The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)

A great production of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" is almost as worthy of praise as that of a Shakespeare play. The Reduced Shakespeare Company, which first premiered the popular show in 1987, is back with a slightly revised version. Playing to a packed house of young kids, this irreverent, slapstick parody of the Bard has never felt so damn funny.

The fast-paced show observes the ambitious and ridiculous efforts of three guys to perform all 37 Shakespeare plays in 100 minutes. After offering a mangled biography of Shakespeare that confuses him with Adolph Hitler, the troupe condenses the comedies into a single plot about shipwrecked twins, the histories as a football game, "Othello" as a rap and "Titus Andronicus" as a cooking show.

Act 2 is devoted to tackling "Hamlet." The ghost of Hamlet's father is portrayed as a sock puppet, and the audience is invited to portray Ophelia's subconscious. When it is all over, the troupe offers encores that further reduce "Hamlet" to one minute and finally ten seconds.

Performing this difficult show demands extreme precision. Matt Rippy, the youngest of the trio, plays female roles such as Juliet and Ophelia with childlike energy. He also pretends to vomit onto the audience. Austin Techenor is wonderfully hammy as Hamlet, while Reed Martin offers physical contortions and fire eating.

Since the troupe is currently performing for a young audience, the physical humor is being played up even more than usual. While the kids are probably unfamiliar with the original plays, they are incredibly responsive to the silliness.

At the New Victory Theater.
209 W. 42nd St., 646-223-3010, newvictory.org. Through Sun.

Candida

George Bernard Shaw's 1898 comedy "Candida" holds up remarkably well compared to many of his more difficult, dense and didactic plays. The Irish Repertory Theatre's thoroughly engaging and perfectly cast revival, as directed by Broadway set designer Tony Walton, is truly as good as it gets.

"Candida" observes how well-meaning, affable Reverend James Morell's life is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of the youthful poet Eugene Marchbanks, who is hopelessly in love with Morell's gorgeous wife Candida. When the men agree to let Candida decide which one is more desperately in need of her love, or rather the "weaker of the two," she responds with one of the most surprising and brilliant monologues in the history of English drama.

Like nearly all Shaw plays, "Candida" also involves political issues such as the woman's role in Victorian society and contrasts socialist and capitalist viewpoints.

The richly detailed set (the rocking horse was a particularly nice touch) reduces the stage to a very intimate space, and is complimented by a very careful lighting design.

Ciaran O'Reilly, who directed the Irish Rep's hit staging of Eugene O'Neill's "The Emperor Jones," starts off playing Reverend James Morell as a warm, affable fella. But as the play evolves and his character suddenly finds himself on the torture rack, he turns into a pouting, self-pitying cry-baby. There is a real innocence to O'Reilly's performance.

Musical theater diva Melissa Errico is has propulsive, self-assured presence as Candida. You can believe that she is a superwoman who can command a crowd of men without breaking a sweat. But Errico also brings real complexity and a sense of hurt when she is forced to make a choice between the two men vying for her affection.

Sam Underwood is effective as the youth Eugene Marchbanks, playing him like an overdramatic, zealous and sensitive teen and sort of a mama's boy. The round and red cheeked Brian Murray brings great exaggeration and a sense of shameless sleeze to the role of Candida's ruthlessly capitalistic father. Josh Grisetti, who made a splash last season in "Enter Laughing," is doned to the background as Morell's assistant, sporting a cheesy accent and smile, but remains a source of fun.

The Irish Repertory Theatre is certainly having a terrific season: Eugene O'Neill's "The Emperor Jones," the neglected musical "Earnest in Love," and now "Candida." In its way, this small theater company dedicated to an Irish angle is becoming one of Off-Broadway's truly best classical theater companies.

A Behanding in Spokane

In Martin McDonagh's twisted black comedy "A Behanding in Spokane," Christopher Walken plays a man who has spent the last 47 years searching for his missing hand, which was mercilessly chopped off by hillbillies when he was a child. "Do you know what it's like to be waved goodbye with your own hand?" he asks.

Set in a dingy motel room, Walken's character has trapped two local youths (played by Anthony Mackie and Zoe Kazan) who falsely claimed to possess the hand and tried to sell him a different one. Before Walken wanders off, he handcuffs them to a radiator and lights a candle on top of a tank of gasoline.

"Behanding" marks the Anglo-Irish playwright's first play set in America. Though it offers many laughs and even a suitcase full of severed hands, "Behanding" is surprisingly undeveloped, unedited and lacking in dramatic tension. Think of a five-minute sketch extended over 90 minutes.

Once the gory premise is set up, Mackie and Kazan wait in panic to be rescued. Not much else happens besides a pointless monologue from a hotel receptionist (played by Sam Rockwell) about his monkey fantasy. But the play's worst quality is its inexplicably unrestrained use of racist language in the dialogue.

Walken is perfectly in synch with McDonagh's disturbed universe, but gives the same kind of ghoulish, monotonic performance that has become his defining trademark. Rockwell makes a lasting impression as a cocky and creepy clerk with nothing to lose or gain. Meanwhile, Mackie and Kazan merely engage in a shouting match and act hysterically.

Bottom line: While John Crowley's atmospheric production is well-staged and Walken has chilling stage presence, this slight play feels like a missed opportunity.

"A Behanding in Spokane" is at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200, behandinginspokane.com.

The Miracle Worker

The famous final scene of William Gibson's "The Miracle Worker," where Annie Sullivan finally breaks through to Helen Keller at the water pump, is an admittedly effective tearjerker moment. But you might not be able to see the emotionally charged finale at the play's first-ever Broadway revival, where pretty much every seat has an obstructed view of the stage.

The 50-year-old drama, which is still required middle school reading, recounts the true story of brash, 20-year-old Annie Sullivan teaching the blind, deaf, mute and undisciplined six-year-old Helen Keller a form of sign language in 1880s Alabama.

Director Kate Whoriskey brings no new angle or insight to the play, but manages to wreck it with a bizarre in-the-round staging concept. Set designer Derek McLane has attached large wires to pieces of household furniture so that they fly up and down, allowing for quick scene transitions. Door frames also suddenly pop out of the floor. It's dizzying and distracting to watch, and you never have a full view of the cast.

13-year-old Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin tries to tackle Helen's wild side, but looks merely dazed and confused instead of psychologically lost. She remains too tentative in a role that demands total physical commitment.

Alison Pill, who looks young enough to be Breslin's sister, displays an unpredictable spark as Annie. Her scenes with Breslin resemble an unruly power struggle. Lost among the supporting cast is Matthew Modine, who overemphasizes the patriarchal, southern nature of Helen's father to the point of buffoonery.

Kids may still get a kick out of this famous story of overcoming physical obstacles. But with such painfully obstructed views, this revival is a poor way to celebrate the play's 50th anniversary.

"The Miracle Worker" is at Circle in the Square, W. 50th St. between Broadway and Eighth Ave., 212-239-6200, miracleworkeronbroadway.com.

Equivocation

Imagine Dick Cheney forcing Steven Spielberg to direct a pro-Republican propaganda film that vilified the Democrats. Bill Cain probably had a similar scenario in mind when he penned "Equivocation," a work of historical fiction with a contemporary vibe that depicts Robert Cecil, a devious advisor to King James I, forcing William Shakespeare to write a pro-Protestant drama that vilified the Catholic conspirators who attempted to blow up Parliament in The Gunpowder Plot of 1605. And throw in some witches too.

Shakespeare, referred to as "Shag," can't seem to find real drama in the story. When he interviews the jailed rebels behind the scheme, he finds that the facts are dubious and the truth is elusive. With no other option, he somehow pulls "Macbeth" out of a hat, which has enough murder and witchraft to satisfy the king.

"Equivocation," which resembles a loveless "Shakespeare in Love," is too ambitious for its own good. The dense play overflows with subplots, insider jokes and philosophic themes such as the power of language and the difficulty of portraying truth in art. After Cain's intriguing premise is set up, the play turns into a puzzling mess that constantly cuts back and forth.

Garry Hynes' production fails to make sense of the play. Some of her directorial touches, like combining modern and period clothing, actually do more harm than good. The cast of six actors, most of whom perform multiple roles, are overextended. John Pankow, who portrays Shakespeare as meek and downbeat, gives a lifeless performance. Meanwhile, David Pittu is too over the top as the vindictive, tortured Robert Cecil.

Bottom line: While academics may appreciate Cain's ambitious mix of English history, conspiracy theory, classical drama and pure fiction, "Equivocation" is a disappointing bore.

"Equivocation" plays at City Center, 131 W. 55th St., 212-581-1212, manhattantheatreclub. Through Mar. 28.

Nine (Westchester Broadway Theatre)

When the Westchester Broadway Theatre announced a few months ago that it would present the musical "Nine," it proudly noted that it would be the first professional revival to add one or two of the new songs that Maury Yeston had written for Rob Marshall's "Nine" film. (Coincidentally, Marshall directed a production of "A Chorus Line" at Westchester Broadway Theatre in 1991.)

But keep in mind that the song announcement was made shortly before the film became a universally panned, reviled box-office disaster. I can't help but think that associating the production with the movie would now be more of a dangerous liability than a smart marketing angle.

So it's a great relief to report that the production is actually not using any of the three songs written specifically for the movie, none of which were very good. (When I first heard that news bit, I really feared that songs like "Nine" or "Be On Your Own" would be cut, just as in the film version. It's really refreshing to hear the entire original score intact.)

Jonathan Stahl's production looks extremely similar to the original 1982 Broadway production. Set in a pristine, white-tiled spa, the theater's large thrust stage is covered with pedestals reserved for the many women who crowd Guido Contini's mind.

Truth be told, the show is still in the process of finding its footing and is likely to get stronger. At my performance, the pace was rather slow, the humor too downplayed, and the cast occasionally out of synch with the small orchestra. Act 2, which is more emotional and also easier to stage, is more successful than the mostly disjointed and somewhat leaden Act 1. But the production is very well-sung throughout and thoroughly well-cast.

Robert Cuccioli, who is best known for the Broadway musical "Jekyll & Hyde," would appear to be an ideal choice for Guido. Not only can he sing the vocally demanding role with relative ease, he's even Italian! True, he now looks a bit older than 39, but he definitely still has matinee idol presence. (I'll never forget seeing an adult woman have what appeared to be an actual orgasm in a Broadway theater when he sang "This is the Moment" 12 years ago.) Yet in emphasizing Guido's emotional and mental paralysis, the blank-faced Cuccioli is too downbeat and passive. But his performance does grow considerably as the musical itself continues. (Coincidentally, Westchester Broadway Theatre will be staging "Jekyll & Hyde" later this season, but I'm guessing Cuccioli doesn't want to bark up that tree again.)

The women who make up the supporting cast are sensational. Julie Tolivar, playing Guido's mistress Carla in a revealing lace bodystocking, is particularly excellent. Rather than descend from above, like Jane Krakowski in the Broadway revival, Tolivar ascends from below for "A Call From The Vatican." Glory Crampton, as Guido's much ignored wife Luisa, looks on with restraint and skepticism for most of the show, but finally explodes in the climactic song "Be On Your Own." (Growing up in NJ, I saw Crampton perform in many musicals at Paper Mill Playhouse such as "Carousel," "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot," and really enjoyed the chance to see her again onstage.)

This revival serves as a strong reminder of just how brilliant the stage version of "Nine" is in comparison to its dreary film version. It's also refreshing to see such a somber and sexual musical produced in a traditional dinner theater environment.

This marked my first time attending a show at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. It's really quite a large space, with a three-quarter thrust stage that worked quite well for the staging of "Nine." The food was more than decent, and I was relieved that patrons eat before and not throughout the performance itself. If time permits, I'm really interested in attending their upcoming production of "Sugar," which is hardly ever staged.

Playing at Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford

One Broadway Plaza, 914-592-2222, broadwaytheatre.com. Through April 24.

The Tempest

Sam Mendes' production of Shakespeare's pastoral comedy "As You Like It," which premiered last month at Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of the 2010 Bridge Project, is so unnecessarily chilly that the Forest of Arden practically freezes over.

But his dark, melancholy vision is a natural fit for "The Tempest," now running in repertory with "As You Like It" with the same mixed cast of American and English actors. Shakespeare's drama, about an exiled duke who uses his magical powers to cause a shipwreck that finally brings his enemies to justice, has stronger characters and allows for an imaginative reinterpretation.

Mendes presents the play without intermission and integrates a score of gentle, percussive music. The set design consists of a simple circle of sand at center stage, representing Prospero's island. The creature Caliban makes an incredible entrance by breaking through its center from down below. Behind it is a shallow pool of water, where half of the cast sits in a weird state of solitary confinement.

Stephen Dillane's Prospero is a natural extension of his performance as the melancholy Jacques in "As You Like It." Dillane portrays him as a weary, lonely drifter with a sarcastic edge. His costume consists of a roughed-up, ripped-apart black suit, referencing the fact that Prospero has been castaway on a deserted island for years.

Christian Camargo, whose performance as the innocent Orlando in "As You Like It" resembles Hamlet, is far more convincing as the ethereal spirit Ariel. Like Dillane, Camargo downplays the role and brings a mysterious quality. He also looks rather like a model in his clean suit revealing a bare chest.

The rest of the cast is quite strong, making this "Tempest" a seamless, totally focused fusion of stage design, directorial tone and performance.

"The Tempest" plays in repertory with "As You Like It" at the BAM Harvey Theater

651 Fulton St., Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, bam.org.

In the Heights with Corbin Bleu

Just like the "American Idol" contestants that have trickled onto Broadway, the cast of "High School Musical" was bound to eventually follow suit. 21-year-old Corbin Bleu, who played Zac Efron's buddy Chad Danforth in the popular Disney film franchise, has joined the cast of the popular hip-hop musical "In the Heights" as Dominican bodega owner and narrator Usnavi, the role originated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show's creator and composer.

Bleu stresses Usnavi's geeky bashfulness and handles his character's rapping with impressive ease. The fact that Bleu is not actually Latino hardly matters, but he is clearly too young for the role. Even with the addition of a goatee and cap, Bleu resembles a young teen performing in a high school musical production of "In the Heights." As a result, Usnavi and his younger cousin Sonny now look like twin brothers.

While Bleu is openly affectionate towards Olga Merediz, who plays his aunt Abuela Claudia, he has little sexual chemistry with Marcy Harriell, who replaced Karen Olivo as neighborhood hottie Vanessa. Harriell is sweet and mopey but altogether unconvincing as Vanessa, who desperately wants to leave the neighborhood, and lacks the rough edge that Olivo brought to the role.

Janet Dacal, who originated the role of Carla, has graduated to playing Nina, who has just returned home following her freshman year at Stanford. Dascal, a gorgeous actress with an incredible voice, gives a powerfully subtle performance that comes off as too mature for the teenage character.

Overall, this musical valentine to the Washington Heights community remains an incredible showstopper thanks to its high-energy choreography, catchy hip-hop musical score, and cheery spirit. Here's hoping the "High School Musical" crowd will want to see Bleu in a far better musical.

"In the Heights" is playing an open run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

226 W. 46th St., 212-307-4100, intheheightsthemusical.com.

Broadway Backwards 5

God bless Robert Bartley, the director-choreographer of "Broadway Backwards," the annual fundraiser for NYC's GLBT Community Center and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This marked the concert-extravaganza's first time playing Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre instead of Roundabout's somewhat smaller American Airlines Theatre. The event actually bears more in common with other variety shows that benefit BC/EFA such as Gypsy By the Year and the Easter Bonnett Competition than with most other Broadway-themed concert fundraisers.

Its ingenious concept involves having male Broadway performers sing songs written originally for women, and vice versa. But that's not what makes the concert so damn impressive. Nearly every production number is aided by a large chorus, all clad in elaborate costumes and performing inventive and athletic choreography. And every song is treated as if it is a one-act play, complete with new characters and a new plot from a same-sex angle. The revue even had an overall story arc about Florence Henderson, who served as its host, being arrested, sent to prison, and then on trial. Silly, yet so amazing.

True, many of the production numbers looked a bit underrehearsed, and some of the vocal work was shaky since female singers were performing songs written for male voices and vice versa. But on the whole, it was a marvelously produced, extremely passionate concert that I would not miss out on next year. Weirdly, my favorite moment was also one of its most smallest: a warm Len Cariou and a cool Lee Roy Reams performing the duet "I Remember It Well" from "Gigi." It was just beautiful. And I loved the Lauren Bacall ad-lib. And Douglas Sills' "I Could Have Danced All Night" was wonderful too.

Below is the full set list, which I have copied and pasted from Jesse21's post on All That Chat.

The Program:

Host: Florence Henderson

"Paris Original" (How to Succeed) - Robert Cuccioli with Anthony & Will Nunziata, Ann Harada & Full Ensemble

"Shipoopi" (The Music Man) - Florence Henderson, Richard Kind and chorus

"Marian the Librarian" (The Music Man) - Becki Newton with Barbara Angeline & chorus

"What Is It About Her?" (The Wild Party) - Julia Murney

"Come Up To My Place" (On the Town) - Dan Butler & Hunter Ryan Herdlicka

"I'm Not At All in Love" (The Pajama Game) - Gary Beach and male chorus

"I Remember It Well" (Gigi) - Len Cariou & Lee Roy Reams

"Too Many Mornings" (Follies) - Tonya Pinkins

"Conga" (Wonderful Town) - Tony Goldwyn & male chorus

"As Long As He Needs Me" (Oliver!) - Aaron Lazar

"My Gentle Young Johnny" (Tenderloin) - male chorus

"There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" (Sweet Charity) - Nick Adams, Timothy W. Bish & Adam Perry

INTERMISSION

"Waltz" - chorus

"I Could Have Danced All Night" (My Fair Lady) - Douglas Sills & male chorus

"Johanna" (Sweeney Todd) - Martine Allard

"Tom, Dick or Harry" (Kiss Me Kate) - Bruce Vilanch with Ward Billeisen, Patrick O'Neill & Antuan Raimone

"Secret Love" / "The Girl Next Door" (Calamity Jane / Meet Me in St. Louis) - Michele Lee

"The Man That Got Away" (A Star is Born) - Raúl Esparza

"Out There" (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) - Lea Salonga

"Where You Are" (Kiss of the Spider Woman) - Mario Cantone & male chorus

"Luck Be A Lady" (Guys and Dolls) - Florence Henderson & female chorus

"Children Will Listen" (Into the Woods) - Titus Burgess with Youth Pride Chorus & Full Ensemble

Mr. & Mrs. Fitch

Compared to Twitter and blogging, print newspaper gossip now has a certain old-fashioned charm attached to it. In Douglas Carter Beane's new comedy "Mr. & Mrs. Fitch," John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle play a married team of Manhattan gossip columnists whose desperate need to score scandalous news lands them in muddy waters. But besides some cute one-liners, this tedious play is as forgettable and insubstantial as the latest celeb rumors.

Set in an upscale, high ceiling penthouse apartment littered with evidence of high culture, the two-character play begins with the couple stumbling back home after a late-night benefit event. It seems they still don't have enough gossip to fill their daily column. Out of desperation, they decide to invent their own celebrity involved in a sex scandal.

As you've probably already guessed, act two reveals the disastrous consequences of this decision. Finally fed up with their lives, they randomly decide to quit gossip and write the Great American Novel. Seriously, that's how it ends.

Beane has fun imbuing his characters with literary wit and sassy social commentary. At one point, they even speak in "imaginary Maya Angelou titles." He even raises some legitimate questions about journalism ethics.

Yet this is the kind of play that thinks it's far funnier than it actually is. The concept is undercooked, the characters are undeveloped, and the strained storytelling drags aimlessly alongside the one-liners.

Lithgow and Ehle have strong chemistry and make the best of their weak mateiral. Lithgow, in particular, delivers an unapologetically silly and haughty performance that recalls his childlike behavior on the television series "3rd Rock from the Sun."

"Mr. & Mrs. Fitch" is at Second Stage Theatre through March 21.

305 W. 43rd St., 212-246-4422, 2st.com.