# 1 Minute Critic

> Theater reviews and culture news


## Posts

- ['The Other Place' turns a house renovation into Greek tragedy at The Shed](https://1minutecritic.com/the-other-place-review-emma-darcy-tobias-menzies-shed/): Emma D'Arcy and Tobias Menzies deliver commanding performances in "The Other Place" at The Shed—a multisensory family tragedy steeped in Greek myth.
- [In '11 to Midnight,' TikTok's Cost n' Mayor deliver the year's best dance party](https://1minutecritic.com/11-to-midnight-review-cost-n-mayor/): By Ryan Leeds Pastel Post-it notes plaster the doors and inside walls of the Orpheum Theater, where audience members of the new theatrical dance experience 11 to Midnight can discover (or write their own) resolutions like “Be kind,” “Try new things,” and “Get out of my comfort zone.” Easier said than done, but the powerhouse creative team and cast prove it possible. Framed as a gathering of friends on New Year’s Eve, 11 to Midnight grooves to its own rhythm. Conceived by Austin and Marideth Telenko, better known on TikTok as Cost n’ Mayor, and Josh and Lyndsay Magid Aviner, […]
- ['The Monsters': Siblings, trauma & uppercuts in Ngozi Anyanwu's new play](https://1minutecritic.com/the-monsters-review-off-broadway-ngozi-anyanwu/): All great stories contain drama, conflict, and tension, so it’s no wonder that many creators are drawn to the intensity of hand-to-hand combat. While boxing captivated previous generations, it has evolved into mixed martial arts (MMA), a full-contact sport that combines striking and grappling, leaving the men and women who participate bloody and spent. In the new Off-Broadway play The Monsters, written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu, audiences are literally just outside the octagon—although no chain-link fence separates them from where the majority of the action happens. The Monsters begins with MMA fighter Big (Hamilton alum Okieriete Onaodowan) shadowboxing and […]
- [Goodman Theatre’s 'Holiday' reimagines vintage wit for a modern audience](https://1minutecritic.com/goodman-theatre-holiday-review-2026/): A glossy new stage adaptation of "Holiday" revival at Goodman Theatre starts strong but loses its effervescence by Act III.
- [Aisha Jackson: From 'The Great Gatsby' to Carnegie Hall & everything in between](https://1minutecritic.com/aisha-jackson-carnegie-hall-broadway/): Fresh off Broadway's "The Great Gatsby," Aisha Jackson prepares for Carnegie Hall talking faith, representation, and leaving a legacy.
- [Which Grammy winners will you see live in 2026?](https://1minutecritic.com/grammy-winners-live-2026/): GRAMMY winners are even better in person. Here's where to see Olivia Dean, FKA twigs, Turnstile & more.
- [Even with a stellar cast, Steppenwolf's 'The Dance of Death' feels stale](https://1minutecritic.com/steppenwolf-dance-of-death-review/): Kathryn Erbe shines in her Steppenwolf return, but "The Dance of Death" meanders through familiar toxic marriage territory.
- [Why Chicago is the place to experience dance right now](https://1minutecritic.com/chicago-winter-dance-joffrey-hubbard-street-red-clay/): Chicago's winter dance scene heats up with Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street, and Red Clay premieres. Here's what you can't miss. 
- ['High Spirits': A musical ghost story that overstays its welcome](https://1minutecritic.com/review-high-spirits-new-york-city-encores/): "High Spirits" at New York City Encores!: stellar cast, gorgeous orchestra, but a dated script that needed to stay in the past.
- ['Chicago' still has plenty to say about America's ugliest impulses](https://1minutecritic.com/chicago-broadway-review-still-relevant/): The longest-running American musical on Broadway remains shockingly relevant. "Chicago"'s warnings about America ring truer than ever.
- [These 10 LA live music venues prove the show starts before anyone takes the stage](https://1minutecritic.com/best-live-music-venues-los-angeles/): The essential guide to the best live music venues in Los Angeles, from the Hollywood Bowl to the Masonic Lodge.
- [Less talk, more gallery space: CMA shows what celebrating Indigenous artists actually looks like](https://1minutecritic.com/cleveland-museum-of-art-still-emerging-native-american-exhibition/): CMA's exhibit "still/emerging" is the follow-through every land acknowledgment should aspire to: less performative, more wall space.
- [5 regional productions worth the trip this February](https://1minutecritic.com/regional-theater-february-2026-best-productions/): From Pulitzer Prize winners to disco dictatorships, February's regional theater lineup proves the best antidote to winter malaise is a night at the theater.
- [Can fabric and collage dismantle colonial history? Firelei Báez makes a breathtaking case](https://1minutecritic.com/firelei-baez-exhibition-mca-chicago/): Firelei Báez transforms MCA Chicago into an immersive Caribbean dreamscape that questions colonial history. On view through May 31.
- [Lin-Manuel Miranda & Broadway's best join The Public Theater's People's Filibuster](https://1minutecritic.com/peoples-filibuster-public-theater-lin-manuel-miranda/): If you’re in New York this weekend, get off the couch. The Public Theater just announced The People’s Filibuster, a free eight-hour artistic demonstration best experienced IRL. In solidarity with Minnesota and communities nationwide protesting state-sanctioned violence and abuses of power, some of Broadway’s most vital voices are gathering Saturday, January 31, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the steps at 425 Lafayette Street. This is the kind of moment live art exists for. The lineup is stacked. Lin-Manuel Miranda headlines alongside parents Luis A. Miranda Jr. and Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda, joined by Constance Wu, John Leguizamo, Micaela Diamond, […]
- ['Blackout Songs' spirals through a decade of addiction, but where does it land?](https://1minutecritic.com/blackout-songs-off-broadway-review/): In "Blackout Songs," two alcoholics spiral toward rock bottom. The staging is sleek, but the play's structure swirls. 
- [Book Review: Marc Shaiman's tell-most memoir isn't afraid to name names](https://1minutecritic.com/marc-shaiman-memoir-review/): Marc Shaiman's memoir dishes on Sondheim, Streisand, and the highs (literal and figurative) and lows of showbiz life.
- ['Data' asks the AI question Silicon Valley refuses to answer](https://1minutecritic.com/data-off-broadway-ai-ethics-thriller/): Matthew Libby's "Data" turns Silicon Valley workplace dynamics into a timely thriller about AI ethics, surveillance, and moral compromise.
- [Review: 'Ulysses' compresses one day into a dense, demanding adaptation](https://1minutecritic.com/elevator-repair-service-ulysses-public-theater-review/): By Matthew Wexler At over 700 pages, James Joyce’s 1922 novel Ulysses is the Mt. Everest of 20th-century literature. Spanning 18 episodes, a breadth of writing styles, and enough hidden gems to stump Jeopardy! winner Brad Rutter, Joyce allegedly said that the novel would keep academics busy for centuries arguing about what he meant. And now theatergoers.  Created by Elevator Repair Service (ERS) and co-presented by The Public Theater and Under the Radar Festival (the U.S.’s largest theater festival), the adaptation relies on a substantially abridged text and modest interjections to follow a day in the life of Leopold Bloom […]
- [Book Review: 'A Year of Nothing' understands burnout without trying to fix it](https://1minutecritic.com/a-year-of-nothing-emma-gannon-review/): Emma Gannon’s "A Year of Nothing" is a slim, soothing companion for burnout, hustle fatigue, and reclaiming a smaller life.
- [From 'Wicked' to 'West Side Story': Paul Tazewell proves costume design is fine art](https://1minutecritic.com/paul-tazewell-costume-exhibit-chicago/): Paul Tazewell's award-winning costumes from "Hamilton," "Wicked" & more take over Chicago's Griffin Museum through September.
- [Book Review: Can you grieve a brother and a country at the same time? Novelist Brenda Navarro says yes](https://1minutecritic.com/eating-ashes-brenda-navarro-review-diego-luna/): Brenda Navarro's "Eating Ashes" follows a sister's grief after her brother's death in Spain. Diego Luna is adapting the novel for film.
- [Heaven can wait: Ian McKellen elevates 'An Ark,' but mixed reality can't bridge the digital divide](https://1minutecritic.com/ian-mckellen-an-ark-shed-review/): An Ark's mixed-reality experiment offers proximity to Ian McKellen, but a genuine connection requires more than advanced optics.
- [Why Broadway can't stop obsessing over 'Oh, Mary!' & its rotating roster of stars](https://1minutecritic.com/oh-mary-broadway-review/): "Oh, Mary!" is the rare Broadway hit that gets better with every bold new casting choice. 
- ['& Juliet' on Broadway and tour: Why this Max Martin musical is unmissable](https://1minutecritic.com/and-juliet-review-max-martin-jukebox-musical/): "& Juliet" reimagines Shakespeare with Max Martin's pop hits in a glitter-soaked Broadway smash. On tour now.
- [Inside the French museum where Marie Antoinette's last luxury still lingers](https://1minutecritic.com/international-perfume-museum-grasse-marie-antoinette/): The International Perfume Museum offers 4,000 years of fragrance history—but it's Marie Antoinette's mysterious traveling case that lingers longest.
- [Picasso got a free studio on the French Riviera and left 23 paintings behind](https://1minutecritic.com/picasso-museum-antibes-french-riviera/): Sixty years on, Picasso's Antibes works still hold the quiet ache of a world learning how to exhale.
- [Review: Dylan Baker steals the show in 'The Disappear,' but there's nowhere to go](https://1minutecritic.com/the-disappear-off-broadway-review-erica-schmidt/): Erica Schmidt's "The Disappear" has no shortage of ideas—climate anxiety, creative authorship, marital collapse—but the overgrown script never gives its talented cast room to breathe.
- [The French Riviera's new art scene isn't in museums](https://1minutecritic.com/antibes-street-art-festival-french-riviera/): Antibes street art festival brings 16 international artists to the Côte d'Azur. We explored the murals while the paint was still drying.
- [VACAYA proves that the best entertainment at sea is on a private charter](https://1minutecritic.com/vacaya-lgbtq-cruise-entertainment-lineup-2026/): Rufus Wainwright, Jenifer Lewis, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, and more headline VACAYA's upcoming queer Caribbean cruise. We've got the full lineup.
- [For Matisse devotees, Nice is non-negotiable](https://1minutecritic.com/matisse-museum-nice-france-guide/): Head to Nice for an unfiltered look at Henri Matisse's evolution, personal artifacts, and a chapel exhibit coming stateside in 2026.
- [Why art lovers are checking into this former convent in Nice](https://1minutecritic.com/hotel-du-couvent-nice-art-collection/): Hôtel du Couvent in Nice features hundreds of curated works throughout its rooms and gardens. Consider it a museum with turndown service.
- [NYC Broadway Week cheat sheet: 5 picks from critics who've seen them all](https://1minutecritic.com/nyc-broadway-week-2026-best-shows/): NYC Broadway Week runs Jan 20–Feb 12. We narrowed 27 shows to five must-sees, including our first 5-star musical of the season.
- [Review: Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood scratch more than an itch in Tracy Letts' 'Bug'](https://1minutecritic.com/carrie-coon-broadway-review/): By Matthew Wexler From playing the tightly-wound, corset-wearing matriarch on The Gilded Age to smoking a crack pipe in a dreary motel room on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, Carrie Coon isn’t just having a moment; she’s blowing it up. On Broadway for the first time in more than a decade, Coon leads a first-rate ensemble in Tracy Letts’ Bug. But like the critters Coon and co-star Namir Smallwood examine under a microscope, what audiences choose to believe is up for debate.  Letts (who later won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for August: Osage County) wrote Bug in 1996. This […]
- [Book Review: 'Was That Racist?' asks the questions we're all thinking](https://1minutecritic.com/book-review-was-that-racist-evelyn-carter/): Evelyn Carter's "Was That Racist?" offers clarity for bias debates—including the ones on Broadway.
- [First impressions: 5 art spaces to visit in January](https://1minutecritic.com/best-art-exhibitions-january-2026/): January's quieter galleries offer the perfect environment for these five compelling shows from Léon Spilliaert to San Francisco's 3rd annual Art Week.
- [What happens when The Clash's Paul Simonon trades his bass for brushes?](https://1minutecritic.com/paul-simonon-paintings-la-art-show/): At the 2026 LA Art Show, Paul Simonon's paintings prove punk and stillness don't clash. His canvases speak the same language, just quieter.
- [5 regional productions worth the trip this January](https://1minutecritic.com/regional-theater-january-2026-best-productions/): From Amy Herzog's "Mary Jane" to James Ijames' "Good Bones," regional theaters are staging intimate stories about community, caregiving and finding home.
- [Our 2026 wish list: Pedro Pascal on Broadway, a Dolly Parton 'Country Icons' dream tour & 'The Princess Bride' musical](https://1minutecritic.com/pedro-pascal-broadway-2026-wish-list/): From Pedro Pascal's Broadway return to Dolly Parton's dream country lineup, 1 Minute Critic reveals the cultural experiences worth manifesting for 2026.
- ['Wonder' brings heart and hope to American Repertory Theater](https://1minutecritic.com/wonder-musical-review-american-repertory-theater/): R.J. Palacio's "Wonder" gets the musical treatment at American Repertory Theater with powerful young performers and a score by A Great Big World.
- [From Jonathan Groff in 'Just in Time' to June Squibb's Broadway return, every 5-star review from 2025](https://1minutecritic.com/jonathan-groff-june-squibb-5-star-theater-reviews-2025/): 1 Minute Critic gave 18 five-star reviews in our inaugural year. Jonathan Groff, June Squibb, and Chicago's Kokandy Productions were among those recognized.
- [Our most-read theater reviews of 2025 reveal what had fans talking](https://1minutecritic.com/most-read-theater-reviews-2025/): What made you click, read, and share? Our top five most-read theater reviews reveal the productions that sparked the most conversation.
- [How 'Discoshow' honors the genre's roots while keeping Vegas dancing](https://1minutecritic.com/discoshow-spiegelworld-vegas-review/): Spiegelworld's "Discoshow" blends disco history with Vegas spectacle. Rollerskating, LED floors, and authentic funk included.
- [5 regional theater productions worth the trip this December](https://1minutecritic.com/5-regional-theater-productions-worth-the-trip-this-december/): Skip the usual suspects. These five productions—from campy housewives to gravity-defying circus acts—reinvent holiday theater nationwide.
- [How Michael Kenna turned mist and memory into 124 perfect photographs](https://1minutecritic.com/michael-kenna-constellation-nice-photography-museum/): Photographer Michael Kenna brings 50 years of contemplative black and white landscapes to Nice's photography museum.
- ['MOMIX: Alice' at the Joyce: The rabbit hole you actually want to fall into](https://1minutecritic.com/momix-alice-joyce-theater-dance-review/): Moses Pendleton's MOMIX returns to the Joyce Theater with "Alice," a gravity-defying dance illusion that reimagines Lewis Carroll's classic.
- [Something's missing at 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' and it's not just the girls](https://1minutecritic.com/picnic-hanging-rock-off-broadway-review/): Off-Broadway's "Picnic at Hanging Rock" features complex music but struggles to capture the atmospheric mystery of Joan Lindsay's original novel.
- [The cast & creative behind 'Dirty Books' share their favorite banned lit, from Sohn to Salinger](https://1minutecritic.com/dirty-books-cast-favorite-banned-books/): Director Mara Lieberman and cast reveal banned book recommendations that inspired "Dirty Books," from queer Yiddish theater to dystopian American classics.
- [The B-52s and DEVO prove their brand of New Wave never gets old with extended Cosmic De-Evolution Tour](https://1minutecritic.com/b-52s-devo-cosmic-de-evolution-tour/): The B-52s and DEVO add London and Manchester dates to their Cosmic De-Evolution Tour.
- [The graphic designer who created the home pregnancy test finally gets her due](https://1minutecritic.com/predictor-off-broadway-review/): Caitlin Kinnunen stars in Jennifer Blackmer's inventive play "Predictor" about the woman who created the home pregnancy test at Off-Broadway's AMT Theater.
- [Matthew Broderick's 'Tartuffe': The gentleman con and how to spot him](https://1minutecritic.com/matthew-broderick-tartuffe-review-new-york-theatre-workshop/): David Cross and Matthew Broderick anchor Lucas Hnath's verbose, witty "Tartuffe" at New York Theatre Workshop—a Molière for the moment.
- [Slawn and Opake's Miami art show asks: Are you the hero or the villain?](https://1minutecritic.com/slawn-opake-miami-gallery-art-of-hip-hop/): British street artists Slawn and Opake transform comic book heroes into emotional studies at Miami's Art of Hip Hop through December 31.
- [Michelle Williams navigates a problematic classic in 'Anna Christie' at St. Ann's Warehouse](https://1minutecritic.com/anna-christie-review-michelle-williams-st-anns-warehouse/): Michelle Williams stars in an atmospheric "Anna Christie" at St. Anne's Warehouse, but O'Neill's 1921 gender politics feel like a museum piece.
- [El Mago Pop announces first-ever magic stadium tour](https://1minutecritic.com/el-mago-pop-stadium-tour/): Spain's highest-grossing entertainer El Mago Pop takes illusion to stadiums globally, starting at Santiago Bernabéu with stops in Miami and the UK.
- [From Jenny Saville's beauty deconstruction to the faces of Jean-Michel Basquiat: 5 new art books worth unwrapping](https://1minutecritic.com/jenny-saville-basquiat-new-art-books-2025/): Five new titles on Jenny Saville, Greer Lankton, Kerry James Marshall, Gabriele Münter, and Jean-Michel Basquiat prove art books aren't just decoration.
- [Ana Gasteyer swings into The Town Hall with 'Sugar & Booze'](https://1minutecritic.com/ana-gasteyer-swings-into-the-town-hall-with-sugar-booze/): SNL legend Ana Gasteyer brings her acclaimed "Sugar & Booze" holiday show to The Town Hall Dec 15 with big-band jazz classics.
- [MIKA announces 'Spinning Out' world tour with a kaleidoscopic new album on the horizon](https://1minutecritic.com/mika-spinning-out-tour-2026-dates/): After two decades of pop eccentricity, MIKA's most ambitious tour promises kaleidoscopic energy across two continents with brand new synth-laden material.
- [The best holiday shows in NYC this December](https://1minutecritic.com/the-best-holiday-shows-in-nyc-this-december/): From Brooklyn jazz to Taylor Mac's Christmas chaos, these six NYC holiday shows offer more bling than the tree at Rockefeller Center.
- [June Squibb in 'Marjorie Prime' asks if AI can ease grief or just complicate it](https://1minutecritic.com/marjorie-prime-broadway-review-june-squibb-cynthia-nixon/): June Squibb leads a stellar cast through "Marjorie Prime," Jordan Harrison's unsettling play about AI, grief, and why we keep each other alive so long.
- [Irish Rep's radio play adaptation of 'It's a Wonderful Life' gets its wings](https://1minutecritic.com/its-a-wonderful-life-radio-play-irish-rep-review/): By Ryan Leeds  “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” The oft-quoted line from It’s a Wonderful Life has stood the test of time—said either sincerely or with saccharine silliness. But few can argue that Frank Capra’s 1946 film is a holiday classic, as proven by stage musical and play adaptations. But a live radio play version, playing this season at Irish Rep, adds its own festive flair. Director Charlotte Moore walks a fine line between cutesy and charming with a gifted cast of five. Playwright Anthony E. Palermo has distilled the movie into a brisk and […]
- [90 minutes, no intermission? Perfect](https://1minutecritic.com/theater-merch-collection-2025/):  1 Minute Critic launches limited-edition merch celebrating the perfect 90-minute, no-intermission theater experience with totes, hats, mugs, and water bottles.
- [This queer fantasia says "faggot" nearly 100 times and owns every single one](https://1minutecritic.com/faggots-and-their-friends-between-revolutions-review/): "The Faggots and Their Friends" transforms a 1977 queer parable into a multi-disciplinary provocation that's bold, sprawling, and unapologetic.
- [The Hammer Museum's 'Made in L.A.' biennial proves the city's creative chaos is its greatest asset](https://1minutecritic.com/made-in-la-biennial-hammer-museum/): The Hammer's seventh biennial proves L.A.'s creative scene is flourishing with 28 artists capturing the city's fragmented character.
- [Michael Cerveris leads a radiant 'A Christmas Carol' at PAC NYC](https://1minutecritic.com/michael-cerveris-christmas-carol-pac-nyc-review/): The Broadway hit "A Christmas Carol" returns to PAC NYC with Michael Cerveris leading a top-notch cast in this deeply moving, Tony-winning production.
- ['Gotta Dance!' proves Broadway's best choreography lives on](https://1minutecritic.com/gotta-dance-york-theatre-review/): In "Gotta Dance!," Broadway vets lead an ensemble through iconic choreography by Michael Bennett, Jerome Robbins, and more.
- [The Second City unwraps seasonal satire in 'Holidazed and Amused'](https://1minutecritic.com/second-city-holidazed-amused-review-chicago/): The Second City's holiday show delivers sharp seasonal sketches and laugh-out-loud moments, even when the improv Ghost of Christmas Present doesn't always cooperate.
- [From underground cult classic to theater spectacle, this queer manifesto finally lands in NYC](https://1minutecritic.com/faggots-and-their-friends-between-revolutions-park-avenue-armory/): Larry Mitchell and Ned Asta's 1977 queer manifesto becomes creative resistance at Park Avenue Armory with baroque music and a radical reimagining.
- [Win Tickets! Candace Bushnell brings her 'Sex and the City' stories to NYC](https://1minutecritic.com/candace-bushnell-true-tales-nyc-ticket-giveaway/): We’re giving away two tickets to see the woman who invented Carrie Bradshaw live on stage! Enter to win seats to Candace Bushnell’s True Tales of Sex, Success and Sex and the City at Adler Hall on December 5th. The real Carrie Bradshaw takes to the stage Before Sarah Jessica Parker made Carrie Bradshaw a household name, there was Candace Bushnell, the novelist who created her as an alter ego to hide her adventures from her parents. Now the Sex and the City author is sharing the uncensored stories that started it all in her critically acclaimed one-woman show coming […]
- [From Beyoncé deep cuts to Dolly in photos: 5 music books worth unwrapping this holiday season](https://1minutecritic.com/music-books-holiday-gift-guide-2025/): Decision fatigue ends here. We've rounded up the year's best music books from Dolly, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, and more.
- [Mandy Gonzalez at Carnegie Hall and other reasons to stay thankful for live art & culture](https://1minutecritic.com/mandy-gonzalez-carnegie-hall-thanksgiving-theater-roundup/): From Mandy Gonzalez's powerful Carnegie Hall performance to intimate Off-Broadway discoveries and LA's thriving art scene, we're grateful for every artist who turns ideas into experiences.
- ['Who Is the Sky?': David Byrne brings his electric act to the stage to figure it out](https://1minutecritic.com/david-byrne-who-is-the-sky-tour-la-concert-review/): David Byrne's "Who Is the Sky?" tour proves he's still got it, blending Talking Heads hits with new material and spectacular stagecraft.
- [15 years in, 'Nutcracker Rouge' remains NYC's sexiest holiday tradition](https://1minutecritic.com/nutcracker-rouge-company-xiv-review/): Company XIV's "Nutcracker Rouge" celebrates 15 years of baroque burlesque. Austin McCormick's adults-only holiday tradition delivers.
- ['Horror' at Sprüth Magers asks: What are you really afraid of?](https://1minutecritic.com/horror-exhibition-sprueth-magers-los-angeles/): By Karan Singh Between the dreams and nightmares (Gatorade commercial auditions and raging wildfires, to name a few) that make Los Angeles such a polarizing city, a new exhibition emerges that encapsulates the sobering reality of human existence. Located in the Miracle Mile neighborhood, Sprüth Magers gallery presents Horror, an artistic exploration of fright, agitation, and panic. The show opens on November 21 at the international gallery’s California branch, featuring an array of perspectives from a roster of cross-generational talent. Curated by Jill Mulleady (also a featured artist), Horror explores the disturbing facets of things literal through an abstract lens. […]
- ['Initiative' charts growing up through Dungeons & Dragons, heartbreak, and 5 transformative hours of theater](https://1minutecritic.com/initiative-public-theater-off-broadway-review/): In "Initiative," a gifted cast navigates high school, D&D sessions, and crushing reality in this poignant marathon drama about dreams deferred. 
- ['Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)' delivers more crumbs than confection](https://1minutecritic.com/two-strangers-carry-cake-broadway-review/): Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts serve up charm in Two Strangers, but this Broadway recipe needs more time in the oven.
- [Tom Hanks' time travel romance gets stuck idling at The Shed](https://1minutecritic.com/tom-hanks-this-world-of-tomorrow-shed-review/): Tom Hanks writes and stars in a muddled multiverse romance that loops like Groundhog Day. Off-Broadway at The Shed.
- [In ‘Meet the Cartozians,’ Talene Monahon asks who gets to be an American](https://1minutecritic.com/meet-the-cartozians-off-broadway-review-talene-monahon/): Talene Monahon's "Meet the Cartozians" traces Armenian American identity from a 1925 court case to Kardashian-style reality TV.
- ['Spelling Bee' revival spells it out: J-O-Y](https://1minutecritic.com/25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee-off-broadway-review/): Twenty years on, "Spelling Bee" arrives Off-Broadway with fresh energy, proving the quirky musical's charm remains timeless.
- [Steppenwolf's 'Amadeus' orchestrates the bitter rivalry between genius and ambition](https://1minutecritic.com/amadeus-steppenwolf-theatre-review-robert-falls/): By Lauren Emily Whalen What is the price of genius—and who really “deserves” it? Inspired by an 1830 Pushkin play that fictionalized the rivalry between composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus won both the Tony Award for Best Play when it premiered and the Academy Award for Best Picture several years later. Now directed by two-time Tony winner Robert Falls, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of Amadeus celebrates the company’s 50th anniversary with style. In 18th-century Vienna, Salieri (Ian Barford) serves as court composer for Emperor Joseph II (Gregory Linington) and an in-demand teacher for rising stars. […]
- ['Chess' returns to Broadway with a Cold War that feels white hot](https://1minutecritic.com/chess-broadway-review-aaron-tveit-lea-michele/): "Chess" returns to Broadway with Danny Strong's bold rewrite. Aaron Tveit and Lea Michele lead a Cold War musical that finally makes the right moves.
- [Punk flyers to presidential campaigns: Shepard Fairey still believes in the power of the poster](https://1minutecritic.com/shepard-fairey-out-of-print-exhibition-los-angels/): Obama 'Hope' artist Shepard Fairey unveils 'OUT OF PRINT,' an exhibition of 400 screen prints exploring politics, pop culture, and the power of posters.
- [Robert Icke's 'Oedipus' turns Greek tragedy into an election night thriller](https://1minutecritic.com/oedipus-robert-icke-mark-strong-review/): Mark Strong and Lesley Manville captivate in Robert Icke's contemporary "Oedipus," where ancient fate meets election night tension.
- ['The Seat of Our Pants': This Thornton Wilder musical barely survives by the skin of its teeth](https://1minutecritic.com/seat-of-our-pants-review-public-theater/): Micaela Diamond and Ruthie Ann Miles shine in "The Seat of Our Pants," but this Thornton Wilder musical never justifies its existence. 
- [Rob Lake saws his Broadway debut in half, Muppets and all](https://1minutecritic.com/rob-lake-magic-muppets-broadway-review/): Vegas illusionist Rob Lake brings The Muppets to Broadway—barely. Turns out giving Kermit and Miss Piggy second billing doesn't sit well with anyone.
- [Patrick Page commands 'Archduke' as history's most persuasive assassin](https://1minutecritic.com/archduke-off-broadway-review-rajiv-joseph-patrick-page/): Rajiv Joseph's "Archduke" turns the assassination of Franz Ferdinand into absurdist comedy, led by Patrick Page's commanding performance.
- [Ariana DeBose rises above the recipe in 'The Baker's Wife' at Classic Stage Company](https://1minutecritic.com/the-bakers-wife-review-ariana-debose-off-broadway/): "The Baker's Wife" arrives Off-Broadway with Scott Bakula and Ariana DeBose. A troubled musical with surprising warmth—and one soaring ballad.
- ['The Queen of Versailles': Even Kristin Chenoweth can't save this Broadway house of cards](https://1minutecritic.com/kristin-chenoweth-queen-versailles-broadway-review/): Kristin Chenoweth stars in "The Queen of Versailles," a musical as garish and empty as the mansion it depicts.
- [Anne Washburn's 'The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire' needs more time to simmer](https://1minutecritic.com/burning-cauldron-fiery-fire-review-anne-washburn-vineyard-theatre/): Anna Washburn's world premiere play about intentional living needs more intentional storytelling. Strong performances can't clarify the vision.
- [The Studio Museum in Harlem opens a new home, featuring Tom Lloyd and neighborhood soul](https://1minutecritic.com/studio-museum-harlem-reopens-david-adjaye-design/): After 7 years away, Studio Museum reclaims its Harlem corner with bold new digs. The capital of Black America gets the museum it deserves.
- [Yes we can: '44 The Musical' makes politics laughable again](https://1minutecritic.com/44-musical-review-obama-satire-eli-bauman/): Political satire gets musical makeover in Eli Bauman's "44 The Musical," spoofing Obama, Biden, and GOP eccentrics with wit and R&B flair. 
- [Martyna Majok's 'Queens': Where a basement becomes urgent refuge for immigrant women](https://1minutecritic.com/martyna-majok-queens-off-broadway-review/): Martyna Majok's "Queens" Off-Broadway stars Marin Ireland in MTC's timely story of immigrant women surviving in a Queens basement apartment.
- [In Downtown LA, MOCA's 'MONUMENTS' turns America's toppled past into urgent art](https://1minutecritic.com/moca-monuments-confederate-statues-exhibition-los-angeles/): Downtown LA's MOCA hosts decommissioned statues alongside new works. "MONUMENTS" asks: Who deserves to be remembered, and who deserves to fall?
- [Can a tabloid legend soar onstage? Taylor Trensch makes 'Bat Boy' believe it can](https://1minutecritic.com/bat-boy-musical-review-new-york-city-center/): Tony nominee Taylor Trensch meets his match in "Bat Boy" but the musical's wacky plot may leave you in a dark cave.
- [5 regional theater productions worth the trip this November](https://1minutecritic.com/5-regional-theater-productions-worth-the-trip-this-november/): November openings bring Mozart rivalry, 80s power suits, heartbreak ballads, and radical joy to regional theaters nationwide.
- [Drew Droege skewers queer culture in 'Messy White Gays,' but who's in on the joke?](https://1minutecritic.com/drew-droege-messy-white-gays-review/): Drew Droege's "Messy White Gays" delivers laughs early but loses steam faster than a Sniffies hookup gone wrong.
- [Bess Wohl’s ‘Liberation’ reveals why 70s feminism was more complicated than the sisterhood myth](https://1minutecritic.com/liberation-broadway-review-bess-wohl/): Bess Wohl's "Liberation" examines a 1970s women's consciousness-raising group through the eyes of the present day, with an ensemble that shines in this unapologetic memory play.
- [Samuel D. Hunter's 'Little Bear Ridge Road' proves real people aren't always desperately doing things](https://1minutecritic.com/laurie-metcalf-micah-stock-little-bear-ridge-road-broadway-review/): Laurie Metcalf and Micah Stock earn their Tony buzz in "Little Bear Ridge Road," an intimate family drama about the ghosts we live with and the words we can't say.
- [Laura Bell Bundy and Kara Lindsay prove ‘Romy & Michele’ were born for the stage, glittered heels and pink boas included](https://1minutecritic.com/romy-michele-musical-off-broadway-review/): Laura Bell Bundy and Kara Lindsay shine in "Romy & Michele: The Musical," a nostalgic film-to-stage adaptation that's big on joy, light on memorable hooks, and packed with supporting performances and eye candy design.
- [‘Beau the Musical’: This honky tonk’s got secrets and they’re coming out](https://1minutecritic.com/beau-the-musical-review-off-broadway/): This queer multigenerational musical thrives in its intimate Off-Broadway space. "Beau the Musical" proves bigger isn't always better.
- ['Jekyll & Hyde' gets a maximalist makeover in Kokandy's powerhouse Chicago revival](https://1minutecritic.com/kokandy-jekyll-hyde-chicago-review/): Kokandy's "Jekyll & Hyde" trades intimacy for maximalism with powerhouse vocals, gothic sexuality, and a riveting lead performance.

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