★★★☆☆ Karen Ziemba cracks wise in Arlene Hutton’s backstage comedy
Off-Broadway
Vanities—The Musical: Jack Heifner’s Three Female Friends Return, Singing (Again)
★★★☆☆ The long-running off-Broadway play-turned-long-developing musical returns, enlivened by a winning cast
Vanities–The Musical: Three BFFs Sing and Dance
★★★☆☆ Jack Heifner’s play with David Kirshenbaum tunes, directed by Will Pomerantz
Yes, I Can Say That!: Judy Gold Hilariously Makes Her Voice Heard
★★★★☆ The comedian talks about her influences and the corrosive effects of censorship on comedy in her one-person show.
The Good John Proctor: Chatty Salem Girls Name-Calling
★★★☆☆ Playwright Talene Monahon consults Arthur Miller, Caitlin Sulllivan directing
Arden of Faversham: Shakespeare(?) Dramedy Favors Stage
★★★★☆ Jesse Berger’s Red Bull company goes to town on an almost forgotten 1592 work
Dear World: Donna Murphy Endears in Jerry Herman Encore
★★★★☆ Once an unsuccessful musical, now directed by Josh Rhodes at City Center with a top-drawer cast
Dear World: A Macaron-Sweet Revival of Jerry Herman’s Paris-Set Musical
★★★★☆ Encores! shines a spotlight on yet another overlooked Jerry Herman musical with a troubled history and memorable score
The Harder They Come: Crime Pays, Up to a Point
★★★☆☆ Suzan-Lori Parks musicalizes the 1972 film with a skilled cast and crew but sugarcoats the original’s gritty realism
The Harder They Come: The Easier This Musical Pops
★★★★☆ Suzan-Lori Parks rounds up songs from Jimmy Cliff, others for a fun, tough time