Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

Dear Evan Hansen Coming to Broadway The incredible original musical, Dear Evan Hansen , will bow on Broadway beginning this November. (The musical, which had a run in DC, is finishing its sold-out, extended run at off-Broadway's Second Stage this week.) Written by Benj Pasek + Justin Paul (score) and Steven Levenson (book), Dear Evan Hansen conveys what it's like to be teenager now, what it's like to have more opportunities for connection than ever before but still feel lonely. Star Ben Platt gives a deeply affecting performance. No official word on casting, though I can't imagine Platt (and Rachel Bay Jones , playing Evan's mother) wouldn't be asked to make the transfer. A theatre and exact dates have not been announced, but you can visit dearevanhansen.com to sign up for updates. (Other Shows) Coming to the Boards Another production has been added to Roundabout 's 2016-2017 season, a revival of Arthur Miler 's The Price . Previews will b...

The film adaptation of Leslye Headland’s Bachelorette , which the playwright wrote and directed, succeeds in its own ways. It’s just as biting and darkly funny as the play (which ran at Second Stage a few summers ago). Because there’s no concern for scene changes, it takes the story and characters to places that a play can’t. The three bridesmaids collective journey is essentially the same - they just take different detours here. I was a little disappointed that the movie tagged on a bit of a tidy, Hollywood ending. My preferred ending happened about seven minutes earlier, serving as a cheeky punctuation mark and driving home Headland’s gluttony theme. (Remember that the play Bachelorette is part of her seven deadly sins cycle. The "greed" play, Assistance , was satisfyingly sardonic.) Still, it is rip-roaringly funny with spot on performances from the terrific ensemble cast. A quick rundown of the plot: Regan (Kirsten Dunst), Katie (Isla Fisher), Gena (Lizzy Caplan) a...