★★★★☆ A 200-person cast goes the distance with the Public Works adaptation of the beloved Disney movie
Off-Broadway
Hercules: The Strong Man and Huge Cast Sing Lustily on Stage
★★★★☆ The 1997 Disney cartoon with Alan Menken-David Zippel score transfers under Lear deBessonet
Eureka Day: A Comical Clash from the Current Culture Wars
★★★★★ A smart new comedy takes a satirical shot at the antivax issue
House, or How to Lose an Orchard in 90 Minutes or Less: No Ax Needed
★★★★☆ The Mitu Theater Group reworks Chekhov’s “Cherry Orchard” for emphatic new meaning
Make Believe: A Sentimental but Not Syrupy Nostalgia Trip
★★★★☆ Children of the ’80s will especially enjoy Bess Wohl’s nostalgic new play, set in a memory-filled family attic
Make Believe: The Games That Kids Play
★★★☆☆ Fine acting brings Bess Wohl’s tender new drama to realistic life at Second Stage Theater
I Happen to Like New York: Michael Feinstein’s Effervescent Musical Salute to the City
★★★★☆ A charming summer divertissement for American Songbook lovers at the singer’s 54th Street home base
Bat Out of Hell—The Musical: All Revved Up, Going Nowhere
★★☆☆☆ A bloated musical adaptation of the Meat Loaf opus wastes the album’s charms, and the talents of cast members
Bat Out of Hell—The Musical: Driving Through the Jim Steinman Songbook
★★☆☆☆ Too bad the show looks cheesier than the state of Wisconsin
Coriolanus: Private Feelings Versus Public Perceptions in a Raggedy Rome
★★★☆☆ Jonathan Cake has a sneer for every occasion as Shakespeare’s most prideful Roman of them all