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

Remembering Don Rickles The great Don Rickles passed away this week, and Jimmy Kimmel used the opening of Thursday night's show to pay tribute: Shakespeare in the Park Casting Initial casting has been announced for the two Shakespeare in the Park productions, Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream , and it's already an embarrassment of riches. (And in keeping with the Public ethos (diversity), both casts include actors of color and non-traditional gender casting.) Among those in Julius Caesar are Corey Stoll ( House of Cards , Plenty ) as Marcus Brutus; Elizabeth Marvel ( House of Cards , Homeland ) as Antony; Tony winner Nikki M. James ( The Book of Mormon , Preludes ) as Portia; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis ( Between Riverside and Crazy ) as Cinna the Poet; Chris Myers ( Whorl Inside a Loop ) as several characters; and Eisa Davis ( Preludes ) as Decius Brutus. Performances run May 23 through June 18, and will be direct...

We begin by spending a day in the life of Ken ( Reed Birney ) and Nancy ( Annette O'Toole ), a man and woman from Nebraska. They drive, in silence, to church. They sit, in silence, in church. They have dinner, in silence. They visit Ken's ailing mother, Cammie ( Kathleen Peirce ), and they only speak to her, not to each other. At home, they watch TV in silence. The silences aren't awkward; they are just what (sometimes) happens after decades of marriage. But something is stirring in Ken's soul. Ken and Nancy break the silence in the middle of the night when Ken rushes to the bathroom, puts a towel over this face and begins to cry. Nancy enters the bathroom and tries to help, but Ken won't let her. (O'Toole is achingly effective in this scene; Nancy is Ken's wife, and it's her job to help. Why won't he let her help?) He finally relents, declaring he doesn't believe in God. Talking about the genesis of his 2003 play in a post-show discussion...

There was no Week in Review last week. This week's post includes items from last week and this week. Coming to the Boards Broadway —The great stage and screen veteran and two-time Tony Award winner Kevin Kline will return to Broadway this spring in a revival of Noel Coward 's Present Laughter ! The play was last seen on Broadway in 2010. Deadline reports that the revival, which will be a limited engagement, will open on April 5, and will take up residency at the St. James Theatre, one of Broadway's largest venues. Tony nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel ( Hand to God ) will direct. Off-Broadway —Additional productions have been added to Lincoln Center 's 2016-2017 season. How to Transcend a Happy Marriage , written by Sarah Ruhl ( Stage Kiss ) and directed by Rebecca Taichman ( Stage Kiss , Indecent ), will play the Newhouse Theater beginning February 23, 2017, with opening night set for March 20. Upstairs, at the Claire Tow Theatre, Bryna Turner 's Bull i...

Herein, the full list of Tony Award winners. Winners are notated in bold typeface and with an asterisk. Best Play Eclipsed , written by Danai Gurira The Father , written by Florian Zeller The Humans , written by Stephen Karam* King Charles III , written by Mike Bartlett Best Revival of a Play Blackbird The Crucible Long Day's Journey into Night Noises Off A View from the Bridge *   Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey into Night Jeff Daniels, Blackbird Frank Langella, The Father* Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III Mark Strong, A View from the Bridge Best Performance by An Actress in a Leading Role in a Play Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey into Night * Laurie Metcalf, Misery Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed Sophie Okonedo, The Crucible Michelle Williams, Blackbird Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play Reed Birney, The Humans * Bill Camp, The Crucible David...

The Lucille Lortel Awards honor excellence in off-Broadway. Winners will be announced and honored at the May 1 ceremony. Herein, the full list of nominees, as well as special award recipients. (Unless indicated, categories were open to both plays and musicals.) Of note: There are several incredible shows, performances, and creative efforts that did not get nominated (say, like, Significant Other ), which just shows how rich the off-Broadway scene is these days. Outstanding Play The Christians , by Lucas Hnath  Eclipsed , by Danai Gurira  Gloria , by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Guards at the Taj , by Rajiv Joseph  John , by Annie Baker Outstanding Musical Futurity , by Cesar Alvarez (music, lyrics, book) and The Lisps (music)  Iowa , by Jenny Schwartz (book and lyrics) and Todd Almond (music and lyrics)  Southern Comfort , by Dan Collins (book and lyrics) and Julianne Wick Davis (music)  Tappin' Thru Life , by Maurice Hines  The Wildness: S...