Sunday, April 30, 2023 - Not to overly HEROIZE today's constructors, but this puzzle was NONSTOP fun!

This crossword is really -- to borrow from 54A, Baseball slang for home run -- a TATER (our favorite new word for something fabulous). What elevates this NYTimes Crossword from merely brilliant to something stratospherically stunning is the theme: but the surrounding cast of characters, aka the non-themed clues, are themselves terrific. Definitely 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, and to find out exactly why, have a listen. Also, to see this Mona Lisa of a crossword, fully solved, check out xwor...