T/theater

‘Vanya on Huron Street’ Review: Chekhov in Brooklyn

Instead of a departure, the writer and director Matthew Gasda’s take on “Uncle Vanya” at the Brooklyn Center for Theater Research tends to adhere to the original.

Joel Paley, Writer of ‘Ruthless,’ an Off Broadway Hit, Dies at 69

The show, with music by Marvin Laird, portrayed a schoolgirl’s murderous theatrical ambition. Paley also performed in the parody dance group Les Ballets Trockadero.

Against All Odds, a Vegas Theater Scene With a ‘Sense of the Wild West’

Local artists straddle aesthetic and artistic worlds in the land of mega-spectacles and oversize flash.

Claire van Kampen, 71, Playwright and Arranger of Early Music World, Dies

After she married Mark Rylance, the two often collaborated; her specialty was arranging music for Tudor-era plays. Then she wrote a period piece of her own.

Lynne Taylor-Corbett, ‘Footloose’ Choreographer, Dies at 78

Striving to widen the audience of dance, she brought vitality to Broadway musicals like “Swing!” as well as ballets and Hollywood films.

On Its 10th Anniversary, ‘Hamilton’ Looks Heartbreakingly Different

It’s a glimpse at a long-lost era, but not the one the characters sing about.

‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ Stages Shakespeare in a Land of Shootouts

During a pandemic lockdown, out-of-work actors turned to the video game Grand Theft Auto Online, where a tortured soliloquy may be interrupted by a rocket launcher.

Theater Productions to Stream Now

This month’s picks include “Prima Facie,” intimate audio plays and bite-size dramas.

Joan Plowright, Award-Winning Actress and Olivier’s Widow, Dies at 95

She won many accolades — and was honored with a damehood — during a seven-decade career on the London stage, in film and on Broadway.

In a ‘Show Boat’ Reboot, Ol’ Man River Gets an Extreme Makeover

“Show/Boat: A River” reverses the racial lens on the great-grandfather of American musicals.

At Home With David Rasche

The “Succession” actor and his wife, Heather Rasche, have made their home in Maplewood, N.J., all about family.

Under the Radar: Venturing to Fantastical Universes With a Dodo and More

Stories from refugee children, gloriously morbid puppets and a rooster who defies a dictator. These are some of the offbeat offerings this January.

For These Teenagers in Ukraine, Hope Arrived at the Stage Door

The students in a summer acting course performed a play set in America, called, “It’s okay!” And it gave them hope that their lives would be OK, too.

Prolific Producer to Take Over Theater That Was Too Costly for Nonprofit

Seaview, whose buzzy shows include “Romeo + Juliet,” has seized a chance to have its own theater by taking over Second Stage’s former Off Broadway home.

The Mothers on Broadway Are Finally More Than Monsters

Onstage, the flip-side of filial devotion has often been contempt. But a wave of forceful and multidimensional mothers suggests that may be changing.

Stagehands Walk Off the Job at Atlantic Theater Company

The stage employees union accused the nonprofit theater of stalling talks. The strike forced the cancellation of Sunday performances of two new plays.

Abigail McGrath, Founder of an Experimental Theater, Dies at 84

She was an aspiring actor when she was cast in an Andy Warhol film called “Tub Girls.” But she was best known for the beloved Off Center Theater.

She’s the Dancing Body, He’s the Restless Mind

Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri ring in the New Year in their physical and introspective “Many Happy Returns.”

Adams Makes the Case for New York and for Himself

In his State of the City address, the mayor focused on safety and affordability and only briefly alluded to his own challenging circumstances.

They Were Hits in London. Then They Got Smacked in New York.

What happened to “Sunset Boulevard,” “Back to the Future,” “Cinderella” and “Tammy Faye” when they crossed the Atlantic?

I’ve Changed My Mind. Audra McDonald Was Right.

Why shouldn’t “Gypsy” engage in a little creative anachronism?

Otto Schenk, Opera Director and Bulwark of Tradition, Dies at 94

A prominent practitioner of the historically grand productions that were once fashionable at the Met, he was especially well known for his stagings of Wagner.

What to Do in New York City in January

Looking for something to do in New York? Explore the percussive side of saxophones with PRISM Quartet and Miguel Zenón or introduce the kids to “The Iron Giant.”

Why ‘Show Boat’ Is America’s Most Enduring, Unstable Musical

A revival called “Show/Boat: A River” joins a history of reimagining the musical that goes back nearly a century, to its first performances.

#MeToo Theater Campaigners Stage a Drama of Their Own

The French activists behind the hashtag #MeTooThéâtre have devised a play that shows the personal cost of bringing abuse claims to light.

Close-Up Magic Gets an Up-Close Venue in Brooklyn

69 Atlantic hosts weekly shows by the world’s best magicians in a suitably intimate setting.

Mel Shapiro, Honored Stage Director of ‘Two Gentlemen,’ Dies at 89

He worked with the playwright John Guare in mounting his “House of Blue Leaves,” and they helped turn “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” into a hit musical.

The Vivienne, artista drag que ganó ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’, muere a los 32 años

James Lee Williams, a quien se le conocía mejor por su nombre artístico, también hizo carrera en el teatro musical.

A Brooklyn Arts Group Gets Its Own Home, a Place to Defy Gravity

651 Arts, dedicated to African diasporic performance, now has its own space to support work like the choreographer André Zachery’s “Against Gravity.”

The Vivienne, Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Dies at 32

James Lee Williams was best known by that stage name and also built a career in musical theater.

Richard Foreman, Iconoclastic Playwright and Impresario, Dies at 87

The Ontological-Hysteric Theater, which he founded in 1968, presented more than 50 of his plays, among them “My Head Was a Sledgehammer” and “Permanent Brain Damage.”

What Linda Lavin Whispered to Me About Love and Need

She was a radiant star who played things her own way.

9 Plays to Warm Up Winter in New York

Several festivals, including Under the Radar, are bringing a tantalizing breadth of new work to stages across New York.

What to See on London Stages This Winter

Some recommendations for visitors and residents who want to get the most from the city’s varied theater scene.

For Shailene Woodley, Every Day Is Christmas

The actress is starring in the Broadway play “Cult of Love,” about a dysfunctional family gathered for the holidays. That means another month of caroling.

Dick Capri, Catskills Comic Who Took His Shtick to Broadway, Dies at 93

He was a regular at the mountain resorts where many comedians honed their acts, then had a star turn in the long-running revue “Catskills on Broadway.”

What Our Critics Are Looking Forward to in 2025

“Severance” is finally back for its second season, three New York art museums are set to reopen and ballet goes extreme.

Alaska Knows Why Her Drag Show Resonates: ‘It’s About Family’

The performer discusses her Off Broadway musical about warring queens. “Everyone can connect to being a young person not feeling understood,” she said.

Linda Lavin, Broadway Actress and Star of TV Sitcom ‘Alice,’ Dies at 87

She won two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy nomination for her role on the show. She also earned a Tony Award for best actress in the play “Broadway Bound.”

In a Political Year, Some Deaths Spoke to the Struggles for Democracy

Among the notable figures who died in a sometimes polarizing 2024, many championed justice, equal rights and political freedom.

7 New Shows Our Theater Critics Are Talking About

A film adaptation onstage, a Broadway classic, comedy galore: These are the productions worth knowing about this holiday season.

Broadway Shows Closing Soon: ‘Our Town,’ ‘Cult of Love’ and More

Thornton Wilder’s classic, starring Jim Parsons, wraps up, as does Leslye Headland’s angsty family drama. Catch these and other plays while you can.

The Lessons Pianos Teach in ‘The Piano Lesson’

A look at the piano designs for some of the various versions of August Wilson’s play, including the latest film adaptation.

‘A Christmas Carol’ Comes Back Every Year. So Does This Actress.

Over three decades, Sally Vahle has played Scrooge, ghosts and many of the other characters in Dallas Theater Center’s annual production of the Dickens classic.

11 Hyperlocal Works That Helped Me Find Common Ground

As pop culture continues to fracture, our critic was drawn to art and performances that explored universal themes by way of specific settings.

Who Takes 60 Years to Write a Play? This Guy.

A new biography of Goethe approaches its subject through his masterpiece and life’s work, the verse drama “Faust.”

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of Who Knows When

Dave Malloy’s musical, which was a hit in New York, comes to London in an antirealist staging that loses the 1812 setting and some emotional punch.

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.