When Bess Wohl's "Liberation" opened Off Broadway all the way back in February, it would have been ridiculous to grace it with best-of superlatives. Now that "Liberation" has opened on Broad…
Whitney White's direction elicits a triumph of ensemble acting whose equipoise is a perfect realization of the play's own themes. The actors work so well together, and so unselfishly, that i…
While Wohl's script is packed to the brim with thoughtful moments of beauty, comedy, and heartbreak, Liberation wouldn't be nearly as affecting and, sadly, relatable without its stellar cast…
There is something different about Liberation's Broadway production. Bess Wohl's play still features the same tight ensemble as in its Off-Broadway premiere earlier this year, and it is stil…
Liberation, which premiered off-Broadway earlier this year, is a welcome original play on Broadway that relies not on marquee Hollywood names for buzz but a slate of strong performances, whi…
RAGTIME is a sweeping musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's novel that follows three fictional families in pursuit of the American Dream at the dawn of the 20th Century: Black pianist Coalho…
As the plot follows the intersecting fortunes of those three characters' families, each seeking to redeem the country's promise at a time of tumultuous change, old-fashioned musical-theater …
From the moment the chorus rises from the stage of the Vivian Beaumont Theater during the opening number of Ragtime, you know you're in for something special"a big Broadway musical with what…
It's a thrilling experience, though on the Vivian Beaumont Theater's vast stage this pageant of a musical feels a bit skimpy. Not that the musical needs opulent sets, but it does call for st…
Ragtime culminates with two huge 11 o'clock numbers, from Henry and Levy, a Tony-winner and Olivier-nominee whose names are rightfully big draws to the show. Yet the showstopping vocal momen…
Ragtime settles into a richer and more internal mode quickly, in a large part due to the textured performances of its leads and the thought they've applied to Ahrens and Flaherty's score. Th…
The original Broadway production in 1998 featured career-changing performances from Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald and Marin Mazzie. Now, in 2025, you feel every bit as fortunate to b…
While deBessonet could have better provided a certain focus or point of view " Ragtime's telling of America's immigrant tale is, at this point in history, ripe for the picking " she certainl…
Henry has been at the forefront of Broadway leading men for 15 years, but this show is his triumph. He takes one of the most demanding roles in the Broadway canon and he does it full justice…
One year ago, seated at City Center, I cried at both numbers and left the theater deeply shaken. If that same power hasn't quite held, it is perhaps no fault of a broadly first-rate producti…
As Jacob tears through Nottingham in a whirlwind of drugs, girls, and bar fights, he makes a fatal mistake that lands him in prison. But as he struggles to accept the consequences of his act…
"Punch" comes up short in capturing the exchange between the victim's family and the perpetrator because it always leans on Jacob's perspective, down to an ending that shows him happily movi…
James Graham's play Punch, as directed by Adam Penford, is a very, very British work: it's sturdily acted, choreo-directed within an inch of its life and shot through with a sense of communi…
It leads to a luminous climax, arguably the most beautifully written single scene of the year. Jacob, Joan, David, and moderator Nicola (Camila Canó-Flaviá) sit in a simple half-circle…
It's quite a story, though not necessarily the kind that makes for the most astonishing theater. That's not to denigrate Punch, which is solidly built and well-meaning without sanctimony. Gr…
Despite the inherent drama and sadness of the entire situation, Punch too often feels like a PSA for the restorative justice procedure, with lots of exposition and step-by-step procedural in…
To criticize a play that tells this story of transformation is to be a grump. But good intentions aren't enough to make a good play. The suspense leading up to the first meeting between the …
Bold and deeply human, Punch is initially a bit slow on the wind up, but its stellar cast help weave together an almost unbelievable story of compassion and empathy in its second act that le…
But while story itself is inspiring, some central emotional focus seems missing from the way it unfolds in Punch, which winds up feeling less like a full-blown play and more like a digressiv…
James Graham's Punch, just brought to New York from England's Nottingham (approx. 127 miles northwest of London) and London's fringe, plunges more deeply into emotional areas"almost Biblical…