2.5 out of 5 stars

"44 The Musical" is an over-the-top satire about the Obama presidency. Sad to say it's also overheated, overmiked and especially overlong. It does have quite a few fun moments, powerful (if blaring) singing and some sharp dancing. And a terrific cast is led by T.J. Wilkins as the lionized-yet-lampooned Obama and Chad Doreck as the often-bewildered Joe Biden. But the show is just too crowded with familiar history (presented more cartoonishly than incisively) and exhausting repetition. First-time writer/composer Eli Bauman also directed; his sporadically enjoyable work could have benefited from a more seasoned hand to sharpen and shorten it. — Adam Z. Horvath

At the Daryl Roth Theater, through Jan. 4, 2026; 44theobamamusical.com. (Review date: Nov. 14, 2025)