A joyful, optimistic, brilliantly composed vision, Haydn's great oratorio jibed perfectly with Enlightenment philosophy, and went on to offer a couple of hours of comfort and relief as war darkened the start of the 19th century. Today, it continues to bring joy.

This brilliantly acted small-stage revival of the Pulitzer Prize winner's Broadway play dives into the culture of machismo and finds answers elusive.

This novel about the biblical King David gives strong personalities to the women of the story, who in the texts are mostly merely wives, pawns, and victims. And the richness of the flowing prose matches Brooks's heightened imaginative powers.

This musical-in-progress about a legendary New York City innovator and force of nature – who isn't Alexander Hamilton – shows a lot of promise.

A rural healthcare provider draws the ire of a trio of religious fanatics in Larry Kent's strange new horror flick.

Devised by playwright Patricia Lynn and director Geordie Broadwater, this hybrid or mutant entertainment is told in old-style cinematic fashion, but updated storywise to the present day, while hewing largely to the plot of the original novel. I found its curiosities just right for Halloween season.

Keen Company's production of the 'Rent' auteur's rarely-performed early musical is just plain great. An all-around skillful team does right by the show's simple, focussed story, letting its sincerity and real-life evocativeness shine.

Though flawed, this workshop production by New York Shakespeare Exchange of Kevin Brewer's new stage adaptation of Shakespeare's long poem offers extremely impressive writing, skillful direction by Cristina Lundy, and some superb performances.

With polished young performers on many different instruments at her disposal, Podger presented a wide range of music that featured flutes, oboes, and bassoon as well as strings.

Playwright David Stallings's potentially gimmicky concept, directed by Antonio Minino with equal parts gravitas and wit, flowers into a richly imagined garden of passions, philosophy, and humor.