\n<\/p>\n
Even if the hairstyles in this play weren\u2019t as fabulous as they were, Jocelyn Bioh\u2019s \u201cJaja\u2019s African Hair Braiding,\u201d about a day in the life of African immigrants working in a Harlem hair-braiding shop, would still be a sparkling Broadway delight. That\u2019s thanks to Bioh\u2019s colorful characters and brisk, playful dialogue. Whitney White\u2019s direction provided extra spark, and the production\u2019s re-creation of real braid hairstyles and salon culture felt novel; it\u2019s not often that Black spaces are so lovingly portrayed, or portrayed at all, on Broadway. (Read our review of \u201c<\/em>Jaja\u2019s African Hair Braiding<\/em><\/a>.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n Earlier this year, after guiltily binging the soapy Amazon Prime series \u201cDaisy Jones & the Six,\u201d I wondered what a better version of this narrative \u2014 the band drama full of drugs, sex and music that\u2019s kinda-but-not-really about Fleetwood Mac \u2014 would look like. I didn\u2019t know until I saw David Adjmi\u2019s \u201cStereophonic,\u201d which kept me fully engaged through its full three-hour running time. The central band\u2019s journey to celebrity then collapse, the addictions, the toxic relationships \u2014 the bones of the material are the same, but \u201cStereophonic\u201d is unique in the way it uses music to do some of the storytelling. Entirely diegetic, the songs aren\u2019t used for exposition or ornamentation; they exist as products in themselves, which we hear in different incarnations, in different parts, sometimes several times before we hear the final version. We learn about the characters through the parts they play in making and performing this music \u2014 which, by the way, is amazing, and written by Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire. The cast is flawless, and the production is so meticulously composed, including David Zinn\u2019s stunning set and Ryan Rumery\u2019s explosive sound design, that it feels like you\u2019re actually being ushered into this world of Billboard hits, giant bags of cocaine and ego-driven rock stars. I can\u2019t wait to see it again. (Read our review of \u201c<\/em>Stereophonic<\/em><\/a>.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n There are a lot of reasons I liked this Lincoln Center Theater production about a high school basketball team, but one of them was, to my surprise, more a feat of athleticism than of drama. Throughout the performance I went to, Starra, the team\u2019s talented, headstrong captain played by Erica Matthews, never missed a shot to the basket set above the stage at the Mitzi E. Newhouse. A story about the clash of beliefs, personalities, priorities and ambitions among these girls in lower-class, rural Arkansas, \u201cFlex\u201d was a win in all respects, from Candrice Jones\u2019s engaging script to Lileana Blain-Cruz\u2019s dynamic direction to the strong cast. I\u2019m no fan of team sports, and in any other context would find taking the role of basketball spectator tedious; but, even if for only two hours, \u201cFlex\u201d transformed me into a fan. (Read our review of \u201c<\/em>Flex<\/em><\/a>.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Stereophonic’<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\u2018Flex\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\u2018Bottoms\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n