Theater Review
An Abused Boy, Betrayed by a Society’s Willful Blindness
By DAVID ROONEY
“James X” is written and performed by Gerard Mannix Flynn and based partly on his experiences as a victim of childhood sexual abuse.
Afghanistan Play, With Experts in the House
By JENNIFER SCHUESSLER
Joshua Bright for The New York Times
A discussion onstage at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater after “Blood and Gifts” on Thursday.
The Council on Foreign Relations bought all the seats in the house for a performance of J. T. Rogers’s play “Blood and Gifts.”
Theater Review | 'Krapp’s Last Tape'
Unspooling Memories From the Soul on a Machine
By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
“Krapp’s Last Tape,” by Samuel Beckett, stars John Hurt as a 69-year-old man celebrating his birthday by reassessing a passage in his life from some 30 years before, captured on a tape recorder.
Theater Review | 'Stick Fly'
So Many Secrets, Soon to See the Light
By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
There are plenty of staggering secrets eager for the telling in “Stick Fly,” a juicy family drama by Lydia R. Diamond.
ArtsBeat Blog
Theater Talkback: Diminishing The 'Hat'? About That Casting Controversy
By STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS
Stephen Adly Guirgis on the casting controversy
Books of The Times
‘Look, I Made a Hat’
By STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Reviewed by CHARLES ISHERWOOD
The second volume of Stephen Sondheim’s collected lyrics, “Look, I Made a Hat,” describes his collaborations with James Lapine as a vital artistic renewal.
Holiday Theater, in Three Flavors
By ERIK PIEPENBURG
Dickens and Tchaikovsky are always on the menu around town, but so are latkes and burlesque.
Theater Review | 'Bai Xi'
Pretzel Twists Onstage, Not at the Snack Bar
By ERIC GRODE
Cirque Shanghai’s “Bai Xi,” at the New Victory Theater, includes plenty of moves that children shouldn’t do at home.
Charles Sykes/Associated Press
Hugh Jackman with fans after the opening night of his Broadway show.
The fantasy of Hugh Jackman: your dream lover, your gay best friend, and no embarrassing meltdowns.
Video
Portal to Off Off Broadway’s Early Days
By STEVEN McELROY
A recent donation to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts will give the public more access to memorabilia from Caffe Cino, the birthplace of Off Off Broadway.
More News and Reviews
ArtsBeat Blog
Could a Reconceived 'Cinderella' Get Invited to a Broadway Ball?
By PATRICK HEALY
"Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," based on the 1957 television musical starring Julie Andrews, will be reconceived with the intent of bringing it to Broadway in 2012.
Theater Review | 'Maple and Vine'
Exchanging Lattes for an ‘Ozzie and Harriet’ World
By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
In Jordan Harrison’s play “Maple and Vine,” stressed-out New Yorkers move into a community that tries to recreate the 1950s.
Theater Review | 'Neighbourhood Watch'
A Genteel Neck of the Woods Becomes a Genteel Fortress
By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
“Neighbourhood Watch,” part of the annual Brits Off Broadway festival, will probably not be ranked high among Alan Ayckbourn’s staggering output.
Theater Review | 'Mad Women'
Happy Little Bluebirds May Fly, but Judy and Mom Just Crashed and Burned
By ANDY WEBSTER
The one-man show “Mad Women” at the Club at La MaMa finds John Fleck reflecting on his childhood.
Show Reviews
Recommended shows from Ben Brantley, Charles Isherwood and other theater critics for The New York Times.
Recent show reviews from Ben Brantley, Charles Isherwood and other theater critics for The New York Times.
Multimedia
The Life of 'Stick Fly'
Condola Rashad talks about performing in Lydia R. Diamond's new Broadway play.
Holiday Shows, in Many Permutations
Holiday theater divided into three loosely defined, Dickens-inspired categories: past, present and future.
Most Popular Shows
Top-grossing Broadway shows for the week ending Dec. 4.
- The Lion King
- Wicked
- Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway
- Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
- The Book of Mormon
- Jersey Boys
- War Horse
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
- On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
- Sister Act
Source: The Broadway League
'Wind in the Willows' Musical in the Works
December 9, 2011
'Magic/Bird' Gets Its Larry Bird
December 8, 2011
Theater Highlights
Recent Reviews
Theater Review | 'Once'
A Love Affair With Music, Maybe With Each Other
By BEN BRANTLEY
The talented creators of “Once,” a musical inspired by the 2006 film starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, faced a big problem that they’ve only partly resolved.
Theater Review | 'The Jazz Singer'
Mama and Papa Versus Life Upon the Wicked Stage
By CATHERINE RAMPELL
In style and content “The Jazz Singer” is undeniably a period piece, schmaltzy and partly calcified by some dated dialogue. But its core themes endure.
Theater Review | 'Happy Hour'
Life Is Grim, and Then Things Tend to Get a Lot Worse
By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
The Atlantic Theater Company is presenting “Happy Hour,” a wearying evening of short plays by Ethan Coen.
Theater Review | 'The Cherry Orchard'
Breaking the Fourth Wall to Let Chekhov Out
By BEN BRANTLEY
John Turturro and Dianne Wiest star in Andrei Belgrader’s heartbreakingly funny production of Chekhov’s “Cherry Orchard,” at the Classic Stage Company.
Theater Review | 'Misterman'
The Force of a Personality Can Conjure Up a World
By BEN BRANTLEY
The electrifying Cillian Murphy seems to inhabit every millimeter of the wasteland in which he has been let loose in “Misterman,” Enda Walsh’s one-man play.
News and Features
Leo Friedman, Photographer of Broadway’s Glamour Years, Dies at 92
By BRUCE WEBER
Mr. Friedman was a ubiquitous presence in and around New York theaters in the 1950s and 1960s
ArtsBeat Blog
'Kibitzer,' a Forgotten Play Reworked by Edward G. Robinson, Gets a Reading
By ALISON LEIGH COWAN
After having the leading role in an early version of the play, Robinson contributed to a reworking of it.
Judd Woldin, ‘Raisin’ Score Composer, Dies at 86
By BRUCE WEBER
Mr. Woldin also traveled with the Ink Spots and Lionel Hampton, and played in the “Hello, Dolly!” orchestra on Broadway.
Opening Soon
Many of these shows are currently in previews.
- A Child's Christmas in Wales In Concert (December 11)
- On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (December 11)
- Brits Off Broadway: Kissing Sid James (December 13)
- Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan: National Tour (December 14)
- Lysistrata Jones (December 14)
- The Knickerbocker Suite (December 15)
Podcast: Around Broadway
Charles Isherwood compares Hugh Jackman, Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin on stage.
From the Archive
Multimedia Features
Interviews with performers, designers and others in the theater, on Broadway and off.
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