They Climb Every Mountain, Yes, Even in Kansas in August by MARGO JEFFERSON
All a good parody needs is smart writers and winning performers. In the case of "The Musical of Musicals — The Musical!," two smart writers and four winning performers.
Legends and Lore Dished Up With After-Theater Panache by STEPHEN HOLDEN
The best way to approach Rick McKay's messy, anecdotal history of Broadway is to enjoy it as a fan's worshipful notes.
Terribly Ill? No, He's Just Hilariously Self-Involved by MARGO JEFFERSON
The new production of Molière's masterwork by La Comédie-Française feels like the equivalent of a dutiful lecture-demonstration.
How Hitler's Armies Conquered a Mind by BEN BRANTLEY
Frank Dunlop's dust-caked adaptation of Kathrine Kressmann Taylor's short novel from the late 1930's stars William Atherton as a rabid disciple of Hitler.
Exhortations but No Excuses as a Marriage Comes Apart by D. J. R. BRUCKNER
No holds are barred in the battle of the sexes in this play by the California playwright William A. Parker.
How Now, Class Cutups, as Wild as Ever? by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
The Wau Wau Sisters are everybody's high-school class cutups, given an afterlife in show business. They're naughty for a living.
Reveries, Please, With Extra Madeleines by ANITA GATES
The Colleagues Theater Company's "Tasting Memories" is a one-act reading (with a little music) of poetry and prose about food.
Terror (or Donnybrook) in Northern Ireland by NEIL GENZLINGER
Gary Mitchell, a playwright from Northern Ireland, does a reasonably good job of juxtaposing family stress and paramilitary thuggery in this busy, bellicose drama.
Of Money and the Maiden as the Clock Ticks by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
This presentation of the Jewish Theater of New York concerns a self-designated Jewish-American princess who is hours from her 40th birthday.
Trying to Make Their Lives Into Stories Worth Telling by MARGO JEFFERSON
Stories and endings are the ruling metaphor of Julia Jordan's interesting and frustrating new play.
Ladies, Ladies! When You're Not Cheeky, You're Sneaky by MARGO JEFFERSON
Cheers to the British trio that calls itself Fascinating Aida. Their bawdy and political style at the 59E59 Theaters is something every cabaret singer should see.
Fiery, Funny and Fortissimo, Still on the Lookout for Love by VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN
This documentary about the actress's 2002 one-woman show reveals her as a sophisticated, unsparing and desperate legend.
Seeing Through Blindfolds? Reading Minds? Why, It's Magic by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
Marc Salem is up to his old tricks. That's good news for theatergoers, especially families in search of mind-boggling entertainment sugared with quick wit and plenty of laughter.
The Music of Bitter Memories in a Raunchy Bar Full of Both by BEN BRANTLEY
Bebe Neuwirth stars in this cigarillo-slender show that weaves assorted songs by Kurt Weill into a vague narrative cycle about the life and times of one weary woman.
It Is 2030 and Oedipal Tensions Still Rage by BEN BRANTLEY
None of Jon Robin Baitz's paternal figures have been held accountable for their sins as brutally as Arthur Brice is in this formula-crippled futurist drama.
Look Out, Antigone, Creon Still Means What He Says by MARGO JEFFERSON
Ellen Stewart creates a primal whole with a vibrantly staged "Antigone" at the La MaMa Annex.
A Fragile Victim of Love Long Past by BEN BRANTLEY
A sorcerer named Laura Linney is performing an act of magic that happens only in live theater. She has rewritten a play without changing a word.
Reality vs. Best-Laid Plans for the Homeless by MARGO JEFFERSON
Kia Corthron's drama about a fractured community of the homeless in New York City has gripping moments, but it isn't consistently and coherently powerful.
The Naked Pedestrian Is Dead, and the Sleuths Are a Bit Slow by D. J. R. BRUCKNER
A Ventriloquist Explains It All, Humorously and Touchingly by D. J. R. BRUCKNER
A Lawyer You Love to Hate When His Life Starts Crumbling by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
Entertainment in abundance radiates from the sparkling new production of the old Elmer Rice drama "Counsellor-at-Law."
A Fairy, Not the Brightest, Still Gets to Keep Her Wand by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
Expert puppetry and kindly storytelling combine to deliver a message of friendship in an imperfect world in this 60-minute intermissionless entertainment.
Sophocles Goes Truly Retro, Back to the Beginning of Time by NEIL GENZLINGER
Paul Lazar play rips the Sophocles classic to pieces and casts it back into prehistory.
Finding the Humor and Melody in a Popular Indoor Sport by ANITA GATES
Despite numbers like "Intercourse on the Internet" and "I Need It Bad," this new musical isn't nearly as idiotic or offensive as a theatergoer might guess.
It's 'Streetcar,' but Blanche Has a Sly Side by BEN BRANTLEY
Patricia Clarkson offers a clear-eyed look at one of theater's haziest heroines in a largely spark-free production at the Kennedy Center in Washington.