Oliver!

 A

 By coincidence, the two finest musicals in New York right now are both set in the underbelly of 19^th-century London. My previous review was devoted to one of them, Sweeney Todd, which is essentially tragic with comic undertones. Oliver!, on the other hand, is basically good-natured with a touch of tragedy. Lionel Bart’s score has a super-abundance of delightful songs that, in this Encores! production, receive their due both from the orchestra and the actors. The voices, starting with 12-year-old Benjamin Pajak (The Music Man) in the title role, are superb. He stopped the show with “Where Is Love?”, as did the excellent Lilli Cooper (Mack & Mabel) as Nancy with “As Long As He Needs Me.” Raul Esparza (Company, Seared) creates an almost sympathetic Fagin, a far cry from Dickens’ creation. Tam Mutu (Moulin Rouge) is a properly menacing Bill Sikes. Julian Lerner’s Artful Dodger was more subdued than usual. Brad Oscar (The Producers) and Mary Testa (Oklahoma!) go well together as Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney. Thom Sesma (A Man of No Importance) and Rashidra Scott (Company) are fine as Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry. Michael Siberry (INK) is a sympathetic Mr. Brownlow. One of the show’s biggest treats is its young ensemble who are triple threats with first-rate singing, acting and, especially, dancing. Lorin Latarro’s (Into the Woods) ample choreography is inventive and makes the most of the stage’s shallow performing space. David Rockwell’s (She Loves Me) efficient set places the orchestra on a platform of rough wooden beams, with a backdrop of the London skyline at night, and two stairways that get lots of use. The score sounds wonderful under the baton of Encores! musical director Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Director Lear DeBessonet (Into the Woods) shows a real affinity for this material; The future of Encores! looks promising under her artistic direction. The production runs until May 14. Running time: two hours 20 minutes including intermission.

Kiss Me, Kate!

B+

Kelli O’Hara (The King and I, South Pacific) reaffirms her status as the reigning queen of the American musical with her wonderful performance in the dual roles of Lilli Vanessi and Katharine in Roundabout’s delightful revival of Cole Porter’s (Anything Goes, Gay Divorce) 1948 classic. Her gorgeous voice comes as no surprise — to hear her version of “So in Love” is bliss— but her skill at slapstick comedy was unexpected. As Fred Graham and Petruchio, Will Chase (Something Rotten!, High Fidelity) makes an excellent partner for her. Corbin Bleu (Holiday Inn), as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio, impresses with a fine voice and fleet feet. Stephanie Styles (Kingdom Come) makes an auspicious Broadway debut as Lois Lane/Bianca. Regarding the rest of the cast, nontraditional casting has resulted in a diversity that is rare for Broadway. Warren Carlyle’s (Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me) energetic, sexy choreography is a major attraction. Under Paul Gemigniani’s musical direction, the classic Porter score sounds great. David Rockwell’s (Lobby Hero, She Loves Me) scenic design includes a realistic three-level backstage set with matching dressing rooms that roll in as well as more fanciful backdrops and an amusing curtain for “Taming of the Shrew.” The colorful costumes by Jeff Mahshie (She Loves Me, Next to Normal) are a delight. Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, Twentieth Century) once again shows a flair for directing a musical revival. The tweaks to Sam and Bella Spewack’s (Leave It to Me, Boy Meets Girl) book may make it more palatable for today’s sensibility, but it remains old-fashioned and clunky even by 1948 standards. However, with its gorgeous score and a splendid production, it is easy to overlook the shortcomings of the book. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.

The Hard Problem

B-

This 2015 play by Tom Stoppard (The Coast of Utopia, Arcadia, Travesties), his first in nine years, has finally reached New York in a sleek Lincoln Center Theater production directed by Jack O’Brien (The Coast of Utopia, The Little Foxes). While not among Stoppard’s best efforts, it offers much of interest. The titular problem refers to determining the nature of human consciousness. When we meet Hilary (Adelaide Clemens; Hold On to Me Darling), she is a psychology student preparing for a job interview at the Krohl Institute of Brain Science with the assistance of her tutor Spike (Chris O’Shea; The History Boys), whose interest in her is not entirely academic. They debate whether altruism is just egoism’s disguised survival mechanism. When she arrives at Krohl for her interview, she meets Amal (Eshan Bajpay: Can You Forgive Her?), a “quant” who is competing for the same job. While he is not hired by department head Leo (Robert Petkoff; All the Way, Ragtime), Amal accidentally attracts the attention of Jerry (the excellent Jon Tenney; The Heiress), the hedge fund manager who has founded the institute, and ends up being hired at the fund. Hilary also runs into former schoolmate Julia (Nina Grollman; The Iceman Cometh), who teaches Pilates to institute employees, and Julia’s lover Ursula (Tara Summers; Gypsy of Chelsea), who works there. Julia’s main function in the play is to impart the information that when she was 15 Hilary had a daughter who was immediately put up for adoption. Ursula gives Hilary advice that will improve her chances of getting the job. We see Jerry in two roles, barking mercilessly at Amal, and being solicitous to his 13-year old daughter Cathy (Katie Beth Hall). Did I mention that she’s adopted? (Wink, wink). Hilary thrives in her new job and is sent to a conference in Venice to present a paper. Spike conveniently is also there and they hook up again. Hilary hires an assistant Bo (Karoline Xu; You Across from Me) who has left the hedge fund for the institute to feel she is doing work that contributes to society. Her boyfriend is none other than Amal. Hilary throws a party to celebrate the publishing of a paper about an experiment that Bo conducted under her guidance that suggests that altruism is innate and egoism is learned. It turns out that Bo tampered with the data to get a result that would please Hilary. As a consequence of the experiment, Hilary also finds out that her prayers for her daughter’s wellbeing have been answered. What you might expect to be the climax takes plays offstage and the play ends on a very quiet note. The ongoing debates over altruism vs. selfishness, coincidence vs. miracle, brain vs. mind take precedence over plot. In addition to the principal roles, there is an ensemble of six (John Patrick Doherty, Eleanor Handley, Olivia Hebert, Sagar Kiran, Baylen Thomas and Kim Wong) whose function consists of moving sets between scenes and sitting on risers at the back of the stage watching the other actors. While David Rockwell’s (She Loves Me, The Nap) scenic design is a wonder of drop-down panoramas, pop-up beds, movable furniture, and sliding panels, it somehow seems distracting for a play that is basically about ideas. Catherine Zuber’s (My Fair Lady, Oslo) costumes are apt. O’Brien’s direction is a bit too busy for my taste. While the play never deeply engaged me, it did hold my interest. I was surprised that Ms. Clemens got a solo bow during the curtain call as her performance, while quite competent, did not reach star level. Running time: one hour 50 minutes; no intermission.

The Nap

D

Since I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Bean’s hilarious One Man, Two Guvnors, I was looking forward to this play at Manhattan Theatre Club even though I was unfamiliar with and uninterested in its focus — snooker, a variety of billiards popular in England. Allegedly a comedy-thriller, it comes up short on both laughs and thrills. Dylan Spokes (Ben Schnetzer; Sticks and Bones) is a working-class bloke from Sheffield who has a chance to win the World Championship tournament which is conveniently being held in his home town. Bobby Spokes (John Ellison Conlee; Murder Ballad, The Madrid) is his father, an ex-con drug dealer who has trouble with math and movie titles. Dylan is alienated from his mother Stella (Johanna Day; Sweat, Proof), a grifter who is currently selling fake handicap parking permits. The shady Waxy Bush (Alexandra Billings), Dylan’s sponsor and Stella’s lover before her gender change, rivals Mrs. Malaprop with her fractured vocabulary.  Tony DanLino (Max Gordon Moore; Saint Joan, Describe the Night) is Dylan’s flashy manager with a taste for pastel suits. Danny Killeen (Thomas Jay Ryan; The Crucible, 10 out of 12) is Stella’s smelly current boyfriend. Shortly before the tournament, Dylan is visited by Mohammad Butt (Bhavesh Patel; Present Laughter, Indian Ink), an official with the snooker authority, and Eleanor Lavery (Heather Lind; Incognito, Of Good Stock), an attractive police officer, who warn him about suspicious betting activity. Subsequently, Dylan must face a painful choice between throwing a game or jeopardizing the life of a loved one. This setup takes up the very long first act, which ends on a jarring note. The second and livelier act has many reveals and not one but two scenes of snooker with Dylan against Abdul Fattah and Baghawi Quereshi (both played by real-life champion Ahmed Aly Elsayed). An overhead view of the snooker play is projected on a large screen. The author has allegedly written two endings, depending on who wins. On the night I attended, Dylan won. The characters are little more than one-note tics and their interactions just aren’t that funny. The romantic subplot is half-hearted. At no point does the play even remotely approach the inspired slapstick farce of Bean’s earlier play. The direction by Daniel Sullivan (The Little Foxes, Good People) seemed a bit listless. David Rockwell’s (She Loves Me, Lobby Hero) set is a transforming wonder and Kaye Voyce’s (After the Blast, Mary Page Marlowe) costumes go a long way to defining the characters. Once again MTC has lavished first-rate production values on second-rate material. I was very disappointed. Running time: two hours 15 minutes including intermission.

Lobby Hero

B+

Second Stage has acquired and renovated the Helen Hayes Theater, now called just The Hayes Theater, as a Broadway home for plays by living American playwrights.  As their first offering, they have chosen to revive Kenneth Lonergan’s (This Is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery) 2001 dramedy about four blue-collar New Yorkers in 1999. Jeff (Michael Cera; This Is Our Youth) is a sad sack security guard who has the night shift in the lobby of a Manhattan apartment building. William (Brian Tyree Henry; The Book of Mormon, The Fortress of Solitude) is his boss, an African-American with a strict moral code, who has tried to mentor Jeff. Bill (Chris Evans; "Captain America") is an arrogant policeman who frequently interrupts work for a visit to a lady on the 22nd floor. Dawn (Bel Powley; Arcadia, "A Royal Night Out") is his admiring partner, a rookie still in her probationary period on the force, whom he shamefully manipulates. William is faced with a moral dilemma when his brother, accused of murder, asks him to be his alibi. Lying is against his morals, but he is reluctant to expose his brother to an incompetent lawyer and a hostile justice system. Smitten by Dawn, Jeff disabuses her of false notions about Bill, causing a rift in the partners’ relationship. When Jeff learns about William’s attempt to save his brother, he must decide whether to be a good friend or a good citizen. Lonergan has a wonderful ear for dialogue and the fine cast serves him well. The first act provides a good introduction to the characters and their conflicting goals. The second act is a bit of a letdown as the actions become a bit formulaic. The three supporting actors are excellent. Although Evans is primarily known as a comic book superhero in film and Powley’s stage experience has been primarily in England, they both seem perfectly at home playing New Yorkers. I have some reservations about Cera. The role of Jeff lies too snugly within his comfort zone and he does not bring anything fresh to it. David Rockwell’s (She Loves Me, Kinky Boots) revolving set provides the essentials of a lobby and the street outside. Paloma Young’s (Peter and the Starcatcher, Bandstand) costumes look like the appropriate uniforms of the period. Trip Cullman (Six Degrees of Separation, Punk Rock) directs with assurance. I wish that Cera brought more freshness to the role and that the second act were more satisfying. Nevertheless, there is much to enjoy and the production provides an auspicious launch for Second Stage’s Broadway expansion. Running time: two hours 25 minutes, including intermission.

A few words about The Hayes Theater: David Rockwell’s interior is generally attractive although I was less than captivated by the very blue pointillist version of a tapestry adorning the walls. I am happy to report that the legroom, at least in center orchestra, is an improvement over Second Stage’s Terry Kiser Theater. Unfortunately, the armrests once again seem to be unusually narrow, so that you feel too close to the person next to you. The stage is rather high, so I do not recommend sitting in the first few rows.

The Terms of My Surrender

B+

I will admit that I was skeptical when I heard that Michael Moore was coming to Broadway. Although I admire his films and agree with many of his social and political positions, I did not relish the thought of sitting through an evening-long polemic. Furthermore, anyone willing to pay Broadway prices [check Show-Score or Theatermania for discounts] to see him would no doubt already be a fan so I did not see the value of preaching to the choir. I am pleased to report that most of my reservations were unwarranted. Who knew that indignation could be so entertaining? Moore, with a substantial contribution by director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening; Love, Love, Love), has cleverly assembled a varied evening that constantly shifts gears before it can become monotonous. There are reminiscences, send-ups, analyses, explications, an interview with a fellow activist and even a quiz show with audience participation. Yes, there are a few rants, but overall, Moore is considerably more subdued than I anticipated. I laughed a lot more than I expected to. This is not a bare-bones production. The set by David Rockwell (She Loves Me, On the Twentieth Century) has elements that pop up or slide in as needed. The huge American flag that forms the backdrop continually transforms with the aid of sophisticated projections by Andrew Lazarow (Privacy). The costumes by Jeff Mahshie (She Loves Me, Next to Normal) are clever. Although basically a one-man show, there are other people involved. The biggest surprise is a boffo finale that is as hilarious as it is unexpected. As to my qualms about the dubious value of preaching to the choir, perhaps there is therapeutic value to being surrounded by like-minded people and getting a well-crafted pep talk. Running time: one hour 50 minutes; no intermission.

On Your Feet ** C+

If exuberance were all it took to make a Broadway musical a winner, this jukebox bio-musical about Gloria and Emilio Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine would make the grade. The infectious music of this Cuban-American couple is played by a terrific orchestra that is onstage for the big numbers. The two leads, Ana Villafañe and Ektor Rivera, are both excellent and are supported by a fine cast that includes Andrea Burns, Alma Cuervo and a young tap-dancing terror named Eduardo Hernandez. The dance numbers, choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, are relentlessly energetic. David Rockwell’s hyperactive set features two tall panels made of shutters that move around a lot. The costumes by Esosa are a treat. Jerry Mitchell’s direction is slick. Unfortunately, all the show’s strengths are largely undone by a lame book by Alexander Dinelaris. Its weaknesses are less apparent during the lively first act, but become increasingly problematic during the weak second act. The abrupt and rather flat finale morphs into an unusually lively extended curtain call. Go for the music and the dancing and try to ignore the book. It has been running for over a year, so clearly it has found an audience. Running time: 2 hours 25 minutes including intermission.

Falsettos ** C+

When Lincoln Center Theater announced that it was reviving William Finn’s Tony-awarded musical (best book and best score), I wasn’t sure I wanted to see it again. After seeing its two halves off-Broadway when they were presented as “March of the Falsettos” in 1981 and “Falsettoland” in 1990, as well as the Broadway version of 1992, I thought perhaps it would be better to keep my fond memories and skip it this time around. Michael Rupert, Stephen Bogardus and Chip Zien were so ingrained in my memory as Marvin, Whizzer and Mendel that I could not imagine anyone else in these roles. When Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells were announced as Marvin and Whizzer, I was even more uncertain. While Borle is extremely talented, he is not my vision of a gay neurotic Jewish New Yorker; nor is Rannells my idea of a hunk. I was disappointed that James Lapine was once again directing, because I thought a new director might give it an interesting new spin. Curiosity got the better of me and I bought a ticket. As the play opens, Marvin has divorced his wife Trina and moved in with his lover Whizzer. Marvin and Trina’s young son Jason (an excellent Anthony Rosenthal) is acting out. Marvin’s shrink Mendel takes a fancy to Trina. As luck would have it, both Stephanie J. Block and Brandon Uranowitz were out the night I attended so I saw their understudies Courtney Balan and Tally Sessions as Trina and Mendel; fortunately they were both very good. After intermission we meet the lesbians who live next door, Dr. Charlotte (Tracie Thoms) and Cordelia (Betsy Wolfe). During the first act, I was fighting the disparity between the concept of the two male leads in my head and the versions embodied by Borle and Rannells. They eventually won me over. After intermission, the book becomes more involving and even the songs get better. While the plot may be manipulative, I defy anyone to keep a dry eye at the end. Jennifer Caprio’s costumes are fine. David Rockwell’s set is a puzzler. While I liked the Manhattan skyline backdrop that had several permutations, I thought that the large grey cube that dominated the set and was disassembled as needed to form various props looked cheap. For those who haven’t seen the show before, I would definitely recommend it as a time capsule of New York life in 1979 and 1981. Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes including intermission.

She Loves Me ****

How lucky we are to have first-rate revivals of not one but two Bock and Harnick masterpieces on Broadway this season — 1964’s Fiddler on the Roof  and 1963’s She Loves Me. The two shows are so different that it’s hard to believe that they were working on both at the same time. One thing they have in common is that they are both set in vanishing worlds. Whereas Fiddler presents a momentous story embellished with all the accoutrements of a 60’s Broadway musical, She Loves Me tells a romantic tale on an intimate scale with little razzle dazzle. The skillful book by Joe Masteroff is based on Parfumerie, the play by Milosz Laszlo that inspired three films (The Shop around the Corner, In the Good Old Summertime and You’ve Got Mail). We meet the staff of a Budapest parfumerie in the early 1930’s: owner Mr. Maraczek (Byron Jennings), assistant manager Georg Nowack (Zachary Levi), longtime sales clerk Ladislav Sipos (Michael McGrath), caddish clerk Steven Kodaly (Gavin Creel), pliant cashier Ilona Ritter (Jane Krakowski) and ambitious delivery boy Arpad Laszlo (Nicholas Barasch). The new sales clerk Amalia Balash (Laura Benanti) and Georg immediately get off on the wrong foot. Neither knows that they have been anonymously corresponding with the other for months after answering a lonely hearts ad. In their sometimes affair, Kodaly repeatedly takes advantage of Ilona. Mr. Maraczek suddenly begins to mistreat Georg after misinterpreting an anonymous letter he received. Fear not! All will be happily resolved. One of this well-crafted show's many accomplishments is that each character gets at least one song that both describes the character and advances the plot. The excellent cast does full justice to the wonderful music and lyrics. Benanti’s glorious voice and comic chops are perfection and Krakowski adds dimensions to her role that I didn’t know were there. Levi makes a fine foil for Benanti. Only Creel seemed slightly out of his element. Peter Bartlett is the swishy but ultimately sympathetic headwaiter at the Café Imperiale and Michael Fatica is amusing as the clumsy busboy. Warren Carlyle’s choreography for the scenes at Maraczek’s played very well, but I thought his work in the café scene was too broad and did not fit in with the rest of the show. David Rockwell’s jewel box of a set is a joy to see. Jeff Mahshie’s period costumes are attention grabbers — think pink, fuschia and purple. Paul Gemignani conducts the score with panache. Director Scott Ellis, whose 1993 revival, also for Roundabout, was excellent, does even better this time out. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this wonderful production. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.

Sylvia ***

Twenty years after its debut at Manhattan Theatre Club, A.R. Gurney’s charming but inconsequential play has finally made it to Broadway. It presents the playwright in a much more favorable light than any of the three Gurney plays that Signature recently mounted. Annaleigh Ashford’s performance as the eponymous canine is sheer delight, reason enough to see the show. As Greg, the man with a midlife crisis who is instantly smitten with Sylvia when she plops into his lap in Central Park, Matthew Broderick is the best he has been since “The Producers.” The ever-watchable Julie White strikes all the right notes as Greg’s wife Kate, who does not want a dog to upset their newly-empty nest or her budding career as a teacher bringing Shakespeare to uptown middle school students. Robert Sella is a triple threat as Tom, another dog owner in Central Park; Phyllis, Kate’s friend from Vassar days whose struggle to stay on the wagon is threatened by Sylvia’s enthusiastic attentiveness; and Leslie, the androgynous couple counselor Kate and Greg visit. As Sylvia becomes more entrenched and gets more attention from Greg than his wife does, a showdown looms. I’m sure you can guess the outcome. The play’s conceit is really too slender for a work that runs over two hours, but director Daniel Sullivan does an excellent job of hiding that. The triple casting of Sella is droll, but seems cut from a different cloth than the rest of the play. David Rockwell’s set offer a lovely scene of Central Park with the essentials of a park-view apartment that materialize when needed. Ann Roth’s costumes are excellent; the ones for Sylvia are truly inspired. You may forget the play five minutes after it ends, but you will likely enjoy it while you're watching it. Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes including intermission. 

On the Twentieth Century ****

Roundabout Theatre is presenting the first Broadway revival of this 1978 show with music by Cy Coleman and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Based on the 1932 play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, this screwball comedy with music takes us back to the glory days of rail travel. The lavish art deco set by David Rockwell and glamorous costumes by William Ivey Long establish the perfect mood, which is enhanced by the stylized movement of Warren Carlyle’s choreography and the assured direction of Scott Ellis.  The lead characters are Oscar Jaffee (the adequate Peter Gallagher), a down-but-not-out producer, and Lily Garland (the incomparable Kristin Chenoweth), his former lover and muse who has left him and the theater for Hollywood stardom. Jaffee hopes to use the 16-hour train trip from Chicago to New York to sign Garland for a new show to revive his career. Mark Linn-Baker and Michael McGrath are amusing as Jaffee’s loyal aides. Mary Louise Wilson is a hoot as Letitia Peabody Primrose, a dotty, wealthy woman with a checkbook who might bankroll Jaffee. As Lily’s more brawny than brainy boy toy Bruce Granit, Andy Karl almost steals the show. The four porters who tap their way through the show are delightful. It’s all so stylish and entertaining that you might wonder why it took over 35 years to revive the show. One reason is the extreme vocal demands of the operetta-tinged score which require someone of Chenoweth’s rare talents. It’s good to have her back on Broadway. Another possible explanation is that the music, which works well within the framework of the show, lacks any songs that you are likely to leave the theater humming. Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes including intermission.

Side Show ***

I didn’t see this cult musical during its brief Broadway run in 1997, so I can’t comment on whether this new version is an improvement over the original. The score by Henry Krieger (music) and Bill Russell (lyrics) has replaced some old songs with new ones and Russell’s book has had substantial new material added by director Bill Condon. The subject may be unconventional — the story of the show biz career of the conjoined Hilton twins — the extroverted Daisy (Emily Padgett) and the reclusive Violet (Erin Davie) — but the book seemed quite conventional. The early scenes in the side show are unnervingly graphic in their depiction of the freaks. The flashback to the twins’ early life in England seemed unnecessary. Robert Joy is chilling as Sir, the show’s proprietor who thinks he owns the twins. David St. Louis is a vocal powerhouse as Jake (a/k/a King of the Cannibals), employed by Sir to keep an eye on the twins. Ryan Silverman is Terry Connor, the talent scout who wants to make vaudeville stars out of the twins. Matthew Hydzik is Terry’s pal Buddy Foster, the song and dance man tasked with readying them for the stage. Violet has feelings for Buddy, Jake has feelings for Violet and Ryan has hidden (too well hidden) feelings for Daisy. The arrival of Hollywood filmmaker Tod Browning carries a promise of success that is never realized. Padgett and Davie are quite strong both vocally and dramatically. Krieger’s fine music is often dragged down by Russell’s leaden lyrics. David Rockwell’s scenic design and Paul Tazewell’s costumes are excellent. While the show seemed a bit lumpy, it nevertheless managed to deeply engage my feelings for its characters. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.

Kinky Boots ****

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
The industrial decline of Britain has been a promising topic for movies that were then turned into musicals. In 1997 we got "The Full Monty," in 2000 along came "Billy Elliot." In 2005 a lesser known film, "Kinky Boots," developed mainly as a vehicle for the talented Chiwetel Ejiofor, arrived on the screen. Despite a mixed reception from American critics, it became a cult film in some circles. Now, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, a book by Harvey Fierstein and direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, "Kinky Boots" has arrived on Broadway. The reputation of its creators and the buzz from the sold-out Chicago run have raised expectations very high, perhaps too high. Although I enjoyed the show thoroughly, I will confess that it did not quite live up to all the hype. The fine cast is led by Stark Sands as Charlie Price, the young man who is suddenly burdened with responsibility for the family's moribund shoe factory, and Billy Porter as Lola (a/k/a Simon), the black drag queen who inspires him to replace the factory's men's dress shoe line with a niche product -- glamorous boots for transvestites. There are problems along the way with Charlie's unsupportive fiancee, homophobic employees, financial difficulties and the self-doubt that Charlie and Lola share. In addition to a strong cast that includes The Angels, Lola's six back-up drag performers, there is a terrific factory set by David Rockwell and marvelous costumes by Gregg Barnes. The book is witty, but the score is merely serviceable and the lyrics rarely rise above the banal. There is one touching number "I'm Not My Father's Son," during which Charlie and Lola/Simon bond. The choreography of the first act finale is wonderfully inventive, with clever use of conveyer belts  and other factory equipment. The show's closing number is also a winner, with everyone donning the kinky boots for a blowout finale. Although not everything was as fantastic as I had hoped, these two numbers went a long way to winning me over. I left with a big smile. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes including intermission.

Harvey **

(To see the complete review, please click on the title.)
I should have learned by now that I rarely respond well to theatrical whimsy. Only my curiosity to see Jim Parsons onstage in a leading role led me to buy a ticket for the Roundabout Theatre's revival of Mary Chase's 1944 comedy. Parsons acquits himself well enough as Elwood P. Dowd, but the role isn't much of a stretch from Dr. Sheldon Cooper, his TV persona. The play itself may be of sociological interest as a relic of a more innocent age, but it is about as frothy as stale beer. Most of the writing is leaden and obvious. For a few moments late in the first act, it rises to the level of farce, but it fails to offer much in the way of humor, charm or wisdom. (It is simply inconceivable that it won the Pulitzer over "The Glass Menagerie' in 1944. I can only assume that it offered a welcome respite from the anxiety of wartime.) To make matters worse, some of the casting is unfortunate. Jessica Hecht, whom I usually admire, is terribly miscast as Veta. I don't know whether anyone could humanize the stereotypical role of her daughter Myrtle Mae, but Tracie Chimo is not the one. Charles Kimbrough and Larry Bryggman, two old pros, are convincing in their roles; Morgan Spector and Rich Sommer are adequate in theirs. Carol Kane is fine in her usual role of a a ditz. David Rockwell's evocative set of the library a fusty mansion neatly splits in thirds and rotates to become the reception room of Chumley's Rest. Jane Greenwood's costumes vividly recreate the look of the '40s. Scott Ellis's direction lacks effervescence. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes including intermission.