Venus Flytrap by Nicole Villeneuve

Despite striking visuals, Anthony Dodge's noir play can't decide whether to deconstruct or reinvent the genre, and the result is a watered-down version of classic noir that broaches gender i…

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Speaking in Tongues by A.J. Mell

Andrew Bovell's complex, noirish play has a lot going for it, but ultimately the characters aren't idiosyncratic or compelling enough to get by on their storytelling skills alone.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

The Nanjing Race by Erik Haagensen

In a belated New York City debut, Reggie Cheong-Leen's play examining a culture clash not usually seen in American drama proves to be an absorbing if flawed work.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Jesse L. Martin Is No Stranger to Shakespeare by Mark Kennedy

Jesse L. Martin has achieved a fair amount of fame from roles in Broadway's "Rent" and TV's "Law & Order" but he is still awed around Al Pacino. And that includes Al Pacino's lunch.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

In Light of Safety Concerns, 'Spider-Man' to Open in 2011 by Lindsay Powers

Broadway's "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" will delay its opening by two weeks in light of a continuing investigation by the New York State Department of Labor into its flying safety.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Fire Erupts at Historic Majestic Theater in Ohio

Officials say a fire during a gospel performance forced the evacuation of the historic Majestic Theater in Chillicothe, Ohio.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Juneteenth Blues Cabaret by Cindy Pierre

Powerhouse Jannie Jones hits all the right notes and steps in this splendid musical celebrating the legacies of five blues divas.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Montgomery Park, or Opulence by Mitch Montgomery

Karinne Keithley's immersive but daunting archival experiment uses multimedia to explore an asylum's curious history but is far too impenetrable.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

The Memorandum by Karl Levett

Vaclav Havel's 1965 absurdist comedy of bureaucracy run rampant in a Communist regime has lost a measure of its punch in the intervening years.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

NY Review: 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' by Erik Haagensen

There's much to enjoy in David Yazbek and Jeffrey Lane's adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar's 1988 film, particularly the top-notch, star-heavy cast, but ultimately the show fails to jell.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Director of Michael Jackson's 'Cirque du Soleil' Show Revealed

Jamie King will also write the 60-performer production, which Jackson's family endorses, to kick off next fall.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

'Spider-Man's' Flying Safety Under Investigation by Lindsay Powers

After actor Kevin Aubin broke both his wrists when he was launched from the back of the stage during a Broadway rehearsal, the New York State Department of Labor announces a set visit Wednes…

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

NY Review: 'That Hopey Changey Thing' by Clifford Lee Johnson III

Playwright Richard Nelson lobs a grenade with this hyper-timely play about the midterm elections. Performed by a sterling ensemble, it should give everyone, right or left, pause to reflect.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Middletown by David Sheward

The residents of Will Eno's allegorical Everytown spout fortune-cookie philosophy and act like overtranquilized mental patients in this pretentious play about life, death, and all the Big Is…

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

'Fiddler On the Roof' Composer Jerry Bock Dies by Mark Kennedy

Jerry Bock, who composed the music to some of the most memorable shows in Broadway history, including the melodies for "Fiorello!" and "Fiddler on the Roof," has died. He was 81.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

'Lion King' Star Shannon Tavarez, 11, Dies by Lindsay Powers

The Broadway actress had been fighting leukemia since April. Rihanna and Beyonce were among the stars who appeared in campaigns to help her find a bone marrow transplant.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Freud's Last Session to Close Off-Broadway by Michael Andronico

"Freud's Last Session" will end its limited engagement at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater on Nov. 28, producers announced today.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

'Championship Season' Revival Coming to Broadway by Michael Andronico

Pulitzer Prize-winning play "That Championship Season" will receive a Broadway revival, directed by Gregory Mosher. The play will open at a Shubert Theatre to be announced in March.

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Andre Braugher to Appear in 'Whipping Man' by Michael Andronico

Producers announced today that Emmy award-winner Andre Braugher will appear in Manhattan Theatre Club's New York premiere of "The Whipping Man."

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Greening the Theater by Beth Hogan

How do we get young audiences and artists involved and keep them excited? How do we create the next generation of the L.A. theater community?

SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑

Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage by Tom Penketh

"Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage" seems to have been designed solely as a diverting way for a gaggle of young single women (say, a bachelorette party) to spend an evening.SOURCE: Backstage at 5:58pm on May 25, 2015☆⚑