New shows!

"middlemen"

We're smack in the middle of that wonderful period when more shows are starting up than are closing out. With extravaganzas like the kid-friendly "Finian's" Rainbow" makes its return to Broadway, and revivals (like the Irish Repertory's thrilling cast in "The Emperor Jones"), it'd be easy to miss small dramas like the timely "middlemen", a piece of snark that takes aim at the corporate drones who helped collapse the world economy. Still, our Pick of the Week is "The Understudy", whose smart writer and hilarious actress are a guarantee of backstage hilarity.

Avenue Q
Where: New World Stages
First night: Friday, Oct. 9
opening night: Wednesday, Oct. 21
URL: AvenueQ.com
This hilarious, profane, puppet musical makes its unprecedented move from Broadway to Off-Broadway. If you haven't caught its clever post-college parody of Sesame Street—with advice about casual sex, race, and renting in modern NYC—you should go now, since its move gives it a revitalized energy!

A Disaster Begins
Where: Here Arts Center
First night: Friday, Oct. 9
Closing night: Saturday, Oct. 17
URL: Here.org
A harrowing piece about a hurricane that devastated Galveston TX over a century ago. The parallels with 2005 New Orleans are obvious, of course. But trust the gifted Veanne Cox and local writer/director Ain Gordon to bring to life the particular story of a woman who finds love and art in the midst of catastrophe.

The Emperor Jones
Where: Irish Repertory Theater
First night: Wednesday, Oct. 7
opening night: Sunday, Oct. 18
closing night: Sunday, Nov. 29
URL: IrishRep.org
John Douglas Thompson won several acting awards for his Othello last season; now he conquers another classic tragic role in Eugene O'Neill's "Emperor Jones". His titanic presence should lend force to the tricky role of a train conductor-turned-dictator who experiences a night of primal terror.

Finian's Rainbow
Where: St. James Theater
First night: Thursday, Oct. 8
Opening night: Thursday, Oct. 29
URL: FiniansOnBroadway.com
We're a little surprised to see this kid-friendly musical from Broadway's Golden Age make its return after a 40-year absence. Maybe we've sold it short: it's got tunes by Yip Harburg ("The Wizard of Oz"), a whimsical love affair, a leprechaun, an observation or two about bigotry, and even a credit crisis.

Glue Trap
Where: Axis Theater
First night: Thursday, Oct. 8
Opening night: Saturday, Oct. 10
Closing night: Saturday, Nov. 7
URL: AxisCompany.org
A Latina actress offers her perspective on the Big Apple by comparing it to a glue trap: the more you struggle, the longer you stay. She trades a successful career in Brazil for the chance to act in New York, but finds that her dayjob cleaning apartments allows an indiscrete peek into the lives of locals.

Good Bobby
Where: 59e59
First night: Thursday, Oct. 8
Opening night: Wednesday, Oct. 14
Closing night: Sunday, Nov. 8
URL: 59e59.org
Almost fifty years later, it's astonishing to hear how honest, idealistic, and inspiring Robert Kennedy truly was. If you're feeling disillusioned by politicians—and who isn't, these days?—or if you simply like a good biography, you should check out this one-man show about one of America's great leaders.

The Lady With All the Answers
Where: Cherry Lane Theater
First night: Wednesday, Oct. 7
Opening night: Wednesday, Oct. 14
Closing night: Sunday, Nov. 29
URL: CherryLaneTheatre.org
Who doesn't like to give advice? Fans of unvarnished honesty will want to check out this zesty monologue drawn from the life and letters of the witty Ann Landers. It's been immensely popular across the country, and it finally arrives in Gotham starring two-time Tony winner Judith Ivey.

middlemen
Where: Walkerspace
First night: Friday, Oct. 9
Opening night: Saturday, Oct. 10
Closing night: Friday, Oct. 30
URL: MiddlemenThePlay.org
This comic parable for our times about two midlevel drones who may be the last men left in the building, who may have destroyed the economy of a small country, and who now must face the consequences of just following orders. It comes with good buzz, and it's free with proof of unemployment!

Such Things Happen Only in Books
Where: Theatre Row
First night: Tuesday, Oct. 6
Closing night: Saturday, Nov. 14
URL: KeenCompany.org
Thornton Wilder is having a renaissance decades after his height, with the Off-B'way "Our Town" approaching its anniversary and a surprising 2004 production of "Pullman Car Hiawatha" showing off his minor work. The producers of "Pullman", the classy Keen Company, now offer a bill of Wilder one-acts.

The Understudy
Where: Laura Pels Theater
First night: Friday, Oct. 9
Opening night: Thursday, Nov. 5
Closing night: Sunday, Jan. 3
URL: RoundaboutTheatre.org
A backstage comedy about the most thankless role in every play: the understudy. This show reteams the wicked writing of Theresa Rebeck with the razor-sharp timing of comedienne Julie White. They're two of the best craftswomen in NYC theater, the closest that comedy comes to guaranteeing a fun evening.

Last chance!
THE COLUMBINE PROJECT
Where: Actors Temple Theater
URL: TheColumbineProject.com

IN THE DAYLIGHT
Where: McGinn-Cazale Theatre
URL: VitalTheatre.org

LUCK
Where: 59E59
URL: 59e59.org

THE PIED PIPERS OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Where: Theatre 80
URL: TheAmoralists.com