"Master Harold" ...and the Boys **** A

A superb revival of Athol Fugard’s 1992 masterpiece, directed by the playwright, is the latest offering at Signature Theatre. In this semi-autobiographical work, Fugard portrays a critical moment in the longtime relationship between Hally (Noah Robbins), a 17-year old Afrikaaner, and two black employees of his family’s business, the wise Sam (Leon Addison Brown) who has tried to be a mentor to Hally and the impulsive Willie (Sahr Ngaujah). Hally’s father, badly injured in WW II, is an alcoholic. His mother has been forced to be the family breadwinner, first by operating a boarding house, since then by running a tea room. The lonely, seething, embittered Hally has turned to Sam and Willie since early childhood for companionship. When a telephone call from his mother bodes ill for Hally’s future, he lashes out at the only people he feels any control over. There are lighter moments of Sam and Willie preparing for a dance contest and of Hally recollecting happier times, but the play builds inexorably to its lacerating climax. Every aspect of this production is top-notch. All three actors fully inhabit their roles, the realistic set by Christopher H. Barreca is excellent, Susan Hilferty’s costumes are fine and Fugard’s direction is, as one would expect, assured. I could quibble that the play’s metaphors are occasionally a bit heavy-handed, but it is indisputably a modern classic. I highly recommend seeing it. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes; no intermission.

Rocky **

Since I am not a fan of Sylvester Stallone's 1976 movie, I'm not sure what possessed me to buy a ticket for the musical version, now in previews at the Winter Garden. Curiosity, I guess. After all, it was a hit in Hamburg. The creative team is impressive: music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, a book by Thomas Meehan and Stallone, choreography by Steven Hoggett (and Kelly Devine) and direction by Alex Timbers. The cast has no big names, but that's not an essential. The real stars here are the designers; there is a spectacularly mobile set by Christopher Barreca with projections by Dan Scully and Pablo N. Molina, vivid costumes by David Zinn, fine lighting by Christopher Akerlind and excellent sound by Peter Hylenski. Alas, when the show's design is its strongest feature, it does not bode well. Andy Karl is terrific as Rocky and the other actors are energetic, but their roles are so lacking in nuance that they are little more than caricatures. The show belatedly springs to life for the last 10 or 15 minutes with the wonderfully choreographed fight scene. The first several rows of the theater are emptied and their occupants are invited onstage for ringside seats as the boxing ring moves forward into the theater. It's a gimmick, but it works. The fight itself is spectacular, but for me it was not worth over two hours of boredom waiting for it. The music made so little impression that the point of turning the film into a musical was lost on me. All that being said, most of the audience seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes including intermission.