Critical Darling

Schmigadoon! began as the Emmy-winning musical comedy series created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio for Apple TV+, lovingly parodying and celebrating the Golden Age musicals that shaped Broadway. The story follows a modern couple who stumble into a magical town where life unfolds like a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, complete with elaborate production numbers, larger-than-life characters,...

In this special rapid-fire grab bag episode, Critical Darling tackles three productions that have slipped through the cracks so far during the season: Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning comedy Art, the Manhattan Theatre Club drama Punch, and Simon Rich's comedy event All Out: Comedy About Ambition. Rather than the show's usual deep-dive format, Andrew offers quick-hit reviews and reflections on eac...

Fallen Angels (w/ Eric Emch) Fallen Angels is one of Noël Coward's sharpest early comedies, a 1925 comedy of manners that follows two married women whose lives spiral into chaos after learning that a former French lover they once shared is returning to London. Set among the British upper class between the wars, the play balances sparkling wit, physical comedy, and surprisingly modern observations...

Joe Turner's Come and Gone is one of August Wilson's most celebrated plays and part of his 10-play American Century Cycle chronicling Black life across the 20th century. First premiering at Yale Repertory Theatre before transferring to Broadway in 1988, the play is set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1911 during the Great Migration and follows a community of Black travelers, workers, and dreamer...

Beaches is the new Broadway musical adaptation of Iris Rainer Dart's bestselling 1985 novel, which also inspired the beloved 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. Tracing the decades-long friendship between aspiring performer C.C. Bloom and the more reserved Bertie White, the story follows the pair from childhood through love, ambition, heartbreak, and the many seasons of life that...

Beetlejuice is the musical adaptation of Tim Burton's 1988 cult classic film, which follows the recently deceased Maitlands as they attempt to haunt the new family living in their home with the help of the chaotic and unpredictable Beetlejuice. Featuring a score by Eddie Perfect and a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, the show first opened on Broadway in 2019 before building a passionate fanba...

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman premiered on Broadway in 1949 and remains one of the defining works of American theater. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama follows aging salesman Willy Loman as he grapples with fading ambitions, financial pressure, and the increasingly elusive promise of the American Dream. Directed by Joe Mantello, the current Broadway revival stars Nathan Lane alongside Laurie...

Liberation is a new play by Bess Wohl that examines the promises and contradictions of second-wave feminism through a dual-timeline narrative spanning the 1970s and the present day. Originally developed and produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, the play premiered Off-Broadway in early 2025 before transferring to Broadway in a production directed by Whitney White. Set largely in a community gymna...

Dog Day Afternoon is a new stage adaptation of the landmark 1975 film, itself based on a real-life 1972 bank robbery in Brooklyn that captured national attention. The story was first chronicled in a Life magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore before being adapted into the Oscar-winning screenplay by Frank Pierson. This Broadway production, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by R...

The Queen of Versailles is a new musical based on Lauren Greenfield's 2012 documentary, which follows billionaire couple Jackie and David Siegel as their plans to build the largest private home in America are upended by the 2008 financial crisis. After premiering in Boston in 2024, the production transferred to Broadway's St. James Theatre as one of the most anticipated new shows of the 2025–2026...

Giant is a new play by British writer Mark Rosenblatt that explores a pivotal chapter in the life of Roald Dahl. Set in Dahl's family home in the summer of 1983, the story examines the fallout of a widely criticized literary review he published regarding the 1982 Lebanon War. Directed by Nicholas Hytner and featuring scenic and costume design by Bob Crowley, the production transferred from an awar...

Little Bear Ridge Road is a new play by Samuel D. Hunter ( The Whale) set in rural Idaho during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the story centers on the relationship between Sarah (Laurie Metcalf) and her nephew Ethan (Micah Stock) as they navigate shared family history and isolation in a modest cabin. Directed by Joe Mantello, the production features scenic design by Scott Pask and was o...

Every Brilliant Thing is a one-person play by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe that explores the small, everyday moments that make life worth living. First developed on the UK festival circuit in the early 2010s, the piece gained international acclaim before an extended Off-Broadway run at the Barrow Street Theatre. It now arrives on Broadway at the Hudson Theatre in a new production starring Da...

Waiting for Godot is Samuel Beckett's landmark work of absurdist theater, first written in French in the early 1950s and quickly becoming one of the most influential plays of the 20th century. Set on a barren stretch of road, the play follows Vladimir and Estragon as they wait for the mysterious Godot—who never arrives. The 2025 Broadway revival, directed by Jamie Lloyd, reimagines Beckett's exist...

Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York is a musical comedy by British writers Jim Barne and Kit Buchan that follows two unlikely companions navigating Manhattan ahead of a family wedding. After developing in the UK and running in London's West End, the show transferred to Broadway in 2025 at the Longacre Theatre following a run at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge. Directed and chore...

Call Me Izzy is a new play by Jamie Wax that arrived on Broadway as the first show in the 25/26 season and a star vehicle for Emmy-winning actress Jean Smart, marking her return to the stage. Set in the American South during the late 1980s, the one-woman play centers on Izzy, a sharp-witted writer whose life has been shaped by quiet compromises and difficult choices. Through humor, poetry, and per...

Tracy Letts' Bug makes its long-awaited Broadway debut in a revival from Manhattan Theatre Club, bringing the playwright's early psychological thriller to a new stage. First premiering in 1996, the play centers on Agnes, a lonely Oklahoma waitress whose life becomes entangled with Peter, a drifter and Gulf War veteran whose growing paranoia begins to reshape their shared reality. As their relation...

Ragtime is a sweeping musical adaptation of the 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow, set at the turn of the twentieth century as America navigates rapid social change. Featuring a score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens and a book by Terrence McNally, the show interweaves the lives of Black, white, and immigrant communities while examining ambition, injustice, and the promise of the American Dream. Orig...

Step into the near future with Marjorie Prime , Jordan Harrison's haunting play that blends intimate family drama with speculative technology. Starring June Squibb, Cynthia Nixon, Danny Burstein, and Christopher Lowell, the production imagines a world where artificial intelligence can recreate lifelike versions of loved ones to preserve memory and ease grief. Host Andrew Cole is joined by guest co...

Step into the high-stakes world of Oedipus , the classic Greek tragedy reimagined in a bold new Broadway revival. Written nearly 2,500 years ago, the story follows a rising leader determined to uncover the truth behind a crisis, only to discover a devastating secret about his own identity. This modern adaptation by Robert Icke places the myth in a contemporary political setting filled with media p...

It's time to dive into the sunny, beach-side world of Mamma Mia! , the beloved jukebox musical built around the iconic hits of ABBA. With music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and a book by Catherine Johnson, the Broadway favorite has returned to the Winter Garden Theatre in a joyful revival that follows Sophie, a young bride who secretly invites three possible fathers to her Greek...

The debut episode of Critical Darling dives into the Broadway revival of Chess —the cult-favorite musical thriller set against Cold War politics, international intrigue, and a high-stakes chess tournament where the real battles aren't only on the board. With music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA) and lyrics by Tim Rice, Chess delivers a pop-rock score packed with iconic songs, including...

Broadway reviews, hot takes, and big feels: Critical Darling is the podcast breaking down the newest plays and musicals lighting up Broadway. Hosted by Andrew Cole, each episode dives into the latest shows on the New York Theatre scene—what they're about, why they matter, and whether they're worth your time and money. Critical Darling blends smart commentary with accessible conversation, placing e...