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What the critics say

Matt Windman

1:57 PM EDT, June 26, 2008

Goodtime Charley Larry Grossman's 1975 flop Broadway musical about the relationship between Joan of Arc and King Charles makes a short return as part of the York's Musicals in Mufti staged reading series. "Mufti" means, "in street clothes, without the usual trappings." The cast includes Jenn Colella, Michael Winther and Nick Wyman. (Matt Windman) York Theatre Company, 619 Lexington Ave, 212-352-3101, $20-35. Fri 8pm, Sat 2:30 & 8pm, Sun 2:30 & 7:30pm. Thru Sun.

The Radio Hits of 1958 Presented in the spirit of American Bandstand, complete with back-up singers, dancers and live band, this new concert event modeled after Town Hall's Broadway By the Year series will journey back to yesteryear with songs like "Yakety Yak," "Who's Sorry Now," "At The Hop," "Great Balls of Fire," and "Jailhouse Rock." The cast includes Max von Essen, Nancy Anderson and Jennifer Hope Wills. (Matt Windman) Town Hall, 123 West 43rd St, 866-448-7849, $40.

Palace of the End Playwright Judith Thompson has based her uneven if powerful new drama on three real-life individuals who have been -- for better or worse -- intimately connected to the current Middle East crisis. The author has taken liberties with each story, staying true to the basic facts, but taking a leap into the imagination in order to depict her subjects' interior lives. (Theatermania) Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd St, 212-279-4200, $50. Fri 8pm, Sat 3 & 8pm, Sun 3pm. Thru July 13.

A Perfect Couple The DR2 Theater gives us "A Perfect Couple," a not unrewarding play by Brooke Berman. It concerns three middle-aged friends who gather at Isaac's country house one summer weekend, trying to redefine themselves and their relationships. Berman's last play, "Hunting and Gathering," had a huge appeal to hip urbanites on-the-go. With this new work, the author moves in a decidedly different direction. (Curtainup) DR2, 103 East 15th St, 212-239-6200. Fri-Sat 8pm. Thru July 12.