‘Smart People’ Theater Review: Joshua Jackson, Tessa Thomson Gets Caught in Racial Crossfire Culture | By Robert Hofler on February 11, 2016 @ 7:00 pm Lydia R. Diamond’s new play is about racism in the way that Jules Feiffer’s “Carnal Knowledge” screenplay is about sexism. Nothing else is open for...
‘An Act of God’ LA Theater Review: Sean Hayes Makes an Almighty Scene Culture | By Thom Geier on February 11, 2016 @ 12:27 am Former “Will & Grace” star takes over for Jim Parsons, who played the Divine One in the virtually one-man show last summer on Broadway
‘Prodigal Son’ Theater Review: John Patrick Shanley Loves What He Sees in Mirror of His Youth Culture | By Robert Hofler on February 9, 2016 @ 7:00 pm The young student hero of Shanley’s play talks like a 65-year-old playwright who took an adult education course in Western civilization
‘Our Mother’s Brief Affair’ Broadway Review: Linda Lavin Looks Back With Angst Culture | By Robert Hofler on January 20, 2016 @ 7:20 pm Richard Greenberg’s fictitious revelations can’t compare to the play’s central bombshell, which can be found on Wikipedia
‘Noises Off’ Broadway Review: Does Andrea Martin Lead a Laugh Riot or Smile Contest? Culture | By Robert Hofler on January 14, 2016 @ 7:00 pm Return visitors to Michael Frayn’s three-act comedy may find watching its play within a play too much of a bad thing
‘These Paper Bullets!’ Theater Review: Billie Joe Armstrong Combines the Beatles and the Bard Culture | By Robert Hofler on December 15, 2015 @ 7:00 pm There isn’t enough of Armstrong’s music and there’s way too much of Rolin Jones’ book, which achieves the uneasy feat of being both amateur and...
‘The Color Purple’ Broadway Review: Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo Lead Sexy Revival Culture | By Robert Hofler on December 10, 2015 @ 5:33 pm Under John Doyle’s inspired direction, sex emerges as a major ingredient in this very adult musical, whether it’s sex to make love, to abuse someone,...
‘School of Rock’ Broadway Review: Julian Fellowes, Andrew Lloyd Webber Try to Rock Culture | By Robert Hofler on December 6, 2015 @ 4:11 pm In a rock musical based on the 2003 American movie, you exit humming Mozart — yes, Mozart
‘China Doll’ Broadway Review: Al Pacino, David Mamet Play With Politics and Greed Culture | By Robert Hofler on December 3, 2015 @ 8:00 pm Pacino never hides his technique, which is what makes him so entertaining to watch. Here, he brings out his entire arsenal of shtick
‘Invisible Thread’ Theater Review: Musical’s Uganda Is Far From ‘Book of Mormon’ Culture | By Robert Hofler on December 2, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Director Diane Paulus eschews the pyrotechnics of her recent Broadway outings to embrace a minimalist approach that suits this autobiographical musical to perfection
‘Important Hats of the Twentieth Century’ Theater Review: Camp Meets High Fashion Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 23, 2015 @ 7:40 pm “Orange Is the New Black” writer-producer Nick Jones has fashioned a hilarious, always hallucinatory new Off Broadway comedy about a time-traveling clothing designer
‘Steve’ Theater Review: Same-Sex Marriage Can Be Anything But Gay Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 18, 2015 @ 4:30 pm Mark Gerrard borrows from the Terrence McNally school of insult humor, with Kristin Chenoweth and Audra McDonald being trashed in jokes that don’t land
‘Incident at Vichy’ Theater Review: Arthur Miller Rarity Looks Back at WWII France Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 15, 2015 @ 7:00 pm The playwright is at his best with the back and forth on whether the Nazis have no table manners or are the best audiences for...
‘Misery’ Broadway Review: Bruce Willis, Laurie Metcalf Play Crazy Cat and Injured Mouse Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 15, 2015 @ 3:30 pm Willis gives a credible performance, but as a stage actor he doesn’t show much invention or variety
‘A View From the Bridge’ Broadway Review: Ivo van Hove Strips Arthur Miller to the Bare Bone Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 12, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Mark Strong, in a powerful performance, turns Eddie Carbone’s tragedy into an utter inability and unwillingness to understand his own motives
‘Dada Woof Papa Hot’ Theater Review: John Benjamin Hickey Grapples With New Kind of Marriage Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 9, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Peter Parnell has a real ear for mixing up the new gay (family values) with the old gay (great, uninhibited sex), and having his lead...
‘Lost Girls’ Theater Review: Piper Perabo Is Mad as Hell at Men and Everybody Else Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 9, 2015 @ 5:30 pm The men in John Pollono’s new play are so verbally battered by women they could qualify for FEMA
‘Allegiance’ Broadway Review: George Takei Looks Back at World War II Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 8, 2015 @ 6:00 pm Rather than focusing on the injustices suffered by Japanese Americans, this new musical finds its voice in the characters’ varied responses to discrimination
‘On Your Feet!’ Broadway Review: Emilio and Gloria Estefan Pay Tribute to Their Own Success Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 5, 2015 @ 5:59 pm As self-promoting hagiographies go, this new jukebox musical makes “Trump: The Art of the Deal” look modest
Monica Lewinsky Is ‘F–king the F–king President’ in ‘Clinton the Musical’ Sneak Peek (Exclusive Video) Culture | By Reid Nakamura on November 2, 2015 @ 6:58 am Veronica J. Kuehn plays presidential aide in Off Broadway musical
‘King Charles III’ Broadway Review: Princess Di’s a Ghost and Kate’s a Real Witch Culture | By Robert Hofler on November 1, 2015 @ 3:30 pm Mike Bartlett’s new play about the royal family has a smarmy appeal for theatergoers who’ve never read People magazine
‘Therese Raquin’ Broadway Review: Keira Knightley Gets Caught Between Tragedy and Grand Guignol in Debut Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 29, 2015 @ 6:10 pm Not everything goes wrong. As Therese’s lover, Matt Ryan is appropriately studly and manages to produce few laughs despite being stuck with clunky lines
‘Sylvia’ Broadway Review: Matthew Broderick Must Choose Between Smart Wife or Sexy Talking Pooch Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 27, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Broderick talks to his dog and his dog talks back to him in revival of 1995 comedy that first starred Sarah Jessica Parker
‘The Humans’ Theater Review: Send in the Monsters. Don’t Bother They’re Here Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 25, 2015 @ 6:00 pm Money doesn’t sound as scary as zombies, but the suspense in Stephen Karam’s new play builds right up to the moment that the lights go...
‘Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King’ Theater Review: ‘Daily Show’ Star Skips Snark in Benign Comedy Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 23, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Neither raunchy nor political, this one-man show is the Indian-American Muslim’s answer to Billy Crystal‘s “700 Sundays”
‘Dames at Sea’ Broadway Review: A Spoof of Classic Hollywood Musicals That’s More Numbing Than Fun Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 22, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Director-choreographer Randy Skinner struggles to inject life into his revival of a nearly 50-year-old musical oddity
‘First Daughter Suite’ Theater Review: Democrats Will Love It, Nancy Reagan Might Want to Sue Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 21, 2015 @ 7:00 pm The Public Theater follows its “Hamilton” success with another look at American politics. But here it’s the women who count, from Pat Nixon to Laura...
‘Ripcord’ Theater Review: Felix and Oscar Reborn as Older Women Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 20, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire and director David Hyde-Pierce deliver a new odd couple, played by Marylouise Burke and Holland Taylor
‘The Gin Game’ Broadway Review: James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson Play to Win Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 14, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Two veteran stars make old age look easy, even in the relic that is D. L. Coburn’s Pulitzer-winning play
‘Eclipsed’ Theater Review: Lupita Nyong’o Shines in Drama by ‘The Walking Dead’ Star Danai Gurira Culture | By Robert Hofler on October 14, 2015 @ 12:00 am Oscar winner impresses not only with her monologues of despair but with those moments of extended silence and joy in actor-playwright Gurira’s new work