new york

'Good With People' Makes a Virtue of Brevity

David Harrower’s “Good With People,” from Scotland’s Traverse Theatre Company, packs rich acting, taut direction, and even a bit of history into 55 minutes of riveting theater.

‘F#%king Up Everything’ Is Tamer Than Its Title

David Eric Davis and Sam Forman’s rock musical “F#%king Up Everything” stays safely within the realm of musical comedy but offers exuberant songs and a vibrant young cast.

'It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman' Soars in Concert at Encores!

Encores! concert version of “It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman,” featuring an irresistible Strouse and Adams score, is one of the company’s most entertaining shows to date.

'Bears' Is Silly to the Point of Absurdity

Mark Rigney’s “Bears,” a nonsensical jumble of a play getting its New York premiere at 59E59 Theaters, follows the adventures of three grizzly bears in a post-apocalyptic world.

'Strike Up the Band' Concert Serves Up Gorgeous Gershwin

Musicals Tonight! has fielded a respectable bare-bones rendering of “Strike Up the Band,” with the Gershwin score faring better than George S. Kaufman’s satirical anti-war script.

Heart-Stopping 'Shaheed: The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto' Analyzes a Martyr

“Shaheed: The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto,” writer-performer Anna Khaja’s engrossing solo show at Culture Project, examines the Pakistani prime minister’s assassination.

'The Real (Desperate) Housewives of Columbia County Musical' Delights

“The Real (Desperate) Housewives of Columbia County Musical,” a musical satire from Taconic Stage Company on Bravo’s popular reality shows, is a fun, fizzy, and fast cocktail.

'Jackie' Smashes an Icon

“Jackie,” Nobel Prize–winning playwright Elfriede Jelinek’s 2005 exegetic takedown of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, from Women’s Project Theater, is lively and dynamic if unsurprising.

‘Belleville’ Keeps Us on the Outside Looking In

The talented Amy Herzog hits a snag with “Belleville,” at New York Theatre Workshop, which falls uneasily between thriller and drama and doesn’t resonate beyond its specifics.

'Carousel' Too Cute in Concert by the NY Philharmonic

The New York Philharmonic’s staged concert of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s “Carousel,” starring Nathan Gunn, Stephanie Blythe, and Kelli O’Hara, values music over drama.