★★★★☆ Sutton Foster unleashes her inner clown in a torrent of hilarity, bringing new luster to a familiar property
From Maine: A Little Night Music, Big Smiles of a Summer Night
★★★★☆ Julia Murney, Kathleen Turner and an excellent ensemble collaborate on an atypically sensual take on a Wheeler/Sondheim masterpiece
Oh, Mary!: Lincoln, Drinkin’ and Todd
★★★★☆ Cole Escola writes and stars in a Bizarro World version of Honest Abe’s spouse as cabaret diva
Hell’s Kitchen: Alicia Keys’ Life Inspires a Swell Musical
★★★☆☆ A tender coming-of-age extravaganza, with characters to root for and music to die for
Stereophonic: Birthing a Rock Album With Playfulness and Passion
★★★★★ David Adjmi takes us behind the music to reveal how the magic gets made
The Wiz: Not an Oz-Picious Revival
★★☆☆☆ A revival’s choices elicit more head-scratching than cheering
Sally & Tom: Follies of a Founding Father
★★★★☆ Suzan-Lori Parks melds the Thomas Jefferson/Sally Hemings mystery with the struggle for freedom in our own day
The Who’s Tommy: A Rock Classic Is Triumphantly Reborn
★★★★★ Des McAnuff revisits his staging of a rock’n’roll milestone, and finds new meaning and depth
From New Haven: A Compassionate View From an Actual Bridge
★★★★☆ Long Wharf goes on the waterfront to play Arthur Miller’s melodrama for all it’s worth
Days of Wine and Roses: Demon Rum Is a Suave Seducer
★★★★☆ A familiar tale of alcoholism is revitalized by authors Guettel and Lucas, focusing on the addiction rather than the cure