Theater Listings for July 11-17
Approximate running times are in parentheses. Theaters are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of current productions, additional listings, show times and ticket information are at nytimes.com/theater. A searchable, critical guide to theater is at nytimes.com/events.
Previews and Openings
‘Atomic’ (in previews; opens on Sunday) Is the making of the bomb something to sing about? The book writers Danny Ginges and Gregory Bonsignore and the composer Philip Foxman apparently think so. Their new musical, which had its debut in Sydney, Australia, concerns the Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard and his role in the Manhattan Project. Acorn Theater at Theater Row, 410 West 42nd Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, theatrerow.org. (Alexis Soloski)
‘Between Riverside and Crazy’ (in previews; opens on July 31) The playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis (“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” “The ____________ With the Hat”) lends his gritty, extravagant, garrulous voice to this tale of uptown apartment life. Under Austin Pendleton’s direction, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Ray Anthony Thomas star as an ex-cop father and an ex-con son trying to hold on to their rent-controlled apartment. Linda Gross Theater, 336 West 20th Street, Chelsea, 866-811-4111, atlantictheater.org. (Soloski)
‘Drop Dead Perfect’ (previews begin on Tuesday; opens on July 20) As one of the original stars of Charles Ludlam’s “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” the actor Everett Quinton has long since perfected the art of cross-dressing. He’ll bring such skills to bear in Erasmus Finn’s new comedy, in which Mr. Quinton plays a Key West matron rattled by the departure of her ward and the reappearance of a lost love. Theater at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46th Street, Clinton, 212-246-7277, stclementsnyc.org. (Soloski)
‘Gertrude, the Cry’ and ‘Pentecost’ (in previews; opens on Tuesday) The Potomac Theater Project unveils another subterranean summer season in the basement space at Atlantic Stage II. Howard Barker’s “Gertrude, the Cry,” a visceral response to Hamlet starring Pamela J. Gray, will run in repertory with David Edgar’s “Pentecost,” a tale of art, politics and faith in post-Communist Eastern Europe, starring Alex Draper. Atlantic Stage 2, 330 West 16th Street, Chelsea, 866-811-4111, ptpnyc.org. (Soloski)
‘The Gyre’ (in previews; opens on Monday) The Amoralists, a brash theater company, are presenting two dramas in repertory, each “exploring man’s vicious cycles.” Derek Ahonen’s “The Qualification of Douglas Evans” concerns addiction; Mark Roberts’s “Enter at Forest Lawn” centers on network television. Walkerspace, 46 Walker Street, TriBeCa, theamoralists.com. (Soloski)
‘The Long Shrift’ (in previews; opens on Sunday) Few heartthrobs boast résumés as daunting as James Franco’s. While appearing on Broadway in “Of Mice and Men,” he has found time to add Off Broadway director to that varied list of occupations with this play by Robert Boswell, produced by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. The script concerns a young man, jailed for rape as a teenager, who is now free and facing his accuser. Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, at 11th Street, Greenwich Village, 866-811-4111, rattlestick.org. (Soloski)
‘Mala Hierba’ (previews start on Monday; opens on July 28) Liliana (Marta Milans) is the decorative wife of a border magnate in Tanya Saracho’s racy comedy drama, directed by Jerry Ruiz. On the eve of her husband’s birthday party, a figure from Liliana’s past arrives at her Texas palazzo. Jealousy, desire, desperation, late-night Fritos and the occasional catfight ensue. Second Stage Uptown at McGinn/Cazale Theater, 2162 Broadway, at 76th Street, fourth floor, 212-246-4422, 2st.com. (Soloski)
‘Pageant’ (in previews; opens on Monday) The contestants vying for Miss Glamouresse have high heels, sashes, swimsuits and talent. The actors playing them have something extra — Y chromosomes. In this interactive musical, with book and lyrics by Bill Russell and Frank Kelly, a corps of men will play the would-be beauty queens. Each night the audience will decide who wins the bouquet and tiara. Davenport Theater, 354 West 45th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com. (Soloski)
‘The Pianist of Willesden Lane’ (previews begin on Friday; opens on July 22) The actress, writer and concert pianist Mona Golabek uses 88 keys and a crowd of characters to narrate the story of her mother, Lisa Jura, sent to London from Vienna via the kindertransport at age 14. Jura was a concert pianist, too, and taught her daughter, “Each piece of music tells a story.” 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, 212-279-4200, 59e59.org. (Soloski)
‘Picture Ourselves in Latvia’ (in previews; opens on Thursday) The New Light Theater Project asks audiences to commit themselves to the resident playwright Ross Howard’s new comedy. Set on a psychiatric ward in modern-day England, the free play concerns the inner lives and outward distractions of both patients and staff, where “desires are suppressed and aspirations muddled.” Sarah Norris directs. Access Theater, 380 Broadway at White Street, TriBeCa, 212-966-1047, newlighttheaterproject.com. (Soloski)
‘Piece of My Heart’ (in previews; opens on July 21) The songwriter Bert Berns racked up piles of hit records before dying at age 38. This new jukebox musical, directed and choreographed by Denis Jones, features several of his most famous songs — “Hang on Sloopy,” “Twist and Shout,” “I Want Candy” — while a character based on his daughter recounts his life. Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street, Clinton, 212-279-4200, pieceofmyheartmusical.com. (Soloski)
‘The Pigeoning’ (in previews; opens on Saturday) Robin Frohardt’s avian escapade — sponsored by Here’s Dream Music Puppetry program — concerns an obsessive office worker named Frank and a flock of pigeons engaged, Frank believes, in an “interspecies conspiracy.” Frank’s efforts to defeat his winged tormentors exact a toll on his work and life. Five bunraku puppeteers manipulate Frank and his winged nemeses; the composer Freddi Price supplies the bird song. Here, 145 Avenue of the Americas, at Dominick Street, South Village, 212-352-3101, here.org. (Soloski)
‘Play/Date’ (in previews; opens on Wednesday) Michael Counts, creative director of 3-Legged Dog, invites you on a blind date with 17 playwrights. They have taken over the Lower East Side club Fat Baby for this immersive, omnibus evening, which features an array of one-acts describing contemporary courtship. The playwrights include Greg Kotis, Clay McLeod Chapman and Blake McCarty, who conceived the piece. Fat Baby, 112 Rivington Street, at Essex Street, Lower East Side, playdateshow.com. (Soloski)
‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’ (performances begin on Wednesday) As director of Public Works at the Public Theater, Lear de Bessonet has been known to corral more than 200 amateur actors for a musical version of “The Tempest.” So marshaling a mere six professional thespians for the Encores! revival of this 1981 musical must seem like a holiday. Jordan Dean, Hunter Foster, Randy Redd and Lorenzo Wolff are the grease monkeys while Mamie Parris and Katie Thompson are the diner waitresses in this sweet and sassy country-rock show. City Center, 131 West 55th Street, 212-581-1212, nycitycenter.org. (Soloski)
‘Sex With Strangers’ (in previews; opens on July 30) How did we ever date before the Internet, before we could research a potential mate on Google or stalk him or her on Facebook and Twitter? The playwright Laura Eason explores contemporary relationships with this two-character drama about a reclusive novelist (Anna Gunn) and the extrovert blogger (Billy Magnussen) she falls for. Can a pen-and-paper woman and a technophile dude find love? David Schwimmer directs. Second Stage Theater, 305 West 43rd Street, Clinton, 212-246-4422, 2st.com. (Soloski)
‘Twelfth Night’ (in previews; opens on Saturday) This free version of Shakespeare’s comedy may not have the sumptuous costumes or graceful music of the recent Broadway production. But it does have women. And lots of asphalt. After a sojourn in Bryant Park, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot returns to its usual spot on the Lower East Side. The director Hamilton Clancy ensures plenty of cakes, ale and cross-gartering. Municipal Parking Lot, Ludlow and Broome Streets, Lower East Side, shakespeareintheparkinglot.com. (Soloski)
Broadway
‘Aladdin’ Casey Nicholaw (“The Book of Mormon”) directs and choreographs (and choreographs, and choreographs) the latest Disney musical, adapted from the 1992 animated movie. While the familiar formulas are not entirely abandoned, Mr. Nicholaw and the book writer, Chad Beguelin, stuff so much splashy, shticky business into this show that the more syrupy bits hardly register. James Monroe Iglehart stands out as the showboating, scene-stealing genie (2:20). New Amsterdam Theater, 214 West 42nd Street, 866-870-2717, aladdinthemusical.com. (Charles Isherwood)
‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ This friendly, formulaic jukebox show about the New York-born singer-songwriter might as well be called “Brooklyn Girl,” so closely does it adhere to the template of the megahit “Jersey Boys” (about the Four Seasons). Jessie Mueller, though, is extraordinary as Ms. King, making us feel the connection between a singer and her songs (2:25). Stephen Sondheim Theater, 124 West 43rd Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com. (Ben Brantley)
‘Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical’ This occasionally funny but mostly just loud adaptation of Woody Allen’s 1994 film, directed by Susan Stroman, features a score of 1920s standards and esoterica. If watching the movie was like being gently tickled into a state of hysteria, this musical version feels more like being head-butted by linebackers. Make that linebackers in blinding sequins (2:30). St. James Theater, 246 West 44th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com. (Brantley)
‘Cabaret’ Only a decade after it closed, Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall’s popular, audience-teasing reincarnation of this classic musical feels as if it never left us. Alan Cumming seems to be having the time of his life reprising the creepy, tragic M.C., a role he redefined for the ages. Michelle Williams appears somewhat less comfortable as the madcap Sally Bowles (2:30). Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, 212-719-1300, roundabouttheatre.org. (Brantley)
★ ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ Michael Grandage’s splendid production of Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy from 1996 is a ringing testament to the talents of everyone involved. That includes its star, Daniel Radcliffe, who plays a misshapen boy from rural Ireland with Hollywood dreams; an unimpeachable ensemble; and, most important, Mr. McDonagh, whose spellbinding narrative powers have seldom been so alluringly displayed (2:20). Cort Theater, 138 West 48th Street, 212-239-6200, crippleofinishmaan.com. (Brantley)
★ ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder’ Playing eight different victims of a sweet-faced killer (Bryce Pinkham) in Edwardian England, Jefferson Mays sings, dances, prances and generally makes infectious merriment in this daffy, ingenious new show, winner of the Tony Award for best musical. Written with real wit by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, the show has been stylishly directed by Darko Tresnjak (2:20). Walter Kerr Theater, 219 West 48th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com. (Isherwood)
★ ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ Though he plays an “internationally ignored song stylist” of undefinable gender in John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s 1998 rock musical, Neil Patrick Harris is in full command of what he becomes here. That’s a bona fide Broadway star, who can rule an audience with the blink of a sequined eyelid. Michael Mayer directed this mightily entertaining, Tony Award-winning exercise in crowd control (1:30). Belasco Theater, 111 West 44th Street, 212-239-6200, hedwigbroadway.com. (Brantley)
‘Holler If Ya Hear Me’ The songs of Tupac Shakur are the inspiration for this ambitious but message-laden musical about the ills of the urban ghetto. Directed by Kenny Leon and written by Todd Kreidler, the show features a solid cast (Saul Williams is a standout as an ex-con trying to go straight), but the high-energy musical numbers (staged ’90s-style by Wayne Cilento) cannot disguise the hackneyed plot (2:25). Palace Theater, 1564 Broadway, at 47th Street, 877-250-2929, hollerifyahearme.com. (Isherwood)
‘If/Then’ This new musical from Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (“Next to Normal”) is a gleaming drawing board of a show, full of polished surfaces and clearly drawn lines. The shiny-voiced Idina Menzel portrays a conflicted urban planner pondering two different roads her life might have taken. The show feels less like a variation on a theme than a dogged reiteration of it (2:35). Richard Rodgers Theater, 226 West 46th Street, 877-250-2929, ifthenthemusical.com. (Brantley)
★ ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’ Audra McDonald scales her lustrous soprano down to jazz-soloist size to portray the great Billie Holiday in this concert-cum-solo-play by Lanie Robertson. Ms. McDonald’s terrific performance moves beyond mimicry to become a haunting portrait of a troubled artist who could only find equilibrium in her life when she lost herself in her music (1:30). Circle in the Square, 235 West 50th Street, 212-239-620, ladydayonbroadway.com. (Isherwood)
‘Les Misérables’ It’s back — again. Capitalizing on the popular movie, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s musical about the French fellow who steals a loaf of bread and lives to regret it storms Broadway in a new production. Ramin Karimloo, as the long-suffering bread-stealer, and Will Swenson, as his relentless foe, Javert, give sterling performances (2:50). Imperial Theater, 249 West 45th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com. (Isherwood)
‘Of Mice and Men’ In Anna D. Shapiro’s respectable, respectful and generally inert revival of John Steinbeck’s classic portrait of a friendship, James Franco and Chris O’Dowd are the immortal itinerant farmhands George and Lenny. These two undeniably talented screen stars here wear their archetypes like armor. The competent cast includes Leighton Meester as the woman who destroys their lives (2:20). Longacre Theater, 220 West 48th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com. (Brantley)
‘Rocky’ The final 16 minutes of this adaptation of the 1976 movie — about a schlemiel who coulda been a contender — are terrific. That’s when the climactic boxing match occurs, and it’s a hell of a fight. Otherwise, this sluggish show’s sensibility isn’t just underdog; it’s hangdog. Alex Timbers directs a cast that includes the valiant and appealing Andy Karl (2:20). Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, at 50th Street, 212-239-6200, rockybroadway.com. (Brantley)
★ ‘Violet’ A terrific, heart-stirring revival of Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley’s musical about a young woman from the South who hopes a faith healer can cure the facial scar that has blighted her adolescence. Sutton Foster gives a moving, career-redefining performance in the title role, with nary a tap shoe in sight (1:45). American Airlines Theater, 227 West 42nd Street, 212-719-1300, roundabouttheatre.org. (Isherwood)
Off Broadway
★ ‘Bayside! The Musical’ Attending this bawdy, ridiculous, unauthorized parody of the harebrained sitcom “Saved by the Bell” is a bit like going to a midnight screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” given the many inside jokes and synchronized audience responses. Audience members know the material so well because half the humor comes from merely reproducing every ludicrous plot twist and trope from the TV show (including Zack’s giant cellphone, Becky the Duck and other allusions that will be familiar to longtime fans). The other half of the humor is just good-old fashioned raunch, usually playing up the horrifying ways to reinterpret a squeaky-clean children’s show (2:00). Theater 80, 80 St. Marks Place, East Village, 212-388-0388, baysidethemusical.com. (Catherine Rampell)
‘The Bullpen’ Joe Assadourian, who served 12 years in prison for attempted murder, wrote and stars in this very funny one-man show about the characters he met while awaiting his trial (1:05). Playroom Theater, 151 West 46th Street, 212-967-8278, stepinthebullpen.com. (Ken Jaworowski)
★ ‘Buyer & Cellar’ Jonathan Tolins has concocted an irresistible one-man play from the most peculiar of fictitious premises — an underemployed Los Angeles actor goes to work in Barbra Streisand’s basement — allowing the playwright to ruminate with delicious wit and perspicacity on the solitude of celebrity, the love-hate attraction between gay men and divas, and the melancholy that lurks beneath narcissism. Stephen Brackett directs this seriously funny slice of absurdist whimsy (1:30). Barrow Street Theater, 27 Barrow Street, at Seventh Avenue South, West Village, 212-868-4444, smarttix.com. (David Rooney)
★ ‘The City of Conversation’ Jan Maxwell gives a captivating, multifaceted performance as a well-connected Washington dinner hostess in Anthony Giardina’s lively drama, which charts the rise of our polarized politics through the microcosm of a single family. Smoothly directed by Doug Hughes (2:00). Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center, 212-239-6200, lct.org. (Isherwood)
‘Donogoo’ In Jules Romains’s 1930 farce, revived by the Mint Theater Company, a Frenchman attracts backers to finance the exploitation of fictional South American gold fields. Though the director Gus Kaikkonen moves his actors on and off the stage deftly, the script doesn’t pay sufficient comic dividends. Yet the play’s echoes of recent financial crises are resonant and chilling (2:20). Mint Theater, 311 West 43rd Street, Clinton, 866-811-4111, minttheater.org. (Soloski)
★ ‘50 Shades! The Musical’ When it comes to potential for satire, E. L. James’s she-porn best seller, “50 Shades of Grey,” seems as easy a target as you could shake a sex toy at. That said, this exuberant takeoff handily delivers the goods, barreling along with a score steeped in show tunes, R&B, gospel, Gilbert and Sullivan and lyrics packed with references to various practices and orifices. “This is real life; this isn’t a book,” says Ana, the show’s heroine, to her tycoon suitor. “If it was, it would be terrible.” It certainly would. But “50 Shades!” is a musical parody, and a very entertaining one (1:30). Elektra Theater, 300 West 43rd Street, Clinton, 212-352-3101, 50shadesthemusical.com. (Andy Webster)
‘Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swinging!’ This latest version of Gerard Alessandrini’s long-lived revue exudes an oxymoronic air of spirited ennui, an awareness that there ain’t much in the way of inspiring creative targets these days. With an industrious four-member cast, the show is dirgelike fun, rather in the spirit of a New Orleans jazz funeral (1:45). Davenport Theater, 354 West 45th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com. (Brantley)
‘Heathers: The Musical’ Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s rowdy, guilty-pleasure musical isn’t as mordant as the 1988 cult movie that inspired it. But in scaling up the grotesqueness, this sardonically grisly high-school revenge comedy puts a genial, guilt-quelling distance between its onstage mayhem and its audience. The excellent Barrett Wilbert Weed plays the ambivalent heroine (2:10). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, heathersthemusical.com. (Brantley)
★ ‘Here Lies Love’ This invigorating poperetta, conceived by David Byrne, sets a new standard for audience participation. Or do I mean coercion? In this heady show about the heady life of Imelda Marcos, staged with infinite inventiveness by Alex Timbers, all the world’s a dance floor, and all the men and women (including the audience) merely disco rats (1:30). Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, 212-967-7555, publictheater.org. (Brantley)
‘iLuminate’ More spectacle than story, “iLuminate” offers technology as its most dazzling star. Conceived, produced and directed by Miral Kotb, a former software engineer, the show employs about a dozen talented, indefatigable young actor-dancers, encased in black suits wired with digitally controlled lights. Performing in total darkness to a score combining hip-hop, jazz and classical influences, they portray the tale of an artist whose magic paintbrush is stolen for evil ends. Much of the action is like a neon comic book, but it does have its magic moments (:55). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, iluminate.com. (Laurel Graeber)
★ ‘Just Jim Dale’ The title doesn’t quite tell it all here. This one-man show from the British actor who starred on Broadway in “Barnum” and “Me and My Girl” seems to contain multitudes (music hall joker, serious actor, songwriter and singer), and they dazzle us by turns in this lovable tour of his career in show business on both sides of the Atlantic. Richard Maltby Jr. directs (1:40). Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theater, 111 West 46th Street, 212-719-1300, roundabouttheatre.org. (Isherwood)
‘The Muscles in Our Toes’ Stephen Belber’s drama, set at a (yawn) 25th high school reunion, features live-wire performances from its six-member cast, but the story — four buddies decide to become home-grown terrorists in order to call attention to the plight of a friend kidnapped in Chad — defies credibility, and therefore engagement (1:30). Bank Street Theater, 155 Bank Street, West Village, 212-513-1080, labtheater.org. (Isherwood)
‘The Religion Thing’ The announcement by Patti that she has married a born-again evangelical Christian and become one herself rattles her best friend, Mo, who uses it to reappraise her own interfaith marriage to Brian. That’s just the start of the twists in Renee Calarco’s lively comedy-drama, a look at two couples in their 30s trying to balance the work-family equation. For all the setup, though, there is little true discussion of theology or spirituality and what role it plays in the characters’ lives (1:45). Cell Theater, 338 West 23rd Street, Chelsea, 212-352-3101, brownpapertickets.com. (Daniel M. Gold)
‘Sex Tips for Straight Women From a Gay Man’ Matt Murphy’s one-act is a blend of a bachelorette party at Chippendales and the embarrassing midnight show at some tourist trap in Pigalle. It has a talented cast, but it is no “Queer Eye” (1:20). 777 Theater, 777 Eighth Avenue, at 47th Street, 888-841-4111, sextipsplay.com. (Anita Gates)
‘When We Were Young and Unafraid’ The formidable Cherry Jones stars as a woman who runs a shelter for abused wives in Sarah Treem’s debate-driven play about nascent feminism in the early 1970s. Directed by Pam MacKinnon and featuring a compelling Zoe Kazan, this earnest, thoughtful and overly articulate drama subverts its narrative power with thematic road signs (2:15). City Center, 131 West 55th Street, 212-581-1212, nycitycenter.org. (Brantley)
★ ‘The Who & the What’ This new play from Ayad Akhtar (whose Pulitzer Prize-winning “Disgraced” comes to Broadway this fall), tautly directed by Kimberly Senior, depicts a Pakistani-American family thrown into turbulence when a clash of faith erupts between the father (the terrific Bernard White) and his daughter over her novel about Islam and women (2:00). Claire Tow Theater, Lincoln Center, 212-239-6200, lct.org. (Isherwood)
Off Off Broadway
★ ‘Clown Bar’ This goofy but very funny homage to noir films and pulp novels finds a cop up against a crew of demented clowns (1:10). Saturdays only at the Box, 189 Chrystie Street, near Stanton Street, Lower East Side, pipelinetheatre.org. (Ken Jaworowski)
‘Romeo N Juliet’ At first, this Classical Theater of Harlem show promises to integrate the vitality of uptown streets with a centuries-old tragedy: This Verona is a place of hoodies, high tops and soca music. But once the story ramps up, the momentum sags. Though the actors are spirited, few can activate the iams, and the show becomes a schlep from death to death (1:30). Marcus Garvey Park, Madison Avenue and 122nd Street, East Harlem, 347-688-6304, cthnyc.org. (Soloski)
Extravaganzas
‘Fuerza Bruta: Wayra’ The latest bit of sensory-overload brand extension from the creators of “De la Guarda” is a shiny, ever-shifting kinetic spectacle bent on disorientation. A high-volume, augmented remix of “Fuerzabruta,” this energetic show is rife with not-especially-impressive acrobatics, throbbing music, many-colored lights and high winds from machines set at storm speed (1:20). Daryl Roth Theater, 20 Union Square East, at 15th Street, 212-239-6200, fuerzabrutanyc.com. (Laura Collins-Hughes)
‘Queen of the Night’ The latest and most lavish of this city’s immersive theater experiments includes cocktails, a meal and a circus-style floor show, in addition to any number of possible intimate, eroticism-tinged (but PG-13) encounters with the comely young cast members. The show is not for those prone to social anxiety, but it’s full of gaudy spectacle, with a fin-de-Bloomberg-era vibe (2:45). Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel, 235 West 46th Street, 866-811-4111, queenofthenightnyc.com. (Isherwood)
Long-Running Shows
‘Avenue Q’ R-rated puppets give lively life lessons (2:15). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘The Berenstain Bears Live! In Family Matters, the Musical’ This adaptation of three of Stan and Jan Berenstain’s children’s books is pleasant enough, but the cubs are showing their age. Saturdays and Sundays (:55). Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, 5 West 63rd Street, 866-811-4111, berenstainbearslive.com.
‘Black Angels Over Tuskegee’ The tear-jerker story of these trailblazing African-American pilots (2:30). (Saturdays only.) Actors Temple Theater, 339 West 47th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
Blue Man Group Conceptual art as entertainment (1:45). Astor Place Theater, 434 Lafayette Street, East Village, 800-258-3626, ticketmaster.com.
‘The Book of Mormon’ Singing, dancing, R-rated missionaries proselytize for the American musical (2:15). Eugene O’Neill Theater, 230 West 49th Street, 800-432-7250, telecharge.com.
‘Chicago’ Jazz Age sex, murder and razzle-dazzle (2:25). Ambassador Theater, 219 West 49th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Doña Flor y Sus Dos Maridos’ A Spanish-language adaptation (“Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands,” in English) of Jorge Amado’s novel, a sex farce with the clarity and logic of a folk tale and the spirit of a party (1:40). Repertorio Español at Gramercy Arts Theater, 138 East 27th Street, (212) 225-9920, repertorioespanol.com.
‘En el Tiempo de las Mariposas’ Caridad Svich’s Spanish-language adaptation of Julia Álvarez’s novel (“In the Time of the Butterflies”) about the Mirabal sisters, who opposed the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo and died as a result (2:00). Runs in repertory at Repertorio Español at Gramercy Arts Theater, 138 East 27th Street, 212-225-9999, repertorio.org/mariposas.
‘The Fantasticks’ Boy meets girl, forever (2:05). Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
‘Jersey Boys’ The biomusical that walks like a man (2:30). August Wilson Theater, 245 West 52nd Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Kinky Boots’ These boots are made for dancin’ (and stompin’ out bigotry) (2:20). Al Hirschfeld Theater, 302 West 45th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘The Lion King’ Disney’s call of the wild (2:45). Minskoff Theater, 200 West 45th Street, 800-870-2717, ticketmaster.com.
‘Mamma Mia!’ The jukebox musical set to the disco throb of Abba (2:20). Broadhurst Theater, 235 West 44th Street, 800-432-7259, telecharge.com.
‘Matilda the Musical’ The children’s revolution, per Roald Dahl (2:35). Shubert Theater, 225 West 44th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Motown: The Musical’ A dramatically slapdash but musically vibrant joy ride through the glory days of the Detroit music label founded by Berry Gordy (2:40). Lunt-Fontanne Theater, 205 West 46th Street, 877-250-2929, ticketmaster.com.
‘Newsies’ Extra! Extra! enthusiasm (2:20). Nederlander Theater, 208 West 41st Street, 866-870-2717, newsiesthemusical.com.
‘Once’ Almost love, in a singing Dublin (2:15). Bernard B. Jacobs Theater, 242 West 45th Street, 212-239-6200, oncemusical.com.
‘Perfect Crime’ The murder mystery that has been investigated since 1987 (1:30). Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
‘The Phantom of the Opera’ Who was that masked man anyway? (2:30). Majestic Theater, 247 West 44th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Pippin’ Making love and war, with music, under the big top (2:35). Music Box Theater, 239 West 45th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Rock of Ages’ Big hair, thrashing guitars and inspired humor fuel this jukebox musical (2:25). Helen Hayes Theater, 240 West 44th Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ The ultimate makeover story, restyled for a red-carpet age (2:20). Broadway Theater, 1681 Broadway, at 53rd Street, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Sistas: The Musical’ Black women reflect on their lives, with songs (1:30). (Saturdays and Sundays.) St. Luke’s Theater, 308 West 46th Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, telecharge.com.
‘Sleep No More’ A movable, murderous feast at Hotel Macbeth (2:00). The McKittrick Hotel, 530 West 27th Street, Chelsea, 866-811-4111, sleepnomorenyc.com.
‘Stomp’ And the beat goes on (and on), with percussion unlimited (1:30). Orpheum Theater, 126 Second Avenue, at Eighth Street, East Village, 800-982-2787, ticketmaster.com.
‘Then She Fell’ Go ask Alice (2:00). The Kingsland Ward at St. John’s, 195 Maujer Street, near Humboldt Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-374-5196, thenshefell.com.
‘Wicked’ Oz revisited (2:45). Gershwin Theater, 222 West 51st Street, 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
Last Chance
‘Ethel Sings: The Unsung Song of Ethel Rosenberg’ (closes on Sunday) The playwright Joan Beber issues a posthumous pardon to Ethel Rosenberg (Tracy Michailidis), executed for conspiring to commit espionage in 1953. Like a morbid episode of “This Is Your Life,” this overwrought and simplistic drama runs from Ethel’s days as a high school thespian right up to the electric chair. With Adrienne C. Moore of “Orange Is the New Black” as Ethel’s imaginary cellie (2:00). Beckett Theater at Theater Row, 410 West 42nd Street, Clinton, 212-239-6200, ethelsings.com. (Soloski)
★ ‘The Lion’ (closes on Sunday) The engaging singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer is the sole performer in this autobiographical show, which focuses on his complicated relationship with his father, who inspired his love of music but also left more troubling legacies. Mr. Scheuer’s winning personality and lively, well-turned folk-pop songs brighten the often dark story of his turbulent life (1:10). MTC Studio II at City Center, 131 West 55th Street, 212-581-1212, nycitycenter.org. (Isherwood)
★ ‘The Mysteries’ (closes on Monday) Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, a savvy and ambitious young director, has commissioned more than 40 playwrights to condense the Old and New Testaments into a five-and-a-half hour event, both gratifying and grueling. An enthusiastic 53-member cast works from the first light to the Last Judgment, with a vegan meal served in between (5:30). Flea Theater, 41 White Street, TriBeCa, 866-811-4100, theflea.org. (Soloski)
‘The Other Mozart’ (closes on Saturday) In her decidedly feminist, beautifully designed solo show, Sylvia Milo plays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s forgotten sister, Maria Anna, a thwarted musician whose story is inextricable from that of her famous younger sibling. But her uneventful adult life, unjust though it may have been, is a dramaturgical liability. The show becomes a sad what-if (1:15). Here, 145 Avenue of the Americas, at Dominick Street, South Village, 212-352-3101, here.org. (Collins-Hughes)
‘Sea Marks’ (closes on Sunday) Gardner McKay’s script, which concerns the unlikely romance between a fisherman and a publishing house underling, manages the nifty trick of being both utterly formulaic and highly implausible. You can see the plot twists from miles away, though you don’t believe them when they arrive. Yet the play has its charms, which derive mostly from the obvious enjoyment of the actors (1:45). Irish Repertory Theater, 132 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, 212-727-2737, irishrep.org. (Soloski)
★ ‘The Village Bike’ (closes on Sunday) Portraying an erotically overcharged pregnant woman, the appealing Greta Gerwig takes you right over a cliff and down into the depths in her New York stage debut. Sam Gold’s seductive production of Penelope Skinner’s truly daring play considers the idea of sex as a raw biological urge that’s been given new outlets in the Internet age (2:15). Lucille Lortel Theater, 121 Christopher Street, West Village, 866-811-4111, mcctheater.org. (Brantley)