★★★☆☆ Nina Kissinger mines comedy from a congressional bomb threat, but doesn’t quite pull it off
Off-Broadway
Twelfth Night: Come for the Verse, Stay for the Vibes
★★★★☆ Saheem Ali directs Oscar winner and Tony nominee Lupita Nyong’o in the festive Shakespearean frolic
Twelfth Night: Moonlit Enchantment As Shakespeare Returns to the Park
★★★★☆ Lupito Nyong’o, Sandra Oh and Peter Dinklage spark director Saheem Ali’s contemporary take on the Bard’s comedy
Amaze: An Evening of Magic and Magical Storytelling
★★★★☆ Magician Jamie Allan regales us with his life story to augment his dazzling illusions.
Ava, The Secret Conversations: Dishy Hollywood Story, Animatronic Style
★★★☆☆ Elizabeth McGovern stars in and wrote this play about Ava Gardner’s short-lived collaboration with a ghostwriter
Ava, The Secret Conversations: An Ill-Conceived Gardner Glance
★★☆☆☆ Elizabeth McGovern stars as the film star, Aaron Costa Ganis as biographer Peter Evans
Well, I’ll Let You Go: Piecing a poignant puzzle
★★★★☆ Michael Chernus and Quincy Tyler Bernstine head a smart premiere of an intriguing American drama
Can I Be Frank?: Frank, Fervent, Ferociously Funny
★★★★☆ Performance artist Morgan Bassichis puts the late Frank Maya back in the spotlight
Can I Be Frank?: Being Present about the Past
★★★☆☆ Morgan Bassichis evolves under the influence of comic Frank Maya and director Sam Pinkleton
Gene & Gilda: The Late Great Comedians Brought To Vivid Life
★★★★☆ When the Willy Wonka star married the SNL OG, laughs, love and hysteria ensued.