It’s curtain up for a gaggle of new theatrical offerings here in New York this fall. And fall starts tonight, 10:29 PM, to be exact. I’ve been talking about some of these saplings since seeds were first scattered, but some of you clever reapers aren’t rushing out in previews—not before reviews are in. Here’s some of my thoughts on what’s happening right now:

What I’m Excited About…
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME (and let’s hope there are no, ahem, incidents aka the roof of the theater collapsing mid performance as it did in London)
CONSTELLATIONS (the Nick Payne play that shares my fascination with quantum theory, starring Jake Gyllenhaal)
FUN HOME (finally transferring to Broadway—hopefully this little play will persevere in a big house)

What I’m Cringing About…
FINDING NEVERLAND (I’m still annoyed about that bizarre commercial for the production during the Tony’s)
THE ELEPHANT MAN (there’s been so much hype—can Bradley Cooper and Scott Ellis live up to all of that or is it elephantitis of the ego?)
THE LAST SHIP (the “Sting musical”—I mean, wasn’t the U2 Spidey fail a cautionary tale for rockers?)

What I’m Unsure About…
THIS IS OUR YOUTH (one of my favorite Lonergan plays—please don’t screw it up, youth)
Michael C. Hall in HEDWIG (NPH’s heels are tough shoes to fill, but MCH is a fine actor; then again, his CABARET MC role was sort of forgettable)
I love Tony Danza but HONEYMOON IN VEGAS? I just don’t want Denis Jones to end up in a bad funk like Stroman after BULLETS OVER BROADWAY closed

What I’m Tired Of Hearing About…
There’s too many plays about plays (and playwrights). Like, .00001% percent of the world’s population pens plays professionally. I mean, I get it, write what you know, but… THE COUNTRY HOUSE, IT’S ONLY A PLAY, THE REAL THING—enough!

Moreover, enough of my ranting and pseudo-scientific predictions. This week I checked in with some of the last year’s gems that made the cut (and the summer box office can have more casualties then my first of three shows profiled below). I revisited these 3 surviving productions to see how they are holding up. Here’s what the New York Times had to say THEN, and what I have to say NOW:

A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
What the NY Times said THEN (November 17, 2013):
“Despite the high body count, this delightful show will lift the hearts of all those who’ve been pining for what sometimes seems a lost art form: musicals that match streams of memorable melody with fizzily witty turns of phrase. Bloodlust hasn’t sung so sweetly, or provided so much theatrical fun, since “Sweeney Todd” first wielded his razor with gusto many a long year ago…
…Since these spoiled sprigs on the family tree are mostly stuffed shirts or stuffed skirts — and are all played by the dazzling Jefferson Mays — you’ll be laughing too hard to shed a tear for any of them. (Those looking for fresh holiday entertainment for the family should know there’s nothing here to frighten children.)” —Charles Isherwood
What I say NOW:
The production remarkably seems to maintain its original frenetic energy. It runs like a rocket ship straight to the moon and never wavers far from funny, shrewd and just plain amusing. Best of all, Jefferson Mays is still on payroll—it’s worth a ticket based purely on his schizophrenic theatrical undertaking alone! I haven’t enjoyed lyrics so much since 80s Sondheim and though the story is no mind numbing labyrinth of Sartrian proportions, its original (not the disappointing revival) Edwin Droodian quality of bawdy British musical hall-mayhem, left me laughing and happy to sit orchestra-side for under $125. Manhattan Tour and Travel has the hook-up for better prices and seats.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL
What the NY Times said THEN (April 13, 2014):
“The play’s conceit is, frankly, artificial and a bit hoary. A victim of severe stage nerves, Holiday preferred to sing in a tight spotlight so she couldn’t even see the audience, and would at no point in her career have been likely to dish up her life for public consumption in such a way. (This season’s other Holiday tribute show — “Lady Day,” with Dee Dee Bridgewater, seen Off Broadway in the fall — was set during a rehearsal, giving it a marginally more plausible dramatic structure.)…
…The bloodletting heartbreakers are, of course, the most mesmerizing performances: the rueful “God Bless the Child,” the harrowing protest song “Strange Fruit.” Ms. McDonald’s career has been in many ways a blessed one (five Tonys at just 43, when Holiday was nearing her end), but by burrowing into the music and channeling Holiday’s distinctive sound, she has forged a connection with the great, doomed artist she is portraying that feels truthful and moves well beyond impersonation into intimate identification. When she sings, there appears before us the ghostly image of an artist who could only find equilibrium in her life when she lost herself in her music.” —Charles Isherwood
What I say NOW:
We all know that Audra can saaang. That’s not even up for debate. And quite frankly, no one works harder in 90 minutes than this gal at the intimate Circle in the Square. But casting a pedantic sophisticate/classically trained opera singer as a faltering heroin addict is like hiring Phylicia Rashad to play homeless. She would probably pull it off one way or another, but it’s just poor casting. I know, I know… who in the world can match those stellar vocals? And I’m sure that was exactly the thought by producers. But I could not disagree more with Mr. Isherwood regarding McDonald’s portrayal of “Lady Day”. I did in fact find a skillful impersonation only, and not an organic performance. I simply saw Audra McDonald “doing” Billie Holiday and was taken more by the stories of the late icon’s life than by any nuances of the acting. Still, for the vocals, it’s worth going to see before it closes October 5th.

BEAUTIFUL
What the NY Times said THEN (January 12, 2014):
“You see, “Brooklyn Girl” — I mean, “Beautiful” — has been modeled with sheepish but cold calculation on “Jersey Boys,” the Broadway megahit that’s been packing ’em in since 2005. In tracing the careers of the pop group the Four Seasons through a parade of their hit singles (connected by a by-the-numbers script), “Jersey Boys” demonstrated that you can’t go broke helping AARP members recall the soundtrack of their youths….” —Ben Brantley
What I say NOW:
Jessie Mueller called out. Yeah… While the understudy gave her all (she normally plays Betty), her performance lacked the Cinderella perfect fit-quality that Mueller lends to King’s vocals. Just now, I found myself head nodding to Brantley’s review like I often do—until he trashes one of my plays—especially in regard to the formulaic structure of the show that caters condescendingly to baby boomers like a dangerous criminal dressed as Mionion Dave in Times Square, to a four-year-old. The plot is contrived but the music is fantastic. If you liked PRISCILLA…, SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE or certainly JERSEY BOYS, you’re going to like this show. And hopefully, Miss Mueller will be putting in an appearance the night you are there.