Theater

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "The New Age," starring Judy Davis and Peter Weller. The film is directed by Michael Tolkin, author of "The Player."

Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new Robert Redford film, about a real-life game show scandal in the 1950s.

Aside from "My So-Called Life," critic David Bianculli isn't impressed by any of the new TV offerings this fall. But with so many excellent returning shows, the season is guaranteed to be good.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Fresh," a movie about black youth in Brooklyn, directed by Boaz Yakin, who is white and Jewish.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Natural Born Killers," starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis.

Actor and playwright Vernel Bagneris and pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen perform selections from their show, "Jelly Roll Morton: A Me-morial," with music written by Morton, and a script taken from Library of Congress tapes of Morton from 1938. The New Yorker calls it, "an experimental study, done within a traditional Broadway-musical framework, of the life and death of a black misanthrope. . . a psychomusical." This concert was first broadcast in 1992.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews ABC's excellent new teen drama by the producers of "thirtysomething." This series premieres tonight.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews the Hitchcock-esque, psychological drama by director Richard Rush.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new movie "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," by Australian director Stephan Elliott.

Shell has just written his first novel, "Iced," about a talented and ambitious man who is also addicted to crack. As an actor, Shell has appeared in many shows in England, including "Miss Saigon," "Starlight Express," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Hair." He is also a songwriter, and has written music for singer Kate Bush.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "A Clear and Present Danger," a macho and intelligent espionage thriller starring Harrison Ford.

We pay tribute to singer Dorothy Collins, who died yesterday at the age of 67. Collins was the star of the 1950's TV show "Your Hit Parade," and received a Tony nomination in1971 for her role in Stephen Sondheim's Broadway show "Follies." We will play "Losing My Mind," from that show.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead substitutes for Stephen Schiff and reviews the new movie "The Client," based on John Grisham's bestselling legal thriller.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new Arnold Schwarzenegger/Jamie Lee Curtis film. Schiff says it features small-scale wit and large-scale pyrotechnics -- though it never manages to blend the two.

In 1986, Donna Murphy was a woman in drag in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” In 1991, she was introduced as “a girl who will steal your heart and then forget where she put it,” playing the amnesiac songstress in “Song of Singapore.” Having become one of Broadway’s most sought-after actresses, Murphy is now playing the lead in Stephen Sondheim’s latest musical, “Passion.” Of the role, which has her playing an ugly, hysterical woman obsessively pursuing a handsome army captain, Murphy says, “I love transformation of any kind...I want to look in the mirror and not see Donna looking back at me.”<

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews Tom Hanks' new movie "Forrest Gump."

Performance poet Sekou Sundiata. Often he performs with his music ensemble, "Dadahdoodahda." A Village Voice critic wrote of Sundiata, ". . . like Billie Holiday, Sundiata surprises with images and tumbling phrases that blend with subtle rhythmic variations. Dadahdoodahda provided enough familiar riffs and melodies to fill a dance floor. . .

Songwriter Stephen Sondheim. Last fall he gave a talk at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. We broadcast that talk. Sondheim's latest work, "Passion," opens tonight.

Once one of the most powerful reviewers in America, The New York Times' former drama critic, Frank Rich. It was a great day for many playwrights when RICH stepped down as critic late last year. The British press once dubbed him "The Butcher of Broadway;" playwright David Mamet called him "a terrible critic. . . an unfortunate blot on the American theatre." Some playwrights and directors even chose to take their work elsewhere to save themselves from a review by Rich.

Magician and juggler Penn Jillette. He's one half of the comedy team of Penn and Teller. They are to traditional magic what the Rolling Stones are to the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Penn and Teller revel in making fun of traditional magicians, whom they characterize as sleazy lounge performers. Their hit Broadway show was a mix of rock and roll, insults, self-injury and baffling illusions. When David Letterman invited Penn and Teller to "Late Night," the pair made hundreds of hissing cockroaches appear on Dave's desk.