All stories by Charles Isherwood on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Review: In ‘Dot,’ a Fading Matriarch Brings a Family Together by Charles Isherwood

Colman Domingo wrote and Susan Stroman directs this comedy-drama about a woman with Alzheimer’s and how her family tries to adjust.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:25AM
Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Review: ‘Smokefall,’ About Several Generations of an Eccentric Family by Charles Isherwood

The characters’ lives in Noah Haidle’s comedy-drama are defined by their eccentricities and flights of odd lyricism.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:32AM

Review: In ‘Her Requiem,’ a Gifted Daughter and Her Two Warring Parents by Charles Isherwood

In Greg Pierce’s new play at the Claire Tow Theater, a young composer’s great gift may come with costs for the entire family.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:32AM
Sunday, February 21, 2016

Review: ‘Nice Fish,’ Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins’s Quirky Ice Fishing Tale by Charles Isherwood

Drawing on Mr. Jenkins’s prose poems, this play at St.. Ann’s Warehouse alludes to larger meanings beneath its homely surface.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:25PM
Thursday, February 18, 2016

Review: ‘The Humans’ Depicts a Family, and a Country, Under Pressure by Charles Isherwood

Stephen Karam’s drama moves to Broadway without losing any of its power. Much credit goes to its remarkable cast, intact from its Off Broadway run.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:48PM

Left-Field Musicals Take Center Stage by Charles Isherwood

Broadway has had some success lately with shows that ignored tired templates. This spring offers worthy additions to that encouraging trend.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:14PM
Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Week Ahead: Noah Haidle’s ‘Smokefall’ Comes to New York by Charles Isherwood

The play tells the story of four generations of a conflict-ridden family in Michigan.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:06AM
Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Review: Bolaño’s Mysterious ‘2666,’ Distilled to 5½ Hours by the Goodman Theater by Charles Isherwood

In this ambitious staging, a tale that runs about 900 pages is rendered through informative sketches of events, losing some of its shimmering layers.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:02PM
Thursday, February 11, 2016

Review: A Campus Caldron Too Hot to Touch in ‘Smart People’ by Charles Isherwood

Characters in Lydia R. Diamond’s drama grapple with race, class, prejudice, identity and sexuality.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:32PM

Review: God and Devil Gamble on a Soul in ‘Cabin in the Sky’ by Charles Isherwood

The all-black musical, originally from 1940, is resurrected in City Center’s Encores! series.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:36PM

Joel Grey, a Broadway Eminence, Comes of Age at 83 by Charles Isherwood

Mr. Grey won an Oscar and a Tony for his role in “Cabaret.” Now, in a new memoir, he talks about his years in showbiz — and in the closet.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:58AM
Friday, February 5, 2016

Review: ‘Broadway & the Bard’ Serves Delicious Combos by Charles Isherwood

Len Cariou pairs Shakespeare’s monologues and sonnets with songs from musicals in a solo show at the Lion Theater.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:36PM
Sunday, January 24, 2016

Review: ‘A Ride on the Irish Cream,’ Erin Markey’s Tale of an Odd Affair by Charles Isherwood

This music-theater piece, at the Abrons Arts Center, finds a vainglorious girl in love with both a boat and a horse.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:52PM
Thursday, January 21, 2016

Review: ‘The Glory of the World,’ About Thomas Merton by Charles Isherwood

Thomas Merton’s birthday party may be divine, but his operating mode was more contemplative than this all-male play would have you believe.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:39PM

The Week Ahead: Lydia R. Diamond’s ‘Smart People’ Begins Previews at Second Stage by Charles Isherwood

Ms. Diamond’s play, having its New York premiere, focuses on four racially diverse characters with connections to Harvard.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:47PM
Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Review: A ‘Mother Courage’ Deployed to Africa by Charles Isherwood

Kecia Lewis stars in the Classic Stage Company production, which shifts Brecht’s antiwar drama to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:12PM
Friday, January 15, 2016

Review: From Chile, ‘Escuela,’ a Drama About Education by Charles Isherwood

In Guillermo Calderón’s play, the setting is a classroom, and the lesson is about guerrilla warfare.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:14PM

Review: ‘Key Change’ Hears From Women in Prison by Charles Isherwood

Written by Catrina McHugh, this short play at the Fourth Street Theater portrays the experiences of several female inmates during incarceration.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:04PM
Thursday, January 14, 2016

Review: Michael Frayn’s ‘Noises Off’ Returns to Broadway by Charles Isherwood

Mr. Frayn’s comedy depicting a company of second-tier actors performing in a British sex farce is at the American Airlines Theater through March 6.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:50PM

Review: ‘Yesterday Tomorrow,’ a Meeting of Songs About Time by Charles Isherwood

A Beatles ballad and an “Annie” anthem blend in Annie Dorsen’s hourlong work at La MaMa, part of the Coil festival.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:35PM
Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Review: A Woman Grows Up in ‘Employee of the Year’ by Charles Isherwood

The life story of a woman is told in this show from the company 600 Highwaymen, but the actors are 9 or 10 years old.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:03PM
Monday, January 11, 2016

Review: ‘The Changeling,’ Where Murder Is the Natural Solution by Charles Isherwood

In Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s 1622 Jacobean tragedy, at the Lucille Lortel, a young noblewoman needs a hit man.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:04PM

Review: ‘The Art of Luv (Part 1),’ a Quest for the Perfect Erotic Recipe by Charles Isherwood

Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble’s show at the Public combines elements of a yoga class with a multimedia exploration of the dynamics of attraction.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:04PM
Friday, January 1, 2016

Critic's Notebook: A Tip of the Hat to ‘Beach Blanket Babylon’ by Charles Isherwood

The revue, which has been running in San Francisco since 1974, still feels fresh and goofy.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:44PM
Wednesday, December 23, 2015

‘Hir’ Is Among Those Plays Facing Final Curtains by Charles Isherwood

Closings on Jan. 3 also include “The Humans,” “Hand to God,” “Dames at Sea” and “Thérèse Raquin.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:56AM
Sunday, December 20, 2015

Review: A ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Revival With an Echo of Modernity by Charles Isherwood

This musical about a Jewish milkman honors the spirit of the 1964 original and includes scenes of beleaguered townspeople that look familiar today.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:32PM
Thursday, December 17, 2015

Review: In ‘MotherStruck!’ Staceyann Chin Chronicles Her Quest to Become Pregnant by Charles Isherwood

Ms. Chin’s solo show travels from her childhood in Jamaica to her life as a gay adult New York performer who longs for a stable relationship and a child.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:19AM

Review: In ‘These Paper Bullets!,’ a Chance to Twist and Shout by Charles Isherwood

Written by Rolin Jones and with songs by Billie Joe Armstrong, this Atlantic Theater Company production updates “Much Ado About Nothing” to London in the ’60s.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:19AM
Friday, December 11, 2015

Review: ‘Take Care,’ With Audience Participation for All by Charles Isherwood

At the Flea Theater, the cast insists on interactivity during Todd Shalom and Niegel Smith’s willfully weird play.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:14PM
Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Best Theater of 2015 by Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood

“Hamilton,” “An American in Paris” and “Eclipsed” are among the highlights.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:52PM
Friday, December 4, 2015

Review: In ‘Steel Hammer,’ a Man and a Train in a Race and a Legend by Charles Isherwood

Four playwrights, three vocalists, the troupe Siti Company and the Bang on a Can All Stars interpret the folk tale of John Henry in this production.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:09AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic