Sunday in Times Square with Elmo by Ngozi Ukazu

The pipe dream versus reality of a pilgrimage to Broadway.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on December 18, 2023☆⚑

Two Dramas Take on the Dispossession Plot by Helen Shaw

Property and its discontents vex "Manahatta" and "Life & Times of Michael K."

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on December 7, 2023☆⚑

"Hell's Kitchen" Brings Alicia Keys's Musical Power to the Public by Helen Shaw

The R. & B. titan shares a fictionalized version of her coming of age.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on November 21, 2023☆⚑

Betye Saar Reassembles the Lives of Black Women by Hilton Als

The artist restores depth and interiority to the caricatures of racism.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on November 20, 2023☆⚑

Off Off Broadway Serves Up Comedy Three Ways by Helen Shaw

"FOOD," "Redwood," and "Faust (The Broken Show)" mask serious intent behind laughter.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on November 9, 2023☆⚑

Coping Mechanisms in "Sabbath's Theater" and "I Need That" by Vinson Cunningham

John Turturro plays the sex-obsessed Mickey Sabbath in a stage adaptation of Philip Roth's novel, and on Broadway Danny DeVito portrays a hoarder.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on November 6, 2023☆⚑

High Camp and High Tragedy in Two Electrifying Off-Broadway Productions by Helen Shaw

Becca Blackwell and Amanda Duarte play exuberant, boundary-pushing alter egos, and the Irish Rep revives Brian Friel's stately "Translations."

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 4:19pm on November 3, 2023☆⚑

Remembering Robert Brustein, a Giant of the American Theatre by Helen Shaw

The critic, professor, producer, and author was a pugilistic champion of the stage.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 2:03pm on November 1, 2023☆⚑

Stephen Sondheim's Last Musical, "Here We Are," Comes to the Shed by Helen Shaw

The writer David Ives and the director Joe Mantello continued without the late composer on an adaptation of two lacerating Luis Buñuel films.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on October 26, 2023☆⚑

Jocelyn Bioh Gets Her Hair Done in Harlem by Natalie Meade

The playwright behind "Jaja's African Hair Braiding" chose boho mermaid locks before opening on Broadway.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on October 16, 2023☆⚑

The Edith Hamilton Way by Mary Norris

A new biography provides a glimpse into the life of the celebrated classicist.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 4:11pm on October 12, 2023☆⚑

Epic Proportions in "The Refuge Plays" and "Zoetrope" by Helen Shaw

Two new intergenerational sagas, by Nathan Alan Davis and Javier Antonio González, explore the American legacy.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on October 12, 2023☆⚑

The Melting Pot of "Jaja's African Hair Braiding" by Vinson Cunningham

In Jocelyn Bioh's new Broadway comedy, West African immigrants navigate a Harlem salon fraught with cultural dissonance.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on October 9, 2023☆⚑

Daily Cartoon: Monday, October 2nd by Shannon Wheeler

"Someone's yelling 'Lauren Boebert' in a crowded theatre."

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 1:32pm on October 2, 2023☆⚑

Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells Channel Two Pals from Junior High by Emma Allen

The duo behind "Beetlejuice" on Broadway began their latest show, "Gutenberg! The Musical!," as a goof.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on October 2, 2023☆⚑

"Purlie Victorious" Hustles for Social Justice by Vinson Cunningham

Sophisticated comedic turns from Leslie Odom, Jr., and Kara Young guide Kenny Leon's Broadway revival of Ossie Davis's 1961 play.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on September 30, 2023☆⚑

A Russian Theatre Director in Exile by Helen Shaw

Dmitry Krymov starts from scratch in New York.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 11:30am on September 29, 2023☆⚑

Michelle Buteau's Caring Comedy by Hilton Als

Hilton Als reviews Michelle Buteau's "Full Heart, Tight Jeans": sentiment and a sense of community provide the framework for the comedian's new standup show.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on September 25, 2023☆⚑

"Swing State" and "Dig" Put Down Roots Off Broadway by Helen Shaw

Rebecca Gilman and Theresa Rebeck use plants as metaphors for human flourishing in their latest works.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 12:15pm on September 21, 2023☆⚑

A Cube Glows in Downtown Manhattan by Sarah Larson

Beyond the amber marble that sheathes PAC NYC are three maximally transformable theatre spaces and a Marcus Samuelsson restaurant.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on September 18, 2023☆⚑

Theatre Kids Find Their Place in "Theater Camp" by Dan Stahl

With humor and pathos, the movie presents the stage as a haven to be protected.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 4:12pm on September 14, 2023☆⚑

Annie Baker Turns a Philosophical Eye on Pain by Helen Shaw

The playwright's exquisite new comic drama, "Infinite Life," nails the absurdity of having a body.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 10:00am on September 13, 2023☆⚑

Fall Culture Preview: What to See This Season

What's happening in TV, art, theatre, music, movies, and more.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on August 18, 2023☆⚑

"The Shark Is Broken" Circles the Guts of "Jaws" by Helen Shaw

The new Broadway play, by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, imagines frequently irritable chats among the movie's three main actors, including Shaw's father, Robert Shaw.

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 6:00am on August 11, 2023☆⚑

The Barbie Movie That Was Barred from Theatres by Jessica Winter

Todd Haynes's "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story" exists in diametrical, generational opposition to Greta Gerwig's box-office-topping "Barbie."

SOURCE: The New Yorker Subscription at 10:54am on July 27, 2023☆⚑