cast is excellent. Tonight, we had an understudy as Lt. Cable, Andrew Samonsky. If the regular Cable is better, than he must be extraordinary because Samonsky was outstanding. We liked the rough Bloody Mary of Lauretta Ables Sayre (though she does not efface the memory of Juanita Hall) and enjoyed the Luther Billis of Danny Burstein. The conducting of Ted Sperling was masterful. The luxury of hearing this grand score played by a full orchestra, the effect of the underscoring, cannot be overestimated. The direction by Bartlett Sher and the sets and costumes are also perfection. Revivals do not get better than this. "South Pacific" is still in previews, but it is already nearly sold out. Do anything to get a ticket. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. A+

Dead Man's Cell Phone, a play by Sarah Ruhl. Playwrights Horizons, starring Mary Louise Parker and Kathleen Chalfant, directed by Anne Bogart. This is the third play we've seen by the young genius of a playwright, Sarah Ruhl. Compared to "Eurydice" (a modern masterpiece that is already playing all over the country - in fact it's being done at Princeton this week as a student thesis), and "The Clean House", we found "Dead Man's Cell Phone" slightly uneven. At its considerable best it's a comic metaphysical meditation on the ubiquity and absurdity of life in the cell phone era, and a romantic story that transcends time and space. These are weighty themes that are mixed in with the absurdest hijinks's for which Sarah Ruhl is celebrated. But the conclusion felt rushed, the bits with a BBQ and a karate fight each landed like a thud. But these were the exceptions in an otherwise charming and witty, and very thoughtfully observed play that featured an amazing monologue by T. Ryder Smith (the dead man) and a vintage performance by the great Mary Louise Parker. With a little work, this lovely tragic comic romance could be another masterpiece. Even short of that, it's a must see in the growing repertory of one of America's most original young playwrights. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test A-

King Arthur, a Masque by Purcell. The New York City Opera. The real star of this delightful confection based on Purcell's King Arthur is the great choreographer Mark Morris and his brilliant company of beautiful dancers, the Mark Morris Dance Group. While the story line is more or less a series of pastoral vignettes, the wit and imagination of Morris and the designers Isaac Mizrahi and Adrianne Lobel bring a unifying wittiness and enormous charm to the whole. Though the singers are less prominent, the young and lovely soprano Melissa Fogarty, a last minute replacement scored a triumph, singing with delectable and highly skillful coloratura and is surely on her way to a successful career. But in the end, it's all about the dancing and staging and this was a riotous joy from start to the great Frost Scene, the Maypole Dance and the glorious and happy conclusion. The audience left the theater on a palpable high. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. B+

Lucia di Lammermoor, an opera by Gaetano Donizetti. Metropolitan Opera House, starring Natalie Dessay and Giuseppe Filianoti. Simply put, this is one of the great performances one will ever see of this beautiful old opera. Dessay gives the performance of a lifetime as Lucia, she IS Lucia, singing with a pure ethereal tone and acting her heart out in the role. To hear Dessay sing the famous "Mad Scene" accompanied by a glass harmonica is a revelation. I will never forget it. The fine young Italian tenor Giuseppe Filianoti is a find: a genuine Italian tenor with a lovely voice. At times he sounded like a young Tagliavini. Fine conducting by Joseph Colaneri (substituting for an ailing James Levine) and splendid playing by the orchestra, with achingly beautiful harp and cello solos. The production by the brilliant Mary Zimmerman updates the opera to the 19th Century making it a Victorian ghost story, more Wilkie Collins than Walter Scott, but this worked beautifully. Edward Gorey would have loved it. We did. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A+

Come Back, Little Sheba, a play by William Inge. Manhattan Theatre Club, starring S. Epatha Merkerson, Kevin Anderson and Zoe Kazan. Directed by Michael Pressman. Although we've admired William Inge's plays on film, most especially "Picnic," "Come Back, Little Sheba" was the first opportunity for us to see one up on the boards in a major revival. We were not disappointed - "Come Back, Little Sheba" is a powerful play, a masterpiece, and along with the audience, we were fully engaged with what happened on stage. As Lola, a role created by the great Shirley Booth, S. Epatha Merkerson gives a shattering performance, most especially it is in her quiet moments that she is most eloquent. In an equally heartbreaking performance Kevin Anderson as the poor drunken Doc makes a memorable leap for Broadway stardom. Then there is the remarkable Zoe Kazan who gives a very subtle and layered performance as the pretty young border Marie. The set struck me initially as too busy, but as the action unwound, the set worked perfectly. One of the most effective features of the production is how convincingly the cast inhabits the play's 1950's period setting. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A.

The 39 Steps, a play adapted by Patrick Barlow from the Hitchcock Film. American Airlines Theatre. Starring Arnie Burton, Charles Edwards, Jennifer Ferrin and Cliff Saunders. Directed by Maria Aitken. This marvelous show, more comedy than thriller, is pure adrenalin, pure joy, a gas from first to last. Ingeniously conceived by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, adapted by Patrick Barlow, and executed by an amazing cast of four led by the dapper Charles Edwards as the intrepid Richard Hannay, "The 39 Steps" is the fourth top flight Broadway play we've seen this season, the best such season we can ever remember. How these four mega talented actors recreate every scene in the famous Hitchcock thriller, has to be seen to be believed. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A.

The Little Mermaid, a musical by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Starring Sierra Boggess, Sean Palmer and Sherie Rene Scott. Directed by Francesca Zambello. We went to a mid-week performance of "The Little Mermaid" as a special trip down nostalgia lane. The animated film was the first we'd taken our little girl to and now it was her 21st birthday! And while "The Little Mermaid" is alas, not another smash like "The Lion King" it's a very enjoyable show and we felt it has the best new score of any current Broadway Show including "Curtains." And the good news is that Menken has evidently found a good lyricist to work with again, Glenn Slater. What other new Broadway musical has a standard as good as "She's In Love"? There is a ravishingly beautiful new duet which turns into a quartet, "If Only." And again, "if only" there were other composers capable of such lyricism today! Undeniably, the score is disjointed, it doesn't flow as an integrated whole which reveals the patchwork nature of adding new songs with a new lyricist to songs written earlier with the incomparable Howard Ashman who died so tragically young in the first awful wave of AIDS losses. Another problem with the show is that it is too static and has a kitschy look to it, despite the sumptuous sets and costumes. Nonetheless, this is a solid family entertainment and in our opinion, is every bit as good as "Wicked" and with much better music. And the performances from the two leading ladies, the gorgeous dewy beauty Sierra Boggess as Ariel and Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula are sensational and hopefully will get rewards recognition in spite of the snobbish cultural prejudice against all things Disney. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade B-.

The Farnsworth Invention, a play by Aaron Sorkin at the Music Box. Starring Hank Azaria and Jimmi Simpson, directed by Dan McAnuff. The story of Philo Farnsworth who, according to the play, was the real inventor of television and how David Sarnoff, according to the play, screwed him out of the financial benefits and perhaps more importantly, the glory. This could be the stuff of good theater, and it is, but only to a point. The play feels brittle, there is too much lecturing to the audience, and not nearly enough interacting between the characters. In the end, there is no real character created, only history being told, but because the telling is by a master writer Aaron Sorkin, it's entertainingly told, tautly packaged, and best of all extremely well acted by Hank Azaria (Sarnoff) and most especially Jimmi Simpson (Farnsworth) who is like a young Henry Fonda in the part. A rewarding, if not great, evening in the theater, "The Farnsworth Invention" was worth the commute. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel test grade. B

The Seafarer, a play by Conor McPherson at the Booth Theatre. Starring Conleth Hill, Ciaran Hinds, Sean Mahon, David Morse and Jim Norton. Directed by Conor McPherson. Based on the two plays we had seen by Conor McPherson - Shining City and The Weir - we knew we were in for something good, but just how good came as a surprise to us. As in the first two plays, a small domestic drama mixes with the spiritual, and in this case, cosmically so. The second act rises to heights we've rarely seen, lifting the audience into the heavens and into hell. Yes, "The Seafarer" which begins deceptively slowly and mundanely is a flat out masterpiece. And this masterpiece is performed by a master ensemble. While Jim Norton gives an astonishing portrayal as Richard Harkin, his work is matched by David Morse (the villainous Detective on "House" who is here so vulnerable and sympathetic) and by the amazing Ciaran Hinds. The set and lighting is stunning and plays a vital, electrifying part. Of all the plays we've seen in what is the best season we can remember for new dramas, "The Seafarer" is likely to stay with us the longest. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

August, Osage County, a play by Tracy Letts at the Imperial Theatre. The Steppenwolf Company, Directed by Anna D. Shapiro. For a magical three and a half hours, the Imperial Theatre stage teems with life, more specifically the life of a midwest family of a famous poet. The set, a three story house, works wonderfully in this great production of a modern masterwork. The play has been compared to works by O'Neill (some similarities to "The Glass Menagerie" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night") but we found it wholly original and absorbing in its own right. In fact if I were to compare it to a play it would be the grand three act "Awake and Sing" by Clifford Odets, which like "August, Osage County" also has a metaphoric subtext about America. Many plays start out with superb first acts only to falter in the fatal second act, when the writer has run out of ideas and momentum. Not so with Tracy Letts who has penned a second act that is a genuine coup de theatre, a white hot dinner scene that is a mini play all by itself. But then, there is the culminating third act which has a keening fade out that will stay with us for a very long time. This is a magnificent ensemble, one that will be talked about with awe for years. The performances by Amy Morton and Deanna Dunagan are likely to win numerous awards as will the director Anna D. Shapiro, and of course "August, Osage County" itself will surely win the Tony Award as Best Play. Despite the brief and unfortunate strike interruption, this is shaping up to be one of the most memorable Broadway seasons in years and will no doubt be one day known as the season of "August, Osage County." Three and a half hours flew by; it would be nice to have another three and a half with the Westons. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. A+

Is He Dead?, a play by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives, at the Lyceum Theatre. Starring Norbert Leo Butz, Michael McGrath, Jenn Gambatese, Tom Alan Robbins and Bridget Regan. Directed by Michael Blakemore. The excellent reviews for "Is He Dead" inspired us to "piggyback" it after a matinee and are we glad we did, we haven't had such a hilarious time in the theater since "Noises Off" (the original production) nor have we heard such unbridled laughter since "The Mystery of Irma Vep" (the original production). Yes it is that good and it's no wonder that the audience was full of celebrities (Glenn Close sat across the aisle from us and we spotted Jerry Stiller in the intermission.)
The plot of the play is ridiculously simple. An artist plays dead in order to cash in on the resulting fame, but what makes the play take off is that he stays around in disguise as his own sister, "Daisy Taillou" ("To You"). The incomparable Norbert Leo Butz runs with this fabulous comic role for all its worth and the brilliant cast more than keeps up with him. Michael McGrath is the hilarious "Chicago," Byron Jennings" is a hiss worthy villain, Bastien Andre, Patricia Conolly and Marylouise Burke could have stood toe to toe with Josephine Hull as ditsy old dames, and the young beauties Jenn Gambatese and Bridget Regan are winning and also very funny. Gambatese has a small tour de force in a comic fit of hysteria. The rest of the cast, too many to name here each contributes to make this an evening of hilarity and it goes without saying that the direction, so crucial in a farce, was timed to perfection. The sets and costumes sat beautifully in the handsome old Lyceum. Mark Twain! Who would have thought he would conquer Broadway with an unknown work? We floated home, our Bridge and Tunnel Commute hardly noticed so high were we on the happiness of "Is He Dead?" There is little doubt that as word gets out, momentum will build and the precious seats in this small jewel of a theater will be very hard to get. Our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade for "Is He Dead?" is a resounding A+

The Homecoming, a play by Harold Pinter at the Cort Theatre. Starring Ian McShane, Raoul Esparza and Eve Best. Directed by Daniel Sullivan. This challenging play by Harold Pinter no longer has the shock value it must have had 40 years ago, but it still packs a wallop. Unfortunately, except for the superb Eve Best as Ruth, the cast generates little heat, they just don't catch fire; somehow despite their undeniable talent, they just don't inhabit their roles. Something is a little off which is of course a trademark of a Pinter play, but the necessary frisson that is necessary for a great performance of his plays isn't there. Eve Best is remarkable and fans of Ian McShane (who was so memorable on "Deadwood") will enjoy him even if he is all wrong in the part. We did not feel that "The Homecoming" was worth the commute. C+

Report From London: Othello at the Donmar Warehouse, The Country Wife at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Sound of Music at the London Palladium. In a longer than usual "commute" we had a whirlwind three days going to theater in London and felt a review might prove useful to any of our readers who venture across the pond. We'll start with the worst, "The Country Wife" and end up with the best ,"Othello." "The Country Wife" a 1675 Restoration classic by William Wycherly used to be the sort of play that was "money in the bank" in the London Theatre. No longer. In a high concept direction by Jonathan Kent, a director I will assiduously avoid from now on, the cast led by Toby Stephens who is simply dreadful as Mr. Horner, overacts and mugs their way through it. Sitting close, it was easy to see how bored they were by what they were doing. Sitting there was like being impaled. The night after, we went to "The Sound of Music" which has received an extravagant Andrew Lloyd Webber type mega-production. Except for the clumsy, silly, revolving mountain disc that begins and ends it, the production is for the most part excellent. So is the wonderful cast headed by the adorable Connie Fisher as Maria. Fisher, the youngest Maria I've seen, won the part in a famous national TV contest and has become beloved in the musical. And deservedly so. She is the most charming and natural Maria, certainly comparable to Julie Andrews, and though she looked a little gaunt (she has had to curtail her performances on Mondays - it can't be easy being so perky week in and week out), she was utterly delightful. The first performance we saw was the best - in fact historically so. The papers in London report that "Othello" tickets have been bringing $4000 on the Internet. No wonder because it is unlikely that any of us will ever see the like of this performance again. I've seen Othello twice before with towering Iagos: Ian McKellen and Liev Schreiber, but neither production had an Othello of equal ability. Here Ewan McGregor, an Iago who is the most implacably evil of the three, is more than matched by the phenomenal Othello of Chiwetel Ejiofor who is so very grand and yet so very human and failing. He breaks our hearts as he falls into the spell of Iago. [Ejiofor is one of the great actors in the British Theatre today and I hope New York audiences get to see him live.] The impossibly dewy Desdemona Kelly Reilly moves with such grace and loveliness that her murder seems an unfathomable crime and tragedy. The direction by Michael Grandage is sensational and the sets and costumes are just about perfect. The grades: Othello A+, Sound of Music B+, The Country Wife F.

Iphigenie en Tauride, an opera by Gluck. Metropolitan Opera House. Starring Susan Graham, Paul Groves, Placido Domingo, conducted by Louis Langree. Directed by Stephen Wadsworth. Although "Iphigenie en Tauride" is one of the great masterworks in all of opera, it is rarely performed. As hard as it is to believe, this is only the 7th performance ever given of it at the Metropolitan Opera and the first after 90 years. Well at least the Met has gotten it right. Totally. This is a magnificent production with nary any directorial gizmo's or anachronisms, with a stunning set that evokes the ancient world in burnt ochres and pastels, and what is surely the finest cast that could be assembled today. As Iphigenie, Susan Graham acts and sings the role with a searing intensity that deserves comparison to the great Iphigenies in history. Her voice easily fills the house with her plummy and rich mezzo soprano tone. As Pylade, Paul Groves sings with a well focused tone and elegance. But among the men, Placido Domingo is astonishing, taking on this difficult role for the first time and singing and acting it with his accustomed mastery, and (if his officially given age is to believed) at the ripe old age of 66! There are six more performances of this opera and it is an opportunity not to be missed, no matter how long your commute needs to be to get to it. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Grade A+.

Cymbeline by William Shakespeare. Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont. Starring John Cullum, Michael Cerveris, Martha Plimpton, Phylicia Rashad; directed by Mark Lamos. Led by the wondrous Martha Plimpton as Imogen, the stirring Michael Cerveris as her husband Posthumus, dynamic Phylicia Rashad as the evil Queen, this is a magnificent production of a rarely performed Shakespeare play. Very much from the same mould as the even greater "Winter's Tale," "Cymbeline" is a play using Shakespeare's themes of jealousy, disappearances, revival, redemption and forgiveness. First among a cast of equals is Martha Plimpton. This is a performance that should put her in the pantheon with the greatest actresses to play Shakespeare. Phylicia Rashad is right there with Plimpton giving a deliciously evil portrayal. Mention should be made of the grand old veteran John Cullum who is an ideal King. I can't praise the scenery, costumes and the direction highly enough. It's an ideal production, with nary any gimmickry, or anachronistic devices. This memorable production merits our highest mark for the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. A+

Pygmalion, a play by George Bernard Shaw at the American Airlines Theatre. Roundabout Theatre Company, starring Claire Danes, Jefferson Mays, Boyd Gaines and Jay O. Sanders, directed by David Grindley. We practically flew home to Princeton, so exhilarated were we by this pitch perfect revival of Shaw's masterwork "Pygmalion." Just a week ago we were treated to a great performance by a television star, Jennifer Garner. Tonight it was a great performance by luminous film star Claire Danes (who had a Pygmalion-like turn in the fine film "Shop Girl"). Danes is a fabulous Eliza: with flawless accent and graceful physicality, she's utterly charming and winning, fully worthy of comparison to the legendary Wendy Hiller in the famous Asquith film. So too is Jefferson Mays equal to his predecessor, Leslie Howard. Mays is a mercurial quicksilver Higgins, brilliant, petulant, and like Danes, winning. Boyd Gaines is a warm and sympathetic Colonel Pickering, while Jay O. Sanders delivers his biting Shavian satire with gusto - he had the audience eating out of his hands. The rest of the supporting cast is also on the highest level. The direction is flawless (my only caveat is the canned music in the scene changes). The sets are gorgeous, rich, satisfying. I've seen many Shaw revivals and have not enjoyed any of them half as much as this one. Other than "The Doctor's Dilemma," this is my favorite Shaw play. It's much deeper and has a satirical edge that the wonderful musical "My Fair Lady" lacks. It is, in my opinion, a better work. It's pure Shaw. This is Theatrical Nirvana. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. A+

Cyrano de Bergerac, a play by Edmond Rostand (translated by Anthony Burgess) at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Starring Kevin Kline, Jennifer Garner and Deniel Sunjata. Directed by David Leveaux. It was obvious when this revival was announced that Kevin Kline would be an ideal Cyrano. Indeed it is hard to imagine that Jose Ferrer, Walter Hampden or even Coquelin himself was any better. Kline brings the swashbuckling rollicking gifts he first displayed as the Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance" so many years ago, combined with the pathos and humor he warmly bathed the Lincoln Center audience in as a sublime Falstaff. This is as good as classical acting gets. But what of his fair Roxanne? Eyebrows were raised when Jennifer Garner was cast, and rightly so when so many movie stars have crashed and burned so recently on the New York stage. Would Garner fail as did Julia Roberts, Helen Hunt, Anne Hathaway and Julienne Moore? Or would she succeed the way Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett have? Well for us, she was the finest of all - a superb Roxanne. Flashing her trademark bone structure and blazing eyes, she gives a complete performance. She is fluid, commands the stage (and always our hearts and sympathy) and speaks her lovely lines expertly, not once faltering or (usually the telltale sign of a film star on stage) shouting. If she can be faulted at all, it is that her voice is not mellifluous or her elocution as fine as a more experienced and grounded stage actress might be. But she's so good, so lovely, and so in sync with her Cyrano that this must be reckoned a complete triumph for her.
As Christian, Daniel Sunjata is a hunk, and a hunk who can act. The staging is near perfect. The way the second act began was an inspiration. David Leveaux has done a splendid job. Cyrano is still in previews. If it gets any better it will be legendary. As it is, this is a marvelous and joyous accomplishment. classical theater on a very high level. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A.

Maritius, a play by Theresa Rebeck at the Manhattan Theatre Club, Biltmore Theatre. Starring Alison Pill, F. Murray Abraham, Dylan Baker, Katie Finneran, Bobby Cannavale, directed by Doug Hughes. We figured this was going to be one of the strongest plays of the Broadway season, so we had high expectations. Well while "Maritius" wasn't quite as lofty as that, it is a powerful play, and only its improbably romantic ending (it rang false for me, but my wife liked it) kept it from being as solid as Rebeck's last play "The Scene." The sets are superb and the acting sensational. Alison Pill tightly wound as ever is excellent in the lead role, F. Murray Abraham rings true as a crazed collector (these I know so well!) as does Dylan Baker as a cynical, dishonest stamp dealer. But the most nuanced acting comes from Katie Finneran who is not what she seems and most especially from Bobby Cannavale who will probably get a Tony nod for his sizzling performance. If "Maritius" doesn't hit the heights, it is well worth attending. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. B.

Young Frankenstein, a musical by Mel Brooks. Hilton Theatre. Starring Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster, Shuler Hensley, Andrea Martin, Fred Applegate, Christopher Martin.
We opted to go to the second preview of "Young Frankenstein." Tickets were hard to come by, so instead of our usual preferred Saturday Matinee, we went on a Friday night, probably the worst night of the week to drive into New York. Sure enough, we had a terrible commute, taking over three hours to get in the city (two hours longer than usual!). This set the bar very high for our Bridge and Tunnel Test, not to mention the fact that the tickets were costly (although not of the excessive premium level). Was "Young Frankenstein" worth the time and the cost? Absolutely! This brilliant follow up by Mel Brooks to his smash 2001 Broadway hit "The Producers" should enjoy a huge run as the big commercial hit not only this season, but for many seasons to come. This was the third show we've seen in the huge Hilton Theatre ("Ragtime" and "42nd Street" were the others) and it was the first that actually looked like it belonged in a venue of such scale. Right at the start, we were confronted by the most magnificent drop curtain we've seen. The show sat beautifully on the stage, the sets and special effects were simply amazing. The marvelous cast, one of the most accomplished I've ever seen is brilliant: Roger Bart, not slavishly imitating Gene Wilder, is funny, and dances and sings to perfection; Sutton Foster, one of my favorites, is in top form. Her number "Roll in the Hay" is probably the best new material in the show and received an eruption of an ovation. And does she ever yodel! Christopher Fitzgerald has a triumph as Igor (funny at every moment) and Andrea Martin is phenomenal in her ersatz Weill number "He Vas My Boyfriend." Megan Mullally is excellent although she doesn't quite match her movie predecessor Madeline Kahn. Shuler Hensley who was so fine as Jud Fry is amazing as the monster, and steals the show in the second act with "Puttin' On the Ritz," the number in which Stroman's choreographic genius flashed brightest (though as a director she doesn't miss a step). It's no insult to Brooks that this Berlin standard is the best number in the show! But more than any single number or actor, it's the sheer fun and joy of the piece, and the aesthetic zing of the production. It's fresh throughout. Probably a number or two could be cut (I'd cut one of Mullally's and perhaps some or all of "Welcome to Transylvania.") but even as long as it ran, the children in the audience giggled and laughed all night. It was one big party. And again, those special effects - the "Join the Family Business" number alone will put this production in the effects pantheon. We had a wonderful time. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test mark A+

Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gound. The Metropolitan Opera House. Starring Anna Netrebko and Joseph Kaiser, conducted by Placido Domingo. Anna Netrebko IS Juliette. Her voice, ever richer and more expressive, fills the Metropolitan Opera House with lustrous sound. She acts the part as few ever have and this despite being in an atrocious production and with little supporting help. Kaiser, in a debut, has a tenor voice of great promise and will probably improve when he settles into the part, but his is not a true Romeo voice. (It wouldn't hurt if he had a more flattering costume.) The conducting is workman-like, but does little to bring out the best in this lush score. No matter, when Anna Netrebko is on stage, the Met is the center of the opera universe. She is in peak form and is therefore a must see. Our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. B+

Emma, A New Musical by Joel Adlen. New York Musical Theatre Festival at the Acorn Theatre. Starring Leah Horowitz. Being big Jane Austen fans, we could hardly resist the chance to see a musical based on her masterwork Emma. Clearly enjoying one of the best "books" ever for a musical, this work by Joel Adlen is a sheer delight. The story of multiple pairings amusingly at cross purposes is inventively and wittily staged; the diverse personalities are effectively characterized with clever theatrical shorthand, enriched by their musical numbers. Adlen utilizes a chamber orchestra scored in a way that recalls the music of the story's setting, Hummel, Beethoven, Cherubini, Haydn, but in a modern idiom that is worthy of this post-Sondheim era. Standouts include "I Do Not Want," "Jane Fairfax Wrote a Letter," "If I Loved You Less" and "A Country Dance." The performances are winning. Leah Horowitz is a beautiful Emma, singing with a sweet sympathetic tone and acting the part as well as Gwyneth Paltrow did in the film. Great performances also from Jess Lawder as Frank Churchill, Terry Palasz as Miss Bates, John Patrick Moore as Mr. Knightley and particularly Ben Roseberry as a note perfect Mr. Elton. This musical (which could also be called a chamber opera) could play very well in small venues like 2nd Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, or at Lincoln Center. It deserves such a home and a long, long run. Meanwhile, only three more performances so run to this! Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

Absinthe at the Spiegeltent, South Street Seaport. This is the second year for the risque circus Absinthe. The first time we saw Absinthe, our jaws dropped, but this time we didn't find it either as shocking or as stylish as the first edition. Sometimes sequels are hard. Nevertheless there was much to enjoy including the Gazillionaire and his ditsy helper Penny, three beautiful lady acrobats and two hunky males, Cooper, whose riff on an old time British Music Hall act is hilarious and even a little frightening (he is a hold over from last year) and Paul Capsis who does quite a fine imitation of Marlene Dietrich and, hilariously, Judy Garland at the end of her career. Plenty of eye candy for men and women alike and in the very special and beautiful 350 seat Spiegeltent made in 1920, I can't think of a nicer way to spend a summer's eve right on the magnificent downtown New York City Waterfront. Be warned -- there is nudity and while not a crude sex show by any means, the ultra risque Absinthe is not for children. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade B.

Gypsy, a musical by Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents. New York City Center Encores! Starring Patti LuPone, Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti. This special limited run of "Gypsy" is a marvelous summer treat from Encores! The cast is as good as could possibly be assembled today. At last Patti LuPone gets to do Rose, a role she was born to play and she doesn't disappoint. She slides into the role as if it was written for her. She plays it with ruthless charm: she's a lovable rascal and no monster Mom. As Gypsy, lovely, immensely talented Laura Benanti is certainly the finest exponent of the role since Sandra Church, the original, and is easily the most exalted (no other Gypsy sported two Tony nominations in their resume). Benanti is so good that it really is a tug of war at the end between Gypsy's hard painfully-won stardom and her mother's frustrated hopes and ambitions. Boyd Gaines, recently so magnificent in "Journey's End," is a superb Herbie, the best I've seen. The strength of the cast is amazing. Tony Yazbeck is dazzling as Tulsa and Alison Fraser (Tessie Tura), Nancy Opel (Mazeppa), and Marilyn Caskey (Electra) are luxury casting indeed. Even the mature Dainty June, Leigh Ann Larkin rocks. So did Baby June -what a great little hoofer Sami Gayle is! The audience loved the performance and so did we. But I do wish Encores! had seized this opportunity of a limited run to rethink the staging and choreography. The last major revival of "Gypsy" was in 2003. Did we need to see the same thing again? Even though Jerome Robbins' choreography is justly revered, surely there are other possibilities. That opening number "Let Me Entertain You" seemed a tad stale to me even though the little June was so fabulous. This is a minor quibble though. In the end it is Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, and the overall excellence of the cast that makes this production so special. Was this "Gypsy" worth the commute on a hot summer day? You bet! Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A.

The Return of the Prodigal by St. John Hankin. Mint Theater Company. Directed by Johnathan Bank. The Mint always comes up with intriguing and rarely performed plays that challenge our assumptions and "The Return of the Prodigal" by St. J ohn Hankin, a playwright whose work we've not seen previously is no exception. We were excited to see this 1905 work which has garnered high praise from critics. Alas, we were bitterly disappointed. The decision to update the work, to remove all Victorian trappings and English accents has not kept faith with the material. The dilemmas presented have no relevance today. The idea that a bright young woman would be trapped at home in order to be respectable and live with her mother and father doesn't wash in the Post Princess-Di era. Nor did the not so shocking revelations about the family, the family business, and their lust for a social position make the slightest sense in a modern context. The actors do their best and I would single out the lovely debutante Leah Curney as Violet Jackson, but when a director doesn't trust his material, a production is doomed. While it was fun to sit amongst an appreciative audience mostly made up of NYU Theater program summer campers, we didn't feel it was worth the commute. We don't know if "The Return of the Prodigal" could work today in a period setting, but we do know it doesn't work as presented. Sorry "Governor." Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade D+

Curtains, a musical by John Kander, Fred Ebb, Rupert Holmes at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Starring David Hyde Pierce, Karen Ziemba, Jill Paice, Jason Danielly, Edward Hibbert, and Debra Monk. It seems appropriate that almost a year to the day we posted our first "test report" on our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test, the "Drowsey Chaperone," we now review another musical that offers a loving look at the Broadway musical in the "golden age." "Curtains" perhaps the last work by Kander and Ebb that will be newly offered on Broadway offers a funny take on musicals like "Oklahoma!" and "Annie Get Your Gun." In Rob Ashford's bright choreography, there are sly allusions to Agnes De Mille's once groundbreaking dances for "Oklahoma!" which remain familiar to many because they are well preserved in the Hollywood film. "Curtains" is a clever and witty murder mystery which takes place behind the scenes and even on stage. The score is an expert concoction by two masters, Kander and Ebb, with help by Rupert Holmes who worked with an Original Book and Concept by Peter Stone. Kander himself was left on his own when Ebb died and wrote (unintentionally perhaps) a moving tribute to songwriting collaborators "I Miss the Music." There are several show stoppers including "Show People," "Coffee Shop Nights," "Wide Open Spaces," "It's a Business," and my favorite number "What Kind of Man?" a ruthless trashing of critics that may have contributed to the show getting less than stellar reviews from denizens of the Fourth Estate without a sense of humor. The critics may not have liked the show, but audiences do as "Curtains" is now playing to near capacity. The audience was wildly enthusiastic. When we went to the half price booth yesterday, only partial views were available, and we found the same result at the Box Office. Nonetheless we had a seat we enjoyed and loved the show, every minute of it. The sets are sumptuous and colorful, the costumes terrific and the talented cast which even includes the great Ernie Sabella (of Pumbah fame) in a small part, is outstanding. David Hyde Pierce sings and dances his way into our hearts along with his ingenue amour played by the beautiful Jill Paice. Debra Monk stops the show with "It's a Business." Jason Danielly sings the heartbreaking ballad "I Miss the Music" with just the right wistfulness. I won't give the mystery away, but I can tell you that the audience was buzzing with speculation up till the final moment when the solution is revealed. Although scribes have written that "Curtains" is a minor entry in the Kander and Ebb canon, I predict that it will assume a proud place in their work and have a long life on the road and in revivals. Another wag wrote that "Curtains" is good, but "Your Grandfather's Musical." Well my Grandfather's musical was "Show Boat," my Father's musicals were "Oklahoma" and "South Pacific" and my own very first musicals were "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Cabaret," so I'm not put off by the comparison. The cast album, which we purchased yesterday, confirmed our pleasure in the score as we happily listened to it on our commute home through the Holland Tunnel and beyond to New Jersey. Our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade for "Curtains" is A-

Old Acquaintance, a play by John Van Druten. American Airlines Theatre, presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company, starring Margaret Colin and Harriet Harris. If, like us, you've ever wanted to see a performance from the so-called "golden age," the age of sophisticated Broadway fare with Kit Cornell, Ethel Barrymore, Roz Russell, Jane Cowl and Peggy Wood, Roundabout's superb revival of the 1941 "Old Acquaintance" by John Van Druten is your chance. The roles taken by Cowl and Wood in the original are most ably filled by Margaret Colin, warm and lovely, and Harriet Harris, who is sensational as the high strung author of best sellers, Mildred Watson Drake. Harris prowls the stage with vibrant assurance, at once satisfyingly vicious and yet believably vulnerable so that you understand her friend's loyalty. She has a priceless bit with a telephone which is high physical comedy. The production is picture perfect, the sets almost distractingly detailed, and the acting by the entire cast finely calibrated. Several critics clearly didn't understand the point of reviving this slender drawing room comedy, but we thought it says something about women's friendships and relationships that is timeless, even if it is securely and stylishly anchored in literary New York of the 1940's . We've seen a lot of John Van Druten's work lately in Princeton: "The Voice of the Turtle," "Bell, Book and Candle" and now this first rate revival on Broadway which is a rare chance. If you know "Old Acquaintance" only from the Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins film , which is more soap opera than comedy, then you're in for a treat. The play is warm, funny, and quite a theatrical time machine. We give "Old Acquaintance" a Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade of B+.

Eurydice, a play by Sarah Ruhl at the 2nd Stage Theatre. We went to New Haven to see "Eurydice," the Sarah Ruhl play, based on the Orpheus legend, which is due to open in New York at the 2nd Stage Theatre with the same cast, director and production. Although this blog is dedicated to reviewing and recommending events we've seen in New York City, we've bent the rules for this play which we love and which left us shamelessy sobbing at its conclusion. After all a commute to New Haven from Princeton takes four hours and in fact our commute home was brutal. But it was worth every minute and mile to see this wonderful, sad, happy, heartbreaking and wise play by the extraordinary young Sarah Ruhl and I would urge readers of this blog to make every effort to see it in New York. Based on our New Haven experience "Eurydice" merits an A+

In A Dark Dark House, a play by Neil La Bute at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. With Ron Livingston, Frederick Weller, Louisa Krause, directed by Carolyn Cantor. We've always enjoyed Neil LaBute's skillfully written shockers and "In A Dark Dark House" was no exception. Invariably, they run a lean 90 minutes and usually are engrossing from first to last. However, yesterday at the Sunday matinee, I found myself looking at my watch, a bad sign and a first for me in a LaBute play. I waited for that clever trademark dark O'Henry twist to come at the end, but it never does. Oh yes there is a twist, but it's more like a soggy pretzel twist than the masterful kick in the stomach LaBute usually provides. The play itself seems thin. We keep hearing the same thing over and over: Child abuse, a savage parent. These are themes that were much more skillfully explored by David Harrower in the tighter and more powerful "Blackbird."
Where LaBute lost me was in the second scene which is the scariest, but in which everything that follows is silently given away almost at the start by the actions of one of the players in a directorial misstep of major proportions. Otherwise this mini act is tautly played by Louisa Krause and Frederick Weller. Ron Livingston, who will never be forgiven by some (including my daughter who joined us for the play) for breaking up with Carrie in "Sex and the City" with a Post-It note, plays his nasty shallow part to perfection; for sure, the acting is on a high level in this three-hander. However the production, though always taking place out of doors, seemed unusually clostrophobic even for the diminutive Lortel stage.
Many critics have taken swipes at LaBute for being overly prolific, since every season seems to bring not one but two plays by him ("Wrecks" appeared earlier), but I always look forward to them and I haven't been disappointed, until now. I hope this is just an anomaly and not a sign that he's running out of inspiration. If you're in the city, "In A Dark Dark House" is worth checking out, but we felt that it wasn't worth a commute, and yesterday's awful commute, in the middle of a tropical storm was a beaut. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade C+

Anna Netrebko and Dimitri Hvorostovsky at Carnegie Hall, May 30, 2007. Orchestra of St. Luke's, Asher Fisch, cond.
This was as much a party as a concert, and at times the audience danced in the aisles. In my 40+ years of concert going, I've never seen anything like it. Here's Anna Netrebko in an impossibly low cut gown, singing the most difficult opera arias to perfection, even, and this is the hardest possible thing to do, creating characters in a concert venue. And there's incredibly handsome Dimitri Hvorostovsky (would he ever be the Emile De Becque of our dreams), doing the same thing. When they sang their three duets together, the chemistry was smoking. There were many highlights in this concert, but I'd single out first and foremost their red hot "Eugene Onegin" duet which was idiomatically perfection, and her singing of an aria from Lehar's Giuditta "Meine Lippen, Sie Kussen So Heiss" in which she sashayed across the stage playing shamelessly to the audience. Fantastic. Anna Netrebko is the biggest soprano star to come along since Maria Callas and she is in her prime. This is the now in opera, and are we ever lucky! Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A+

Inherit The Wind, a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Lyceum Theatre; starring Christopher Plummer, Brian Dennehy and Denis O'Hare.
It had not been my intention to see this revival of "Inherit the Wind." My wife and I had deliberately decided to pass on it, we were seeing so many other things in this superb Broadway season and, ten years ago, we had seen an estimable revival with George C. Scott and Charles Durning. Even with those two, the play had seemed dated, creaky, and the subject matter didn't seem particularly relevant anymore. But our daughter, a rising Junior at NYU, who is a biology student, asked me to take her to it, and so I went to the halfprice booth yesterday for a Wednesday matinee and obtained two excellent tickets.
Well, was I ever glad, because there is a master class in acting taking place at the Lyceum Theatre and the two old pros, and a young one, who are delivering it are at the top of their game. In their hands, and due in no small part to George W. Bush and the rise of the Creationists, "Inherit The Wind" is hardly passe these days. The play crackled with energy. The production is splendid, no cheap corners cut at the Lyceum, this is as lavish a production as one hopes to see. As a revival, I'd rank it right up there with "Journey's End." There is even a first rate bluegrass group to entertain us in the pre show and intermission.
If one goes to the theater enough times, very occasionally a magic moment occurs. In Frost/Nixon, it was when Langella-Nixon stares into the camera and reveals himself at last to the audience and more importantly to himself. Pure magic. In "Inherit the Wind" this same magic is vouchsafed us when Christopher Plummer as Henry Drummond and Brian Dennehy as Matthew Harrison Brady, sit down at the end of the first act to reminisce. What a moment! Another great moment was when Brian Dennehy spoke the words that are the title of the play. Some critics complained about Dennehy's subdued performance, but I found it note perfect - he plays a weary politician who has been to one too many a tent, one too many a rally, had one too many a barbecue, and was at the end of the line, his last battle. There are giants walking on Broadway these days. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A.

Talk Radio, a play by Eric Bogosian at the Longacre Theatre, starring Liev Schreiber. "Talk Radio" is indeed all talk, and no substance. Not even the superlative performance of Liev Schreiber, one of the most talented actors of this or any other generation, can make this play remotely interesting. "Talk Radio" is tedious and dated from first to last, with embarrassingly clunky monologues of supporting actors (all of whom are under drawn and uninteresting), and even Schreiber's climatic scene, played with electrifying skill wasn't enough to make the evening worthwhile for us. We had an awful commute into the city of nearly 3 hours by bus. This bummer gets a C- and is only that high for Schreiber. Because Schreiber is so compelling, the play is OK as a last minute theater jaunt if you're already in the city, but for the suffering commuter, anything less than a B- is a failing grade in our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. C-

Stairway To Paradise, a revue at the New York City Center Encores! Rob Berman, conducting, with Kristin Chenoweth, Ruthie Henshall, Kevin Chamberlin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Jenn Genovese, Capathia Jenkins, Kendrick Jones. Directed by Jerry Zaks. The New York City Center.
We happily caught the final showing of "Stairway To Paradise." A glorious romp, superbly done, we loved every minute of it, every star, every number, every comic bit. "The Yellow Peril" cracked everyone up including Kristin Chenoweth who couldn't stop laughing. Sneezing, it's been funny for a long time. There's a great comic ensemble in Paisiello's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1782)). I wonder if sneezing as a gag in theater even predates that?
Kristin Chenoweth, what a complete talent, she has it all. She sang in all styles and ranges, and showcased her sound operatic training with a lovely performance of "Kiss Me Again," a number written for another glamorous opera singer/musical comedy star of long ago - Fritzi Scheff. I've followed Chenoweth's metoric career ever since "Charlie Brown" and I've never heard her voice in lovelier shape. Ruthie Henshall sang like Jo Stafford, Christopher Fitzgerald was so very funny and gave us a heartfelt "Brother Can You Spare A Dime", Capathia Jenkins was sizzling in the raunchy "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More", Jenn Gambatase was a charming soubrette in the Garrick Gaieties numbers, songs I've been familiar with through the antique sheet music and now they came to life in front of my happy eyes.
"Stairway to Paradise" is brilliantly assembled and has been directed with the inimitable touch of Jerry Zaks, who makes everything he touches seem colorful. Not hard though with this great material featuring songs and sketches by the top Broadway talent of all time: Nora Bayes, Irving Berlin, Eubie Blake, The Gershwins, Rodgers, Hart, Norworth, Rome, Schwartz, Styne, etc.. The choreography by Warren Carlyle was spot on, the orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick expert, and the conducting by Rob Berman smooth as silk.
The breakthrough performance of the tap dancer Kendrick Jones has been noted by just about everyone writing about this show. I felt he grabbed "Stairway to Paradise" by its handsome scruff and walked away with it despite the excellence of everyone else. When Jones danced, you could feel the pulse of the audience racing, the excitement building in the theater. We wanted more from him, much more. The only other time I've experienced this in a musical was when Deborah Yates danced in "Contact" (whatever happened to her? I thought she was headed for stardom). But Jones, what a dancer - the best live tap dancing I've seen, perhaps on a level IMHO worthy of comparison to the legendary Nicholas Brothers. I hope he gets a show on Broadway and soon!
I am so grateful to Encores! - everyone involved, the incomparably talented performers, the intrepid producers, the more often than not inspired management. Year in and year out, they give us this special gift three times a season. When the Encores! comes around, New York, specifically the New York City Center is truly the center of the show business universe, making even the most arduous commute a necessity, a must. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade. A+

Blackbird, a play by David Harrower at the Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City Center Stage 1, starring Jeff Daniels and Alison Pill, directed by Joe Mantello. "Blackbird" is a two hander that is 90 minutes of hell, punctuated at the conclusion with a sharp swift kick to the guts. With two astonishing performances by Jeff Daniels (haunting) and Alison Pill (coiled, conflicted fury), and a searingly effective set by Scott Pask, this is a play that will stay with you for a long time. It is not to be missed. We had a particuarly difficult commute getting to the matinee, the GW Bridge was closed, the Lincoln Tunnel jammed. No matter. "Blackbird"gets an A+

Orfeo ed Euridice, an opera by Gluck. Metropolitan Opera House. James Levine conducting; David Daniels (Orfeo), Maija Kovalevska (Euridice), Heidi Grant Murphy (Amor), directed and choreographed by Mark Morris. When this production was first announced, there were four geniuses associated with the new mounting of Gluck’s masterwork: James Levine (conductor), Isaac Mizrahi (costume designer) Mark Morris (choreographer and director) and the sublime Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. The tragic death of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson forced a major shift in the focus of the production and her place was taken by a countertenor, David Daniels. For one thing, it is unlikely that the 1762 version of Orfeo (the first by Gluck) would have been used for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. My guess is it would have been the brilliant 19th century adaptation by Berlioz (based on Gluck’s 1774 version) or a mixed version along the lines most familiar to opera goers and as was used the last time the Met staged the opera (1970).
Because the Met no longer has a powerhouse Orfeo (perhaps it was too late to sign mezzo sopranos of the caliber of Anne Sofie Von Otter, Susan Graham, Joyce di Donato, or Magdalena Kozena to name just a handful), the major shift occurring in this new production has the centrality of interest residing squarely in the dance, the chorus (both always crucial in Gluck) the ideal conducting by James Levine, the splendid Euridice of Maija Kovalevska and the colorful and dramtic sets and costumes. Not that David Daniels is at all bad. He gives as good as he has to give, smooth countertenor singing, generalized emotions, sincerity (his best asset in my opinion) but he lacks the power in the key moments – his cries of “Euridice!” do not register and his “Trionfi Amore” which launches the glorious conclusion is underpowered.
All of this being said this evening’s performance and new production was a great triumph. It all begins with the conducting of James Levine. I’ve seen many performances of the 1762 Orfeo and have heard every recording as well. Levine’s is by far the best conducting, fast when needed, tender and always expressive -- I have never heard the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra play better. Most all modern productions of Orfeo, both live and on records have eschewed the dance, so the conductors (mostly of the early music variety like John Eliot Gardiner) have raced through the dance movements like they’re late for a train. Here, for once, the dances are conducted for dancers. How wonderful to hear and to see! At last, here is an opera production at the Met in which the all important dance elements have been given equal treatment with the vocal. Mark Morris once devised an Orfeo production in Brooklyn that was all dance. It was a marvelous experience, but as part of this ensemble, he is even better here. His dances are inspired from first to last (those last gloriously happy dances are like the sun itself). I’ve discussed the virtues and shortcomings of David Daniels. He has a big following and they will not be disappointed. He was lustily cheered. Heidi Grant Murphy sang sweetly but she seemed to have a little trouble getting her words out, and her sound was small. She was very charming however and the audience loved her. Maija Kovalevska was fabulous as Euridice; singing with a powerful but always clear and rich tone, she nailed a perfect trill in her aria. She was lovely to look at and was affecting as the revived beloved wife.
The sets will be controversial perhaps. Big unit sets which take a lot of groaning movement from stage hands do allow for the effective placement of the chorus who are very active. This surprising chorus is made up of dead celebrities from the past including Lincoln, Mark Twain, Henry VIII, Oscar Wilde, Gandhi and even Babe Ruth. I’m guessing the inspiration comes from the Powell and Pressberger film “Stairway to Heaven.” I loved it, but some may not. There is an enormous staircase which is a metaphor that I found profound. But this was not all seriousness. Amor capers quite a bit and people expecting gloomy Gluck will be surprised to find themselves laughing at times. All in all this was marvelous and when a truly great Orfeo takes center stage, it will be pure magic. As it is, I give it a solid A- in the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test.

Journey's End, a play by R. C. Sherriff at the Belasco Theatre. Starring Hugh Dancy, Boyd Gaines, Jefferson Mayes, and Stark Sands. "Journey's End," a seminal play first performed in 1928 puts war in front of an audience more powerfully than 10,000 movies like "Letters from Iwo Jima" combined. We saw this masterpiece of 20th Century theater on Saturday night, in a theater that was only three quarters filled, largely by tourists who probably settled for these tickets at the half-price booth. At the beginning of the play, they were bored and restless, and rather noisy, but by the middle of the second act, you could have heard a pin drop from the stricken audience each member of which surely felt they had been to war along with the brave and valiant cast. Oh what a cast it is! These actors led by the poignant Lieutenant Osborne of Boyd Gaines and the noble Captain Stanhope of Hugh Dancy act their hearts out. They are as well honed and magnificent an ensemble imaginable. I had seen this production in the West End, and not even that superlative cast equaled this one for the sheer force of personality they brought to bear in this tale of just a few days at the front in World War I.
The set and production are simply stunning. The direction by David Grindley is deserving of the highest praise. No one who sees this play will forget the final curtain, coming down slowly and inexorably.
Despite uniformly superlative reviews and a cast filled with top flight talent, "Journey's End" is struggling at the box office. This is a terrible shame. At a time when our country is at war in what seems a hopeless cause, "Journey's End," which starkly presents the terrible toll on our best and brightest youth, has never been more relevant. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade: A

Frost Nixon, a play by Peter Morgan at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Starring Frank Langella and Michael Sheen. We caught "Frost Nixon" on a Friday night, early in previews. Word hasn't gotten out yet, so we bought excellent tickets at the TKTS half-price booth on 46th St (at the Marriott Marquis Hotel). I'm predicting that when the reviews come in, "Frost Nixon" will be a very hard ticket to get - the "History Boys" -like smash hit of this season.
"Frost Nixon" is the riveting dramatization of the famous David Frost televised interviews with Richard Nixon which stunned the nation in 1977.
The play builds slowly, we see how Frost risked everything to bring the interviews about and we meet Richard Nixon who appears a lovable rascal with a heart of...well if not gold, at least not stone. The interviews were not inevitable and almost didn't take place. We meet behind the scenes players like the young James Reston played well by Stephen Kunken, who also serves as the play's narrator along with Nixon's aide, Jack Brennan who is starchy perfection as portrayed by Corey Johnson. Along the way, we meet such names from the past as Evonne Goolagong (remember her?), and Swifty Lazar. Tension and drama builds and builds.
Ultimately, this is a two hander, and what two hands these great actors are!
Frank Langella's portrayal of Richard Nixon is a crowning triumph in a glorious career that saw him define Dracula for an age (my age). His Nixon is a performance that has stayed with me and continues to haunt me even as I write these lines. Without caricature or mere imitation, Langella has channeled Nixon's familiar but ultimately mystifying character. He makes him a three dimensional utterly fascinating person. We see his clownish side, his manipulative side, and we see a human being who was so flawed, but who also reached heights of greatness. We begin to understand him and, against our will and all our knowledge, we begin to like him. Michael Sheen (known to most people as the cunning Tony Blair in the award winning film "The Queen") is a vivid stage actor. I was fortunate to see his Olivier winning turn as Caligula at the Donmar Warehouse (where "Frost Nixon" originated). Sheen nails the part of David Frost and proves the perfect foil for Nixon/Langella. Only an actor of Sheen's consummate skill and talent could have held the stage against the performance of Langella, a performance that will go down with the ages.
As mentioned, "Frost Nixon" is now in previews. There are all sorts of reduced price offers available now. After it opens, people will be lined up around the block. So liberals and conservatives alike, hasten and buy your tickets! "Frost Nixon" gets our highest grade in the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. A+

Dying City. A play by Christopher Shinn, Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse. This play has nearly everything. It's a heated discussion about life after 9/11, the ongoing Iraq War, and at the center of the play, a two hander played brilliantly by Rebecca Brooksher (a breakthrough performance of searing intensity), and the rising star Pablo Schreiber (who plays twin brothers), are characters who suffer from child abuse, homosexual identity confusion and self-loathing, sexual addiction and self-hatred. In short this play has everything thrown into it including, literally, a kitchen sink, but it unfortunately lacks an essential ingredient - a plot. In the end despite all of these weighty plot themes, "Dying City" stands for nothing, means nothing. We were even more confused leaving this play than those in the bigger theater who were struggling to understand "The Coast of Utopia". Obtuseness and obscurity reigns at Lincoln Center Theater this season. We give this a C- (only for the acting) but this is not a passing grade in the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test.

Face The Music. A musical by Irving Berlin at the NY City Center Encores! This revival of the 1932 Irving Berlin musical "Face the Music" is a triumph - a reaffirmation of everything Encores! stands for - bringing to life a now obscure gem of the American Musical Theater. "Face The Music" is such a gem. It has many marvelous songs and ensembles, the best of which we felt was the opening number "Lunching at the Automat". The nominal stars are Judy Kaye who is sensational and Walter Bobbie, a top flight director and former Artistic Director of the Encores!who has successfully returned to his roots as an actor. I very much liked the utterly charming ingenues the beautiful Meredith Patterson and the delightful Felicia Finley who brings down the house in "Torch Song." Most popular of all were the eccentric song and dance couple Eddie Korbich and Mylinda Hull. The conducting by Rob Fisher was perfection, the staging by John Rando and choreography by Randy Skinner was inspired. "Face The Music" could be an ephemeral triumph, but if a few stars were plunked into the major roles - say a Sutton Foster or Kelli O'Hara in the role of Kit Baker, a Patti LuPone as Myrtle Meshbesher, this could be a smash hit on the lines of "Drowsey Chaperone" (a work that spoofs works like "Face the Music" which was in itself a spoof of the Ziegfeld Follies or more accurately George White's Scandals.). This is top flight Irving Berlin and it deserves a run. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test score: A

King Lear by William Shakespeare at the Public Theater. Starring Kevin Kline, Michael Cerveris, Larry Bryggman, Logan Marshall-Green, Angela Pierce, Kristin Bush, Laura Odeh, Philip Goodwin, directed by James Lapine, with incidental music by Stephen Sondheim and Michael Starobin.
We saw "King Lear" on Saint Patrick's Day. This was a particularly brutal Bridge and Tunnel Test: the crowds pouring into the city (we took the train since we could barely get out of our driveway due to a foot of snow on the ground) were enormous, rowdy, the trains were crammed, and it was even difficult to make it out of a jammed up Penn Station. But the return trip was worse -- the crowds were full of ill-behaved drunks, and in Newark, the train had to be delayed so that dozens of swarming policemen could remove the most egregious ones. Our friends agreed with us that the only thing worse than enduring such a trip after a great performance was to take it after a bad performance.
We needn't have worried - this was a "King Lear" worth the most arduous commute - worth braving all of the drunks in New York. Here was a "King Lear" to savor, a rare theatrical treat, not only memorable for the magnficent portrayal of Lear by Kevin Kline, but for the entire cast, the staging, and the magical music composed by Stephen Sondheim and Michael Sarobin. Seldom does every element in a modern Shakespeare performance coalesce as it has at the Public Theater. Much has been written about Kline's assumption of Lear. The New York Times critic found it disappointing, but Hilton Als in the New Yorker felt it belonged in the "Pantheon." I would agree wholeheartedly with Als. I've seen many famous Lears over the years including Lee J. Cobb (towering, unforgettable), Brian Cox (minimal, disappointing), Chrisopher Plummer (solid, moving, well grounded) and Kevin Kline ranks at the top with Cobb. Here at last was a Lear who made music of Shakespeare's couplets - we haven't heard this kind of mellifluous cadence in Shakespeare other than on old recordings by the likes of Robeson, Gielgud, Evans, Richardson, Tree. Kevin Kline is a more vigorous Lear than we are used to, he looks great, but this only makes his ultimate broken hearted collapse and dissolution the more shocking. The rest of the cast is unusually fine. Michael Cerveris is tremendous as Kent, Philip Goodwin gave one of the best bitter comic Shakespeare performances I've seen as the Fool, and of the three doomed daughters, Angela Pierce was particularly venemous while Laura Odeh's squeels of squeemish horror and delight at plucking out the old Earl of Gloucester's eyes gave us a shiver. Larry Bryggman was an excellent Earl of Gloucester and his scenes with his son Edgar played by Brian Avers were impressive. As Edmund, Logan Marshall-Green was a sardonic villain who commanded the stage. All of the cast spoke Shakespeare's lines beautifully and with ease thereby enabling the audience to comfortably settle into the play.
The staging was inspired - the storm scene was harrowing and Lapine's inspiration of having the three daughters appear to the addled Lear as little girls was very effective. The younger selves of his children return at the end lending added poignancy to the tragedy. The live music by Sondheim and Starobin was the best I've heard for a modern Shakespeare performance. What a treat to have the greatest living master of musical theater provide music for a Shakespeare play! Everything was working at the Public Theater on Saint Patrick's Day. It is very seldom that star actors present Shakespeare in New York with this level of success for, unlike London, top notch Shakespeare performances in New York are surprisingly rare events and are thus must-see events. Even though we staggered home at near 2-am, we were happy campers. We had seen something special - thrilling, unforgettable. King Lear at the Public Theater gets a high mark in our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test: A- it's a must see!

My Fair Lady, a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Avery Fischer Hall At Lincoln Center; Rob Fisher conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. With Kelli O'Hara, Kelsey Grammer, Brian Dennehy and Charles Kimbrough.
Readers of the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test are urged to run and obtain any tickets remaining for the precious few performances of this weekend of this historic all-star revival. Not since the original smash Broadway production of 1956 has "My Fair Lady" received a performance of this caliber. I've seen the New York revival (starring Richard Chamberlain and Melissa Errico) and the wildly successful National Theatre performances in London (with both casts) and they were not even close to what has been accomplished here. First of all, the score is played probably as it never has been by the incomparable New York Philharmonic Orchestra. This is a complex operetta score and hearing it played on this level is a revelation. In the title role, Kelli O'Hara sings this very difficult vocal role as well as the legendary Julie Andrews and her acting is equally fine. After what O'Hara accomplished in "Pajama Game," she now takes a role that is completely different stylistically and vocally and nails it. The audience went wild for her as they did for the amazing star turn of Brian Dennehy as Alfred P. Doolittle. Kelsey Grammer is a delight as Henry Higgins as is Charles Kimbrough as Colonel Pickering. All star casting includes Marni Nixon and Meg Bussert in small roles and they are both wonderful. The conducting by Rob Fisher confirms his place as perhaps the finest Broadway conductor of our time and the staging (not an easy task in this cumbersome venue) by Peggy Hickey and David Ives is inspired. Pure champaigne delight - this is a must see! Our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade for "My Fair Lady" is A+

Mary Rose, a play by. J. M. Barrie. Vineyard Theatre, starring Paige Howard, Noah Bean, Keir Dullea, directed by Tina Landau. In over forty years of theater going in New York and in London, I have never had the luck to see a play by J. M. Barrie. Now remembered solely for "Peter Pan" and for the movie "Finding Neverland," Barrie had many hits to his credit including "The Admirable Crichton" and "The Little Minister." "Mary Rose" is a play I was not at all familiar with. "Mary Rose" deals with the past, the present and time itself, and with death, loss and recovery. It is a warm and lovely play, a little creaky in its center perhaps, but profound and unforgettable. Typical of Barrie's work, it's superbly written and has a fey female character at its heart, which is charmingly enacted by Paige Howard who like her more famous sister Bryce Dallas, is also a beautiful redhead. On the day we saw the play, Richard Short who normally plays Harry, was ill and his place was taken at the last minute by Noah Bean. Bean who has a more distinguished resume perhaps than Short was no understudy. He used a script, but so skillfully that he made his performance possibly the most eloquent of the afternoon. This was a triumphant theatrical rescue. The Director, Tina Landau, in a brilliant twist, has added a narrator, played by the expert, Keir Dullea who reads Barrie's colorful stage directions. This is a plus and adds an "Our Town" like nostalgia to the play, and to its benefit. "Mary Rose"runs through March 25 unless it is extended. This is a rare opportunity that is not to be missed. This passed the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test with a B+

Eugene Onegin. An opera by Tchaikovsky at the Metropolitan Opera House. Valery Gergiev conducting, with Renée Fleming, Elena Zaremba, Ramon Vargas and Dimitri Hvorostovsky.
The Metropolitan Opera is enjoying its best season in decades. Hit after hit beginning with the magnificent Minghella production of "Madama Butterfly," a scintillating new "Il Barbiere di Siviglia," Anna Netrebko's star turn in "I Puritani," Karita Mattila in "Jenufa" and perhaps grandest of all - this glorious all star "Eugene Onegin."
Every part in "Eugene Onegin" is cast from strength. Take the Olga of Elena Zaremba, for once, this crucial role is given to a major singer who breaks our hearts as the girl who loses all through her thoughtlessness. Then there is her doomed lover, Lenski, played to perfection by Ramon Vargas who at last has given the complete performance at the Metropolitan that should make him into a bonafide star. This is luxury casting which boasts the beautiful and gifted Renée Fleming, who has often been so lethargic, but opposite the smoldering Hvorostovsky, she now gives the best performance I've seen from her since she leapt into stardom. Fleming sings with her customary creamy tone, but for once, she's passionate and utterly involved - an ideal Tatiana.
But the greatest stars of the evening were the two Russian superstars - the conductor Valery Gergiev who has this music in his bones - never have I heard a better conducted "Eugene Onegin" and the dashing baritone Dimitri Hvorostovsky is historically great. I've heard every recording of this popular opera and nearly all of the historical acoustics by the most famous early Russian singers, dating back to the Czarist era, and none have approached Hvorostovsky. But he's no mere vocalist, he's unbelievably handsome - he stands ramrod straight and proud, his voice easily filling the house (we sat in the balcony and his voice rose up to us with ease, in fact it seems to have grown in size and richness over the years since we first heard his New York Debut at Alice Tully Hall). As noted above, history is being made here and now. This landmark "Eugene Onegin" passed the Bridge and Tunnel Test with an A+

The Madras House, a play by Harley Granville-Barker. The Mint Theater Company, The Mint Theater. Directed by Gus Kaikkonen.
It is likely that the most complex and literate play currently being performed in New York, isn't the eight and one half hour marathon "The Coast of Utopia" but "The Madras House" an amazing 1909 play by George Bernard Shaw's director and friend Harley Granville-Barker. This play, written at a time of transition for women's rights, looks at the problems women faced in the world of 1909 without any sentimentality. Ostensibly about the sale of a department store, the play explores the situation of the entire spectrum of women in London and even in the Muslim world, from top to bottom: rich women, poor women, women who are pregnant out of wedlock, women who gossip, women whose husbands are unfaithful, women desperate to be married and women who are trapped in marriages that have straight jacketed them. Women whose only weapons are to flirt or to show themselves as Couturier models. None of the women in this straight talking play are immune from the struggle to define themselves and to survive in a world of men. The play hints of social forces to come, but there are no magical solutions. But the play is hardly a polemic, it is a warm and rich comedy of manners that speeds by in a short three hours.
The cast, led by Laurie Kennedy, Roberta Maxwell, Thomas Hammond and especially George Morfogen in the richly layered role of Constantine Madras act their roles to perfection. The direction is spot on, the production handsome and simple. I admired the lavish costumes, which the audience can see very well (we were in the front row making us almost participants).
"The Madras House' has a lot to say - it is a layered comedy of manners very much in the line of "The Voysey Inheritance" and in fact there is a sly reference to the former in "The Madras House" one that will have actual plot significance to those who have a familiarity with it. One thing should be apparent to audiences who see "The Madras House" and the hit adaptation by David Mamet of "The Voysey Inheritance." Harley Granville-Barker's writing is complex, working on several levels and any editing out of his deceptively sentimental domestic scenes risks cutting the heart of his work. Of the two Harley Granville-Barker plays in current production, it is "The Madras House' that keeps faith with the work of one of the giants of English theatre. "The Madras House" is worth any trouble to see it and in the case of this small intimate theater, their super friendly staff, and the bargain prices they charge, it is very little trouble indeed. We give "The Madras House" an A+ in our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test.

The Scene. A play by Teresa Rebeck at the Second Stage Theatre. Starring Anna Camp, Patricia Heaton, Tony Shalhoub, Christopher Evan Welch. We subscribe to many theater companies in New York City and have discovered that most of them have their hits and their misses. It's a critical problem when you have to make a 2 1/2 hour commute which is why the Second Stage Theater is one of our favorite subcriptions, they are rarely off the mark - most everything they do passes the Bridge and Tunnel Test. In other words, we're always happy we've made the effort, even though some of their presentations are better than others. Not every play they produce is a runaway smash like "Little Dog Laughed" but so canny and well cast are their productions, that just about everything they do is worth seeing. Last year's "The Water's Edge" by Teresa Rebeck was a case in point. It was superbly written, and though it went off the rails (badly we thought) in the second act, it was a brave attempt and it was well cast, with the great Kate Burton in the lead role. Now Rebeck has come back with another play "The Scene" and this time, it stays nicely on track. The play, a bitter tragi-comedy, hits all the right notes right from the start and comes to a shattering, some might say, "happy" conclusion at the end, all of it happening in front of our eyes, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. This is a play that belongs on Broadway and if it has this cast, it should do even better than "The Little Dog Laughed"
"The Scene" is a four hander in which we get to see a sexy siren, played by Anna Camp, devour a marriage and destroy friendships as she herself climbs to the top. Clea, as the nastiest "Deus ex machina" imaginable, ends by throwing a bitter, humiliating bone to the lost actor, finely played by Tony Shalhoub, which just possibly could get him back on his feet. Patricia Heaton and Chrisopher Evan Welch are perfect in their roles, but it is Anna Camp's sizzling break-out performance as Clea which is likely to be remembered. If Camp finds more roles that suit her as well as Clea, she's headed for a very big career. Clea is a man destroying role very much like that of Evelyn in Neil LaBute's "The Shape of Things" and Camp's performance is even more memorable than Rachel Weisz's Evelyn (and we know how well she has fared in her career!). "The Scene" had its last performance yesterday unless it goes to Broadway as it deserves. "The Scene" receives an A+ in our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel test.
PS, a word to the wise: The sublime "Eurydice" by Sarah Ruhl is being produced by Second Stage in the early Summer. We saw this production in New Haven with presumably the same cast and director. In any case, original or new cast, this play which still haunts our memory is not to be missed.

Follies. A musical by Stephen Sondheim at the City Center Encores!, City Center Theater. Starring Lucine Amara, Christine Baranski, Philip Bosco, Victoria Clark, Yvonne Constant, Victor Garber, Mimi Hines, Michael McGrath, Donna Murphy, Anne Rogers, JoAnne Worley. Conducted by Eric Stern, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
You rarely get second chances, especially in the theater, but I was granted this special gift at a Saturday Matinee performance of "Follies" at the New York City Center, courtesy of the great Encores! series. I saw the original "Follies" and being 20 at the time, I'm ashamed to admit, I didn't get it. Not any of it, not the sophisticated music, not the signfiicance of the older stars (I had no idea who Ethel Shutta was) and certainly not the theme of desperate nostalgia and regrets which Sondheim has so potently brewed up in this lookback to the legendary "Ziegfeld Follies." All that's been set straight for me with this brilliant incandescent performance of "Follies." What a great event it is - in my nearly 50 years of theater going, I've never seen so many stars onstage for one work (as opposed to galas), so many Tony winners in one cast! I'd especially single out Victoria Clark who is simply wonderful as Sally, singing magnificently (the music could have been written for her, so perfectly her voice and style suited it), and breaking our hearts. Right alongside is the great Donna Murphy as Phyllis. I've seen most everything this uniquely talented star has done and she has never been better, never looked better. Even her shapely legs have never looked longer! Murphy's deadpan dry delivery, which worked so well as Ruth in "Wonderful Town" is ideal for the character of Phyllis.
The staging by Casey Nicholaw is superb and holds its own even against the memory of the Michael Bennett chorography and the Harold Prince staging. In a question and answer session with Stephen Sondheim himself which took place after the show, someone blurted out the question, will this limited production (its last performance is tonight) find a theater? "Will it be recorded?", another asked. Let us hope so.
"Follies" passed the Bridge and Tunnel test with an A+

The Apple Tree, a musical. Music, Books and Lyrics by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. The Roundabout Theatre Company - Studio 54 theater, starring Kristin Chenoweth, Brian d'Arcy James and Marc Kudish. Considering the brilliant success by Kirstin Chenoweth in the well received "The Apple Tree" revival at the City Center Encores!, this seemed like a sure thing, especially as Chenoweth has become a genuine star with the teenage crowd in the wake of her Tony-nominated work in "Wicked."
Unfortunately, this revival of "The Apple Tree" doesn't quite catch fire, despite the incomparable talents of Kristin Chenoweth and her supporting cast. They work hard and I found the first act, "The Diary of Adam and Eve," affecting, even moving, but lacking anything that could remotely be called scenery, the best opportunity of the musical is lost. The applause was virtually non-existent even from the surprisingly young, and apparently ready to be enthusiastic audience.
"The Lady or the Tiger" is altogether better, and the scenery would not be too bad if this were a regional theater, but for a Broadway show, it's an utter embarrassment, as is the terrible-looking "Passionella" . This is the second revival I've seen recently ("Company" was the other) that had chintzy sets. Maybe I've been spoiled by the wonderful productions that seem de rigeur on Broadway. Maybe budgets can't take it anymore, but this was minimalist to a fault.
Kristin Chenoweth seemed more subdued than I remember from the Encores! performances. An unrivalled vocalist and comedienne and a more than worthy successor to the legendary Barbara Harris, she was not as scintillating as I expected. She seemed flat -- the whole performance seemed flat; very little energy is generated from the stage or in the audience. The orchestra was undersized compared to the Encores! revival and being split between the stage boxes of this miserable Studio 54 theater doesn't help. I really dislike this shabby wornout looking theater which has not, in my opinion, made a successful recovery from its life as a nightclub. I particularly dislike the soundsystem which makes it impossible to get any sense of where the singer is standing onstage.
I love "The Apple Tree" as a musical and despite my reservations this is an important revival. Any chance to see mega talented Kristin Chenoweth must be seized. Passes the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test with a B-.

I Puritani, opera by Vincenzo Bellini at the Metropolitan Opera, starring Anna Netrebko.
In 1956, when Maria Callas made her Metropolitan Opera debut, Geraldine Farrar, a famous Prima Donna of old, wrote "At last we have a Prima Donna" and indeed, unlike the faux Prima Donnas of recent times, Netrebko is the real thing - beautiful, glamorous and gifted beyond measure. This lady is not only a world class beauty, but she's the finest lyrico-spinto soprano of our time with a lustrous voice that haunts the memory. She's an ideal Elvira and it's unlikely that this role has ever quite been acted so well on this stage or perhaps any other since the first Elvira Giulia Grisi performed the role in 1835. Netrebko moves with the grace of a ballerina and takes a stock character and makes it flesh and blood. The rest of the cast is merely adequate, with John Releya as Giorgio in a role originally created by Luigi Lablache perhaps a bit more than that. The production, which first starred Joan Sutherland (a singer who was a world apart from Netrebko in every way) still looks beautiful. This is perhaps Anna Netrebko's finest Metropolitan Opera performance to date, don't miss it! "I Puritani" is a gorgeous work, and is perhaps Bellini's finest score, but in the Met's current production, only Netrebko is fully up to the demands of this formidable Bel Canto masterwork. Nonetheless, for the incomparable Netrebko alone, we give "I Puritani" at the Metropolitan Opera an A+ in our Bridge and Tunnel Test.

The Voysey Inheritance by Harley Granville Barker, adapted by David Mamet. Atlantic Theater Company. This estimable revival of Harley Granville Barker's great morality play starring some of the best older and younger talent on Broadway has deservedly garnered raves, however last yearI was fortunate enough to have seen the superb, virtually perfect English National Theatre revival of "The Voysey Inheritance", still in repertory in London, and I was appalled by Mamet's evisceration of the play's heart. Mamet has taken much of the domestic sentimentality out of the play, removing two of the romantic subplots involving the Voysey family. A terrible mistake because the plot of "The Voysey Inheritance" hinges on the fact that this "teddibly" upright, very upper middle class, spotlessly respectable British family glowing with a happy domestic bliss, gracefully negotiating their everyday struggles with love and marriage (all of which is portrayed with a knowing winking and warm sensibility worthy of a Pinero) is in the end built on a web of lies and deceit. Take away the domestic issues and all you have left is a lawyer struggling with his conscience. How dare Mamet think he knows better than Barker? I happen to know personally, through no less a personage than John Gielgud, that Barker was held in a special reverence by the British theatrical community as perhaps the canniest director and theater guru of the 20th Century, and, by comparison, Mamet is a pygmy.
However, for those who have not seen "The Voysey Inheritance" either in London or at the well-praised revival by the Mint, it's well worth seeing as is, and perhaps there will be some who know both who will feel that Mamet has made an improvement. In any case, the Atlantic Theater company has put on a superb production, with a terrific stage set, gorgeously rich costuming, and cast it as well as one could desire on this side of the ocean. I particularly liked the veteran Fritz Weaver as the elder Voysey. His time on stage is short, but he is unforgettable. "The Voysey Inheritance" passes "The Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test" with a solid "B".

Company by Stephen Sondheim at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, dreicted by John Doyle, starring Raul Esparza. John Doyle's follow up to his brilliant staging of Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd", is the seminal "Company" an early, if somewhat dated, masterpiece by Stephen Sondheim. Doyle repeats the feat of having the performers play instruments at the same time, however what was a scintillating "Coup de Theatre" in "Sweeney" becomes here, actually a distraction, and is often annoying. I really resented seeing a lovely lanky girl dragging a double bass around the stage. Ridiculous. The only time what has become an repetitive gimmick worked organically just as it did in "Sweeney" was in the "Side by Side" number. Otherwise, this prematurely tired feat now seemed more like a way to stiff a Broadway band out of their paychecks. As for the performances, only Raul Esparza justifies the trip through the bridges and tunnels. He is brilliant, simply brilliant, and by himself is nearly well worth the trouble to see "Company". Of the rest, only Heather Laws as Amy makes an impression but at least it is a big one and her well deserved ovation at the end rivalled that of Esparza. The rest of the cast seems a little motley. Let's face it, the need to find a cast who can play musical instruments as well as sing and act can't be easy and it may be that less than ideal choices were made on this basis. As for the staging, I didn't like it, and I loathed the sets which is unusual in what is automatically a taken for granted strength on Broadway. There was a column in the middle that made it difficult to see all the actors at the same time. Stupid. Esparza's talent gives this an above mediocre grade of C+ but it takes a B to pass our stringent Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test so we rank the revival of "Company" as a failure.

The Clean House, a play by Sarah Ruhl, Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse.
If there is another talent in the theater as quirky, original and yet so emotionally true and deep with understanding of the human condition as Sarah Ruhl, I'm not aware of it. Sarah Ruhl, so young, so brilliant, bids fair to take American theater to heights not reached since the days of Eugene O'Neill. Talk about a A Bridge and Tunnel Test, we first encountered Sara Ruhl's singular genius when we made the 3 1/2 hour trip from Princeton to New Haven to see her highly priased riff on the Orfeo legend: "Eurydice." We were not disappointed, it was a play worth any journey, no matter how arduous. "Eurydice" was altogether sublime and we unashamedly cried our hearts out in the Yale Repertory Theatre when Eurydice laid her head on her father's lap. Could lightening strike twice with "The Clean House"? Yes indeed.
"The Clean House" is given a starry production at Lincoln Center with two marvelous veterans leading the way: Blair Brown and Jill Clayburgh. "The Clean House" is if anything, quirkier and a little more difficult to enter into than "Eurydice." But by the end of this play in which the despoiling of a perfect white room is a metaphor for the messiness of human life, we were totally entranced. The cast was note perfect, along with the two stars above, Vanessa Aspillaga is ideal as the maid who hates to clean and Concetta Tomei radiant in two parts that make a whole. This lovely crazy play which should have won the 2005 Pulitzer passes the Bridge and Tunnel Test with an A+ I daresay it is one of the theatrical events of the year.

Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw at the American Airlines Theatre with Philip Bosco, Swoosie Kurtz, Byron Jennings, Lily Rabe and Laila Robins. Surely this starry revival of Shaw's last, and very troubled. play "Heartbreak House" is one of the most anticipated events of the season. My wife Connie and I caught yesterday's matinee, still in preview, but the 27th performance (quite a long preview run!). Since the play isn't being rewritten, I have to assume that what we saw yesterday is what audiences will get after the opening, and this I'm afraid is dreadful. Other than Philip Bosco's quiet mastery of his quixotic part and some passionate (if over the top) acting by beautiful Lily Rabe, this revival is a disaster. Byron Jennings, Swoosie Kurtz and Laila Robins are so busy trying to hold on to their broad British accents that they are incapable of anything more. I've never seen Kurtz, a longtime favorite of mine, so inept and seemingly mistcast in a role. These three were more like Gilbert and Sullivan spoofers than elegaic drawing room denizens. The audience was pretty quiet except when Bosco and Rabe took center stage in the second act. Their loud laughs and appreciation made the vacuousness of the rest seem all too obvious. This failed the Bridge and Tunnel Test. F

My Name is Rachel Corrie a play taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner, starring Megan Dodds, Minetta Lane Theatre. Probably if this modest play hadn't been "postponed" two seasons ago for political reasons, it would have made little stir. It's a sturdy, honest effort by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner, who take the writings of Rachel Corrie, a peace worker who was tragically and senselessly killed by an Israeli bulldozer in the Palestinian territories in 2003, and shape it into a narrative play explaining why Rachel Corrie came to Palestine and how she was killed. Corrie, a beautiful idealistic young girl, full of love for the downtrodden of the world, was passionate in her defense of the Palestinians and wrote many stirring and moving e-mails and letters which formed the basis of this play. Her initial naivete gave way to increasing knowledge and anger at both her own danger and the sufferings of the victims of the intifada on both sides. Nevertheless, "My Name is Rachel Corrie" is not particularly dramatic nor can it compare to "The Diary of Anne Frank" or "Primo Levi" similar political tracts taken from original source materials, in its impact. Nevertheless, with a superb Megan Dodds in the title role, it deserves to be seen and has a message that must be heard. The audience was rapt and was clearly, audibly, moved, rising to their feet in tribute to Dodd's brave performance. Passes the Bridge and Tunnel Test with flying colors. B

John Ferguson by St. John Ervine at the Mint Theater Company. Suburbia by Eric Bogosian at the 2econd Stage Theatre.
At first glance these two plays, one last produced in 1919 and the other newly revised, have little in common besides the fact that these two off-Broadway theaters are next to each other on 43rd Street. But in fact they do have much in common as each begins with dreaming and musing by the protagonists and, in both cases, shattering violence ends in tragedy destroying familes and young futures. We saw these two plays, both in previews, on consecutive evenings. "John Ferguson" was the first. While watching this earnestly produced and passionately acted play set in "Olde Ireland", I felt it to be hoplessly old fashioned and creaky. Both my wife and I agreed that we were glad we saw it, but wondered if it was worth the trouble (the gridlocked traffic on a stormy day had turned a normal commute of one hour to over three - ugh!). But by the time we settled into our seats for Suburbia, we realized that we were fortunate to have seen "John Ferguson". Old fashioned, it undeniably is, but very sturdy and well constructed. It's not a masterpiece by any means, and is certainly not to be compared to frequently revived plays of the same vintage by Shaw or Barker, but it was dark brooding and the shattering conclusion has stayed with us. The set was the best we've seen at the Mint, a dark, but cheery cottege room, with the sun or the night seen through the open doors and wondows. The cast was uniformly excellent with Robertson Carricart as John Ferguson and Justin Schultz as Andrew Ferguson particularly superb.
"Suburbia" by Eric Bogosian is as up to date as one could wish, with it's hip young cast of young drifters sporting cel phones and a panoply of drugs. Again, the set, a street and shop set at floor level is sensational - a 7-11 store operates in front of our eyes and is so convincing that I was tempted to enter it and buy some mints (unfortunately NOT for sale at the 2nd Stage concession). The young kids in their late teens or early 20's (we're not sure), are just out of high school and are hopelessly adrift. They shout, harrass and intimidate the shop owners (two young and energetic immigrants from India) and fight and make love with each other. Again, this idyll of a sort comes to a sad end. The subject of the play is nihlism and for me, this is not enough. We enjoyed the performances by the hip young and attractive cast, but I would bet that Eric Bogosian's thin play, unlike St. John Irvine's meaty one, will prove unrevivable in a hundred years. Both plays get good grades. "John Ferguson" gets a B- and "Suburbia" B+

The House In Town, a play by Richard Greenberg. Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzie E. Newhouse. Though British playwrights have gotten most of the praise in the 2005-2006 New York theater season, it is my own opinion that the two of the best plays of the season were by Americans: David Lindsay-Abaire's searing "Rabbit Hole" and now Richard Greenberg's "The House in Town." Both plays relate an extremely painful journey of an American wife to self-awareness and growth. The journey in "Rabbit Hole" is but an inch, but what an inch! Cynthia Nixon bravely gave, and won the Tony for Broadway's dramatic distaff performance of the year, but if Jessica Hecht's devastating portrayal of the fragile Amy Hammer had been eligible, she might have walked away with the Tony herself.
"The House in Town" is a metaphor for belonging, especially Amy's sense of her physical and spiritual self and and her place in life. In the end, she keeps her house, but at a great price. This is a multi-layered play set in 1929 New York, just on the edge of the abyss of the crash, and it explores everyone's sense of belonging, stripping away long-held facades, especially that of her husband, a Jew who has married into "society." One of the questions asked by the play is if a Jew in 1929 America can have a "House in Town."
Mark Harelik wins the immediate good will of the audience as Amy's solicitous husband. Armand Schultz and Becky Ann Baker are good in supporting roles.
This is the best Richard Greenberg play that I've seen, and is even more skilfully written than the highly praised "Take Me Out". With the exception of one or two cliched phrases (with apologies to Shakespeare, what high society "lady" in 1929 would have crudely opined "it was as cold as a witch's tit"?), it is exceptionally eloquent. "The House In Town" is in a limited run at the intimate Mitzi E. Newhouse at Lincoln Center. It deserves its own "house on Broadway" for a long run.
Passes the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel test with a solid B+

The Lieutenant of Inishmore. A play by Martin McDonagh, Lyceum Theatre. I attended last night's Actor's Fund Benefit performance of the Lieutenant of Inishmore and I was enormously impressed. This is a very entertaining absurdist play with gruesome grand guignol elements that is both funny and sad, and in the end profound. The Lieutenant of Inishmore brilliantly demonstrates the uselessness and senselessness of terrorism and the utter ruthless and remorseless manner in which it is applied so casually. The performances by a perfectly calibrated ensemble cast are outstanding. The rapt audience cheered and cheered at the conclusion. Warning to playgoers seated in the first two rows, I was splattered by stage blood and I'm not sure if it will come out as easily as real blood might. Even though I was stuck at the Holland Tunnel for nearly 45 minutes, thereby nearly doubling the time of my commute, this play easily passes the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test with a B+.

The History Boys. A play by Alan Bennett. Broadhurst Theatre. My wife and I loathed The History Boys! So far, I have only talked to two human beings who agree with us, so we are definitely out of step with the majority who have raved about the play and with the various organizations that have heaped awards on it both here and in the UK.
We felt the play was overlong and lacked focus, and the direction, laced with "Yellow Submarine" mod style videos, was tiresome and cliched.
What bothered us the most was the play's cavalier attitude towards the molestation of male students by a charismatic but increasingly marginalized teacher, and the ridicule piled on the headmaster who fires him for it. While the students all get into Oxford, they appear to fail in later life, and the young teacher who succeeds his older colleague (and may share his fatal flaw) ends up crippled and corroded in his life and later career. This is a play that, to us, despises the British education system and all who participate in it. The only value we discerned in the play lies in the good performances from the boys, but as a father of an NYU college student, I was appalled by the muck these Oxford bound "History Boys" appear to be stuck in. It's hard for me to believe that any of them would make it into perhaps the world's most famous and venerated University. We give this a near failing grade in the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test. Because of the good performance of the young men and an enjoyable, if overpraised turn by Frances De La Tour, we give this a D+

Shining City. A play by Conor McPherson. Biltmore Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club.
A finely written ghost story with virtuoso performances by Brian F. O'Byrne (can he do any wrong? I don't think so) and Oliver Platt in a sizzling Broadway debut. This play is dense and complicated and takes chances, and concludes with a virtuoso flourish. The run is limited, but it deserves to be seen. Passes the Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test with flying colors. B+

Sweeney Todd. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler. From an adaptation by Christopher Bond. Eugene O'Neill Theatre. I was fortunate enough to see Harold Prince's original ground breaking Sweeney Todd production, and from prime house seats given to me by my old friend Anna Sosenko. That was an unforgettable experience, with a definitive performance by Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett, but this new adaptation in which the small cast are also an onstage orchestra is mind bendingly brilliant. What happens is pure theatrical magic - the multi-talented cast, playing and singing Sondheim's complex score at the same time becomes an organic whole, with the drama pulsing right out of their instruments. The cast is amazing and the extraordinary sight of Patti LuPone playing the Tuba (and the Triangle) is worth the Bridge and Tunnel commute alone. I've never heard an ovation so primally erupt from an audience on Broadway as I did on this occasion. To say that this historic production passes the Bridge and Tunnel Test is an understatement - this is an experience of a lifetime. We didn't even mind being stuck in the tunnel on our way home, feeling as exhilirated as we did. One note of caution however, our daughter saw it on a different night and Patti LuPone did not perform and though she enjoyed the performance, evidentally it was not at all the same. So with Patti LuPone, we give Sweeney Todd an A+. Without Patti LuPone, it falls to B+.

The Drowsy Chaperone. Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. Marquis Theatre. The Drowsy Chaperone is an entirely original musical recreating an imaginary 1928 musical in the living room of a fanatical theater nerd played by the co-creator of the book, Robert Martin (hilarious and also poignant in this role). The cast is chock full of top notch Broadway talent led by Sutton Foster and Beth Level. Standouts include Georgia Engel as a ditsy hostess and my daughter's favorites Garth and Jason Kravits as two gangsters who could have fit right in with the Three Stooges or the Marx Brothers. The musical is fabulously staged, the costumes and sets are perfection.
I saw The Drowsy Chaperone on July 3 with my wife and 19-year-old daughter. We all loved it. The Drowsy Chaperone gets our highest recommendation; not only do we feel it passed the Bridge and Tunnel Test (and the traffic was horrendous getting through the Lincoln Tunnel), we would gladly see it again, tough commute or not! A+