West Side Story Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
West Side Story transports Shakespeare's classic romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet to the streets of 1950s Manhattan. Instead of warring Montague and Capulet families, there are warring gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Instead of swooning young lovers Romeo and Juliet, we have Tony and Maria, two teenagers who are torn between ethnic loyalty and their intense love for each other. The amazing score includes "Tonight," "Somewhere," and "Something's Coming."

Broadway Review
This exciting new production of the Broadway classic features a very energetic cast and faithfully re-creates Jerome Robbins' iconic choreography and Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's extraordinary score. The production is directed by the show's bookwriter, Arthur Laurents, who has also added a bit of a twist (and authenticity) by having the Sharks speak and sometimes sing in their native Spanish tongue.

Shrek the Musical Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Based on the adventures of the grumpy green ogre Shrek in the William Steig book and the Oscar-winning film, this new Broadway version of the funny, enchanting story features Shrek, his wisecracking sidekick Donkey, lovely Princess Fiona, vain Lord Farquaad, and a wacky chorus of neurotic fairytale creatures, with a fun, original new score.

Broadway Review
Seeing the giant cartoonish ogre live on a Broadway stage might be a bit of a shock, but the people behind Shrek the Musical have taken care to enlist Broadway's very best talents. Among them are performers Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek, Daniel Breaker as Donkey, and Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona; bookwriter David Lindsay-Abaire (author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Rabbit Hole and off-kilter plays Fuddy Meers and Wonder of the World); and songwriter Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline or Change). They're sure to provide lots of fun for the whole family.

Hair Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Led by the charismatic Berger, a group of spirited young idealists enjoy lives of free love and pacifism in New York City's bohemian East Village. But soon "the tribe" is faced with the harsh realities of the Vietnam War draft.

Broadway Review
Even the most jaded theatergoers can't help but enjoy classic songs like "Age of Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine," "Easy To Be Hard," "Hair," and "Let the Sunshine In" in this sensitively directed, well-choreographed, and Tony Award-winning production of the 1967 classic musical about NYC hippies. Although many of the show's other songs are less-than-classic, and the humor can be sophomoric at times, the energetic show certainly resonates emotionally. And the Baby Boomers just love it - especially the part where the audience is invited to go up onstage and dance with the cast at the end of the show!

Mamma Mia Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Set in the Greek islands, Mamma Mia incorporates nearly two dozen songs by international pop sensation ABBA into its lively story about soon-to-married Sophie, her free-spirited single mom Donna, and three men from Donna's past -- one of whom, Sophie hopes to discover, is her father.

Broadway Review
Mamma Mia has become a global smash since its West End debut in 1999, and its biggest fans are usually the middle-aged crowd who fondly remember the disco days of ABBA. Women in particular enjoy watching fun-loving Donna and her two wacky best friends reminiscing about their wild youth, when they were in a singing trio. Since the plot is a bit thin and the tone decidedly silly, the upbeat musical Mamma Mia is best appreciated as a big Broadway-style ABBA concert.

Jersey Boys Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
This fascinating biographical Broadway musical tells the amazing story of how a group of tough young guys from New Jersey became the internationally renowned hit-making pop group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Broadway Review
Jersey Boys is a both a smartly-written play about four men chasing after -- and dealing with the pitfalls of -- fame, and an unforgettable concert rolled into one terrific Broadway show. Wonderfully sung and staged versions of all the Frankie Valli/Four Seasons hits are here, including "Walk Like a Man," "Oh What a Night," "Sherry," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".

In the Heights Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
The vibrant northern Manhattan neighborhood called Washington Heights comes to thrilling life in this rhythmic and heartfelt Broadway musical about the denizens of a changing community.

Broadway Review
One of the most exciting new Broadway musicals of the last few years, the Tony-winning sensation In the Heights has an original musical score by newcomer Lin-Manuel Miranda that includes Latin, hip-hop, and plain old-fashioned Broadway ballads. With Andy Blankenbuehler's electric choreography and terrific performances by a diverse and talented cast, In the Heights brings the flavor of the New York City streets to the Broadway stage.

The Phantom of the Opera Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
A disfigured man who secretly lives beneath the Paris Opera House becomes obsessed with a beautiful young singer and "haunts" the owners until they make her the star of the opera.

Broadway Review
This romantic musical tends to be especially liked by female audiences, but in its 20-year Broadway run it has become popular with viewers of all kinds. The lush Andrew Lloyd Webber score boasts modern classics "Music of the Night," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "All I Ask of You". Despite the Phantom's penchant for seductive ballads, he's a disturbed guy, so be aware that this often eerie musical does feature kidnapping and murder.

Avenue Q Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
A recent university grad moves into his first apartment and navigates love, work, friendships, and the challenges of everyday life in this Sesame Street-style satire of post-college life.

Broadway Review
The combination of puppets and actors may make Avenue Q look like a kids' show, but songs such as "The Internet is for Porn" and "If You Were Gay" point to a much more adult sensibility. Clever jokes about everything from racism to the difficulty of finding your purpose in life make this modern musical comedy a particular favorite among the twenty and thirtysomething crowd. But just about anyone who has ever made the transition to adulthood (and, preferably, has also seen Sesame Street) can relate to the people and puppets of Avenue Q.

Billy Elliot Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Set against the backdrop of a lengthy and massive coal miners' strike that took place in Northern England in the 1980s, Billy Elliot is about a motherless boy who wants to give up his boxing lessons and learn to be a dancer instead.

Broadway Review
A musical version of the British independent film of the same name, Billy Elliot has been a huge hit in London's West End and is now wowing Broadway. Lee Hall has written a solid and sometimes pleasantly surprising adaptation of his own screenplay, and together he and famed singer/songwriter Elton John have created a functional score that is pretty good, though seldom soars. Billy Elliot's greatest strengths are its stars (a few extraordinarily talented boys alternate in the title role), director Stephen Daldry's inspired staging, and Peter Darling's electric choreography.

August: Osage County - Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
When the family patriarch, a retired college professor and poet, goes missing, the highly troubled members of the Weston clan must reunite at his Oklahoma home.

Broadway Review
Full of every imaginable issue from drug abuse to incest, this three-hour Tony Award-winning Broadway play is almost like a grand soap opera, but playwright Tracy Letts' superb writing makes it rise above a dysfunctional family drama to become a great play that is terribly funny and terribly tragic. No wonder he won a Pulitzer Prize for his efforts!

Accent on Youth Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
A successful writer is about to give up on his most recent script, but then his secretary offers him renewed inspiration. With the young secretary acting as his muse, the playwright puts his show on Broadway - only to discover that the play’s handsome leading man is being inspired by her as well.

Broadway Review
Samson Raphaelson's 1934 play stars David Hyde Pierce (Frasier, Spamalot, Curtains) in a performance which demonstrates that he is successfully making the transition from comic sidekick to unassuming leading man. Though the comedy is certainly a bit dated, it still plays as quite charming and funny, and it also offers some thoughtful meditations on love and youth.

The 39 Steps Broadway Show Review

Show Summary:
A comic take on the Alfred Hitchcock classic, The 39 Steps is about a suave Londoner who meets a mysterious woman and soon finds himself caught up in her dangerous world.

Broadway Review:
Fans of the film will laugh the hardest at this droll spoof, but even Hitchcock neophytes will be impressed by the show's manic energy (over 100 roles are played by just four actors!) and creative staging.