Catching up on shows

It’s been a busy couple weeks of theater-going! Some really wonderful things and some not so wonderful. But there’s always something to be learned.

The cast of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theater.

End of March I caught a preview of THE MOTHERF**CKER WITH THE HAT at the Schoenfeld Theater with Bobby Cannavale, Chris Rock, Annabelle Sciorra, and company. A matinee of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Longacre with Harvey Fierstein and Chris Sieber was totally delightful. I had never seen the Pulitzer Prize-winning play THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON at Bernard B. Jacobs Theater, so was happy to see the starry revival (Brian Cox and Jason Patric were particularly good). The best Vegas show has nothing on the fabulous PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT at the Palace – what a fun, fun time! Jonathan Miller’s production of Donizetti’s THE ELIXIR OF LOVE at City Opera was terrific, and the singing was great, too. The cast of the play HIGH at the Booth Theater (Kathleen Turner, Evan Jonigkeit, and Stephen Kunken) is top-notch, even if the play is not as impressive. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN at the Neil Simon Theater is slick as can be, with Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz giving star performances. Finally, WONDERLAND at the Marriott Marquis Theater is flashy and Susan Hilferty should get some Tony recognition for her incredible costumes for the Queen of Hearts (played by Karen Mason).

Next week: THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES at the Walter Kerr Theater and PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at New York Theater Workshop!