8,501 stories from Backstage
While this unique combination frat party and musical history lesson is sometimes entertaining and informative, it's way too loosey-goosey to be ultimately satisfying. Plenty of free booze, t…
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater always offers exquisitely danced performances, teeming with powerful athleticism and pungent passion. Its Dec. 16 performance was no exception.
Judith Malina retells the story of Moses' wanderings in the desert from the dissidents' point of view, with compelling, if typically utopian, results.
Donny and Marie Osmond both work hard for the holiday cheer in this Vegas-style entertainment; the trouble is that we can see them sweat. Kudos to Marie for a supple and versatile voice.
Vocal pyrotechnics and a deft script make for a lively retelling, framed in an old-time radio format, of this classic science-fiction tale.
This piece of extremely English comic frippery is lightweight yet undeniably funny. Fans of "Fawlty Towers" and "Little Britain" should have a fine time.
Director Charlotte Moore's staging of Dylan Thomas' classic yuletide memoir is like unspiked eggnog—sweet but not very strong.
Choreographed in 1991 by Mark Morris and being presented in New York for the first time since 2002, "The Hard Nut," performed by Mark Morris Dance Group, is as tickling as ever.
For this National Theatre production, broadcast to cinemas worldwide, Nicholas Hytner finds a new interpretation of the most famous play in Western history and creates an Elsinore based on c…
This high-energy gospel fest tries to tell the story of the birth of Christ in a creative way, but its overambition crams the spectrum of the black cultural experience into 75 minutes and le…
Edna O'Brien is a celebrated novelist, particularly in her native Ireland and the United Kingdom, whose play, "Haunted," is equal parts exasperating and enveloping.
Epic in scope yet intimate in characterization, this 7-hour collection of 12 one-acts is smart, absorbing, and deeply affecting. It's also easy to follow and full of impressively versatile a…
This confused Christmas tale from author-actors Megan Hill and Joshua Conkel can't decide whether to be sincere or snide and ends up as nothing more than a thin sketch.
Shakespeare's play about abuse of power, miscarried justice, and sexual intrigue has surprisingly little heat in this production that's been touring to community groups throughout the city.
Despite some dazzling stagecraft and amusing moments, the central premise of this 70-minute piece palls about halfway through its presentation.
John Kelly is performing in his inspired dance biography of painter Egon Schiele for the last time.
Rebecca Northan is nothing if not nervy, working with an audience volunteer for 90 minutes in this sweet and hilarious improvised show.
Michael Roberts' high-energy, low-inspiration musical revue boasts a gifted company of four and enough decent yuks to get you past the sand traps.
The elements of a potent black comedy about culture clash are all there in Tommy Smith's new play, but as the characters refuse to behave in explicable ways, the end result is more puzzling …
The groundbreaking Negro Ensemble Company hits a pothole with this vapid double bill dealing ineffectually with the theme of bigotry.
Jonathan A. Goldberg's comedic murder mystery is a refreshingly successful off-the-wall comedy that never overwhelms its flimsy premise.
Karina Casiano wears a lot of hats on this dystopian piece set in a nightmarish New York, but she has the chops and clarity of vision to pull it off.
Rachel Bonds' new drama, which speaks of damaged lives, is strong on sensitivity but weak on structure. Still, she's a playwright to watch.
The team behind Wakka Wakka Productions—Gabrielle Brechner, Kirjan Waage, and Gwendolyn Warnock—breathes unexpected life into a scientific theory in this visually stunning and em…
Despite a sluggish start and an occasionally overwrought plot, Jennifer Lane’s compelling tale depicts unbearable loss and confusion in fresh and poignant ways.
