On Tuesday the American Theatre Wing announced the 2008 Tony Award nominees. A Tony is the highest honor given to Broadway shows and performers, basically like an Oscar for the movies’ less powerful but more pretentious sibling. The fight for professional acknowledgment can be a contentious battle, especially among moneymaking musical extravaganzas. Certainly tourists will see shows that seem fun, regardless of accolades (i.e. certain Disney productions), but having “Best Musical” on a marquee does suggest higher ticket sales and the best bragging rights around.

This year’s fight for the the honor of Best Musical has been an interesting one. In years past, there has been an obvious winner, one new show that appeals to all the major demographics: the gays, the tweens, the theatre students, American tourists, foreign tourists, and older New Yorkers who can afford to see Broadway plays. I’m talking about musicals whose cast recordings are sold all over the world and whose songs become the trendy ones sung at auditions. Last year the Best Musical award went to Spring Awakening, the year before that it was Jersey Boys, in 2005 it was Spamalot, and in ‘04 Avenue Q heroically beat out Wicked. You see where this is going — these are collectively adored new musicals that have taken their rightful place as this decade’s best.

But this year the winner isn’t so visible. The four shows that are up for Best Musical are all completely different and pretty innovative in individual ways, especially when it comes to their music. The two most musically impressive nominees are Passing Strange and In the Heights, which both began as off-Broadway endeavors with little budgets and big hearts; they were both picked up for Broadway runs last fall.

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BOTTOM LINE: A solid play about straight guys that both genders should find relatable and entertaining. See it now — it closes Sunday, May 18.

The Four of Us is the story of Ben (Gideon Banner) and Dave (Michael Esper), the former a novelist, the latter a playwright. Both are in their mid-20s and trying to get their professional lives in order. Friends from summer camp, they’ve gone through their formative years together, always there for one another to lean on. But the usual nature of things is disrupted when Ben gets a superlucrative book deal. Dave has to deal with his innate jealousy of Ben’s success and their subsequent drifting apart as their careers advance.

Like many other productions at Manhattan Theatre Club, The Four of Us is a new work by an emerging playwright, written about recognizable characters and set in the present day. The dialogue is reflective of two friends who are both expressive and self-aware — it’s witty, snarky, and touching, and most importantly, it feels real.

The storytelling techniques in The Four of Us are utilized successfully, especially for a story that’s essentially about storytelling. Playwright Itamar Moses uses nonlinear narration, and as the scenes progress the audience learns more about why Ben and Dave are who they are, and how their friendship propelled them to their current state of being. Banner and Esper are perfectly cast as two well-intentioned guys trying to navigate through the early part of adulthood; their professional lives are about written expression and they’ve got a lot to say.

The Four of Us has been extended through May 18. Check it out while you still can. It’s the kind of story that could certainly live on a movie screen but is much more compelling when told onstage. It’s thought-provoking in all the right ways, and an overall enjoyable experience.

The Four of Us plays off-Broadway at NY City Center’s Stage II, 131 W. 55th St., but only for a little while longer: Tue-Sat 7:30 PM, Wed, Sat, and Sun 2:30 PM. Tickets are normally $50, but use the following discount codes — 3792 (visit nycitycenter.org) or 4TAF (call 212-581-1212) — to get tickets for $30. The show runs 90 minutes without an intermission. Check out mtc-nyc.org for more info, and visit theatreiseasy.com for more NY theatre reviews and other useful information.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Cry-Baby

Opinions aren’t fact, but everybody has ‘em, especially your trusty theatre reviewers at Theatre Is Easy. This week marks the first installment of a new series, “Point/Counterpoint,” in which my friend Zak and I go head to head on various plays. To start it off, we tackle the new John Waters-inspired musical Cry-Baby.

POINT — Zak
So, where do I begin? Cry-Baby, the new musical based on the 1990 John Waters film of the same name, tells the story of a strait-laced, bobby-socks-wearing girl who falls for the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. And that’s pretty much all that happens in just over two hours of “musical mayhem.”I was actually pretty excited about this show because the songwriting team includes David Javerbaum, executive producer of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and Adam Schlesinger, a member of one of my favorite bands, Fountains of Wayne, and an Academy Award nominee for penning “That Thing You Do!,” the title song from that ’60s-tastic Tom Hanks movie from 1996. Needless to say, there’s a lot of talent on this team, so I don’t know what happened — all of the music captures the era perfectly, but none of it’s that memorable, with the exception of Alli Mauzey’s offbeat rendition of “Screw Loose.” It’s nice, but don’t expect to leave the theater humming or remembering it or any of the other songs from Cry-Baby.

But the problem isn’t really the music — it’s the story. The innocent good girl falls in love with the hip-swiveling Cry-Baby in the first scene and then two and a half hours later they end up together. So why do we care? Oh, right — we don’t. The show tries to be dirty and bizarre but falls completely flat. The dancing is fun and high-spirited, and the tap number performed on license plates in the second act is actually pretty amazing. But don’t go expecting a show that is anywhere near as satisfying as Hairspray. Go for an evening of completely mindless entertainment.

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BOTTOM LINE: An interesting story with realistic characters in compelling relationships. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny and socially relevant.

From Up Here is a refreshing piece of theatre for mid-April 2008. I’m not sure it would seem quite as stimulating at another time, but for right now it’s a treat to see. From a theatrical standpoint, it’s been a while since I’ve simply seen a story being told onstage without bells, whistles, and video projections adding to or messing with the story’s integrity. And from the perspective of the plot itself, From Up Here gives a unique vantage point on the very timely issue of violence in schools.

The story takes place in a typical midwest suburb, at a typical midwest high school. The playwright, Liz Flahive, carefully weaves the characters’ personalities so their interactions are believable and sincere. Tension is high on this particular morning as Kenny (Tobias Segal) is allowed back at school after he, months before, brought a gun to school and threatened to use it. Kenny’s mom (Julie White) and stepdad (Brian Hutchison) try to keep things “normal” as he prepares to rejoin society and essentially begin a new life. Even though Kenny seems rehabilitated (though it’s hard to believe he was ever capable of mass murder), he knows his peers won’t accept him with open arms.

Adolescent angst is hard enough without the label of psycho killer, and Segal plays Kenny with an uncomfortable edge while still letting us see his raw and genuine spirit. He’s not a bad guy, but rather a disturbed kid who elicits sympathy. At Kenny’s side are his younger sister Lauren (Aya Cash) and world-traveling aunt Caroline (Arija Bereikis). Lauren is cynical and Juno-esque, and Cash brings out the conflicted attitudes of a 15-year-old who is too aware for her own good. Caroline is a big hippie and the only family member who assures Kenny that life will continue and inevitably improve after he gets through his teenage years.

The main reason I enjoyed From Up Here is because I actually cared about these characters and I wanted to know what would happen and how they would resolve their conflicts. The story never drills plot points into your head, nor does it expect you to pick up on inane details to understand what’s happening. The exposition occurs at a comfortable, conversational pace, and the dialogue is colloquial enough to ease you right into these people’s lives. Leigh Silverman’s direction keeps the energy high, and the talented designers (and sizable budgets) make it all realistic.

From Up Here is a well-crafted piece of theatre with the emphasis on telling a story live and on a stage. Without the frills and tactics of overproduced theatre, From Up Here is what it is: an interesting story that sucked me in and won me over.

From Up Here plays through June 8 at NY City Center, Stage 1, 131 W. 55th St. Tickets are $75 and available at the City Center website or by calling the box office at 212-581-1212; student tickets are $25 and are available day of show up to one hour before showtime (call the box office for more info). Visit mtc-nyc.org to learn more about From Up Here.

The other day I saw Jersey Boys, a Broadway musical unlike any other I’ve seen before. It’s not that the show itself was that phenomenally groundbreaking, or touching, or thought-provoking. And it’s not as if the cast, although they were quite good, were any more talented than any other ensemble out there. I’ve simply never before seen an audience so intensely connected with what was happening onstage.The Jersey Boys audience demographic is easy to pinpoint. If the performance I saw is any indication, I’d say 98 percent are upper-middle- to upper-class white folks between the ages of 50 and 65. The other 2 percent are conspicuously younger and tagging along with their parents/in-laws/sugar daddies. Yes, it’s true that the aforementioned demographic is pretty consistent for all Broadway shows, but there’s normally a younger and/or foreign faction in the audience too.

Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It’s a musical with very little dialogue, performed by what is essentially a really great Four Seasons cover band (although I fear some of the especially giddy audience members thought it was the real Four Seasons up there). Jersey Boys has officially been on Broadway for a couple of years now, and it won the Tony for Best New Musical in 2006. Although the buzz has died down significantly since it opened, Jersey Boys is still one of the hardest shows in town to get tickets for. I guess I should note that the reason I saw the show was because my boyfriend’s parents were in town and they bought our tickets — last summer.

Jersey Boys is still making scads of money and selling out regularly, in large part because it connects so deeply with its audience. As I sat there bopping my head and really enjoying the production, I still felt like I was missing out on something, like I wasn’t part of some inside secret. It was as if my fellow audience members were connected to the stage by a rope that was pulling them closer and closer until their happiness became audible, until they were literally singing along. I could see the flashbacks behind their eyes. Don’t get me wrong — I’m familiar with many of the Four Seasons’ songs and they remind me of fond times too, except that “Oh, What a Night” reminds me of summer camp and “Walk Like a Man” reminds me of Robin Williams in drag in Mrs. Doubtfire.

So this Jersey Boys experience got me thinking: if the Four Seasons’ songs can define a generation so fiercely that 40 years later this music incites weeping, what will represent me a few decades down the road? Here are some things I hope will not epitomize my generation: boy bands (from New Kids on the Block to ‘N Sync and every one in between), Boyz II Men’s Motownphilly, and the theme song from 90210. I did listen to a lot of Smashing Pumpkins during my formative years, but I’m not sure a Billy Corgan musical would be a big sell either.

Revolutionary movements like grunge and hip-hop certainly have their place in pop culture and music history, but it’s hard to tell if one band or act or artist can bring my generation together the way the Four Seasons entrances the baby boomers. Truthfully, I’m not sure there is one epitomizing band or sound or musical revolution that can sum up the ’90s, especially since music branched out into so many genres, and so much of it was overproduced anyway. Maybe someday we’ll see the Nirvana story with Frances Bean playing Courtney Love. But maybe it’s just as well if we don’t — my kids don’t need to see me reliving my teenage years as I sing along to “Come as You Are.”

BOTTOM LINE: One Coen brother behind the curtain is a lot like two Coen brothers behind the camera. Glorious!

Almost an Evening is written by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ethan Coen, who normally writes and directs alongside his brother, Joel, but this is a solo writing venture and also Ethan’s off-Broadway debut. And it rocks. The Coen brothers’ films are known for eccentric characters, dry humor, and an undertone of intellectual merit. If you haven’t already seen No Country for Old Men (2007’s Best Picture winner), Raising Arizona (1987), The Big Lebowski (1998), Fargo (1996), or O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), well, what are you waiting for?

This production is actually three short one-acts that aren’t related in subject matter but are certainly similar in tone and humor. The cast includes nine actors who play multiple parts throughout the show. The cool thing about Almost an Evening is that it brilliantly walks the line between poignant and funny; it’s not a passive theatre experience, but it’s also not a chore to follow along. Ethan doesn’t try to put anything past you, but it is intended for a more “with it” audience (read: not the geriatric crowd).

Almost an Evening brilliantly incorporates that great Coen mindfuck. You know what I mean — in a Coen brothers movie, it might be “Gee, how gruesome can this scene get before the audience vomits all over themselves?” or “Let’s convince the audience that something is true and then pull the rug out from under them at precisely the right moment.” Well, in this play, it’s more like Ethan is saying, “Hmm, I wonder if I can still tell this story if I keep it pitch black for five minutes.”

Almost an Evening premiered at Atlantic Theater Company in a sold-out run earlier this year; it’s now playing a limited off-Broadway engagement until June 1. It’s no surprise it was picked up for a longer run — the cast and crew are an acclaimed team. The cast includes many seasoned actors; they’re the kind of people you recognize but then have to look up on IMDB when you get home. The most notable cast member is F. Murray Abraham, who plays God like the curmudgeon-y love child of George Carlin and Lewis Black, and the show is directed by the very capable Neil Pepe, the artistic director at Atlantic Theater Company. Check it out while it’s still playing. It’s a good time.

Almost an Evening plays at the Theatres at 45 Bleecker, 45 Bleecker St., between Mott and Lafayette. Tickets are $50 and are available at the box office, at telecharge.com, or by calling 212-239-6200. Student tickets are available at the box office on the day of performance for $20. Visit almostanevening.com for more information.

Check out theatreiseasy.com for more reviews and info about the New York theatre scene.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s a chick flick on stage, so dudes might not be interested. A good choice for a girls’ night out.

Crimes of the Heart is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that was written in the early ’80s and turned into an Oscar-winning film in 1986. The story has a very “American” feel; this is probably supported by the fact that it’s set in the Deep South and everyone speaks with thick Mississippi accents. Here’s the story: three sisters with a dysfunctional past come together when the youngest sister shoots her husband. Requisite drama ensues because wild-child middle sister Meg doesn’t see eye to eye with eldest sister Lenny, and also because unstable upbringings make for good conflict later in life. It’s a dark comedy, but not nearly as depressing as it sounds.

Crimes of the Heart has all the components that make for good girly escapism: the three main characters are females aged 24-30; it’s somewhat relatable, with ample family drama and sibling rivalry; there are love interests and a tryst; and the two guys in the play are hunky enough. Luckily, though, Crimes of the Heart is written with such insight and nuance that it substantiates a story line fit for a soap opera. It never feels frivolous.

The cast is really good, especially Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, and Jennifer Dundas as the three sisters. A dynamic pace is instantly set between these three and they work hard to maintain the pace throughout the play. They’re all seasoned actors, and it’s apparent they know what they’re doing. Technically speaking, the production is great, as is most work from Roundabout Theatre Company. The set is perfectly appropriate for a home in rural Mississippi in 1974, and though the script is wordy at times, the direction keeps it all gently moving along. It should be noted that this revival of Crimes of the Heart is directed by Kathleen Turner, in her directorial debut.

The original production of Crimes of the Heart opened in 1981. I have to assume the story was more provocative then than it happens to be today. It certainly still holds because it’s set in 1974 and it’s a very human story, but I feel like audiences today are much more desensitized than they were a couple of decades ago. The conflict in the plot is no doubt dramatic, but it’s much more palatable than many of the dysfunctional black comedies that have recently been produced. This doesn’t negate the narrative — it just helps to ground it in the time frame in which it’s set.

If you’re under 35, check out Crimes of the Heart for only $20 as part of Roundabout’s Hiptix program; it’s a steal for this caliber of theatre. If you’re paying full price for a ticket, make sure you’re in it for an enjoyable and easily digestible story rather than anything poignant or esoteric.

Crimes of the Heart plays at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111 W. 46th St. Through April 20: Tue-Sat 7:30 PM, and Wed, Sat, and Sun 2 PM. For tickets call 212-719-1300 or visit roundabouttheatre.com.

Check out theatreiseasy.com for more reviews and info about the New York theatre scene.

BOTTOM LINE: A beautiful and well-conceived macabre musical — nontraditional, for sure, but imaginative and quirky. For those who embrace artsy, interpretive theatre.

Adding Machine is a new musical playing off-Broadway that comes to New York from Chicago. It’s a musical adaption of Elmer Rice’s play from 1923 about an accountant named Mr. Zero who lives a completely mundane and generic life and finds himself going insane from the mediocrity of his existence. Sound relatable? Zero completely loses it when he is let go from his job; since the invention of the adding machine, there isn’t a need for his work by hand. Zero is a wonderful anti-hero; he is not a sympathetic man, but he inadvertently solicits compassion since his life is just so sad.

I am extremely impressed with the conception of this story. The production’s main color palate is gray and black, reiterating the desolate feel of these mediocre lives. The costumes are also gray and loose, not giving any character too much definition. Even the direction feels desperate; there’s a heaviness to the movement of these people. And true to the trend of new 21st century musical theatre, Adding Machine uses video projection in its set design.

Adding Machine is respectful of the era in which it takes place and the production itself has a very ’20s feel. Even the music is evocative of the time; it’s almost vaudevillian, but much darker and more tragic. Daisy, Mr. Zero’s co-worker and unrequited love, sings a song about her love for Zero that evokes Chicago without the Fosse. Musically speaking, Adding Machine is remarkable. It’s almost an operetta. In the 90 minute intermission-less production there wasn’t a single time that the audience applauded, simply because there wasn’t a break in which to applaud. The music and story roll together beautifully throughout the entire production. The cast is only 9 people and the orchestra only 3, but the sound produced by these people feels totally full and whole. It’s amazing what sounds the intricate harmonies can produce.

Even though I really enjoyed Adding Machine, it is definitely not a musical for the masses. Adding Machine is weird and not in a campy, Rocky Horror way; it’s weird in an avant-garde, twisted way. You probably have to have a predisposition for creepy storytelling and also a tolerance for artistic quirks you might not understand. Check it out if you’re into new musical theatre or inventive new ways to tell classic stories.

Adding Machine plays at the Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane, in the West Village, Tue-Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, and Sun 3 PM. For tickets call 212-307-4100 or 212-420-8000.

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The spring theatre season is officially under way! We now present our top picks for all of your March New York theatre needs (click on a show title below to read the Theatre Is Easy review) …

To take a date: In the Heights
A romantic and uplifting musical with some smokin’-hot, Latin-influenced choreography.

To take your parents: August: Osage County
Takes this spot for the second month. Family dysfunction has never been funnier.

Cheap but awesome: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
Chicago’s Neo-Futurists perform 30 plays in 30 minutes for less than 50 cents a play.

For a laugh: The 39 Steps
A fun, goofy, wonderfully British ride.

For a good story: Liberty City
A compelling story about the fight for civil liberties in south Florida in the late ’70s.

Quick, before it closes: Liberty City
Plays like this don’t come around that often — and unfortunately don’t always stick around that long.

Visit theatreiseasy.com for more New York theatre reviews and useful info.

BOTTOM LINE: In the Heights is the first musical I’ve seen in a long time that has something for everyone. It’s original and provocative without being whiny, and the music, choreography, and talent are all top-notch.

In the Heights has so much heart that I just want to give Lin-Manuel Miranda a hug. Miranda conceived the original idea, wrote the music and lyrics, and stars in the show. It’s safe to assume his work is at least somewhat autobiographical. The “Heights” refers to Washington Heights, and the show gives you an inside look at life in the barrio. Appropriately, much of the music and choreography are hip-hop influenced.

Although In the Heights is innovative in style and theme, it respectfully maintains a more traditional musical theatre structure. Usnavi (Miranda) serves as the narrator and invites the audience into his neighborhood to meet his people. The musical theatre conventions and conflicts are all in place: it’s sort of a coming-of-age story in a poor neighborhood where everyone is trying to get up and/or out. Meanwhile, the ingenue falls in love with the wrong boy, and everyone struggles to make ends meet and do right for their families. Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes — she wrote the book — tell a linear story about realistic people in a place that really exists.

The great thing about In the Heights is that the story is about 2008 and it’s told in a style that is appropriate for this time period. In the Heights uses music and choreography to help define place and time, and in doing so, it takes musical theatre to a groundbreaking place. Hip-hop works in musical theatre.

This show is original, and I can’t explain how refreshing that is. It actually has something new to say. So much of what’s on Broadway is derived from movies and books and plugged into “the Broadway machine.” In the Heights is original, it’s amazingly well done, and I hope it gets the respect it deserves.

It comes to Broadway from an extended run off-Broadway last year. If you saw it off-Broadway, here’s what you need to know: not that much has changed, but it’s a lot less gritty than it used to be. The Broadway version offers a beefier orchestra, flashier lighting, and a set that looks like a Hollywood interpretation of Washington Heights. They’ve added a couple of new songs and changed a couple of plot details to help explain the story, but it’s essentially the same as before. It plays well in a big Broadway theatre, and Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography looks even hotter on a larger stage. If you’ve seen it before, see it again; it’s interesting to compare.

In the Heights is in previews at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St., and opens March 9. Tickets are available at the box office and through Ticketmaster; $26.50 ticket lottery available, more info to come (intheheightsthemusical.com).

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