‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Amber Gray, Juliette Lewis, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez & Andrew Durand. Photo: Joan Marcus.

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Book, music & lyrics by Richard O’Brien
Directed by Sam Pinkleton
Through November 29, 2026
Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54
254 West 54th Street
https://rockyhorrorshowbroadway.com/

By Scott Harrah

“Let’s do the Time Warp again!” The beloved cult classic The Rocky Horror Show returns to Broadway for the first time in 26 years. It still bursts with infectious songs and bizarre, lovable characters. Now, Tony and Olivier Award-winning director Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!) reimagines it for a new generation.

Meanwhile, the film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, just marked its 50th anniversary. Its legend comes as much from unruly midnight audiences as from Richard O’Brien’s subversive creation. Anyone who attended those screenings (including this reviewer) may feel surprised by this first Broadway revival since 2000. “It’s Live Theater, Not a Movie,” signs warn in the Studio 54 lobby. During the opening number, cast members even hold up signs that read “Don’t Be an A**hole.”

Restrained but divinely decadent new spin

This is not the cult-film free-for-all many remember. No shouted callbacks erupt. No flying props or shadow-cast antics take over. Instead, restraint drives the evening. Even so, the show remains a great deal of fun. Pinkleton delivers a sleeker, more controlled Rocky Horror. He still invites you to do the “Time Warp”…just not as loudly.

Juliette Lewis makes her Broadway debut as Magenta. The Oscar-nominated actress (Cape Fear, “Yellowjackets”) plays the demented domestic servant with a delicious edge. When she sings “Science Fiction Double Feature,” she nearly talks her way through it, and the choice lands beautifully. Her ghoulish glamour sets the tone. Throughout the show, she shifts between a punked-out French maid fantasy and a kooky usherette. As a result, the performance and her look both land somewhere between Siouxsie Sioux and a glam-rock banshee.

Brad & Janet enter a weird & wacky world

Soon, straight-laced couple Brad (Andrew Durand) and Janet (Stephanie Hsu) run into car trouble. They search for a telephone and stumble upon the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Luke Evans). Then, the eerie Riff Raff (Amber Gray), a Nosferatu-style hunchback, answers the door. He pulls them into a world of seduction and self-discovery. With bold contemporary casting, the revival goes further into the weird, the wacky, and the gleefully gender-bending.

Inside, the couple meets a string of eccentrics. Each proves stranger than the last. There is the twitchy Riff Raff, Magenta, and the quirky, unhinged groupie Columbia (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez). All remain loyal to their flamboyant master. That master, of course, is Dr. Frank-N-Furter. He presides over the chaos with total authority. Soon enough, he unveils his latest creation: Rocky (Josh Rivera), a musclebound creature built for pleasure.

At first, Brad and Janet simply want help. However, the night quickly spirals into sexual awakening, blurred identities, and rising tension. As the castle’s inhabitants draw them deeper inside, the story turns increasingly surreal. Unexpected arrivals shift loyalties. Gradually, something sinister emerges beneath the surface. In the end, the couple plunges far beyond its comfort zone and into a free-fall of anything-goes sexuality and mayhem.

Controlled chaos

Here, director Sam Pinkleton blends genres with confidence. The show feels part creature feature, part alien invasion flick, and part rock ’n’ roll fever dream. He mixes everything into a glitter-drenched, gender-bending fantasia. At the same time, he maintains tight control. His staging favors precision over audience chaos, and it works.

Design elements support that vision. Dot leans into a retro B-movie aesthetic with heightened flair. David I. Reynoso’s costumes carry much of the storytelling. They swing between kitschy excess and sleek glamour. Meanwhile, the staging keeps everything moving at a brisk, almost cinematic pace.

Killer performances

The cast commits fully, and their killer performances drive the night.

Luke Evans commands the stage from his first entrance. His Frank-N-Furter feels as camp as Christmas, yet something sharper lurks underneath. He pushes the role further than Tim Curry’s iconic take while keeping it distinctly authentic. When he launches into “Sweet Transvestite,” he owns the room. He moves with seductive swagger and total confidence. In that moment, he embodies “Don’t dream it, be it” without slipping into caricature.

Andrew Durand grounds Brad with clean-cut sincerity. Even as chaos builds, he keeps the character rooted. Stephanie Hsu brings Janet to life with bright, searching energy. Each shift in her performance registers clearly, and her powerful vocals soar with glee.

Amber Gray delivers a striking Riff Raff. She pairs eerie physicality with a surprisingly beautiful voice. Meanwhile, Juliette Lewis continues to haunt the edges of scenes. Her watchful, conspiratorial presence adds unpredictability.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (TV’s “Pose”) reshapes Columbia into something darker yet grounded. She strips away the “cutesy” edges and finds a quieter strength. Josh Rivera plays Rocky with playful charm rather than brute force, which adds warmth. Harvey Guillén as Eddie/Dr. Scott and various ensemble actors add energy to the production. Finally, Rachel Dratch anchors the evening as narrator. Her droll delivery and winking irony keep the show self-aware without slowing it down.

Sinful splendor

Ultimately, this Rocky Horror feels more restrained than its midnight-movie counterpart. Still, it remains wildly entertaining. Sam Pinkleton celebrates liberation and self-expression, even as he asks audiences to behave just a bit better. The result is a decadent delight, and an evening of sinful splendor for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Published May 3, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on May 1, 2026.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Juliette Lewis, Andrew Durand, Stephanie Hsu & Amber Gray. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Larkin Reilly, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Durand & Caleb Quezon. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: Luke Evans & Josh Rivera. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: Luke Evans. Photo: Sarah Krulwich/The New York Times/Redux.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: Rachel Dratch. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Stephanie Hsu, Paul Soileau, Harvey Guillén, Caleb Quezon & Larkin Reilly. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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“Critic’s Pick! Laughter is making a big comeback on Broadway,” raved The New York Times. “Gaspingly funny,” cheered New York Magazine. “A wild new comedy!” raved The Wrap. “One of the best productions Broadway has offered this season!” exclaimed Deadline.

‘EUREKA DAY’: Thomas Middleditch, Amber Gray, Bill Irwin, Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz & Jessica Hecht. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

Eureka Day stars Tony Award nominee Amber Gray (Broadway: Hadestown; Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812) as Carina, two-time Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht (Broadway: Summer, 1976 at MTC; A View from the Bridge) as Suzanne, Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Broadway: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Largely New York) as Don, Emmy Award nominee Thomas Middleditch (Television: “Silicon Valley”) as Eli, and Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz (Television: “Scandal,” “The Resident”) as Meiko. Eboni Flowers (Broadway: Macbeth, Slave Play) will assume the role of Carina starting Saturday, February 1.

Jonathan Spector’s explosive and timely comedy had its world premiere at Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley, CA., and has been seen Off-Broadway at Colt Coeur and in London at The Old Vic. The New York Times, in their Critic’s Pick review of the Off-Broadway production, praised Eureka Day as “the perfect play for our age of disagreement.”

Vaccine chaos at private California school

Eureka Day is a private California elementary school with a Board of Directors that values inclusion above all else—that is until an outbreak of the mumps forces everyone in the community to reconsider the school’s liberal vaccine policy. As cases rise, the board realizes with horror that they’ve got to do what they swore they never would: make a choice that won’t please absolutely everybody.

The production features: scenic design by Tony Award winner Todd Rosenthal; costume design by Tony Award winner Clint Ramos; lighting design by two-time Tony Award nominee Jen Schriever; original music and sound design by Drama Desk Award nominees Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen; projection design by Tony Award nominee David Bengali; intimacy & sensitivity coordinator Ann C. James; vocal coach Gigi Buffington; casting by Caparelliotis Casting & Kelly Gillespie; Production Stage Manager is Charles M. Turner III.

Eureka Day is presented by special arrangement with Sonia Friedman Productions, Wagner Johnson Productions, and Seaview Productions.

Major support for Eureka Day is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of The Sloan Initiative: Setting the Stage for Science and Technology. Additional support is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

MTC’s Beyond the Stage Series

Manhattan Theatre Club’s Beyond the Stage series enriches and expands the impact of MTC’s productions and theatrical storytelling by offering audiences events that connect to our plays’ cultural and historical contexts. These community-building conversations and experiences provide fresh insights and novel perspectives, leading to a deepened understanding and celebration of our shared humanity.

Beyond the Stage Series throughout January

Sunday, January 12

Purchase a ticket and join us after the 2:00 pm performance on Sunday, January 12 for an intimate conversation moderated by ABC Audio’s Start Here podcast host Brad Mielke, featuring guest speakers Alann Seales and Dr. Nicole Naggar.

Tickets are on sale at Telecharge.com. Subscriptions for MTC’s 2024-25 season are available by visiting www.manhattantheatreclub.com/join, or by calling the MTC Clubline at 212-399-3050.

Wednesday, January 15
Purchase a ticket and join us after the performance for a conversation with Eureka Day playwright Jonathan Spector for TCG’s OFFSCRIPT podcast. Offscript is American Theatre’s monthly podcast about all things theatrical.

Thursday, January 16
January 16 is Entertainment Community Fund Night at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre! Purchase a ticket and join us following the performance join for a talkback featuring Dr. Ram Koppaka and Dr. Jason Kindt from the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts as they discuss Eureka Day, the growth of public health, how it influences our lives and the communities the Friedman Health Center serves and supports.

Additionally, Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) and Harlem Arts Alliance (HAA) are joining forces to host a Book Drive to benefit Harlem Hospital and its surrounding community. Inspired by Eureka Day, our goal is to collect at least 2,000 new books for children and young adult readers, with a special emphasis on social justice content. Audience and community members are welcome to donate new books at the Samuel J. Friedman box office during operating hours through January 19, 2025.

ABOUT MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Director Chris Jennings, Manhattan Theatre Club produces seasons of new work for the theatre both on and Off-Broadway. In the 2023-24 season, all three of its Broadway shows were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play, representing three of the five nominees in the category. MTC’s not-for-profit mission, which Meadow created in 1972 and has implemented over five decades of award-winning productions, is to develop and present new work in a dynamic, supportive environment; to identify and collaborate with the most promising new as well as accomplished artists; and to produce a diverse repertoire of innovative, entertaining, and thought-provoking plays and musicals by American and international playwrights.

Since 1989, MTC Learning and Community Engagement, which uses the power of live theatre and playwriting to awaken minds, ignite imaginations, open hearts, and change lives, has also been an important corollary to MTC’s work. MTC’s over 600 world, American, New York and Broadway premieres have earned 7 Pulitzer Prizes, 30 Tony Awards, 51 Drama Desk Awards and 49 Obie Awards amongst many other honors. MTC has homes on Broadway at its Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and Off-Broadway at New York City Center. MTC is an anti-racist organization that respects and honors all voices and upholds the values of community and equity. For more information, please visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com.

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‘EUREKA DAY’: Thomas Middleditch, Amber Gray, Bill Irwin, Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz & Jessica Hecht. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

EUREKA DAY
By Jonathan Spector
Directed by Anna D. Shapiro
Through February 16, 2025
Manhattan Theatre Club
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 W 47th Street
https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/24-25-season/eureka-day/

By Scott Harrah

The American culture wars and the divisive anti-vaccine movement collide at a private school in Berkeley, California in Jonathan’s Spector’s provocative Eureka Day. The show was originally produced in 2018. It has played in different venues across the country as well in London at the Old Vic. Eureka Day is an often hilarious but politically charged dark comedy about “woke” politics, social justice and the anti-vaccine movement that is both topical and uncomfortable to watch in these tense times in America.

The show starts out with a group of parents on the executive committee at Eureka Day, a progressive private school. The group sits around discussing “politically correct” terminology such as “transracial adoptee” and “all gender bathrooms.” It’s the type of “inclusive” chatter that sends conservative TV media hosts into a frenzy.

Anti-vaccine vitriol

There’s a sudden twist when group leader Don (Bill Irwin) reads aloud a letter from a local health official warning of an outbreak of mumps. A Eureka Day student has been confirmed as having the disease. Suddenly, chaos ensues when everyone discusses the public health doctor’s demand that any child who has not received the MMR vaccine must not be allowed to attend school unless he or she has been vaccinated.

Suzanne (Jessica Hecht) is especially opposed to mandating vaccines at school. While Suzanne on the surface appears to be a stereotypical affluent Bay Area liberal, she is actually a control freak. She immediately tears into others on the committee that disagree with her, including Carina (Amber Gray) and full-time dad Eli (Thomas Middleditch). Suddenly, their bubble of “social justice” and left-wing coastal elitism becomes as nasty and polarizing as anything on right-wing TV news programs.

An online livestream discussion about the mumps outbreak is one of the highlights of Eureka Day. As Don and group leaders discuss mumps and its symptoms, the online chat comments—projected onto a screen behind the cast—veer into madness, with parents ranting about alternative medicine, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and some calling others “Nazis.” It’s hilarious and disturbing but so true to life. What’s so illuminating and shocking is how these upper-middle-class, well-educated parents of Eureka students are just as vile and nauseating as any thread of online trolls.

A prophetic play

Jonathan Spector’s play, first produced nearly seven years ago in 2018, was remarkably prescient, considering it was originally mounted two years before the COVID-19 pandemic. While it’s not exactly a perfect story, it is amazing how much of Mr. Spector’s play was an omen of things to come in 2020. He brilliantly captures all the conflicts that arise from misinformation, individual choice and the greater responsibility of community leaders protecting the public when a disease starts spreading rapidly.

Director Anna D. Shapiro does a nice job of helping the cast shine amongst all the pandemonium. Bill Irwin is brilliant as Don, the head of the school who loves to quote the poet Rumi incessantly. Jessica Hecht is wonderful as the annoying, entitled Suzanne. Amber Gray as Carina is a great foil for Suzanne, and her scenes with Ms. Hecht are incredibly tense and riveting. Thomas Middleditch as Eli, Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz as Meiko and Eboni Flowers as Winter are all equally powerful in their respective roles.

Eureka Day is hardly holiday fare. It rings with contemporary veracity about the ugly divisions in America and is not a play for anyone anxious about historical revisionists and science deniers who might wreak havoc in this country in the near future.

Published December 16, 2024
Reviewed at press preview performance on December 14, 2024

‘EUREKA DAY’: Bill Irwin & Jessica Hecht. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘EUREKA DAY’: Amber Gray, Bill Irwin & Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘EUREKA DAY’: Thomas Middleditch. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘EUREKA DAY’: Amber Gray & Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

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‘MACBETH’: Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

MACBETH
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam Gold
Through July 10, 2022
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
New York, NY
(212-239-6200), www.MacbethBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Director Sam Gold contemporized, bastardized and overblew the 2019 revival of Shakespeare’s King Lear with Glenda Jackson. He is now minimalizing beyond recognition this epic debacle, Macbeth, so there should be a law that director Sam Gold must never be allowed to come near another Shakespeare play for fear of criminally destroying yet another classic.

Lord, spare us from false prophets and pretentious “visionary” directors who think they have new ideas to infuse into classic Shakespeare for new audiences. Sitting through this version of Macbeth, in almost complete darkness, except for the use of flashlights, green and red blinding laser lights, and a handheld bright light torch under Lady Macbeth’s chin in her hallucinated state, one can’t help but wonder—what the hell is going on here? It is hard enough traversing through gender-bending roles, and then having these players play multiple characters in the same outfits and try to disseminate who they are at that moment. Then you have to ask why is everyone doing different accents? Also why are there so many distracting sound effects? There is absolutely no cohesion.

I’ll fast-track it for you: Macbeth (Daniel Craig) and Banquo (Amber Gray) have defeated Scottish rebels in a civil war. On the way back, they encounter a coven of witches (who are always making soup and scrambled eggs—please, don’t ask— and also play various other roles). The witches tell Macbeth he will be the Thane of Cawdor and then be King of Scotland. Duncan, the current King of Scotland, rewards Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Poor Duncan comes to the Macbeth’s home to celebrate the end of the civil war, only to be murdered by them. Then Banquo gets murdered. Macbeth gets haunted by the ghost of Banquo and starts ranting. More prophecies: Lady Macbeth (Ruth Negga) who’s been sleepwalking and hallucinating, goes mad with guilt and claims “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten these little hands” and kills herself. MacDuff (Grantham Coleman), friend of old King Duncan, avenges him by killing Macbeth, and crowns Malcolm (Asia Kate Dillon) Duncan’s son, as the rightful heir to Scotland.

With such minimalism, and a mostly bare stage, you would think you are watching the third day of rehearsal of a college production. With so much ranting and raving, the same actors in different characters overacting, it makes the dreadful 2013 version of Macbeth with Ethan Hawke at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre seem like a masterpiece.

If you are still inclined to see this Macbeth because of Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga, I urge you to watch the 2021 film The Tragedy of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington first, just to give you a sense of what’s going on here.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published June 2, 2022

‘MACBETH’: Ruth Negga. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MACBETH: Maria Dizzia, Daniel Craig & Amber Gray. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘HADESTOWN’: Reeve Carney & Eva Noblezada. Photo: Matthew Murphy

HADESTOWN
Book, music & lyrics by Anais Mitchell
Directed by George C. Wolfe
Choreographed by David Neumann
Walter Kerr Theatre
219 West 485th Street
212-239-6200, www.hadestown.com

By David NouNou

Although it has come late in the season, we have the winner for best musical. Hadestown is a towering theatrical journey to hell. It’s sort of a metaphor for the times in which we live.

Based on the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, and his journey to hell to rescue her back from the dead, this tale is set in New Orleans. Our Orpheus (Reeve Carney) is the sweetest and gentlest of souls who works in a café and Eurydice (Eva Noblezada) is a wandering waif who crosses Orpheus’ path and he falls madly in love with her. To narrate all that happens or will happen is Hermes (the remarkable Andre DeShields). He is like the emcee in Cabaret.

The rulers of Hadestown are Hades (Patrick Page) and Persephone (Amber Gray). Persephone comes up and joins the living every summer. She has a wild time entertaining all by wining and dining but has to return to Hades back in the winter. Eurydice being poor, cold and hungry goes down with Persephone on the false illusion that life will be better down there, only to find the grind and misery that prevails.

There are also the muses who butt into everyone’s lives and not for the good. It is up to Orpheus upon realizing the loss of Eurydice, on how he is going down to Hadestown and how he will rescue her from the grip of Hades.

What makes this journey bearable is the remarkable score by Anais Mitchell. It is jazz- infused, rhythmic, pulsating and palpable. From the opening song “Road to Hell” to the closing number in Act I, “Why We Build the Wall,” the music and lyrics are all arresting and haunting. “Why We Build the Wall” is a chilling reminder of where we’re at in 2019, but in actually it was written years before the ongoing nightmare we live with today. The score is phenomenal throughout till the end, the reprise of “Road to Hell.”

The cast is superb, headed by the indefatigable Andre DeShields, a theater legend. His Hermes is the velvet protector of the lost. Patrick Page is spine chilling as Hades, especially when it comes to singing “Why We Build the Wall.” Amber Gray’s Persephone is sheer delight and can lure anyone to go down to Hades with her. Eva Noblezada was enchanting in the 2017 revival of Miss Saigon, and she is in good voice here. Reeve Carney is guileless as Orpheus.

Director Rachel Chavkin has outdone herself here. Her Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 overloaded the senses to distraction, but here she has brilliantly modulated the proceedings and is greatly abetted by the overwhelming set by Rachel Hauck.

The nightmarish story is not necessarily uplifting, but the theatrical experience is priceless.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 22, 2019
Reviewed at April 21, 2019 press performance.

‘HADESTOWN’: Amber Gray & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: Eva Noblezada & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: (left to right) Amber Gray, Patrick Page & Reeve Carney. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: Eva Noblezada & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: Amber Gray & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: Patrick Page & Amber Gray. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: Reeve Carney. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: (left to right) Jewelle Blackman, Kay Trinidad & Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘HADESTOWN’: Andre De Shields. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘HADESTOWN’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

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‘NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: (left to right) Josh Groban & Denée Benton. Photo: Chad Batka

By David NouNou

I saw Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 exactly three years ago at the Kazino Theatre, which was in a tent set up with heaters right next to the Imperial Theatre. I thought I was experiencing one of the most dreadful musicals I had seen in a long time. It was bleak, dark, claustrophobic, listless and pointless; after all it was set in Russia. It was freezing inside the tent, my partner and I had our coats, gloves and scarves on all night–which I guess for some it might seem atmospheric, getting a sense of what it would be like to be in Siberia. I remember ushers/servers pushing vodka, beverages, and various food items at exorbitant prices and the audience was piled on top of one another on chairs and tables. I just wanted to get the hell out of there; needless to say the evening warranted one star.

What a difference three years later makes. It is now at the Imperial Theatre. The theatre has been magnificently redesigned with sets by Mimi Lien, beautifully and warmly lit by Bradley King and the costumes by Paloma Young are extraordinarily colorful. It is now colorful, open, and energetic, with a deliciously eclectic score by David Malloy that has Slavic overtones that captures the mood from sad ballads to the contemporary sound. In addition, the cast has been expanded, which now makes the musical more jubilant and exciting. And, of course, you have the wonderful Josh Groban. with his thrilling baritone voice.

You must remember that this is based on Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace; there will be a lot of grief and heartbreak, characters that have at least five first names and a Moscow that was brimming with life and opulence. The story centers on Natasha (Denée Benton) saying goodbye to her fiancée, Andrey (Nicholas Belton) who goes off to war and she comes to Moscow to be with her cousin Sonya (Brittain Ashford) and her Godmother, Marya (Grace McLean). In the course of her socializing and experiencing new delights, she falls in love with Anatole (Lucas Steele), whose sister Helene (Amber Gray) is married to Pierre. In the midst of all this is somber Pierre, a friend to all and ultimately he has to clean up the mess that has taken place by all the revelers and revelry.

With all the revelry going on stage, the real deal here is Josh Groban. As an actor, he is perfect as Pierre, and as a singer he is outstanding. If nothing else he is worth the price of admission and more. Denée Benton is lovely as Natasha. Also noteworthy is Amber Gray as Helene, Pierre’s promiscuous wife. As for the rest, they vary in degrees of overplay due to the direction they were given by Rachel Chavkin. There is so much going on stage that you never know where to look; it is a lavish spectacle, frenetic, that at times it seems like a mashup of Cirque De Soleil butchering Leo Tolstoy. In this case so much is too much.

If you go with the purpose of seeing Josh Groban, you’ll not be disappointed, for he delivers the goods and his voice is heaven sent.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published January 4, 2017
Reviewed at performance on January 3, 2017

‘NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: Josh Groban. Photo: Chad Batka

‘NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: Nick Choksi. Photo: Chad Batka

‘NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: Denée Benton & Brittain Ashford. Photo: Chad Batka

‘NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: Denée Benton. Photo: Chad Batka

‘NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: (left to right) Lucas Steele & Denée Benton. Photo: Chad Batka

‘NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: Josh Groban. Photo: Chad Batka

‘NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: Denée Benton & Amber Gray. Photo: Chad Batka

‘NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812’: Josh Groban & cast. Photo: Chad Batka

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