Archives for July 30, 2015

Mrs. T and I are hitting the road this afternoon for a desperately needed vacation on the coast of Maine. I can’t even begin to tell you how much the two of us need to get away from it all, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.

I’ve already uploaded the routine postings that appear in this space every day, and I’ve also filed all of my Commentary and Wall Street Journal copy that will come due during our absence. I’ll be checking my e-mail from time to time, but not regularly, and if you should happen to see me on Facebook or Twitter, I urge you to give me plenty of hell for not pulling the plug all the way out of the wall.

I’ll be back in the saddle starting next Wednesday, when Mrs. T and I drive into New York to see the last press preview of the Broadway transfer of Hamilton. Until then, I leave you with the following heartfelt sentiment, courtesy of an old friend:

Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. For more information, click on the title.

BROADWAY:
• An American in Paris (musical, G, too complex for small children, nearly all performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• Fun Home (serious musical, PG-13, all performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (musical, PG-13, nearly all performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• Hand to God (black comedy, X, absolutely not for children or prudish adults, reviewed here)
• The King and I (musical, G, perfect for children with well-developed attention spans, some performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• Matilda (musical, G, all performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• Les Misérables (musical, G, too long and complicated for young children, some performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• On the Town (musical, G, contains double entendres that will not be intelligible to children, reviewed here)

OFF BROADWAY:
• Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (comedy, G, ideal for bright children, remounting of Broadway production, original production reviewed here)
• The Fantasticks (musical, G, suitable for children capable of enjoying a love story, reviewed here)
• The Flick (serious comedy, PG-13, too long for young people with limited attention spans, reviewed here)
• The Weir (drama, PG-13, remounting of original off-Broadway production, extended through Sept. 6, original production reviewed here)

IN GARRISON, N.Y.:
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare, PG-13, closes Aug. 28, reviewed here)
• The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare, PG-13, closes Aug. 29, reviewed here)

IN NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO:
• Sweet Charity (musical, PG-13, closes Oct. 31, reviewed here)
• The Twelve-Pound Look (one-act comedy, G, not suitable for children, closes Sept. 12, reviewed here)
• You Never Can Tell (Shaw, PG-13, closes Oct. 25, reviewed here)

IN SPRING GREEN, WIS.:
• A Streetcar Named Desire (drama, PG-13, closes Sept. 5, reviewed here)

CLOSING SOON OFF BROADWAY:
• Shows for Days (comedy, PG-13, sexual situations, closes Aug. 23, reviewed here)

CLOSING SATURDAY IN PITTSFIELD, MASS.:
• Lost in Yonkers (drama, PG-13, remounting of off-Broadway production, closes Aug. 1, original production reviewed here)

CLOSING SUNDAY IN GLENCOE, ILL.:
• Doubt (drama, PG-13, closes Aug. 2, reviewed here)

“An ambitious man is a man who wants other people to think he is great.”

Robert Penn Warren, All the King’s Men