★★☆☆☆ The history play combination, directed by Austin Pendleton and Peter Bloch, too often fires blanks
Off-Broadway
The New One: Lovably Humorous Mike Birbiglia Cracks Very Wise
★★★★☆ The stand-up comic who does a lot of commanding the stage talks about his expanding family
Twelfth Night: A Rambunctiously Jubilant Fest in Central Park
★★★★☆ Singer-songwriter Shaina Taub shines in this midsummer’s night delight
Twelfth Night: The Food of Love, in All Its Flavors
★★★★☆ A musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy champions diversity with a light hand, a full heart, and an effervescent score.
The House That Will Not Stand: Smart, Oppressed Women in 1813 Nola
★★★★☆ Marcus Gardley pens a history play relevant to today’s compromised feminist status
The House That Will Not Stand: Southern Women Rattle Their Chains
★★★☆☆ A thoughtful new drama is drawn from little known social practices of circa 1813 New Orleans
My Life on a Diet: Renée Taylor Serves Dishes of Comfort Laughs
★★★★☆ The comedienne looks back at several decades of being funny while dieting
This Ain’t No Disco: An Era Through A Glass Murkily
★★★☆☆ A new rock opera set in 1979-80 New York may move and even thrill you, but offers few insights.
This Ain’t No Disco: Rough Times at Studio 54
★☆☆☆☆ Glitter ball melodramatics are rolled up into an unworkable musical
Smokey Joe’s Cafe: That Leiber & Stoller Jukebox Lights Up Once More
★★★★☆ An expert, energetic company makes the musical most of several dozen old-school rock ‘n’ roll tunes