T/theater

Eric Overmyer, Who Wrote for Modern Television Classics, Dies at 74

Trained as a playwright, he got his first TV writing job on “St. Elsewhere,” then worked on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “The Wire,” “Treme” and “Bosch.”

The Vivacious Play That Started as a Scandalous Poem a Century Ago

One hundred years after it was banned for its depiction of hedonism, the rhythmic, jazz-soaked poetry of Joseph Moncure March continues to find new life.

How Two Stars of ‘The Bear’ Turned to Robbing a Bank … on Broadway

Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are both making their Broadway debut in a high-stakes adaptation of the beloved 1975 film “Dog Day Afternoon.”

29 Ways to Entertain Your Kids in New York City This Spring

They can shake off those winter doldrums by hunting for Easter eggs, running the bases at Brooklyn Cyclones’ ballpark or gliding down Slide Hill on Governors Island.

Same Shows, Different Prices: Broadway vs. the West End

Michael Paulson reports from New York, and Alex Marshall reports from London, to compare theater prices for the same shows on both sides of the Atlantic.

Why Are Theater Tickets So Much Cheaper in London Than New York?

For half the price of a great seat at a Broadway show, you can see “Paddington” in the West End (if you can find a ticket) and snack on a marmalade sandwich.

Sardi’s Sells Its Name and Takes a Brief Intermission

The longtime owner of the restaurant, a Theater District mainstay, is bowing out, and the Shubert Organization plans to reopen after a renovation, with the celebrity caricatures intact.

Robert Fox, Acclaimed Producer in Britain and on Broadway, Dies at 73

A favorite of actors like Maggie Smith, he produced dozens of plays, including “The Audience,” about Queen Elizabeth II, which was made into the Netflix show “The Crown.”

Contemporary Opera Doesn’t Need to ‘Challenge’ Audiences

With a musical language they can appreciate, Americans could more easily find opera’s appeal.

‘Public Charge’ Review: The World Is Messy. Being a Force for Good Is, Too.

A new play at the Public Theater written by Michael J. Chepiga and the former ambassador Julissa Reynoso is a diplomatic memoir of sorts, and a meditation on loving one’s country.

A Pop Diva and a Flamed-Out Rock Music Revolution

The singer Self Esteem, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor, is an incarnation of late 1960s counterculture in a new London production of David Hare’s “Teeth ‘n’ Smiles.”

‘Dog Day’ Drama: Broadway Playwright Briefly Kept Out of Rehearsals

A week before opening night, tensions spilled over offstage, with the show’s producing team temporarily prohibiting Stephen Adly Guirgis from entering the theater.

Larry Reed, Master of Shadow Puppetry, Dies at 81

Entranced by traditional Balinese puppet theater, he developed a modern, multicultural version that he performed around the world.

Comedy’s Most Manipulative Shot … and Its Greatest Weapon

Audience reactions are a staple of standup specials. But they’re a strange device when you take a closer look.

‘Giant’ Review: As Roald Dahl, John Lithgow Is a Study in Monstrosity

In Mark Rosenblatt’s play, a powerful portrayal of the beloved children’s book author who almost gleefully exposes his bigotry.

She’s a 2,500-Year-Old Rebel With a Cause

“Antigone” gave us the original “bad girl,” but its themes go beyond that. How do adaptations keep making Sophocles’ ideas about democracy and theater new?

Why Are We Obsessed With Antigone?

Antigone, an ancient Greek play, is being adapted in several theaters across New York City. Our critic Helen Shaw explains why Sophocles’s anti-heroine is such a relevant figure today.

‘Monte Cristo’ Review: A Tale of Betrayal, on Two Counts

An adaptation has a twist that doesn’t track, and songs that benefit from an excellent cast, including Norm Lewis, Sierra Boggess and Adam Jacobs.

9 Shows Our Theater Critics Are Talking About

Daniel Radcliffe in “Every Brilliant Thing,” “The Wild Party” and two Cold War-era comedy-thrillers: These are productions worth knowing about.

‘Tru’ and ‘The Fever’: The Contagion of the Rich

Two monologue revivals — Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Truman Capote and Wallace Shawn’s solo — reveal how wealth warps our perceptions. Only one pays dividends.

‘The Wild Party’ Has a Ball at City Center

Encores! revisits a Jazz Age tale of debauchery, with showstoppers from Jasmine Amy Rogers, Adrienne Warren, Jordan Donica, Tonya Pinkins and others.

Jane Lapotaire, British Actress Who Won a Tony for ‘Piaf,’ Dies at 81

In a distinguished career in classical and contemporary plays, she drew acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic for her dramatic portrayal of the French singer Édith Piaf.

After Period of Instability, BAM Names New President

Tamara McCaw, a longtime arts leader with experience at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, will lead it with a focus on stability.

‘My Joy Is Heavy’ Review: Hope and Horror Live in the Same House

A full-scale production of the Bengsons’ deeply personal memoir musical is delivered via anthemic songs and remnants of home.

‘Ulster American’ Review: Matthew Broderick as a Star Blinded by Privilege

David Ireland’s satire follows a Hollywood actor whose cluelessness leads to a combustible confrontation.

New York Theater Settles Case That Argued Discounts Were Discriminatory

The lawsuit objected to a “BIPOC night” program at Playwrights Horizons, an Off Broadway nonprofit.

Jonathan Groff in ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ and More Theater to Stream

Joined by Daniel Radcliffe, Groff stars in the hit Broadway production of the Sondheim musical. And there are (count ’em) three productions of “The Importance of Being Earnest” this month.

African Mean Girls? Fresh Take on Teen Cliques Is Broadway Bound.

“School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play,” written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Whitney White, will start performances in September.

The Man Who Would Go Anywhere

Is there anyone John Lithgow can’t — or won’t — play?

Trump Defends Need for Kennedy Center Renovation Project

Ahead of a vote on whether to close the center for two years of construction, the president criticized its previous financial management and physical condition.

‘Trash’ Review: Bickering About Chores, in Sign Language

James Caverly and Andrew Morrill star as Deaf roommates in their new comedy at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

Daniel Radcliffe Makes ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Shine

The actor’s fondness for the audience radiates outward in this delightful interactive play about naming and noticing the good in the world.

‘Antigone (This Play I Read in High School)’ Review: Tragically Uneven

Anna Ziegler’s feminist take on Sophocles tries to tie in reproductive politics, but the play keeps trampling over its own ideas.

‘Bughouse’ Review: Inside a Solitary Artist’s Unwieldy Mind

Henry Darger, a recluse who left behind thousands of wild illustrations upon his death, is the subject of fascination in this one-man show.

A New First Lady for Broadway’s ‘Oh, Mary!’: Maya Rudolph

The actress will make her Broadway debut in a role that, she said, “feels like a badge of honor.”

On the Hunt for 24 Hours of Drag in N.Y.C.

An enthusiast went on a madcap adventure to find some fun events for all types across the city, from bingo fans to “Star Trek” aficionados.

Quentin Tarantino Plans ‘Swashbuckling’ Play for London’s West End

“The Popinjay Cavalier,” written and directed by Tarantino, will open next year. It is described as a “rambunctious comedy of deception” set in 1830s Europe.

Lily Allen Is on Tour. She Brought Along Some Receipts.

The designer of Ms. Allen’s “West End Girl” tour talks about the scene with the artist pulling cloth printed with receipts that has become the subject of online speculation.

At This Festival, the Dead of Winter Is the Life of the Party

In the Hudson Valley town of Chatham, N.Y., a weeklong event called “The Dark” took over theaters, bars, a church, a bookshop, a library and even a sauna.

Liza Minnelli’s Memoir Has the Sequins, but Not the Sparkle

“Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!” is a familiar reminder that growing up in showbiz can lead to awards and adulation, but also to heartache.

Fed Up With High Costs, American Theater Takes a Trip to London

Skyrocketing budgets and falling profitability have driven a new form of offshoring, with U.S. producers staging shows across the Atlantic.

For Longtime Kennedy Center Patrons, a ‘Lifeline’ Has Been Cut

As President Trump prepares to close Washington’s premier performing arts venue for two years, loyal patrons wonder where they’ll get their cultural fix.

In a Screen-Dazzled World, a Theater Critic Has the Antidote

The Times’s new chief theater critic is taking up the mantle as the industry moves over rocky ground.

From 1977: Maria Callas, 53, Is Dead of Heart Attack in Paris

Considered the most exciting opera singer of her time, she thrilled audiences with her penchant for spectacle onstage and in her personal life.

From 1975: Josephine Baker Is Dead in Paris at 68

She performed with a string of bananas tied around her waist, an electrifying act that led her to become first a local sensation in Paris, and then an international star.

A Fast-Rising American Director Is Wowing the West End

After a prizewinning “Fiddler on the Roof” and a lauded take on Sondheim, Jordan Fein is tackling Arthur Miller’s enigmatic “Broken Glass.”

Wallace Shawn’s ‘What We Did Before Our Moth Days’ Is Purgatory Done Right

The playwright and his collaborator André Gregory are together again, delivering a sumptuous set of interlinked monologues about life, death and betrayal.

Olivier Awards: ‘Paddington’ and ‘Into the Woods’ Lead Nominations

The two musicals secured 11 nominations each for Britain’s equivalent of the Tony Awards. Cate Blanchett, Bryan Cranston and Rachel Zegler are also among the nominees.

Black Panther’s Hip-Hop Play, in Shakespeare’s House

The actor Chadwick Boseman was a playwright, too. At Shakespeare’s Globe in London, his “Deep Azure” is drawing attention to a lost talent inspired by the Bard.

How Jonathan Groff Became Broadway’s Leading Man

By transmitting his love of live performance, the “Just in Time” actor has completed his ascendance to full musical stardom.

24 Off Broadway Shows to Catch in March

Hugh Jackman returns in “Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays Truman Capote, and Celia Keenan-Bolger and Tony Shalhoub star in an “Antigone” riff.

‘Night Side Songs’ Review: Feel Free to Sing Along

The Lazours’ intimate new musical about illness and mortality is also about finding solace in other people, and in art.

Hamnet, Hamlet and Oscar Wao: Three Lost Boys Across Time

In the stage versions of two beloved books, the most impressive moments emerge when the productions stray from the source material.

‘Bigfoot!’ Review: An Ogre Who Just Wants to Be Friends

The new musical from the comedian Amber Ruffin has a wholesome moral and silliness in spades.

For a Lesbian Twist on ‘Cyrano,’ They Enlisted an Indigo Girl

Opening a decade after “Fun Home” debuted on Broadway, the new musical “Starstruck” has a lesbian protagonist and a female creative team. That still seems radical.

34 Things to Do in New York City in March

This month offers St. Patrick’s Day and the Oscars, vampires and Mapplethorpe, as well as free ice skating and a final bow from Jonathan Groff.

As Regional Theaters Struggle, Some Defy the Odds

Naples, Fla., and Milwaukee are quite different, but have one thing in common: They are home to regional theaters that are thriving.

5 Years After Covid Closed the Theaters, Audiences Are Returning

Broadway is almost back, and pop music tours and sports events are booming. But Hollywood, museums and other cultural sectors have yet to bounce back.

Off Broadway, Labor Tension Heats Up

Stagehands and other backstage workers have gone on strike against a prominent theater, and two productions have been canceled.

Stratford-Upon-Lake-Michigan: Royal Shakespeare Company Plays Chicago

With less touring, it’s been a while since all the world has been its stage, but the troupe is working with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater — where it has family ties.

On Broadway, a Covid Switcheroo: Marsha Mason in for Mia Farrow

Mason, an associate director of “The Roommate,” which opened on Broadway last week, stepped in as Patti LuPone’s counterpart.

Does a Smash Hit Like ‘Lion King’ Deserve a $3 Million Tax Break?

Broadway is still recovering from the pandemic. A state tax-credit program has helped, but watchdogs say it aids some shows that don’t need a boost.

Audience Snapshot: Four Years After Shutdown, a Mixed Recovery

Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while attendance on Broadway and at some major museums is still down.

Is Earlier Better for Theater Start Times?

In an effort to entice audiences back after the pandemic, Britain’s National Theater is testing a 6:30 p.m. curtain.

Off Broadway, a Vital Part of New York Theater, Feels the Squeeze

The small theaters that help make the city a theater capital are cutting back as they struggle to recover from the pandemic.

Luring Theater Audiences Back After Covid

Readers discuss the decline in theater subscribers after the pandemic. Also: Northern Ireland; food allergies; a Covid playmate; anti-China bias.

72 Regional Theaters, One Shared Crisis

Michael Paulson spoke with producers and artistic directors at nonprofit theaters across the country about the crisis their industry is facing.

A Crisis in America’s Theaters Leaves Prestigious Stages Dark

As they struggle to recover after the pandemic, regional theaters are staging fewer shows, giving fewer performances, laying off staff and, in some cases, closing.

In ‘Plays for the Plague Year,’ the Soundtrack of Our Lives

Suzan-Lori Parks wrote one play a day for 13 months during the pandemic. Those stories come to life onstage in the form of monologues, dialogues and songs at Joe’s Pub.

As Presenters Cut Back on Streams, Some Disabled Arts Lovers Feel Left Out

When shuttered venues embraced streaming during the pandemic, the arts became more accessible. With live performance back, and streams dwindling, many feel forgotten.

‘Covid Vortex Anxiety Opera’ Review: Gloom, Zoom and a New Bloom

The veteran performance artist Karen Finley leads the audience through the troubles that plagued New York City at the peak of the pandemic.

Obie Awards Honor ‘English’ as Best New Play

A ceremony for the awards, celebrating work Off and Off Off Broadway, will be held Monday, but organizers decided to announce the winners in advance.

Broadway Bounces Back With ‘Best Week Since the Before Times’

Broadway shows grossed $51.9 million during the holiday week, the most since 2019, and “The Lion King” set a record for the most earned by any show in a single week.

‘Broadway Rising’ Review: Surviving the Pandemic

Stakeholders including Patti LuPone and Lynn Nottage share their real-time reactions to New York theater’s shutdown and reopening in Amy Rice’s documentary.

Onstage, It’s Finally Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Again

After one holiday season lost to the pandemic and another curtailed by Omicron, seasonal staples including “The Nutcracker,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Messiah” are back in force.

Lynn Nottage’s ‘Clyde’s’ Is the Most-Staged Play in America

An annual survey, suspended during the pandemic, resumes and finds theaters nationally doing fewer shows and torn between escapism and ambition.

Did Fauci Lead America Astray on Covid?

Responses to an essay that criticized Anthony Fauci’s handling of the pandemic. Also: Migrants as props; abortion rights; David Milch; theater’s lessons.

To Mask, or Not to Mask: Theaters and Concert Halls Face a Dilemma

Some audience members are turned off by mask mandates. Others won’t attend indoor performances without them. Arts presenters are taking different approaches this season.

‘It’s My Tradition Too’: A Town’s Centuries-Old Passion Play Evolves

After a two-year pandemic delay, villagers in the German town of Oberammergau are once again re-enacting the story of Jesus’s life and death, with some changes.

On Broadway, One Show Decides to Keep Masks. No, It’s Not ‘Phantom.’

“American Buffalo,” at Circle in the Square, is sticking with masking till it closes, July 10, citing the “proximity of the audience to the actors” and “the staging in the round.”

You Don’t Want to Wear a Mask? Do It for Hugh Jackman

Beginning in July, Broadway will no longer require audiences to mask up. Actors and theater workers aren’t loving the idea.

You Don’t Want to Wear a Mask? Do It for Hugh Jackman.

Beginning in July, Broadway will no longer require audiences to mask up. Actors and theater workers aren’t loving the idea.

Broadway Will Drop Mask Mandate Beginning July 1

Most theaters stopped requiring proof of vaccination this spring. Now they are going “mask optional.”

‘A Strange Loop’ Wins Best Musical as Tonys Celebrate Broadway’s Return

“The Lehman Trilogy” won best play, “Company” won best musical revival and “Take Me Out” won best revival of a play at the 75th Tony Awards.

‘Come From Away’ to Close, the Latest Broadway Show to End Run

The musical, which opened in 2017, is the third to announce a closing in two days, as many shows struggle in a pandemic-softened marketplace.

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.”

The Twisting Trail to the Tonys: ‘Can You Believe That We’re Here?’

At times it felt like a game of survival. But during a Broadway season unlike any other, productions showed their resourcefulness while learning how to live with Covid.

‘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.

Your Monday Evening Briefing

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

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

Most of Broadway Ends Vaccine Checks as Cases Rise in New York

While for-profit theater owners and operators agreed to stop checking proof of vaccination this week, several nonprofit Broadway theaters continue to require it.

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.

‘For Colored Girls’ to Close on Broadway, Reflecting Tough Season

The revival, directed by Camille A. Brown, received strong reviews but struggled to attract audiences and overcome challenges posed by Covid.