TheaterMania’s third roundup of reviews for the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival

Audiences may be dismayed, after waiting outside the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre in what resembles a TSA screening line, to see even more ropes and poles on the stage. Fear not: This is just David Gallo’s brilliantly minimalist set to the hilarious Clinton, which has viewers in hysterics for a two-hour condensation of the eight-year Clinton presidency. Is that rope protecting the VIPs at the center of this story, or merely holding them back? Australian brothers Michael and Paul Hodge examine that and much more in this madcap political farce. Clinton tracks WJ (Karl Kenzler) and his alter ego Billy (Duke LaFoon) from his 1993 inauguration right across the bridge to the year 2000. That’s right: There are two Bills for Hillary (Alet Taylor) to wrangle, each embodying a concentrated aspect of Clinton’s personality. WJ sings a dignified speech to the tune of “Hail to the Chief.” Billy croons, “It depends what the meaning of ‘is’ is” while swinging jazz horns underscore. The former is the serious-minded policy wonk, while the latter just wants to have fun and play the sax. Their conversations together imagine the answer to the oft-asked question, What was he thinking?