3.5 out of 5 stars

When a great actor takes on a role that is near and dear to him, something special can happen. That’s clearly the case with this new Broadway production of Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid” starring Bill Irwin as Argan, the insufferable hypochondriac. (Adding to Irwin’s evident passion for the piece is the fact he adapted the script.) Irwin has way too much fun with every line and clownish gesture, but so does the rest of the cast. It’s a highly stylized production – think Baroque fantasia – that can be almost exhausting, but it’s all in the good name of goofball merriment.

A Roundabout Theatre Company production at the Todd Haimes Theatre, through Nov. 22, 2026; roundabouttheatre.org.