Friday, April 08, 2011

Broadway Scorecard

What I am about to do may seem dastardly, but I feel like doing it anyway. Here's a quick guide to what shows to see on Broadway, according to moi. Go to the TKTS booth on the day and you may be able to find 50% off tickets for most of these shows.

Good People by David Lindsay Abaire, with Frances McDormand. A decent play but worth it just for seeing McDormand tear up the stage. Tate Donovan and Reneé Elise Goldsberry are also excellent.

Marie and Bruce by Wallace Shawn, with Marisa Tomei and Frank Whaley. An acid, surreal romantic comedy, if you can call it that. The two leads are very good. Warning:  this play is not a crowdpleaser.

The Motherfucker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirguis with Chris Rock and Bobby Cannavale. Quite entertaining, if predictable and underwritten. Chris Rock is no actor, but he can land a punch line. The rest of the cast is excellent.

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. If you need a very engaging mental workout, this ambitious and erudite play may be for you. A beautiful production.

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Joseph Rajiv, with Robin Williams. Subpar writing on the level of a pretentious semi-literate teenager with delusions of genius.
Avoid like the plague.

Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth with Mark Rylance. Not as incredibly awesome as its enormous buzz but pretty brilliant. Also pretty long.

The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare with Ben Stiller, Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Good revival directed by David Cromer. The dames are awesome and the play is a hoot.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Brian Bedford is sublime and so are the oneliners. 

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