T/theater

Kenneth Welsh, Memorable as a Villain on ‘Twin Peaks,’ Dies at 80

In a long career onstage (including Broadway), in movies and on television, he ranged across genres, from sketch comedy to science fiction.

‘Islander’ Review: Two Young Women Lost and Found at Sea

This gentle musical, a hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, combines Scottish folklore and live looping technology.

With the Volt Festival, the Playwright Karen Hartman Comes Home

59E59 Theaters is putting a spotlight on a midcareer artist whose work has seldom been seen locally.

Broadway theaters will continue requiring patrons to wear masks at least through June 30.

The decision comes at a time when New York City has declared a “high Covid alert.”

Lorraine Hansberry Statue to Be Unveiled in Times Square

A life-size likeness of the pioneering playwright will be unveiled in June as part of a new initiative to honor her legacy.

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at 40: The Plant That Conquered the World

Members of the cast and creative team from the original production, as well as the current Off Broadway revival, look back on how the show came together and discuss its enduring influence.

‘I Want to Live in That Room’: Designers on Their Broadway Sets

Live theater summons energy no digital performance can match. Set designers for five of this season’s plays explain how they built eye-catching environments that crackle with it.

Manhattan recupera su encanto

Los entusiastas de Broadway, los aficionados al arte y los amantes de la comida encontrarán nuevas propuestas en Times Square y sus alrededores y en los vecindarios cercanos a la calle 42, lo que anuncia la promesa de una recuperación animada.

Meat Loaf, Britney and a ‘Cancel Culture’ Musical

At Theatertreffen, an annual celebration of the best in German-language performance, music plays a profound, and intelligent, role.

In ‘Exception to the Rule,’ Detention Is Sinister

Teenagers bond after school in a sort of classroom purgatory. And, where is the teacher?

Rosmarie Trapp of the ‘Sound of Music’ Family Dies at 93

She was the last surviving daughter of the baron and the would-be nun depicted in the stage musical and 1965 film.

Broadway Deal Over Rudin Shows Will Limit Nondisclosure Agreements

Performers and stage managers were released from agreements they signed to work on four shows that were produced by Scott Rudin after their union, Actors’ Equity, filed complaints.

Tony Awards 2022: Who Will Win (and Who Should)

A critic’s picks in a hard-to-predict Broadway year, plus nods to shows from Off Broadway and other, odder corners.

Against All Odds, Broadway Rose to the Occasion. Mostly.

Decoding the Tony nominations, our critics review a season of bold productions that met audiences often craving the familiar.

A Neil Diamond Musical Is Coming to Broadway, After a Stop in Boston

“A Beautiful Noise” will start at Emerson Colonial Theater in Boston next month and transfer to Broadway’s Broadhurst Theater in November.

‘Golden Shield’ Is an Exercise In Miscommunication

Anchuli Felicia King’s play about an internet firewall belongs to multiple genres all at once.

‘Will You Come With Me?’ Review: Love in the Age of Revolution

Set around protests in Istanbul that began in 2013, this play follows a couple as they circle, approach and retreat from each other over the years.

Why the Tonys Need an Award for Best Ensemble

Theater has always been a team sport. But this Covid-stalked Broadway season has made clear that a prize for the entire cast should be added.

LaChanze, a Tony Nominee, Is Casting Herself in New Roles

The veteran actress, nominated for her work in “Trouble in Mind,” is championing Black artists, producing on Broadway and relishing being cast as the love interest.

Let Actors Act

Good performers are able to find a way to portray people who are not like themselves.

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ to Close on Broadway, After Reopening

The musical, which shuttered temporarily in January as the Omicron variant spread, has struggled with the slow return of tourists to the theater.

How Jane Lynch, Actress, Spends Her Sundays

What gets the comedic performer through her Broadway shows? Chocolate and peanut butter, for one thing.

A 9-Hour Play? Sit, Eat, Drink, Even Fall Asleep to ‘One Night.’

Target Margin Theater stages an enchanting riff on “One Thousand and One Nights” inside an old Brooklyn garage. Tea and pastries included, blankets welcome.

Bruce MacVittie, Ubiquitous Character Actor, Dies at 65

A co-founder of the Naked Angels troupe in New York, he was a familiar face in Off Broadway theater, in movies and on TV, often playing tough guys with tormented souls.

After Attacks, Comedians Wonder: Can People Still Take a Joke?

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars. Dave Chappelle was tackled at the Hollywood Bowl. Now some venues are increasing security to protect comedians.

An Arts Festival With Hardly a Stage in Sight

Performance venues at this year’s Kunstenfestivaldesarts, in Brussels, include a disused museum and the upper house of Belgium’s Parliament.

Comic or Graphic, Shows About Abortion Surface a Stark Divide

Decidedly anti-sensationalistic, Alison Leiby’s shrewd and funny personal monologue plays downtown. Uptown, a staged reading focuses on a gruesome case.

Broadway’s Best Perform for The Times

Billy Crystal, Shoshana Bean and performers from “Company,” “MJ,” “A Strange Loop,” “Six” and other Tony-nominated shows will share songs and stories.

The Smart Set Sneered, but the Play Won the Day

One hundred years ago this month, the interfaith marriage comedy “Abie’s Irish Rose” kicked off a five-year Broadway run — critics be damned.

After Nude Jesse Williams Video, Theater Turns Camera on Audience

Despite an attempt to ban smartphones in the theater, a video of the actor’s nude scene in the Broadway production of “Take Me Out” circulated widely online.

‘The Vagrant Trilogy’ Review: Palestinians in Exile, Yearning for Home

Mona Mansour’s rich trilogy, now at the Public Theater, follows a displaced Palestinian family.

‘Which Way to the Stage’ Review: Theater Buddies, With Claws Out

In her new comedy, Ana Nogueira spins zippy fun out of a fairly conventional story about a friendship strained by resentment.

Rachel Dratch’s Comfort Zones: ‘Somebody Somewhere’ and ‘Bad Vegan’

Recently earning her first Broadway role and Tony nomination, the “Saturday Night Live” alumna explains the cultural essentials that carried her through.

Your Monday Evening Briefing

Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.

James Ijames on Winning a Pulitzer and Making ‘Hamlet’ a Comedy

The 41-year-old playwright’s show “Fat Ham,” set at a Southern barbecue, hasn’t even had an in-person production yet because of the pandemic.

With her ‘Dana H.’ nomination, Deirdre O’Connell recalls a ‘spiritual practice.’

Lucas Hnath’s play brought the invaluable Off Broadway performer her first Tony Award nomination.

‘Know that it’s possible’: L Morgan Lee on her trailblazing Tony nomination.

The actress made theater history, becoming the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for a Tony Award for her work in “A Strange Loop.”

Kenita R. Miller, a star of ‘For Colored Girls’: ‘Thank You, Universe.’

The actress, who is pregnant and due any day now, said she’s grateful for the lifelong bond she’s formed with her co-stars in the production.

‘A Strange Loop’ Nominated for 11 Tonys as Broadway Lauds Comeback

“The Lehman Trilogy,” as well as revivals of “Company” and “For Colored Girls,” led in their respective categories as the industry tries to recover from the long pandemic shutdown.

Gabby Beans of ‘The Skin of Our Teeth’ says the play asks you to ‘choose joy.’

In a Chaotic Tonys Season, It Was an Honor Just to Open

The Tony nominations spread the wealth among many worthy (and a few unworthy) productions, as if to salute them for arriving at all.

David Threlfall on ‘Hangmen’ and his last Tony nomination, 40 years ago.

The actor had been hankering to get back to Broadway after last appearing there in the 1990s. “Hangmen,” for which he received a Tony nomination, gave him that chance.

Paula Vogel on ‘How I Learned to Drive’ nominations: ‘I’m just thrilled.’

Twenty-five years after it was a hit Off Broadway, the playwright’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work debuted on Broadway this season.

Patti LuPone on ‘Company,’ Sondheim and a heartbreaking journey.

How did the actress feel after receiving her eighth Tony nomination? “I don’t know. I just woke up. It feels great.”

There were Tony snubs and surprises, as always.

Several stars, including Daniel Craig and Sarah Jessica Parker, were not nominated for their performances, while “Paradise Square” became one of the season’s most-nominated shows.

‘For Colored Girls’ is among the nominees for best revival of a play.

‘Company,’ ‘The Music Man’ and ‘Caroline, or Change’ face off for best musical revival.

‘A Strange Loop’ and ‘Six’ are among the six nominees for best musical.

‘A Strange Loop’ leads the Tony nominations with 11, including best musical.

‘The Lehman Trilogy’ and ‘Clyde’s’ are among the five nominees for best play.

A special Tony for Jim Nicola, retiring head of New York Theater Workshop.

The Tony nominations are being announced right now.

What’s playing on Broadway right now?

Most Broadway theaters have ended vaccination checks as coronavirus cases are rising.

Don’t the Tony Awards give out some noncompetitive prizes as well?

When are the Tony Awards?

What happens next?

The coronavirus posed a special challenge to the Tony nominators.

What to expect from this year’s nominations.

The Tony nominations are being announced this morning. Here’s how to watch.

Full List of the 2022 Tony Award Nominees

On Monday, the nominees for the 75th Tony Awards were announced. The ceremony will take place on June 12 on CBS and Paramount+.

‘Wedding Band,’ a Searing Look at Miscegenation Nation

Alice Childress’s 1962 play about interracial love and hate gets its first major New York revival in 50 years.

‘Into the Woods’ Review: Some Enchanted Evening

Sara Bareilles and Neil Patrick Harris lead a starry Encores! revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s sweet-sour musical.

‘Last Ward’ Review: Ashes to Ashes, Dirt to Dirt

Yaa Samar! Dance Theater’s production at Gibney is an uncommonly deft combination of dance and verbal theater.

‘To Be or Not to Be’: Is It the Question or the Point?

At the Metropolitan Opera, Brett Dean and Matthew Jocelyn’s adaptation of “Hamlet” nods to different, surprising versions of Shakespeare’s text.

Marjan Neshat on Her ‘Kind of Miraculous Season’ Onstage

Now starring in “Wish You Were Here,” the Iranian-born actress has made her mark in three works by playwrights of Middle Eastern descent.

Equity Drops ‘Waitress’ Unionization Effort and Files Grievance

The union said it was withdrawing the petition because the producers of the nonunion tour now plan to end its run in June.

Free Things to Do in New York, Every Day of the Week

Keeping cultured on the cheap is easy if you know where and when to go in this city.

What to Do in New York City in May

Want to see a comedy show, or drop in on a film series? Do you need kid-friendly event? Our critics offer their favorite picks.

Performing a Comedy About Abortion, Watching the Supreme Court

Alison Leiby had just performed her show “Oh God, a Show About Abortion” when she learned of the leaked draft opinion showing that the court could be on the verge of overturning Roe v. Wade.

This Trump Play in London Is a Comedy. Unless You’re American.

Mike Bartlett’s “The 47th” presents political turmoil in the United States for laughs. But some find it more like a horror story.

Manhattan Springs Back to Life

Broadway enthusiasts, art aficionados and food lovers will find new offerings in and around Times Square and in neighborhoods below 42nd Street, heralding the promise of a vibrant recovery.

How to Tell ‘Blippi’ From ‘Little Baby Bum’

Getting to know four Moonbug shows your kids may already know all too well.

On European Stages, Myths and Memories Merge

New productions by the theater titans Krzysztof Warlikowski and Frank Castorf play games with ancient Greek folklore and modern history.

This Year’s Tony Awards Will Be Hosted by Ariana DeBose

The nominees are to be announced on Monday, and the awards ceremony is to take place on June 12.

E. Jane Signals a Vibe Shift in What ‘Performance’ Means

At the Kitchen, the multimedia artist melds the White Cube, the Black Box and your phone. The exhibition is undefined by bodies, a stage, a gallery, or physical space.

‘Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known’ Review: Rock ’n’ Roll High School

This film about the hit 2006 musical is a sure-handed blend of making-of explainer, theater-kid scrapbook, and jukebox documentary.

Making a Beautiful ‘Case for the Existence of God’

Samuel D. Hunter’s heartbreaking new play argues for hope even in the face of extreme disappointment.

David Birney, Who Starred on TV’s ‘Bridget Loves Bernie,’ Dies at 83

The sitcom, about an interfaith marriage, drew criticism from Jewish groups and was canceled after one season. He fared better onstage than in television.

Wendell Pierce to Star in ‘Death of a Salesman’ on Broadway

The production, also starring Sharon D Clarke and featuring André De Shields, will arrive some time next season.

On the Scene: Hillary Clinton at ‘Suffs’

Hillary Clinton attended a benefit performance of "Suffs," a new musical about the women’s suffrage movement.

In ‘Jerusalem,’ a Once-in-a-Lifetime Performance, Again

Mark Rylance is back in a role that won him a Tony more than a decade ago. But this London production isn’t just coasting on past kudos.

Michael R. Jackson’s Big Broadway Thriller

With his bravura meta-musical, “A Strange Loop,” the playwright is showing Broadway audiences something they have never seen before.

Holland Taylor Plays Ann Richards One Last Time

Taylor, 79, first performed her solo play “Ann,” about the former governor of Texas, in 2010. Now, she’s saying goodbye to the white suit.

Pulitzer-Winning ‘Cost of Living’ Will Come to Broadway This Fall

Manhattan Theater Club will stage the Martyna Majok play, which explores disability and caregiving, at its Samuel J. Friedman Theater.

In London, a Platinum Jubilee and ‘Bridgerton’ Events Await Visitors

Royal culture, historic sites and traditional British experiences are catnip to Americans who have missed traveling across the pond. A visitors’ guide.

The Carnage of War, in Punchdrunk’s New London Show

The immersive theater company’s production invites up to 600 spectators to roam freely around a loose re-creation of the siege of Troy’s aftermath.

Billy Crystal Carries the Tune in ‘Mr. Saturday Night’

In a mishmash new musical based on his 1992 movie, he charms the audience as a has-been comic reconnecting with family.

In a Gleeful ‘POTUS,’ White House Enablers Gone Wild

Seven female farceurs bring Selina Fillinger’s new Broadway comedy about the president’s protectors to life.

Sarah Silverman’s Family Show (Really!) About Divorce and Depression

“Everything’s couched with hard jokes, but it’s also vulnerable,” the comic said of “The Bedwetter,” her new musical comedy.

‘A Strange Loop’ Review: A Dazzling Ride on a Mental Merry-Go-Round

Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning meta musical arrives on Broadway with its uproarious dialogue, complex psychology and eclectic score intact.

‘The Skin of Our Teeth’ Review: A Party for the End of the World

Thornton Wilder’s antic play, from 1942, packs in an ice age, a deluge and midcentury décor. This Lincoln Center Theater production is the maximalist revival it deserves.

Library of Congress Acquires Neil Simon Papers

The collection of approximately 7,700 items, donated by Simon’s widow, includes dozens of unfinished shows, including a screenplay written for Bette Midler and Whoopi Goldberg.

Broadway’s First ‘Funny Girl’ Revival Shows Why It Took So Long

Beanie Feldstein stars as the comic Fanny Brice in the show’s return after almost 60 years.

Tony Award Nominations Postponed Because of Coronavirus Delays

The nominations will now be announced May 9, but the awards ceremony will remain, as scheduled, on June 12.

5 Things to Do This Weekend

Selections from the current Weekend section, including a review of the film “Turning Red.”

On the Scene: ‘Music Man,’ a Big Broadway Bet 🎺

“The Music Man,” a big-budget, star-studded musical, opened Thursday, hoping to provide Broadway with a much-needed boost.

6 Things to Do This Weekend

Selections from the current Weekend section, including a brief history of hip-hop and the Super Bowl halftime show.

5 Things to Do This Weekend

Selections from the current Weekend section, including a review of Mitski's new album, “Laurel Hell.”

Christopher Plummer’s ‘Strange Loyalties’

Even after “The Sound of Music,” he believed his true calling was on the classical stage.

5 Things to Do This Weekend

Selections from the current Weekend section, including a review of the Brooklyn Museum exhibition “Andy Warhol: Revelation.”

On the Scene: ‘Spring Awakening’ Returns 🎭

On Monday night, the original cast of the hit musical “Spring Awakening” reunited for one night at the Imperial Theater. Here’s what it looked like.

5 Things to Do This Weekend

Selections from the current Weekend section, including a review of “Passing.”

Brian Cox Has No Sympathy for His Filthy-Rich Family on ‘Succession’

“I’m not a capitalist. So I see the wealthy all finally getting hoisted by their own petard.”

5 Things to Do This Weekend

Broadway is back and so too are the Tony Awards. Here’s more on the ceremony and other recommendations for the weekend.

Broadway’s Biggest Shows Open 🎭

The longest shutdown in Broadway history is over. Eight shows are now running, for audiences that must be vaccinated and masked.

On the Scene: ‘Springsteen on Broadway’ 🎸

On Saturday night, New York City reached a milestone with “Springsteen on Broadway,” the first full-length event for a paying audience on Broadway since March 12, 2020.

Broadway Shows Announce Reopening Plans

This morning, three of the biggest recent hits on Broadway — “Hamilton,” “The Lion King” and “Wicked” — announced plans to resume performances on Sept. 14.

A First Look at Lincoln Center’s Outdoor Spaces

I visited the new outdoor performance and rehearsal spaces at Lincoln Center where there will be all kinds of art this summer.

What Happens to Aspiring Actors When Hollywood Is Closed?

They came to L.A. with a dream, but then came the pandemic.

Reanimating ‘Cabaret,’ One Frame at a Time

A first look at extraordinary images from the groundbreaking 1966 musical turns Broadway history into something that’s (literally) moving.

What Happens to Theaters When They're Closed?

A peek inside the performance spaces shuttered during the pandemic.

Sawing Someone in Half Never Gets Old. Even at 100.

The classic illusion is still with us, a century after its first performance.

A Big List of Podcasts for Little Kids

To keep your little ones occupied, look no further than the world of podcasts. Here are a few ideas for kids ages 2 to 6.

This Year’s Standout Moments in the Arts

Though museums, theaters and galleries were closed, and concerts and festivals canceled, many artists continued creating indelible work.

Roger Berlind, 90, Dies; Broadway Impresario Who Amassed 25 Tonys

He played a role in producing more than 100 plays and musicals. And while he kept an eye on the bottom line, he could be seduced by sheer artistry.

Silly Season: How British Pantomime Looks From Across the Pond

Thanks to streaming, two American critics got to binge a bunch of the traditional holiday spectacles. They’re amused, and confused, by what they saw.

Mother Teresa Sings, in Drag and With Doubts

In Heather Christian’s “I Am Sending You the Sacred Face,” the saint of Calcutta vogues and lip-syncs and broods on the nature of selflessness.

A World of Cardsharps and Zoom Dupes in ‘The Future’

In his latest magic show, Helder Guimarães shuffles an old genre into a new technology with mixed results.

Miss Live Theater? You’re Not Alone.

We miss theater. And we know you do too. So we asked you to share some memories with us.

Performing in a Pandemic

Most professional theater in America has been shut down since March. So how did this production of “Godspell” come together?

Missing Theater Under the Stars (Even the Bugs and the Rain)

Shakespeare in the Park and other outdoor venues are shut. But for performers and directors, open-air memories are as sharp as the bite of a mosquito.

7 Things to Do This Weekend

How can you get your cultural fix when many arts institutions remain closed? Our writers offer suggestions for what to listen to and watch, and a reason to take a stroll in Lower Manhattan.

This Is Theater in 2020. Will It Last? Should It?

Our critics discuss the last four months, which thanks to Zoom (and Meryl Streep) have been full of experimentation and playfulness.

Digital Theater Isn’t Theater. It’s a Way to Mourn Its Absence.

The industry’s show-must-go-on smile masks a harder truth: that there is no substitute for the live interaction between performer and audience.

The Creative Circles Defining the Culture

Whether united by outlook or identity, happenstance or choice, these communities have shaped the worlds of art, fashion, film and more.

How the 2005 Revival of ‘Sweeney Todd’ Inspired a New Wave in Theater

A minimalist staging by John Doyle of the tale of the barber of Fleet Street emphasized the raw talents of its cast.

Why ‘Hair’ Has Endured

An appreciation of the 1967 love-rock musical, which, against the odds, won over audiences across the world.

Getting Intimate at ‘Dr. Ride’s American Beach House’

In a witty new play by Liza Birkenmeier, restless friends find themselves challenged by the first American woman in space.

William B. Branch, Playwright of the Black Experience, Dies at 92

An ill-treated war veteran, Frederick Douglass, colonial oppression: Mr. Branch’s Off Broadway work on race ranged widely. He also made a mark in TV.

Radical French Novels Welcomed to German Stages

Directors have adapted challenging works by Virginie Despentes and Michel Houellebecq, with varying levels of success.

In ‘Hamnet,’ Shakespeare’s Son Takes the Stage

In this Irish production, an 11-year-old actor plays the child who died too soon to get to know his immortal father.

The Truth Is, ‘Cats’ Is as Inscrutable as That Trailer

Why was the musical a sensation? What’s with the plot? Based on what we know of the show, here’s our guide to this unlikely mash-up of C.G.I. and T.S. Eliot.

From Annie to Tina Turner, and Trained to Go the Distance

Singer, dancer, athlete, fan: how Adrienne Warren learned to stop fighting herself and interpret the musical role of a lifetime.

Seeing ‘Oklahoma!’ One More Time? She Cain’t Say No

Tricia Tait has attended the Tony-winning musical revival 55 times so far. At the 50th, the cast gave her a standing ovation.

‘Seared’ Review: For a Pompous Chef, Comeuppance on the Menu

Raúl Esparza faces the realities of the restaurant business in Theresa Rebeck’s energetic but formulaic art-versus-commerce comedy.

‘What if They Went to Moscow?’ Review: Chekhov, Sliced and Spliced

Christiane Jatahy’s surgical adaptation of “Three Sisters” takes the audience from stage to screen.

Zawe Ashton: On Broadway and Off Broadway, All at Once

Suddenly all seems to be going the British actress’s way: A first book, an Off Broadway production of her play and a starring role opposite Tom Hiddleston in “Betrayal.” If only it were that simple.

2019 Tony Award Winners: Full List

These are the winners of the 73rd annual Tony Awards.

Two Lives and Two Playwrights ‘Entangled’ by Gunfire

Charly Evon Simpson and Gabriel Jason Dean collaborated on a play that finds scant healing for a guilty brother and a grieving mother.

Broadway Stars React to Their Tony Nominations

We spoke with five actors to see how they were feeling after hearing about their Tony Award nods.

9 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend

Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge to Perform ‘Sea Wall/A Life’ on Broadway

The two monologues, which the actors performed last winter Off Broadway at the Public Theater, were written by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne.

‘The Lehman Trilogy’ Criticizes Capitalism, at $2,000 a Seat

A sold-out play casts the investment bank as the villain, but lets the plutocrat audience off easy.

Can a Greek Tragedy Help Heal a Scarred City?

On the ground with the provocative stage director Milo Rau, who brought together European and Iraqi actors for a take on “The Oresteia” set in Mosul.

Lehman Brothers, a Family Saga, as Viewed by Some Who Lived It

“The Lehman Trilogy” is a theatrical panorama of the firm’s history and collapse. Lehman descendants and onetime employees have taken a keen interest.

Playwrights Horizons Announces New Season

Michael Friedman’s “Unknown Soldier” will be staged in the 2019-20 season, along with plays by Jeremy O. Harris and Lucas Hnath.

Georgia Engel, Gentle-Voiced ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ Actress, Is Dead at 70

After gaining fame as the blustery newsman Ted Baxter’s love interest, Ms. Engel went on to “Everybody Loves Raymond” and more.