The cast and crew alone should spark excitement for Vladimir. The new play by Erika Sheffer, directed by the Tony Award–winning Daniel Sullivan, stars Norbert Leo Butz—one of nine actors to have won two Tonys in the Best Actor in a Musical category. And then there’s the gripping story, which follows an independent journalist living in Moscow during Vladimir Putin’s first term. Engaged and passionate at first, she becomes increasingly disillusioned as the political landscape deteriorates. How far will she go to stand up for her morals, her country, and herself? —Jeanne Malle