All stories by Rex Reed on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

‘Morning’s at Seven’ Revives a Timeless Story About Pretending to be Content by Rex Reed

Old-fashioned in the best way, 'Morning's at Seven' is about the sense of isolation and failure that hides beneath the surface.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 12:17PM
Friday, January 31, 2020

‘The Confession of Lily Dare’ Is a Side-Splitting Hoot From Charles Busch by Rex Reed

Laughs are abundant and a good time is guaranteed.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 11:14AM
Monday, January 27, 2020

Even TV Sitcoms Pull Off Dysfunctional Family Humor Better Than ‘Grand Horizons’ Does by Rex Reed

Even if you like the easy, predictable clichés of dysfunctional family comedies, this is very boring theater.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 03:30PM
Thursday, January 16, 2020

Laura Linney Is a Marvel in Solo Play ‘My Name Is Lucy Barton’ by Rex Reed

The one-woman show gives her a chance to access a darkness she can't often show in her films.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 11:26AM
Friday, December 6, 2019

Poignant Performances Hoist ‘Harry Townsend’s Last Stand’ Above the Level of TV Sitcoms by Rex Reed

'Harry Townsend's Last Stand' takes a serious subject and dusts it with humor.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 04:13PM
Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Marisa Tomei’s Fiery Performance Makes ‘The Rose Tattoo’ Well Worth Re-Visiting by Rex Reed

She is so fine in a role conceived for the volcanic Italian superstar Anna Magnani that holding center stage amid a swirl of overproduced, over-the-top distractions, she deserves an award of…

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 12:45PM
Friday, October 4, 2019

‘Kingfishers Catch Fire’ Is a Thoughtful and Provocative Theatrical Experience by Rex Reed

It had a profound effect the night I saw it on an audience that was visibly moved

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 04:35PM
Thursday, September 26, 2019

Broadway’s ‘The Height of the Storm’ Is Enigmatic Gibberish by Rex Reed

The new Broadway season is officially in motion, and so far unofficially underwhelming.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 12:40PM
Thursday, May 30, 2019

‘Something Clean’ Takes on Painful Topics With a Blend of Awareness and Sensitivity by Rex Reed

As for the author, Fillinger is a brave, commanding new presence—a young American dramatist worth keeping an eye on in the future, and deserving of praise already.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 05:02PM
Thursday, May 2, 2019

‘Lockdown’ Takes on America’s Unjust, Overcrowded Prison System by Rex Reed

Cori Thomas' 'Lockdown' cries out for change in the penal system. It's a good premise, but not a very good play.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 03:25PM
Friday, April 26, 2019

‘Beetlejuice’ Will Leave You With a Headache No Amount of Excedrin Can Cure by Rex Reed

Everyone in the cast has been hired according to how loud they can scream, which they do in an eardrum-shattering collection of what some people call music.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 09:39AM
Wednesday, April 24, 2019

‘Tootsie’ Is the Same Kind of Tasteless, Cartoonish Broadway Musical It Sets Out to Satirize by Rex Reed

Its rhyming of 'real good' with 'Gielgud' is a prime example of why 'Tootsie' is dead on arrival.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 01:54PM
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Friday, April 19, 2019

Laurie Metcalf Devours Her Role Like a Room Service Sirloin in ‘Hillary and Clinton’ by Rex Reed

Laurie Metcalf looks and sounds nothing like Hillary Clinton, yet in her role in Broadway's 'Hillary and Clinton' she is, as always, nothing less than mesmerizing.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 05:32PM
Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Adam Driver’s Alpha-Male Histrionics Nearly Extinguish the Passion in ‘Burn This’ by Rex Reed

Even if 'Burn This' offers more ashes than flames, it's a fine chance to experience how bracing it is to hear real people saying real things.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 02:08PM
Sunday, April 7, 2019

Broadway’s Latest ‘Oklahoma!’ Revival Is a Gimmicky Travesty with Corn Bread by Rex Reed

The landmark 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein production that marked the beginning of a new era in American musicals has now been cheapened and vulgarized at New York's Circle in the Square Thea…

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 09:01PM
Wednesday, March 27, 2019

‘Smart Blonde’ Celebrates Judy Holliday’s Sad Life and Dazzling Career by Rex Reed

'Smart Blonde' is a sluggish, uneven work in progress, but still worth seeing if you want to discover a dynamic talent on her way to stardom.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 09:46AM
Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Isabelle Huppert Is a Shrieking, Toxic Pillhead in the Off-Broadway Psychodrama ‘The Mother’ by Rex Reed

Isabelle Huppert's theatrics are quite a display, but you'll go away from 'The Mother' baffled and exhausted.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 12:17PM
Wednesday, March 6, 2019

‘The Cake’ Is a Tasty-Looking Tale of Acceptance, but It Never Quite Rises to the Occasion by Rex Reed

'The Cake' is easy on the eyes and charming to the ears, but it doesn't provide much nutrition to take home.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 03:18PM
Saturday, December 29, 2018

In Memoriam: Rex Reed Says Goodbye to the Biggest Stars of 2018 by Rex Reed

Looking back at a catastrophic year, 2019 has got to be better.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 07:00AM
Saturday, December 15, 2018

Aaron’s Sorkin’s Talky ‘Mockingbird’ Has a Fresh Tune, Even if Jeff Daniels Mumbles Most of It by Rex Reed

This is the first time I have not been moved to tears by 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' but that's my can and I'll carry it.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 10:53AM
Friday, December 7, 2018

Bryan Cranston Is an Excellent Lunatic, but ‘Network’ Feels as Dated as a Payphone by Rex Reed

Much of the antiseptic dilution is the fault of Ivo van Hove, a dour Belgian director.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 03:22PM
Monday, November 19, 2018

‘Downstairs’ Is a Somber and Riveting Reflection on Family Dysfunction by Rex Reed

'Downstairs' doesn't add up to much, but what's there is suspenseful.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 10:08AM
Friday, November 9, 2018

Broadway’s Disastrous ‘King Kong’ is a $35 Million Crime Against Puppets by Rex Reed

Strip away the ropes, cables, wires and pulleys, and what you've got is a brain-damaged story about a boy, a girl, and a monkey. The monkey is the only thing you'll remember.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 10:52AM
Monday, November 5, 2018

Kerry Washington’s Fiery Performance in the Racially Charged ‘American Son’ Will Leave You Dazed by Rex Reed

'American Son' turns over the rocks in the political climate to reveal Democracy-challenging toxins you might not have even considered before.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 11:58AM
Friday, October 26, 2018

‘The Waverly Gallery’ Tugs at the Heart but Never Really Shatters It by Rex Reed

'The Waverly Gallery' lacks force because as Gladys' mental state disintegrates, her exchanges grow from amusing to confusing.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 09:22AM
Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Stockard Channing Dominates ‘Apologia’ by Rex Reed

The play is ultimately about a woman who established her independence before it was fashionable.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 03:06PM
Thursday, October 4, 2018

A.R. Gurney Listened to Critics, Wrote This Triptych of Stupidity by Rex Reed

I've never seen anything from A.R. Gurney as superficial and unfocused as 'Final Follies'

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 11:04AM
Friday, August 17, 2018

Bryan Adams Is One of Many Reasons ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ Is Awful by Rex Reed

There's no song lyric so bad it can't be improved by screaming it into cacophonous incoherence.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 12:50PM
Friday, June 29, 2018

‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ Revival Proves It’s a Musical Worth Revisiting by Rex Reed

It opened in 1965 as a disappointment, had a movie that flopped and has not aged well, but even so 'On a Clear Day You Can See Forever' is worth revisiting.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 01:30PM
Monday, June 25, 2018

Playwright Joshua Harmon Makes the Same Big Mistake With ‘Skintight’ by Rex Reed

His problem (and my one caveat) is that he doesn't know when to stop writing.

SOURCE: The New York Observer at 09:53AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre