Little Bear Ridge Road.

Unfortunately I was not able to see "Little Bear Ridge Road" when critics were allowed in to review it. Seeing it today though was a great experience. Samuel D. Hunter wrote a magnificent body of work here.

Director Joe Mantello had this play at the right pace throughout the 90 minute intermission-less show. The play is gut wrenching at times and heart felt at other times. The plot is both hard hitting and funny at the same time.

Laurie Metcalf is perhaps at her very best in this play. Her personality, her brusque answers reminded me of her role in "Roseanne". Here, Metcalf commands her role; she is consistent and always believable. She can scream at someone over the phone and answer a question asked by her nephew all in the same sentence. Nothing phases her as being a nurse for 40 years, she has seen everything that makes her immune from pain. She is pragmatic and blunt.

Sarah (Metcalf) and Ethan (Micah Stock) are on stage for most of the play. There chemistry is brilliant. Mantello has the two banter about with great body language. The both feed off of each other and the audience eats it up! Where Ethan is fragile, Sarah is not. The two share many tender moments, especially when it comes to the TV shows that they watch. Hunter is quick to poke fun when one watches a show without the other (this happens quite a bit to most families who watch streaming shows together).

When Ethan has opinions of Sarah he is mostly confounded by her answers. Sarah is not judgemental and her aloof attitude is no way to be confused with her caring. Because she doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve doesn't mean that she is not emotional about things.

The show takes place in Idaho, and Ethan is there to sell his father's home. It is here he meets James (John Drea). Ethan can change his life around, a life that up until now has not been to wonderful. Ethan must make decisions of where he wants his life to go from here. We finally realize just how frustrated Ethan has been, how he sees himself as a person.

The set by Scott Pask is a simple one; a couch that is multi functional. The costumes are very basic (Jessica Pabst) and never take away from the story itself. Heather Gilbert's lighting is very well done. Her blend of colors support the show well. Never overbearing but just the right amount of blending balances the performance.

"Little Bear Ridge Road" may very well be the best play of this Fall 2025 season, a show that may very well land Laurie Metcalf another Tony Award for Best Actress!

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The next up for Broadway will be "Bug". "Bug" will conclude this very up and down Broadway season. Even the off Broadway shows that had great fanfare at the beginning of the season received luke warm reviews; some even received flat out horrible notices. "Richard II" starring Michael Urie got demolished by critics; so too did "This World of Tomorrow" starring Tom Hanks. "Tartuffe" starring Matthew Broderick is not getting either critical or audience acclaim. As this show struggles at NYTW, one has to ask: is Matt Ross to blame? Since he has done PR there, been involved there, shows have struggled unmercifully. "Anna Christie" at St. Anne's Warehouse too is struggling with both critics as well as the audience. Show Score has it in the 60's!

The Spring season has some promising shows coming out, so let's hope for the best.

Broadway, Laurie Metcalf, "Roseanne", NYTW, Tartuffe, Anna Christie, Tom Hanks, Richard II, Astor Place Theatre, Michael Urie, St. Anne's Warehouse, Tony Awards, Little Bear Ridge Road, Aladdin, The Lion King.