After Miss Julie
American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-719-1300
Sienna Miller has played spoiled rich girls before, but this adaptation of the classic play Miss Julie allows her to be calculating and predatory in a way she’s never been seen before. Whether seducing her servant or berating him, Miller gives, as our critic Stephanie Zacharek wrote, “a performance scrubbed raw.”
Closes December 6
Hamlet
Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 212-239-6200
Michael Grandage’s production of the Bard’s greatest tragedy, brought over from London, may be a bit heavy-handed, but Jude Law’s performance as the titular prince is anything but that. Light on his feet, Law’s Hamlet is passionate and hyperliterate, so full of fury that he can barely stand still for a moment as he recites his polished lines.
Closes December 6
Oleanna
John Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 212-239-6200
David Mamet’s response to the political correctness of the early nineties doesn’t register with audiences today the way it once did, but its celebrity stars manage to breathe some life into it. Bill Pullman’s turn as a professor accused of sexual harassment is stylized, but Julia Stiles is outstanding, bringing the play an element of terror that it needs.
Closes December 6
A Steady Rain
Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45th St., nr. Broadway; 212-239-6200
Keith Huff’s new play presents a story that could have been cobbled together from TV cop dramas, but that didn’t stop this show from becoming the box-office hit of the season. Matinee idols Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman teamed up for this two-hander, working hard to overcome the uninspired material. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that both actors aren’t bad to look at.
Closes December 6
Nightingale
City Center, 131 W. 55th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-581-1212
In a season full of dynamic one-woman shows, Lynn Redgrave’s subdued examination of the life of her grandmother could have been a misfire. Instead, the stage and screen vet gives a probing look at her own past as well as her grandmother’s, simply by sitting at a small table and addressing the audience. That she is currently fighting cancer only makes this a more impressive feat.
Closes December 13