All stories by Bob Verini on BroadwayStars

Monday, October 7, 2024

From Maine: My Best Friend’s Wedding Deserves a Grateful RSVP by Bob Verini

★★★☆☆ Musicalizing a hit ’90s rom-com gains luster from the hit ’60s playlist of Bacharach and David The post From Maine: My Best Friend’s Wedding Deserves a Grateful RSVP ap…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:41AM
Monday, August 12, 2024

Once Upon a Mattress: Medieval Hellzapoppin With Laughs for Days by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ Sutton Foster unleashes her inner clown in a torrent of hilarity, bringing new luster to a familiar property The post Once Upon a Mattress: Medieval Hellzapoppin With Laughs …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:55PM
Friday, July 26, 2024

From Maine: A Little Night Music, Big Smiles of a Summer Night by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ Julia Murney, Kathleen Turner and an excellent ensemble collaborate on an atypically sensual take on a Wheeler/Sondheim masterpiece The post From Maine: A Little Night Music,…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 12:43PM
Thursday, July 11, 2024

Oh, Mary!: Lincoln, Drinkin’ and Todd by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ Cole Escola writes and stars in a Bizarro World version of Honest Abe's spouse as cabaret diva The post Oh, Mary!: Lincoln, Drinkin’ and Todd appeared first on New York Sta…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:56PM
Saturday, April 20, 2024

Hell’s Kitchen: Alicia Keys’ Life Inspires a Swell Musical by Bob Verini

★★★☆☆ A tender coming-of-age extravaganza, with characters to root for and music to die for The post Hell’s Kitchen: Alicia Keys’ Life Inspires a Swell Musical appeared first o…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 11:56PM
Friday, April 19, 2024

Stereophonic: Birthing a Rock Album With Playfulness and Passion by Bob Verini

★★★★★ David Adjmi takes us behind the music to reveal how the magic gets made The post Stereophonic: Birthing a Rock Album With Playfulness and Passion appeared first on New York S…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 11:54PM
Wednesday, April 17, 2024

The Wiz: Not an Oz-Picious Revival by Bob Verini

★★☆☆☆ A revival's choices elicit more head-scratching than cheering The post The Wiz: Not an Oz-Picious Revival appeared first on New York Stage Review.

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:55PM
Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Sally & Tom: Follies of a Founding Father by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ Suzan-Lori Parks melds the Thomas Jefferson/Sally Hemings mystery with the struggle for freedom in our own day The post Sally & Tom: Follies of a Founding Father appeared…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:28PM
Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Who’s Tommy: A Rock Classic Is Triumphantly Reborn by Bob Verini

★★★★★ Des McAnuff revisits his staging of a rock'n'roll milestone, and finds new meaning and depth The post The Who’s Tommy: A Rock Classic Is Triumphantly Reborn appeared first …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:55PM
Sunday, March 3, 2024

From New Haven: A Compassionate View From an Actual Bridge by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ Long Wharf goes on the waterfront to play Arthur Miller's melodrama for all it's worth The post From New Haven: A Compassionate View From an Actual Bridge appeared first on N…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:46PM
Sunday, January 28, 2024

Days of Wine and Roses: Demon Rum Is a Suave Seducer by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ A familiar tale of alcoholism is revitalized by authors Guettel and Lucas, focusing on the addiction rather than the cure The post Days of Wine and Roses: Demon Rum Is a Suav…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:54PM
Monday, October 9, 2023

DruidO’Casey: A Thrilling Experiment in Epic Theater by Bob Verini

★★★★★ A Druid Theater of Dublin marathon infuses three famous naturalistic Sean O'Casey dramas with Shakespearean sweep The post DruidO’Casey: A Thrilling Experiment in Epic Thea…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 01:46PM
Thursday, August 10, 2023

The Shark Is Broken: “Jaws” Stars Square Off For Fun And Fishticuffs by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ Behind the scenes of Steven Spielberg's legendary blockbuster, co-authored by (and starring) the son of its most explosive player The post The Shark Is Broken: “Jaws” Sta…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:54PM
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

From London: Football, The National Psyche, and Mark Rylance Too by Bob Verini

Two history-based dramas from The National Theatre: One zings, the other doesn't The post From London: Football, The National Psyche, and Mark Rylance Too appeared first on New York Stage Re…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:53AM
Sunday, July 9, 2023

From Stratford, Ontario: The Plays – and the People – Are the Thing by Bob Verini

The Stratford Festival does Canada proud with a range of offerings, including wildly innovative approaches to Shakespeare The post From Stratford, Ontario: The Plays – and the People – A…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 11:00AM
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

From Boston: Taylor Mac Displays a Soulful Change-of-Pace with Joy and Pandemic by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ Taylor Mac surprises with an Ibsenesque take on a long-ago plague parallel to our own The post From Boston: Taylor Mac Displays a Soulful Change-of-Pace with Joy and Pandemic…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 11:20AM
Sunday, March 26, 2023

Sweeney Todd: God, That’s Great by Bob Verini

★★★★★ Josh Groban, Annaleigh Ashford, and "Hamilton" creatives elevate a musical classic to unprecedented heights The post Sweeney Todd: God, That’s Great appeared first on New Y…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:54PM
Thursday, March 16, 2023

Parade: An American Tragedy, Stunningly Musicalized by Bob Verini

★★★★★ Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown examine the historical roots of our national malaise, in this bold, character-driven staging starring Ben Platt The post Parade: An America…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:55PM
Thursday, December 15, 2022

From Connecticut: Christmas in Connecticut, With Tidings of Comfort by Bob Verini

★★★☆☆ Musicalization of the 1945 holiday classic is easy to swallow, like a good eggnog The post From Connecticut: Christmas in Connecticut, With Tidings of Comfort appeared first…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:42AM
Sunday, December 11, 2022

Some Like It Hot: Nobody’s Perfect, But This Comes Close by Bob Verini

★★★★★ A high-octane, audience-pleasing vaudeville, spun out of a cinematic classic, creates a bunch of glittering new stars The post Some Like It Hot: Nobody’s Perfect, But This…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:53PM
Thursday, December 8, 2022

Ohio State Murders: Grabbed by the Throat—By Racism and Memory by Bob Verini

★★★★★ Audra McDonald brilliantly brings to life a masterful examination of bigotry and violence by a 91-year-old Broadway novice The post Ohio State Murders: Grabbed by the Throat�…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:23PM
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Kimberly Akimbo: The Sweet Musical Treat We Need Right Now by Bob Verini

★★★★★ David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori transform a quirky black comedy into a tuneful affirmation of life and difference The post Kimberly Akimbo: The Sweet Musical Treat W…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:53PM
Sunday, November 6, 2022

From Boston: Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard in High-Tech Makeover by Bob Verini

★★★☆☆ Ukrainian artist Igor Golyak plays fast and loose with a classic text, to intriguing if mixed results (with Baryshnikov) The post From Boston: Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard in …

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 06:00AM
Friday, November 4, 2022

From Boston: Joe Turner’s Back, Powerful As Ever by Bob Verini

★★★★☆ The renovated Huntington reopens with a full-blooded, full-voiced revival of an August Wilson classic The post From Boston: Joe Turner’s Back, Powerful As Ever appeared fi…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 01:26PM
Wednesday, September 14, 2022

From Boston: Sing Street Soars by Bob Verini

★★★★★ The power of music to empower, powers a rousing theatrical experience The post From Boston: Sing Street Soars appeared first on New York Stage Review.

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 12:35PM
Sunday, September 4, 2022

From Maine: Mr. Holland’s Opus Hits Some Clinkers by Bob Verini

★★☆☆☆ A cinematic salute to an inspiring teacher is musicalized into something less than inspiring The post From Maine: Mr. Holland’s Opus Hits Some Clinkers appeared first on N…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:59AM
Sunday, August 21, 2022

From Massachusetts: Celebrate Everything Passing By, With Sondheim by Bob Verini

★★★★★ Broadway veterans demonstrate stardom's power to make a Sondheim gem glitter ever more brightly The post From Massachusetts: Celebrate Everything Passing By, With Sondheim ap…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 08:53PM
Friday, July 29, 2022

From Maine: The Nutty Professor, Transformed From Wild To Mild by Bob Verini

★★★☆☆ Jerry Lewis's classic 1963 farce, pleasantly musicalized, has its (buck) teeth pulled The post From Maine: The Nutty Professor, Transformed From Wild To Mild appeared first o…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 07:57AM
Monday, July 25, 2022

From Massachusetts: Most Happy In Concert, Most Dispiriting In Execution by Bob Verini

★☆☆☆☆ A glum expressionistic concert does a classic Frank Loesser score, and the audience, no favors The post From Massachusetts: Most Happy In Concert, Most Dispiriting In Executi…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 09:44AM
Tuesday, June 21, 2022

From Massachusetts: Barrington Bounces Back with Warhol & Waller by Bob Verini

A provocative new play, and a grand musical revival, prove that the Pittsfield-based Barrington Stage is alive and well The post From Massachusetts: Barrington Bounces Back with Warhol &…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:37AM
Tuesday, May 3, 2022

From Boston: The Inheritance Hands Gay History Over to Regional Theater, Triumphantly by Bob Verini

★★★★★ The first U.S. regional production reframes Matthew López's Olivier & Tony-winner as an intimate epic The post From Boston: The Inheritance Hands Gay History Over to Reg…

SOURCE: New York Stage Review at 10:10AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 15, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
TBA: Titanic