Author: Ben Lerner

By Ben Lerner

Broadway is no stranger to adaptations of films, though often they’re reimagined as musicals. Dog Day Afternoon, which opened March 30 at the August Wilson Theatre, is the somewhat rarer example of a nonmusical play adapted from a classic film. It tells the same story as the Oscar-winning 1975 movie, but with a new script and certain directorial choices that make it distinctly more comedic. While diehard fans of the film will struggle with these changes – as some critics did – those who can put their purism aside, or those going in blind, will greatly enjoy this fast-paced, funny, and deeply entertaining play as its own work of art.

Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon starred Al Pacino and John Cazale and won Frank Pierson Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. It was categorized as a crime drama based on a Life magazine article about a real 1972 bank robbery in Brooklyn. Here, Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (both known for The Bear, amongst other film and TV projects) star in Pacino and Cazale’s roles with a new, darkly comic script by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis.

Bernthal gives his all as the play’s lead, Sonny, and commands the stage with ease in his Broadway debut. His friend and sidekick in the attempted robbery of a Chase branch in Gravesend is Sal, played as very intoxicated and sedated by Moss-Bachrach. While he’s billed second, his role is significantly smaller and less impactful. The robbery goes wrong, of course, and hilarious chaos ensues as the bank staff are held hostage by very incompetent captors.

If there is a cast member other than Bernthal who deserved recognition from the Tonys, it’s not Moss-Bachrach, but three-time nominee Jessica Hecht, who is hilarious as head teller Colleen. Like the script as a whole, she successfully goes for the laughs while still revealing inner turmoil as the play goes on and stakes are raised with the NYPD surrounding the bank. Colleen’s employees, Roxxana (Elizabeth Canavan), Lorna (Wilemina Olivia-Garcia), Alison (Andrea Syglowski), and Guadalupe (Paola Lazaro), and her boss, Butterman (Michael Kostroff), provide more comic relief. 

While the play is over two hours long and its intermission is welcome, there’s a shift in content in the second act which comes abruptly. Fans of the film won’t be surprised by Sonny’s queer identity reveal, as it featured representation that was ahead of its time. Others may find it jarring, as without any references in the first act, it first seems like a joke. Luckily, Esteban Andres Cruz plays Sonny’s partner Leon, a trans woman, with a devastating humanity that is still funny, showing the audience that while Leon can tell jokes, she isn’t one herself. 

There’s more than LGBTQ representation that feels politically progressive for a play set over 50 years ago. The humanization of and compassion between the robbers and bank workers is at the center of the narrative, where the villains, if there are any, are police officers. It’s simultaneously relatable — working class tellers and would-be thieves have more in common with each other than with the systems that oppress them  — and it’s also very charming. There’s even an interactive anti-establishment chant with the audience. 

Unlike The Bear, an intense drama series categorized as a comedy by the Emmys, Dog Day Afternoon reworks the dramatic cinematic masterpiece that inspired it to a crime comedy. Sometimes reimagined pieces of art are disastrous and deserve to be forgotten. But in the case of Dog Day Afternoon, comparison is the thief of joy. It’s interesting, suspenseful, and well-acted – and the comedy doesn’t take away from its impact. Those unfamiliar with this fascinating story will be hooked by the plot and will stay for the laughs. Those planning to see a remake of the film onstage should keep an open mind – and you might enjoy it just as much.

Dog Day Afternoon runs through July 12 at the August Wilson Theatre.

By Ben Lerner

There’s a delightful new romantic comedy about two strangers carrying a cake across NYC. It happens to be a musical direct from London called Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York), now playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre. 

It delivers on that premise, but I can also promise you’ll laugh, smile, swoon, and be moved. Weeping is not out of the question. Being charmed by its two leads is guaranteed. Developed in the UK but set in Manhattan and Brooklyn over two days in December, Two Strangers makes New Yorkers, Brits, and any romcom aficionado feel right at home.

Unlike the average musical comedy, Two Strangers has only two cast members — and you guessed it, they’re the two strangers in question. One is Dougal, fresh off the plane from London to attend his estranged father’s NYC wedding, and the other is Robin, a busy New Yorker and sister of the bride who is tasked with picking up “the kid.” Do they vibe at first? Of course not! Do things change? Well, it’s a romcom after all!

Luckily, a classic meet-cute leads to some surprising developments, as truths about both characters are revealed and they begin to care for each other. It follows a formula without being formulaic, largely thanks to the tiny cast, unique direction and a memorable score that spans genres.

The other referenced characters never appear, and while that can occasionally it feel incomplete, Two Strangers thrives on the chemistry and comic timing of its two leads, who are developed beautifully through their maximal stage time. Sam Tutty, known for his Olivier-winning turn as the titular character in the West End’s Dear Evan Hansen, shines as Dougal, who is at times corny, at times vulnerable, and always very adorable and very British. He played the role in London, but his costar, the phenomenal Christiani Pitts as the pessimistic (and secret-carrying!) barista Robin, is new to the Broadway transfer. Pitts, who appeared in King Kong and A Bronx Tale on Broadway, is from New York, which is clear in her referential one-liners about NYC culture. 

 Jim Barne and Kit Buchan have written a script both wholesome and clever, weaved between catchy songs well-suited for online virality, all sung expertly by Tutty and Pitts. The unique set of oversized suitcases on a Hamilton-esque turntable, designed by Soutra Gilmour, has a few surprises of its own. Its abstract nature and simplicity contrasts with the realistic image on the Playbill cover of Dougal and Robin on the subway.

Directed by Tim Jackson, Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) is another welcome British addition to the Great White Way. It’s neither radical nor revolutionary, but it’s special to see two talented actors perform a musical romantic comedy all on their own. I’d wager that there’s a bright word-of-mouth future for the production and that its score will develop a young and passionate fandom. Appealing to lovers of both situational comedy and wholesome romance, Two Strangers, set in NYC in December, is a sweet treat for the holiday season. Tickets at https://twostrangersmusical.com/

By Ben Lerner

One might think a new play based on an Ancient Greek myth would offer thought-provoking modernizations and great performances, but perhaps not too much shock value. One would be mistaken, at least when it comes to the brilliant transfer of the West End’s hit Olivier-winning production of Oedipus, which opened on Broadway on November 13 at Studio 54.

This Oedipus, adapted and directed by Robert Icke and set in the modern world of politics, uses almost entirely new language, while remaining faithful to the infamous dramatic plot points of Sophocles’ play — though they’re revealed differently through an original narrative. The character names are the same and the text displayed on screens is in Greek, though the all-British cast suggests the election occurs in the UK.

Beyond these names and motifs, Icke crafts a new, hyper-realistic political and familial drama in real time, set over two uninterrupted hours before the results of an election. Here, Oedipus (Mark Strong) is in his campaign headquarters on the precipice of victory, surrounded by his family and staff. These include his wife Jocasta (Lesley Manville), his mother Merope (Anne Reid, spectacular at age 90!), his brother-in-law/campaign manager Creon (John Carroll Lynch), and his children Eteocles, Polyneices, and Antigone (Jordan Scowen, James Wilbraham, and Olivia Reis, respectively). 

The horrifying plot twists, which I won’t describe here but are well-known to most — through the original play, Shakespeare’s version, or the corresponding Freudian psychological concepts — are inevitable, yet they hit Studio 54 with such force most of the audience leaves stunned into a silent daze. This is a testament to Icke’s writing and direction and the haunting lead performances by Strong and Manville. Both are Tony-worthy, but at the very least, Manville should be a lock to win Best Actress in a Play, as she did for this role earlier this year at the Olivier Awards.

Strong and Manville are both veterans of West End theatre perhaps more familiar to American audiences for their onscreen work — Strong for films such as Kingsman, Zero Dark Thirty and Sherlock Holmes, and Manville for her Oscar-nominated performance in Phantom Thread and Emmy-nominated role as Princess Margaret in The Crown. In Oedipus, they both reach new dramatic heights, telling their characters’ tragic tales with nuance, raw emotion, and even humor. The audience laughs before it gasps, transfixed from its start to its stunning finish. 

What transpires in between is edge-of-your-seat drama that is salacious (naturally), but also deeply devastating when set in this modern context. I left simultaneously horrified, heartbroken, and awestruck. It’s a tragedy in every sense of the word, and one that anyone who appreciates top-tier stage acting and playwriting should not miss. (Except children. Don’t bring them!)

Oedipus will shock you, sicken you, and sadden you — and it will stick with you in a way most new plays cannot. Witness it at Studio 54 now through February 8, 2026.  Tickets at https://oedipustheplay.com/

By Ben Lerner

It was recently announced that Oscar winners Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence will be producing a Miss Piggy film with a script penned by Oh, Mary! Tony winner Cole Escola. For those who can’t wait to see Piggy in action, she’s currently costarring in a Broadway show — but probably not the one you expected.

Miss Piggy and her Muppet friends cameo in Rob Lake Magic, currently playing at the Broadhurst Theatre. The show is what it sounds like: an interactive Vegas-style magic show starring Rob Lake of America’s Got Talent fame. Is the inclusion of the Muppets somewhat random? Definitely. Is it a bad thing? Not at all. If anything, they’re underutilized. 

Cole Escola’s script will almost certainly contain raunchy adult humor, but at Rob Lake Magic, the Muppets are as family-friendly as it gets. Lake performs a mix of his famous illusions — not new ones — and includes significant audience participation. There were occasional technological hiccups, but it was clear that magic lovers and child attendees had a ball. And that’s who this production is catered to, rather than a general adult audience or Broadway fans. It’s perfectly enjoyable, if not slightly underwhelming, as a non-magic-obsessed adult, but in many ways it’s a Vegas show on a Broadway stage and operates as such.

Make no mistake: there are plenty of mystifying moments to go around, with several leaving the audience, myself included, dumbfounded. Other tricks employ what seems to be prerecorded video and audio and are less shocking. There are classic illusions like “woman sawed in half” that are not mind-blowing to an adult audience — but again, this is a family show for kids and magic superfans, most of whom seemed to leave amazed.

Even if some illusions run smoother than others, but children under 10 won’t be bothered. Many get to participate, which yields adorable moments. Adults are called to the stage, too, and many of them were no less bewildered. The final trick has a great payoff.

Rob Lake has a good stage presence and grew more comfortable throughout the show, bantering with audience members and leading with self-deprecating humor. These moments land best, compared to the classic Vegas magician moments of bravado. While this is a classic magician trope, the arms-spread-wide pose after the illusion to soak up the glory can come off inauthentic. This is likely because Lake really is a normal, nice, non-egotistical guy with a special talent, though some may come with an expectation of Vegas-level drama. I noticed Lake’s costume — a basic blue sweater on top, leather pants below — almost reflected this interesting mixed persona.

If you love illusions — or have kids who would be excited by them — you’re sure to have a great time full of oohs and ahhs at Rob Lake Magic. If you fit into neither category, it may not be catered to you. It’s playing on Broadway, but it’s certainly more of a “Special Event,” and one that any magic-loving child would adore as a family outing. And while I wish we’d seen more of them, the Muppets are the legendary scene stealers we know and love. As Miss Piggy asks the audience, “It’s good to see moi, isn’t it?” No need to respond — that was rhetorical!

Rob Lake Magic is playing at the Broadhurst Theatre through November 16, 2025. Tickets at www.roblake.com/broadway