On the theater beat

Reviewed for Live Design magazine, Death of a Salesman with Philip Seymour Hoffman and the late, unmourned revisal of Carrie. And, for Theater News Online, a largely successful screen to stage adaptation (pictured). The cast album is gorgeous, by the way.

New York Theater News: Last of the year

The first half of the 2011-2012 Broadway season has ended, and it's been blah. Adding a little zing: the family melodrama Stick Fly and the intriguing revisal of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, with Jessie Mueller and Harry Connick, Jr.

New York Theater News: Sons of the Prophet

Can't quite figure out the rave reviews for this one, but at least it wasn't written by an actor or a screenwriter. Too much of that around.

New York Theater News: Reviewing a revue

A tuneful Cy Coleman tribute, The Best is Yet to Come, now at 59E59 Theaters. David Burnham and an unmasked Howard McGillin are pictured.

New York Theater News: Intelligent Homosexual's Guide

It takes almost as long to say the title of Tony Kushner's new play as it takes to see it. Is it worth the effort? Well, it's no Angels in America, but what is?

New York Theater News: High

Whatever you do, don't spend Easter with Kathleen Turner at the godawful High, which Lord have mercy is closing today.

NY Theater News: The Pee-Wee Herman Show

I know you are, but what did I think about Pee-wee's Broadway debut? The secret word is on Theater News Online, website of the New York Theater News newsletter.

Secrets of the Trade

For Theater News Online: The great John Glover gives Noah Robbins life lessons in Jonathan Tolins' new play, at Primary Stages. Love the "Cafe des Artistes" backdrop.

New York Theater News: Passion Play

So it closed three days ago. I was away until today and remember it like yesterday.

Seeing Red

Alfred Molina is Mark Rothko in John Logan's new bioplay, at the Golden fresh from the West End.

New York Theater News: The Miracle Worker

The story of Annie Sullivan (played by Tony nominee Alison Pill) and Helen Keller (Little Miss Sunshine Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin) returns in a 50th anniversary season production, reviewed here.

Bean Off Broadway

Unseen in New York since 1932, Sidney Howard's The Late Christopher Bean has been resurrected by TACT. A review for New York Theater News.

New York Theater News: Hamlet

Jude Law is a not-so-melancholy Dane in the play's (and the actor's) first Broadway appearance since 1995. To be or not to be?

New York Theater News: God of Carnage

Jeff Daniels enjoys a relatively quiet moment on the phone, away from the hectoring Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, and james Gandolfini, in Yasmina Reza's slashing farce God of Carnage, now on Broadway.

New York Theater News: Frost/Nixon

Just in time for the Big Event tonight. I don't think it's going to win anything--I suspect Mickey Rourke's somewhat exaggerated but irresistible "comeback" will deprive Frank Langella the chance to be the tenth actor to win both a Tony and an Oscar for the same part--but Frost/Nixon was better than I thought it was going to be, and it's too bad it's not doing much business. It's the sort of rock-solid, "grownup" entertainment that everyone says they want to see more of, then don't support--and a whole lot better than The Reader.

As for predictions, well, this is the first time in years I'm not filling out a ballot, and with the pressure off I hope to just sit back and enjoy the show--which will have to be mega-entertaining, to make up for the unexciting, crepe-hanging nominees. I've seen them all, and while the only one that pains me is The Reader, the rest are indicative of a blah 2008 at the cinema. Best to Hugh Jackman, a terrific Tonys host, and for the movies to get their mojo back this year once last year is commemorated.

Plays: Beauty and beasts

Off Broadway is the main game in town as the Great White Way sleeps it off in preparation for the Tonys next Sunday night. Rafta, Rafta... (pictured) and Body Awareness, with the always welcome JoBeth Williams, prove a winning pair of late spring diversions. Also on the boards: More of the same, from the tiresomely angry Neil LaBute.

Theater News Online: Two reviews

As the 2007-2008 Broadway season draws to a close, the farce Boeing-Boeing flies high, while the sophomoric musical Glory Days crashes on takeoff. (It closed on opening night last night, a rare occurrence--maybe the first time a musical folded that fast since 1983.) Pictured are Boeing-Boeing co-stars Kathryn Hahn and Mark Rylance, in a smashing Broadway debut.