Next Fall

By Ben Ellentuck

Next Fall brings together the past and the present to tell a story of family and faith. Much of the play takes place in flashbacks, which chronicle the romantic relationship of Adam and Luke. Luke, a devout Christian, meets Adam, a sarcastic, culturally-Jewish-but-really-atheistic urbanite There is an instant attraction and a very serious romance blossoms, despite the fact that they have opposing views of faith.

The other part of the play, the present, takes place in a hospital waiting room after Luke is hit by a car. The accident brings together Adam, Luke’s parents, and friends, who all try to cope with the situation.

The play explores different kinds of family: There’s the biological family, who are there whether we like them or not, and the family of friends, whom we’ve chosen for ourselves.

Adam’s accident incorporates everyone into one big family —where they, even literally, catch each other when they fall—united for a common cause, at least temporarily. Though, it seems that something lasting may be forming in that waiting room.

TICKETS: $26.50 student rush, 2 per valid ID • Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 W. 44 St.

The Addams Family

By Grace Lisandrelli

The delightfully dismal The Addams Family has returned as a musical.

Gomez and Morticia’s daughter, Wednesday, has fallen in love with Lucas Bieneke, an all-American boy from Ohio. Wednesday forsakes her affiliation with all things grim and gruesome in favor of a positive approach to life, much to her family’s dismay. When Lucas’ parents arrive for dinner, Wednesday begs her family to act “nor­mal” for just one night. Lucas asks the same of his parents, two rather conservative Midwesterners. Hilarity ensues when these polar­ized families spend the evening together, posing an interesting question: what, exactly, is “normal”?
The Addams Family is irresistibly funny, full of clever one-liners that had the audience laughing out loud. The script did have an overabundance of modern political jokes, though, which fell flat and affected the show’s equilibrium.

The strong bond among the members of The Addams Family is clear. The cast interacted naturally with one another, which made them appear very much like a real family.

The Addams Family is a fun relic for fans of this “creepy, kooky, spooky” but loveable family.

TICKETS: $41.50 student rush • Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W. 46th St.

Fences

By Monikha Reyes

For me, Fences can be summarized simply—a father doesn’t approve of his son’s interest in football. Denzel Washington plays that father, Troy Maxson, who is a garbage collector in Pittsburgh in the 1950’s. He once dreamed of having a career in baseball, but by the time black players were admitted into the major leagues, he was too old to join. In order to “protect” his son from disappointment, he attempts to prevent him from following a similar path.

Family is a crucial part of Troy’s life. However, finding a balance between his home life and job causes him grief—so much so that he begins to stray from his path as the perfect husband and father. He is the type of man who wants to fence in his family, which only backfire.

When intermission came, I blinked in surprise, realizing that the world on stage wasn’t real. The actors stay true to their roles in the play and the dialogue flows naturally.

If you can handle rough language, you will enjoy Fences. 

TICKETS: thru 7/11, $26.50 standing room only • Cort Theatre, 138 W. 48th Street

La Cage Aux Folles

By Alyssa Zakaryan

La Cage Aux Folles is filled with snappy jokes, attitude, long legs and feather boas.
 

Kelsey Grammer plays Georges, owner of the nightclub La Cage Aux Folles. He is married to the star of the club Albin—known onstage as Zaza—played by Douglas Hodge. Grammer and Hodge work very well together, making their characters’ 20-year marriage seem very authentic.

Georges has a son, Jean-Michelle, who was raised by Albin because his birth mother left when he was four years old. When Jean-Michelle falls in love with a woman and proposes to her, he wants to introduce the families. The only problem—his fiancée’s parents are not only conservative, but are trying to shut down Georges and Albin’s beloved club. In a desperate attempt to hide his family,  Jean-Michelle begs everyone to “straighten up”—which means that Albin has to leave the picture.
 

The musical leaves you not only with laughter, but with questions that make you reevaluate who a mother is—is it someone who gives birth to you or is it the person who takes care of you, stays up with you when you’re sick, and sacrifices for your benefit?
 

TICKETS: $36.50 student rush • Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St.

Blue Man Group

By Sami Bonilla and Adina Abercrombie

SAMI: Blue Man Group is an amazing show for all ages. It takes music and humor to a whole new level.

ADINA: The Blue Men don’t speak, but that doesn’t stop them from being heard. They express themselves through color, sound and art.
 

SAMI: During the show, two lucky people are chosen to come onstage and “help” the group with a skit. I was lucky enough to be given a bowl of cereal. No, I didn’t eat it, but I did feel awfully special!

ADINA: The way that the performers interact with the audience show that without the audience, there wouldn’t be a show at all. The Blue Men make you feel as though you are a part of the cast and just as important.
 

SAMI: I love the way they interact with each other. If one of them does something wrong, the other two give him the “why are you like this?” look—the look an older brother gives to his younger brother. They are a family.
 

ADINA: Blue Man Group shows that you can express yourself loudly without saying a word. How cool would it be to have a whole conversation without uttering a single word?
 

TICKETS: $29 student rush (except Fri/Sat night) • Astor Place Theatre, 434 Lafayette St. 

Family Week

by Sam Norton

Family Week is a twisted, yet undeniably funny play that tells the story of a family, their hardships, and how they learn to cope with the rough hand that life has dealt them.

Claire has checked herself into a rehabilitation center in the Arizona desert, far out in the middle of nowhere, after the death of her 17-year-old son. Claire's mother, sister and and daughter arrive for Family Week to help Claire, they find themselves in need of help themselves. Trying to compensate for her pitiful previous attempts at motherhood, Lena arrives in a desperate attempt to reconcile her mistakes. Kay copes with the death of her only sibling, her abusive mother’s frail state, the fresh divorce of her parents, and the unforgiving pains of puberty and high school. Claire’s sister Rickey would seem to be the only comic relief, but as the play delves deeper into her character, there is nothing funny about her. Together, these four women probe through their pasts, under the watchful eye of the staff, to discover a way to live with the horrors that haunt them.

Family Week is a beautifully written, sassy, well-acted play. It’s fast-paced and packed with loose ends that allow the audience to understand for themselves what the characters are going through. Each line is delivered and written in the most poignant manner so as to twist and mold your emotions.

When it comes to the tragedy of life, this play does not beat around the bush. When you exit the theatre, you feel every bit as empty and alone as the characters of the play. Family Week, with it’s very real people and very real emotions, will bring a pang to your heart.

TICKETS: thru May 23 • $15 student rush • Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St.