‘King Kong’ and ‘Cher Show’ Musicals Announce Closings
Theater, Yesterday
Each show arrived on Broadway with a big name in its title and major creative talents behind the scenes. But audiences kept their distance.
The Flea Season, Starring Taylor Mac and Mac Wellman
Theater, Yesterday
“The Season of Anarchy: The Return of the Macs” will include a new play by Mr. Mac and a festival of works by Mr. Wellman.
‘The Investigation’ Makes the Mueller Report a Dark-Comic Indictment
Arts, Yesterday
The star-studded reading was surreal and unsubtle but somehow fitting for a political era of tragedy-as-farce.
Masculinity Takes a Beating in ‘Square Go’
Theater, Yesterday
A boy, his best friend and an unseen bully negotiate fear and fantasy in an imaginary wrestling ring, with the audience encouraged to cheer.
Getting ‘Ink’ on Their Hands
Theater, June 24
Audience members with compromised vision had the rare chance to feel their way through the Broadway show’s elaborate set before a recent performance.
In ‘Leap,’ a Quarter-Life Crisis Goes On for a Lifetime
Theater, June 24
Chana Porter’s absurdist take on “Peer Gynt” finds a young woman trying on new identities but finding that none quite fit.
Marvel’s Heroes Take Center Stage
Theater, June 24
Marvel Entertainment and Samuel French team up for a series of educational plays for teenagers.
Decapitating American History in ‘King Philip’s Head’
Theater, June 23
Daniel Glenn’s astutely goofy portrait of legislative gridlock in the Plymouth Colony casts women as some seriously conflicted founding fathers.
A Play Dissected White Privilege in Education. Then the College Admissions Scandal Broke.
Theater, June 21
Issues at the heart of the scandal resonate in “Admissions,” Joshua Harmon’s comedy. How did the news affect the show?
‘Be More Chill’ to End Broadway Run in August
Theater, June 21
The musical, fueled by social media love, opened in March — a tough time of year for a show with a largely student fan base.
What to Do in New York This Weekend
Arts, June 21
The cultural offerings are varied and vast, from ‘Toy Story 4’ in movie theaters to numerous ways to celebrate the first day of summer and NYC Pride.
In ‘The Mountains Look Different,’ Sin, Shame and Self-Determination
Theater, June 20
A forgotten 1948 drama by Micheál Mac Liammóir has been polished to a becoming shimmer at Theater Row.
In ‘Toni Stone,’ America’s Pastime Meets America’s Problem
Theater, June 20
April Matthis’s sensational performance anchors Lydia R. Diamond’s play about the first woman of any race to appear in a professional baseball game.
9 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend
Theater, June 20
Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.
Pride Month: The New York City Theater to See
Theater, June 20
“A Strange Loop,” “Stonewall” and, of course, “The Cher Show” are among the offerings onstage now.
‘The Minutes,’ by Tracy Letts, Is Coming to Broadway
Theater, June 20
The politically themed comedy, about a fractious municipal government meeting, will open in 2020.
On 125th Street, Dancing Toward Freedom
Arts, June 20
A response to Harlem’s changing landscape, this marathon performance piece travels from one end of the street to the other.
‘Bitter Wheat’ Misfires, in Monstrous Fashion
Theater, June 20
Despite the formidable presence of John Malkovich, David Mamet’s new play is as reprehensible as the predatory film tycoon at the center of it.
Crossing the Line Festival Challenges Itself to Evolve
Arts, June 19
This year’s lineup includes a theatrical adaptation of John Cassavetes’s “Opening Night,” starring Isabelle Adjani, and a new play by Peter Brook.
Behind the ‘Veil,’ Facts Are Negotiable
Theater, June 19
Hollywood filmmakers tell a period story set in China in Gordon Dahlquist’s layered look at truth, lies and the power of narrative.
Why Def Leppard Finally Said Yes to the ‘Rock of Ages’ Musical
Arts, June 19
The jukebox show never had the rights to use the band’s songs, even though it’s named after one. That’s changing for its 10th anniversary revival.
‘Dropping Gumballs on Luke Wilson,’ Aiming for His Head
Theater, June 19
Based on an anecdote from the set of an infamous commercial, the play focuses on the behind-the-scenes people who work to realize an artist’s vision.
Can a Kung Fu Musical Get (Way) Off the Ground?
Theater, June 19
“Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise,” the unlikely offspring of a Chinese-American opera impresario and the writers of “Kung Fu Panda” — with songs by Sia — aims to show just how high the Shed can fly.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ Is Coming to Broadway
Theater, June 18
The improv show will begin a 16-week run in September.
Seek More Gender Diversity Onstage? Look at This List
Theater, June 18
After five years of pressing for parity, the collective known as the Kilroys says it is seeing progress. Meanwhile, more suggestions for plays to present.
For Pride Month, Dinner and a Show of Marginalized Voices
Food, June 18
PrideTable, a two-week event, tells L.G.B.T. chefs’ stories and serves a five-course meal.
‘Girl From the North Country,’ With Bob Dylan Songs, Is Bound for Broadway
Theater, June 18
The show, written and directed by Conor McPherson, explores the struggles of boardinghouse residents in Depression-era Minnesota.
‘A Strange Loop’ Is a Self-Portrait in a Hall of Mirrors
Theater, June 17
Michael R. Jackson’s gutsy, exasperated musical is set within the mind of a black, queer man who’s writing a musical about a black, queer man who’s writing a musical …
‘Oh! Calcutta!’ at 50: Still Naked After All These Years
Theater, June 17
John Lennon and Sam Shepard wrote sketches. The cast was unclothed. And it went on to a two-decade Broadway run. An oral history of one of theater’s unlikeliest hits.
A One-Act Marathon Anchored by the Armageddon
Theater, June 17
Plays in this Ensemble Studio Theater series include stories of the Second Coming told seven ways and two women in search of a hot duck.
Debra Messing Will Star in ‘Birthday Candles’ on Broadway
Theater, June 17
The Roundabout Theater Company production, which follows a woman’s long life, marks the playwright Noah Haidle’s Broadway debut.
‘Hillary and Clinton’ to End Broadway Run Early
Theater, June 17
Lucas Hnath’s play about a familiar-sounding power couple will wrap up on June 23.
It Got Better. That’s My Testimony.
Opinion, June 16
Revealing the truth about my past was my most freeing act. Seeing it performed on stage showed me how far I had come.
A Broadway Star Indeed
Opinion, June 16
A reader says the Tony winner Ali Stroker is a role model for children with disabilities.
In ‘Pathetic,’ a Retelling of Racine, Love Hurts
Theater, June 16
Julia Jarcho’s new play is a squirmy, sinister meditation on female desire, with a whiff of ancient Greece.
Danielle Brooks Is Ready to Be a Love Interest
Theater, June 14
She talks about playing the leading lady in “Much Ado About Nothing,” saying goodbye to “Orange Is the New Black,” and being a role model.
How Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka Spend Their Sundays
New York, June 14
‘There is no consistency to our routine except that we’re together and spending quality time with the kids.’
‘The Secret Life of Bees’ Is a Musical Lacking a Sting
Theater, June 13
Despite its top creative team, an adaptation of the popular Sue Monk Kidd novel feels like a first draft.
11 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend
Theater, June 13
Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.
Ed Harris to Succeed Jeff Daniels in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ on Broadway
Theater, June 13
Mr. Harris, featured in “Westworld” on television, is a four-time Oscar nominee.
Illusionist Derren Brown to Perform ‘Secret’ on Broadway
Theater, June 13
The show, a mix of mind reading and magic, is to open in September.
Once Is Definitely Not Enough for These Broadway Fans
Theater, June 13
Readers share their own theatergoing binges in response to the “repeat attenders” who’ve seen their favorite musical 25 times — and counting.
In ‘Open,’ a Love Story Told by Sleight of Hand
Theater, June 12
In Crystal Skillman’s new play, a woman in the wake of tragedy resorts to magic and misdirection.
Sylvia Miles, Actress With a Flair for the Flamboyant, Dies at 94
Movies, June 12
She won Oscar nominations for “Midnight Cowboy” and “Farewell, My Lovely” and gossip-column attention for her indefatigable partygoing.
Sylvia Miles, Actress With a Flair for the Flamboyant, Dies at 94
Movies, June 12
She won Oscar nominations for “Midnight Cowboy” and “Farewell, My Lovely” and gossip-column attention for her indefatigable partygoing.
Ali Stroker on Winning the Tony: ‘I Was Meant to Be in This Seat’
Theater, June 12
The flirtatious Ado Annie of Broadway’s “Oklahoma!” says she is proud to be a symbol.
An Evening Spent Watching Theater (and Visiting Goats) in Riverside Park
New York, June 12
Hudson Warehouse’s performances are intimate, low key and plentiful. No tickets or assigned seats necessary, and admission is pay-what-you’re-able.
Broadway Toasts the Tonys. And Zombies Take Over Midtown.
Style, June 12
Tony winners flood an after-party hosted by Rick Miramontez. And the premiere of “Dead Don’t Die,” by Jim Jarmusch, at MoMA.
Volksbühne Theater in Berlin Names Artistic Director, Ending Leadership Crisis
Theater, June 12
René Pollesch, an acclaimed German playwright and director, will take over starting in 2021. His appointment ends a tumultuous few years for the institution.
Is This Ring an Honor, or a Curse?
Theater, June 12
The Iffland Ring is awarded to the “most worthy” actors who perform in German. But it comes with a supposed jinx, accusations of sexism and an association with the Nazis.
In Central Park, a ‘Much Ado’ About Something Big
Theater, June 11
A delicious production of the great Shakespearean comedy starring Danielle Brooks and set squarely in our #MeToo and Black Lives Matter moment.
In ‘Public Servant,’ a Changed Daughter Returns From College
Theater, June 11
Bekah Brunstetter’s civic-minded new play is about parenthood, paternalism and what it means to work for the people.
A 5-Course Meal Served in One-Act Bites
Theater, June 11
An Ensemble Studio Theater series includes an allegory on American intervention and a sympathetic look at a woman in distress.
Big-League Baseball’s First Woman, on a Stage of Her Own
Theater, June 11
A new Off Broadway play aims to make sure Toni Stone, who played for the Indianapolis Clowns in 1953, is no longer a footnote to history.
Taylor Mac’s ‘Gary’ Will Close Early on Broadway
Theater, June 11
The profane and bloody comic “sequel” to “Titus Andronicus” has been dying at the box office.
This Choreographer Can Make Your Play Move
Arts, June 11
Raja Feather Kelly, who has left his mark on several Off Broadway shows, specializes in what he calls “virtuosic behavior.”
The New 42nd Street, a Theater Nonprofit, Names Its Next Leader
Theater, June 11
Russell Granet will be the new president and chief executive of the organization, taking over as Cora Cahan steps down.
The Best and Worst of the 2019 Tony Awards
Theater, June 10
Swinging lights. Broadway beefs. Words of wisdom. And a restroom serenade. If only some of the highlights were on TV.
Bryan Cranston Praises Journalists in Tony Awards Speech
Theater, June 9
“The media is not the enemy of the people,” said Mr. Cranston, who won best leading actor in a play for his performance as a journalist in “Network.”
As Broadway Gets Bigger, the Tonys Get Blander
Arts, June 9
CBS’s broadcast of the 73rd annual ceremony was a safe, unsurprising show that even James Corden couldn’t liven up.
Ali Stroker Makes History as First Wheelchair User to Win a Tony
Theater, June 9
“This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation or a challenge,” said Ms. Stroker, who won for her role as Ado Annie in “Oklahoma!.”
‘Hadestown’ Director Rachel Chavkin: Diversity ‘Is Not a Pipeline Issue’
Theater, June 9
Ms. Chavkin, the only woman directing a musical on Broadway this season, won for best direction of a musical.
Billy Porter Challenges Gender Norms on the Tonys Red Carpet
Theater, June 9
Mr. Porter wore a gown to Sunday night’s awards show and he wasn’t alone.
Scenes From Inside the 2019 Tony Awards
Theater, June 9
Our photographer Sara Krulwich is at Radio City Music Hall, looking for moments that might stand out — a stirring song, a striking emotion, a bit of visual razzle dazzle.
2019 Tony Award Winners: Full List
Theater, June 9
These are the winners of the 73rd annual Tony Awards.
Tony Awards Highlights and Analysis
Interactive, June 9
Did you tune in to the Tony Awards? Our TV and theater critics watched the ceremony, which honors the best of Broadway, and discussed the performances, presenters, winners and more.
Who Won and What Happened at the 2019 Tony Awards
Theater, June 9
“Hadestown” won eight prizes, including best musical. And Ali Stroker became the first wheelchair user to receive a Tony, for her role in “Oklahoma!”
The Week in Arts: Alvin Ailey Goes Back to School; ‘Younger’ Returns to TV Land
Arts, June 8
Dance performances celebrate the Ailey School’s 50th anniversary; a romantic comedy’s sixth season opens; and the National Gallery of Art becomes an animal house.
What You Need to Know Before the Tony Awards
Theater, June 7
When and how to watch Broadway’s biggest celebration, plus the best New York Times journalism on the nominees and contests.
What to Do in New York This Weekend: MoMA and the Tonys
Arts, June 7
Also “Late Night” and “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” arrive in theaters, and “Big Little Lies” returns for a second season.
In Chicago’s Vibrant Theater Scene, Two Tales of One City
Arts, June 7
A huge new literary adaptation and a tiny old melodrama both find a place in a healthy cultural ecosystem.
The Dressing Rooms of Broadway: 33 Photos Over Nearly a Century
Theater, June 7
For decades, our photographers have gotten intimate access backstage. Peek in as they capture stars, before the show and before the mirror.
Broadway Stars Getting Ready, Then and Now
Theater, June 7
Six visits to six theaters, with decades between them, but the energy backstage is a constant.
Harvey Fierstein on the Backstage Nests of Broadway
Theater, June 7
The writer and actor describes how he fashions his dressing rooms into “explosions of color and life.”
They Say You Can’t Go Home Again. Laura Linney Just Did.
Arts, June 7
She talks about revisiting Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” for a fourth time, and the potential impact of Georgia’s abortion bill on the production of Netflix’s “Ozark.”
Survey Says: Look for ‘Hadestown’ and ‘Ferryman’ to Take Tony Trophies
Theater, June 7
We asked voters about their preferences in anticipation of the award ceremony Sunday. Here’s what they said.
Survey Says: Look for ‘Hadestown’ and ‘Ferryman’ to Take Tony Trophies
Theater, June 7
We asked voters about their preferences in anticipation of the award ceremony Sunday. Here’s what they said.
10 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend
Theater, June 6
Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.
‘For Colored Girls’ and ‘Soft Power’ Will Be Part of Public Theater Season
Theater, June 6
Along with a revival of Ntozake Shange’s “choreopoem” and a new David Henry Hwang musical: work from Tony Kushner, Richard Nelson and Steve Earle.
‘Oscar at the Crown’ Sets the Apocalypse to a Throbbing Dance Beat
Theater, June 6
Both a dance party and an Oscar Wilde book club, this musical tries to connect the rise of social media to the end of the world.
‘The Inheritance,’ an Epic Gay Play, is Coming to Broadway
Theater, June 6
Matthew Lopez’s drama, inspired by the novel “Howards End” and presented in two parts, won this year’s Olivier Award for best new play.
A French Festival Where the Actor Is King
Theater, June 6
The Printemps des Comédiens festival features productions uniquely crafted for, and occasionally by, their performers.
Terese Hayden, Whose Guide Helped Actors Get Cast, Dies at 98
Obituaries, June 5
A struggling performer herself, she began publishing The Players’ Guide, a compendium of names, photographs, credits and phone numbers, in 1944.
A Merry Murderess Hangs Up Her ‘Chicago’ Fishnets
Theater, June 5
After more than 20 years in the musical, Donna Marie Asbury played her final Broadway performance this week.
The 1969 Tonys Was a Night to Remember. Just Ask James Earl Jones.
Theater, June 5
It was the season of “Hair” vs. “1776” and the arrival of a young actor named Al Pacino.
James Corden Still Loves Theater, Even if His Left Eye Is in Pain
Theater, June 5
From a Paris crosswalk to Radio City Music Hall, the TV funnyman and Tony Awards host reminds us that he started on the stage.
They Shared a Tony for ‘Billy Elliot’. What Did They Do for an Encore?
Theater, June 5
In 2009, three unknown adolescent boys were the toast of Broadway in the musical’s title role. Where have they been? And where are they going?
In ‘Little Women,’ a Girl Dreams of a Man’s World
Theater, June 4
The stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel places the ambitious, thwarted Jo March at its center.
It’s Cain and Abel Redux in ‘Long Lost’ by Donald Margulies
Theater, June 4
This formulaic offering from the author of “Dinner With Friends” chronicles the havoc wrought when a black sheep returns to the family fold.
In ‘Ms. Blakk for President,’ a Winning Losing Campaign
Theater, June 4
Based on real events, the Steppenwolf Theater Company’s new play tells the story of a Chicago drag queen who throws her fabulous hat into the ring.
‘Nomad Motel,’ a Play With Vacancies
Theater, June 3
In this untidy but often poignant drama, Carla Ching brings together the young and the rootless in Southern California.
Doubling Up on Toxic Manhood in ‘Dying City’
Theater, June 3
This revival of Christopher Shinn’s 2007 drama about a widow of the Iraq war keeps its audience at a distance.
They Played With Dolls. Did That Make Them Playwrights?
Theater, June 3
Five writers on how childhood fun — and a way with scissors — shaped the adult sensibilities they’ve brought to “Mac Beth” and other stage works.
‘King Lear’ Revival Will Close Early on Broadway
Theater, June 3
Despite having Glenda Jackson in the title role, the production was largely overlooked during awards season and attendance has been dropping.
Coming to City Center: ‘Evita,’ ‘Swan Lake’ and a Rare Kurt Weill Musical
Arts, June 3
New York City Center has unveiled its 2019-20 season. Here are the highlights.
‘The Haunting’ Has a Big Problem With ‘Hamilton’
Theater, June 2
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a character, and his hit musical is a punching bag, in Ishmael Reed’s didactic play about historical correctness.
On Chicago’s Stages, Women With Problems
Theater, June 2
Working opposite ends of the volume spectrum, two musicals, the new “Six” and a reinterpreted “Next to Normal,” find their levels.
Sarah Silverman Has Written a Musical
Theater, May 31
Atlantic Theater Company will host the world premiere of “The Bedwetter,” based on her 2010 memoir, along with a new play by Stephen Adly Guirgis.
The Mueller Report Will Be Read Live This Weekend
Theater, May 31
Taylor Mac, Oskar Eustis and Eisa Davis will be among those participating at the event in Queens.
13 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend
Theater, May 30
Previews, openings and some last-chance picks.
‘Enter Laughing’ Delights. (Except if You’re Greta Garbo.)
Theater, May 30
Set in the 1930s, this musical comedy about a young man striving for stardom lands most of its jokes in song.
Everything We Know About ‘Bitter Wheat,’ David Mamet’s New Play
Theater, May 30
With John Malkovich playing a Harvey Weinstein-style character, the play already has people talking — and speculating.
In This ‘Death of a Salesman,’ Willy Loman Is Black
Theater, May 30
Three new theater productions in London explore questions of race and skin color in different ways.
Why Violence Is Up in Pockets of Brooklyn
New York, May 30
Thursday: Gang retaliation is partly behind a rise in shootings in the northern part of the borough.
A Sex Crime Disarranges a Tidy World in ‘Something Clean’
Theater, May 29
A splendid Kathryn Erbe plays a sheltered housewife thrown into limbo in Selina Fillinger’s thoughtful, poignant new play.
Roger Hirson, Who Wrote the Book for ‘Pippin,’ Dies at 93
Obituaries, May 29
For more than a decade, Mr. Hirson was known for writing for television, but meeting the composer Stephen Schwartz led to the hit musical “Pippin.”
A Lynn Nottage and Ricky Ian Gordon Opera Heads to Lincoln Center Theater
Theater, May 29
The theater will stage “Intimate Apparel,” a new chamber opera based on Ms. Nottage’s 2004 play.
There’s Great Dance on Broadway. Hello, Tony Awards?
Arts, May 29
Standard or (worse yet) slight fare gets nominated for best choreography while quality work — “Oklahoma!,” “The Prom” — goes unrecognized. An exception: Camille A. Brown’s dances for “Choir Boy.”
Does Anything Awful Happen to the Cat in the Play?
Theater, May 29
On the dread, and the glory, of watching animals onstage.
Broadway’s Box Office Keeps Booming. Now Attendance is Surging, Too.
Theater, May 29
A key factor: the rising popularity of New York City as a tourist destination.
Broadway’s Box Office Keeps Booming. Now Attendance is Surging, Too.
Theater, May 29
A key factor: the rising popularity of New York City as a tourist destination.
‘The Flamingo Kid,’ a Musical Not Yet in Flight
Theater, May 28
There’s plenty to enjoy in this adaptation of a 1984 movie set at a Long Island beach club. But plenty to fix, as well.
‘They’re Playing Our Song,’ Over and Over and Over Again
Theater, May 28
Ron and Staci Schnell have a special affection for Marvin Hamlisch’s romantic musical — even after seeing it 25 times.
16 Years on ‘Avenue Q,’ Wrangling Puppets and Performances
Theater, May 27
Since 2003, Christine M. Daly had been the stage manager of the rowdy musical, which held its final performance at New World Stages on Sunday.
One Fateful Night with Donny Hathaway
Theater, May 27
The bio-play “Twisted Melodies” aims to remind us of his timeless musicianship and unsettling personal struggles.