★★★★★ The actor-director lovingly revives a one-man work about his childhood and the woman who influenced it most
Persuasion: Jane Austen’s Last Novel Takes the Stage Running
★★☆☆☆ Bedlam’s Eric Tucker and adapter Sarah Rose Kearns turn a classic into a romp, obliviously
A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet: Two Songwriters Go for That Top 40 Hit
★★★☆☆ The 80-minuter asks the musical question about where chart-topping songs can start their climb
Only an Octave Apart: Justin Vivian Bond/Anthony Roth Costanzo a Duo Wow
★★★★☆ The seemingly unlikely team in seemingly unlikely mash-ups makes everything indisputably likely
Sanctuary City: Sizzling Actors and Creative Team Enliven Majok Drama
★★★☆☆ The Pulitzer Prize-winner looks at young hopefuls facing today’s odds
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie: A Film Musical to Sing About
★★★★☆ Max Harwood and hot cast sing a hot score about a trend-setting prom-goer
The Last of the Love Letters: A Stunning Look at Love’s Ups and Downs
★★★★☆ Ngozi Anyanwu’s trenchant relationships probe, with Daniel J. Watts and the author giving indelible performances
Judgment Day: Gleeful Fun with Jason Alexander and Patti LuPone
★★★★☆ Santino Fontana, Michael McKean and more in Rob Ulin’s wily look at good and (mostly) bad
Fruma-Sarah (Waiting in the Wings): Jackie Hoffman Happily Soars
★★★★☆ E. Dale Smith’s clever dramedy spin on “Fiddler on the Roof,” also with Kelly Kinsella
The Watering Hole: Timely Immersive Theater (if Flawed)
★★★☆☆ Lynn Nottage, Miranda Haymon, and others look at adjusting to life’s contemporary basics