★★★★☆ Michael Chernus and Quincy Tyler Bernstine head a smart premiere of an intriguing American drama
Off-Broadway
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.
Ginger Twinsies: Kevin Zak’s Parent Trap Spoof Not So Gingerly Achieved
★★☆☆☆ Playwright Zak also directs a cast willing to go for broke from the get-go, no matter how short the results fall
Rolling Thunder: The Vietnam War Via Music
★★★☆☆ This jukebox musical featuring six actor/singers and a five-piece band includes numerous rock and pop classics from the era.
ta-da!: Josh Sharp shares the gay times of his life
★★★☆☆ Director Sam Pinkleton stages a solo show driven by 2,000 slides in 80 minutes
Joy—A New True Musical: A Messy Show That Not Even a Miracle Mop Can Clean Up
★★★☆☆ Betsy Wolfe stars in the musicalized story of Joy Mangano, inventor of the Miracle Mop and other products.
Joy: An Old Mop Story Fairly Wrung Out
★★★☆☆ Betsy Wolfe scores an immaculate performance in a musical remake of the middling movie.
The Weir: Naturally Supernatural
★★★★☆ Dan Butler leads a superb ensemble in Irish Repertory Theatre staging of Conor McPherson’s haunting drama