This Week on Stage: 'Circle Mirror Transformation' is a gem
We finally caught up with the Off Broadway hit Circle Mirror Transformation (pictured at left) and boy are we glad that we did. Ditto for the reinvention of the David Lean movie Brief Encounter that wraps up this weekend at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse. These little shows are both stunners…and will certainly tide us over until the coming wave of big openings. (We’re particularly excited about The Pee-Wee Herman Show in L.A. — you can read more about the plans for the production in the profile of Paul Reubens in this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly.)
If you’re looking for some live theater, check out the EW.com Stage hub for up-to-date news and reviews; or consult this handy guide below, which includes links to all of our stage reviews of current shows. (Note: The reviews are typically of the show’s original casts.)
BROADWAY
The Addams Family — Musical; opens 4/8/2010
All About Me — Musical Revue starring Dame Edna and Michael Feinstein; opens 3/18/10
American Idiot — Musical; opens 4/20/2010
A Behanding in Spokane — Comedy starring Christopher Walken; opens 3/4/10
Billy Elliot — Musical; opened 11/13/08; EW grade: B+
— Musical Revival starring John Stamos; opened 10/15/2009 – 1/24/2010; EW grade: C+
La Cage Aux Folles — Musical Revival starring Kelsey Grammer; opens 4/18/10
Chicago — Musical Revival; opened 11/14/1996; EW grade: A+
Collected Stories — Drama Revival starring Linda Lavin; opens 4/28/10
ENRON — Musical; opens 4/27/10
Fela! — Musical; opened 11/23/2009; EW grade: B+
Finian’s Rainbow — Musical Revival; opened 10/29/2009 – 1/17/2010; EW grade: B-
God of Carnage — Comedy starring Jimmy Smits and Christine Lahti; opened 3/22/2009; EW grade: A-
Hair — Musical Revival; opened 3/31/2009; EW grade: A-
In the Heights — Musical; opened 2/14/2009; EW grade: A-
Jersey Boys — Musical; opened 11/7/2005; EW grade: A
Lend Me a Tenor — Comedy Revival; opens 4/4/10
The Lion King — Musical; opened 11/13/1997; EW grade: A+
Lips Together, Teeth Apart — Drama Revival starring Megan Mullally and Patton Oswalt; opens 4/29/10
A Little Night Music — Musical Revival starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury; opened 12/13/09; EW grade: B+
Looped — Drama; opens 3/14/10
Mamma Mia! — Musical; opened 10/18/2001; EW grade: B+
Mary Poppins — Musical; opened 11/16/2009; EW grade: A-
Memphis — Musical; opened 10/19/2009; EW grade: C+
Million Dollar Quartet — Musical; opens 4/11/10
The Miracle Worker — Drama Revival starring Abigail Breslin; opens 3/3/10
Next Fall — Drama; opens 3/11/10
Next to Normal — Musical; opened 4/19/2009; EW grade: A
The Phantom of the Opera — Musical; opened 1/26/1988
Present Laughter — Comedy Revival starring Victor Garber; opens 1/24/2010
Promises, Promises — Musical Revival starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth; opens 4/25/10
Race — Drama starring James Spader and Kerry Washington; opened 12/6/2009; EW grade: C
Rock of Ages — Musical; opened 4/7/2009; EW grade: C+
Sondheim on Sondheim — Musical Revue; opens 4/22/10
South Pacific — Musical Revival; opened 4/3/2008; EW grade: A
Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark — Musical starring Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood; opens 2010
Time Stands Still — Drama starring Laura Linney; opens 1/28/2010
A View From the Bridge— Drama Revival starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson; opens 1/24/2010
West Side Story — Musical Revival; opened 3/19/2009; EW grade: B
Wicked — Musical; opened 10/30/03; EW grade: B
Wishful Drinking — Drama/Comedy starring Carrie Fisher; opened 10/4/2009 – 1/17/2010; EW grade: A-
OFF BROADWAY
Avenue Q — Musical; reopened 10/21/2009; EW grade: A
Blue Man Group — Special Performance; opened 11/11/1991
Brief Encounter — Musical/Drama; 12/2/09 – 1/17/10; EW grade: A-
Circle Mirror Transformation — Drama; opened 12/15/09; EW grade: A
The Fantasticks — Musical Revival; opened 6/16/2008; EW grade: B+
Love, Loss, and What I Wore — Drama; opened 10/1/2009; EW grade: B+
The Orphans’ Home Cycle, Part I — Drama; opened 11/20/2009; EW grade: A-
The Orphan’s Home Cycle, Part II —Drama; opened 12/17/09; EW grade: B+
Our Town — Drama Revival; opened 2/26/2009 – 3/14/10; EW grade: A-
Stomp — Special Performance; opened 2/27/1994
The Understudy — Comedy starring Julie White, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and Justin Kirk; opened 11/5/2009 – 1/17/2010; EW grade: B+
ELSEWHERE
The 101 Dalmatians Musical (national tour) — Musical; EW grade: B-
August: Osage County (national tour with Estelle Parsons) — Drama; EW grade: A
Dreamgirls (national tour with Syesha Mercado) — Musical; EW grade: B+
Kà (Las Vegas) — Special Performance; opened November 2004; EW grade: A-
LOVE (Las Vegas) — Musical Revue; opened 8/24/2006; EW grade: A-
Mary Poppins (Los Angeles) — Musical; 11/13/2009 – 2/7/2010; EW grade: B
Mystere (Las Vegas) — Special Performance; opened 5/25/1993; EW grade: A
Palestine, New Mexico (Los Angeles) — Drama; opened 12/13/09 – 1/24/2010; EW grade: C+
O (Las Vegas) — Special Performance; opened October 1998; EW grade: A-
Zumanity (Las Vegas) — Special Performance; opened September 2003; EW grade: C
More Stage coverage from EW.com: