All stories by Alexis Soloski on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Review: In ‘Dutch Masters,’ Subway Seatmates, So Close and Yet So Far by Alexis Soloski

Greg Keller’s two-character play encourages the audience to wonder: Just what’s up with that guy nearby?

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:45PM
Monday, April 9, 2018

Review: Con Men in Tap Shoes Lay Down ‘The Sting’ by Alexis Soloski

Harry Connick Jr. is the star attraction in a jaunty if unremarkable musical adaptation of the Oscar-winning film.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:55PM
Sunday, April 8, 2018

Mean Girls review – Tina Fey's comedy hits Broadway with a soft landing by Alexis Soloski

August Wilson theatre, New YorkThe stage adaptation of the hit teen film is a jubilant watch but the songs aren’t quite as catchy as they should be and there’s a mean streak missingMean …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:00PM
Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Tom Hollander is Starring on Broadway, Poor Guy by Alexis Soloski

He’s gotten great reviews as the comic center of Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties.” So why is he worried about his lines, his future and the little finger on his left hand?

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00AM
Friday, March 30, 2018

Three Tall Women review – Glenda Jackson's astounding return to Broadway by Alexis Soloski

Golden theatre, New York Edward Albee’s psychodrama spells out the crueller fortunes of life for three ages of the same woman, leavened with some comic sympathyExistential dread comes very…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:00AM
Thursday, March 29, 2018

15 Plays and Musicals to Go to in NYC This Weekend by Alexis Soloski

Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:00PM
Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Review: A Playful ‘Pygmalion’ from Bedlam? Bloody Likely. by Alexis Soloski

A stripped-down version of George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 drama, which is just fine without the music that “My Fair Lady” had.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:01PM
Monday, March 26, 2018

Lobby Hero review – Chris Evans hits Broadway in tight, timely drama by Alexis Soloski

Hayes Theater, New YorkA stylish production of Kenneth Lonergan’s 2001 play is brimming with smart dialogue and fine performances Lobby Hero is a play about the way we justify ourselves to…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:00PM
Thursday, March 22, 2018

Frozen review – Disney hit arrives on Broadway with mixed results by Alexis Soloski

St James Theatre, New YorkA likable transfer for the animated phenomenon will please fans but an extended running time highlights a thin plotWant to know the real star of Frozen? That would …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:00PM

17 Plays and Musicals to Go to in NYC This Weekend by Alexis Soloski

Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:00PM
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Review: In the Mood for ‘Prurience’? Speak Up by Alexis Soloski

At this encounter group, the porn addict to your right or left may be an actor. If only the show’s creators had more self-control.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:20AM
Monday, March 19, 2018

Review: ‘Old Stock,’ an Immigrant Love Story Set to Klezmer by Alexis Soloski

In this spry and winning show, a Canadian playwright links the story of her great-grandparents to the refugee crisis of the present.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:59PM
Sunday, March 18, 2018

The golden couple behind Frozen: 'Letting it go is drinking a bottle of chardonnay' by Alexis Soloski

It’s the grand slam – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony – and Robert Lopez has done it twice. The EGOT champ and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, his wife and co-composer, talk about penning …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:00AM
Thursday, March 15, 2018

Escape to Margaritaville review – Jimmy Buffett jukebox musical is charming but lazy by Alexis Soloski

Marquis Theatre, New YorkAn island-based assembly of the hit-maker’s most loved tracks is an undemanding watch that could have benefited from more nuanceEscape to Margaritaville, the Jimmy…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:00PM

16 Plays and Musicals to Go to in NYC This Weekend by Alexis Soloski

Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:00PM

Review: In ‘Education,’ a Fictional Protest That Pales Next to Real Ones by Alexis Soloski

Brian Dykstra’s play about a student’s activist artwork lacks the kind of focus that teenagers around the country are bringing to issues like gun control.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:26PM
Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Mean Girls musical opens on Broadway: 'They connected it to 2018' by Alexis Soloski

Tina Fey’s hit teen comedy heads to the stage after a trial run in Washington and a first night of previews suggests fans will be happyIt was a Monday. So no one wore pink. Mean Girls, bas…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:26AM
Friday, March 9, 2018

With ‘Rise,’ a ‘Friday Night Lights’ for Theater Kids by Alexis Soloski

NBC’s “Rise,” isn’t “Glee” and it isn’t “Fame.” “The mantra is to always keep it as realistic and honest as possible,” said its showrunner, Jason Katims.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00AM
Thursday, March 8, 2018

Good for Otto review – Ed Harris offers simplistic therapy in David Rabe's drama by Alexis Soloski

Pershing Square Signature Center, New YorkThe actor stars in an intimately staged yet strangely old-fashioned rendition of the Tony award-winning writer’s playGood for Otto, David Rabe’s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:00PM

10 Plays and Musicals to Go to in NYC This Weekend by Alexis Soloski

Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:00PM

Encounters: Shopping for Marmite With Harry Hadden-Paton by Alexis Soloski

The British actor, a star of “Downton Abbey” who will appear in “My Fair Lady” on Broadway, seeks a taste of home in the West Village.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:00PM

Review: ‘Locked Up’ and in for a Ruff Night by Alexis Soloski

This ragged “Orange Is the New Black” parody is set in an all-female animal shelter where dogs and cats don’t get along. How will Pipsy survive?

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:26PM
Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Review: In Search of Intelligent Life and a Willing Sperm Donor by Alexis Soloski

Don Nguyen’s “Hello, From the Children of Planet Earth” asks what it takes to sustain human life, in space and on earth.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:45PM
Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Lauren Ambrose Finally Gets Her Musical by Alexis Soloski

She made her name on the TV drama “Six Feet Under.” But her last musical? That was “Oklahoma!” — in high school. Now she’s playing Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:00AM
Friday, February 23, 2018

Disney's Frozen musical opens on Broadway: 'More nudity than expected' by Alexis Soloski

After a trial run in Denver, the stage adaptation of the animated smash hits New York and a passionate fanbase is already out in force – and in costumeThe cold never bothered them anyway. …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:31AM
Monday, February 19, 2018

Review: In ‘Athena,’ Two Teenage Fencers Parry Ordinary Life by Alexis Soloski

Girls train, talk and bond in Gracie Gardner’s play, another entry into recent works telling the important stories of young women growing up.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:26PM
Friday, February 16, 2018

Review: ‘A Small Oak Tree Runs Red’ Unties a Century-Old Noose by Alexis Soloski

This flawed and devastating play argues that in remaining ignorant of our history, we risk remaining mired in its violence.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:34PM

Critic’s Notebook: These Actors Are Off Book. Way Off. by Alexis Soloski

Words on the page are only a start when improvisers and actors collaborate at a monthly show at Upright Citizens Brigade called “Gravid Water.” And that’s just fine with a theater crit…

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00AM

Encounters: A Melania Trump Impersonator’s Downtime With Her Daughter by Alexis Soloski

Laura Benanti, the cabaret performer and Broadway star, keeps a low profile in her Harlem neighborhood.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:56AM
Thursday, February 15, 2018

13 Plays and Musicals to Go to in NYC This Weekend by Alexis Soloski

Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:00PM
Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Audible Will Bring Back ‘Harry Clarke’ Off Broadway by Alexis Soloski

The production of “Harry Clarke,” a one-man show starring Billy Crudup, is the latest step in the audiobook maker’s investment in contemporary theater.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:26PM