Anybody who knows me well knows that I’m an avid fan of theater in NYC. I see almost all shows on Broadway (some more than once), and I can rattle off the names of numerous Broadway creatives from actors to choreographers to ensemble dancers to composers and more. I also used to photograph the Tony nominees every year for another publication.
So I thought you might find it useful to hear my recommendations for Broadway shows to see this summer if you’re coming to New York. Most of what’s hanging around all summer are musicals. But it’s another golden age right now of both straight plays and musicals, with so much that’s wonderful. You almost can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. But here are my two cents:
The Outsiders. This musical based on the book from the 1960s and movie from the 1980s is my top pick on Broadway this season. (Some people might consider this sacrilegious, but I prefer the musical to the film.) Nominated for 12 Tony Awards and with a stellar young cast, many of them making their Broadway debut, this production is moving and beautifully done.
Mostly, I love the score by Jamestown Revival and Jonathan Levine. it’s filled with touching songs that further the plot nicely and show us the rich inner life of the characters. And the rumble scene is the best example of fight choreography I have ever seen on stage. It brings down the house with at least two minutes of applause at each performance.
The song below is my current favorite from the show.
Suffs. This musical with a score and book by Shaina Taub started out at The Public Theater Off-Broadway, where everyone told me it needed work. So I skipped it. But they’ve worked out the kinks, and it’s now a solid piece of theater with a wonderful cast and six Tony nominations. It tells the important story of the suffragists who won the right for women to vote.
Taub plays Alice Paul, the real woman who also authored the Equal Rights Amendment, and the show is populated by other real characters from our history. Like The Outsiders, this show made me cry. Some have said it has tried to copy Hamilton, but I think this is a ridiculous accusation. There is no rap in the show, as it has a very traditional score. The only similarity is that it’s also a musical depiction of American history, but that’s where the similarities end.
After The Outsiders, this show is my second choice for the best score Tony Award. Here’s my favorite song from Suffs.
The Great Gatsby. This show got only one Tony nomination (for costumes), which I think is a travesty. It should also have received Tony nominations for the set and choreography, as well as for actors Jeremy Jordan, Eva Noblezada, and Noah J. Ricketts. Along with the rest of the cast, they are singing the hell out of a damn good score, if you ask me. Jeremy has arguably the best tenor voice on Broadway at the moment, and he’s simply thrilling as Jay Gatsby (not to mention funny (when appropriate), dashing, touching, and tragic).
The sets and costumes are lavish, as you’d expect of a show about this story. Unfortunately, critics seemed to think it should be more like the book. But when has a musical ever been able to be enough like the book it’s based on? Musicals just can’t be. It takes much longer to tell a story on stage and even longer with songs interspersed throughout. To my mind, it tells the story well enough and does it beautifully.
So in my opinion, don’t listen to the critics, and GO SEE THIS SHOW! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Below is a mashup of two of my favorite songs in the score with the remarkable Jeremy and Eva. (Don’t worry – Eva doesn’t wear this costume in the show.)
Hell’s Kitchen. This musical has the most Tony nominations (13) of any this season. With a made-up story that’s very loosely based on the life of Alicia Keys, it uses her music to tell that story. So technically, it’s what we call a “jukebox musical,” which means it uses prewritten pop music rather than a score that was written specifically for the story.
I’m definitely more fond of musicals with original scores because I know what a feat it is to create them, but Hell’s Kitchen is probably the best jukebox musical I’ve ever seen. It helps a lot that they didn’t try to make it truly autobiographical. That gave them creative leeway to craft it better to fit the songs. Still, the story doesn’t mold itself seamlessly around the lyrics.
It’s also not my favorite because I find I’m preferring the more serious subject matter of shows like The Outsiders, Suffs, and Gatsby. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this show, and one of my favorite actresses, Kecia Lewis, is turning in a performance that’s exceptionally worthy of her Tony nomination.
The Notebook. I saw this musical early on and loved it, and it’s nominated for three Tony Awards. Unfortunately, it has been usurped to some degree by the unusually large number of excellent new musicals. But it’s a fine piece of work with a lovely score by Ingrid Michaelson. With colorblind casting and three sets of Noahs and Allies at different ages, it really works.
If you’re a fan of the book or the movie that starred Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, you’ll love this. Just bring tissues. It’s as much of a tearjerker on stage as it is on film.
The Heart of Rock and Roll. No Tony love for this show even though it got good reviews. I think in a season that wasn’t so stuffed with great shows, this one would be doing better. While I’m leaning toward the shows with more serious subject matter and original scores, this jukebox musical of Huey Lewis and the News songs is a laugh riot and loads of fun.
The hunky and talented Corey Cott leads a wonderful cast. If you want to laugh and live it up, this is the show for you. His costar, Mackenzie Kurtz, has the comedy chops of an Annaleigh Ashford, and I’m always happy to see the very funny and talented Raymond J. Lee on stage. Billy Harrigan Tighe is also a scream in this show, and he’s one helluva dancer!
Stereophonic. This is a straight play with music set in the 1970s that’s very loosely based on the back story of Fleetwood Mac. The songs by Will Butler are excellent, but it’s frustrating that you don’t get to hear them in their entirety on stage. That’s because the play is set in a recording studio while a band is recording an album and falling apart due to in-fighting.
The cast is great, but I was frustrated by the hyper-realist style that had some characters talking over each other and sometimes about trivia that I didn’t care about. I also felt it was much longer than it needed to be – more than three hours total. The first part before the intermission was 1-3/4 hours long. Frankly, I got sleepy.
That said, critics and audiences are loving it, and it’s apparently the most Tony-nominated play of all time.
Illinoise. This much-lauded show might be just what you’re looking for. The sad story is told in dance with no dialogue, while singers perform the songs away from the action. So it isn’t like most Broadway musicals.
The performances are great, but I’m not a fan of Justin Peck’s Tony-nominated choreography. Others are loving it, however, so you may disagree with me. I am a big fan of lead dancer, Ricky Ubeda, and the singers blew my mind. The music is from Sufjan Stevens’ album of the same name. It’s nominated for four Tony Awards.
The Who’s Tommy. This is an excellent revival of this rock musical. Unfortunately, I’m just not a big fan of the entire score. I love the most famous songs, “Pinball Wizard” and “See Me, Feel Me,” but I’m not fond of the rest. It’s a strange story, but if you like classic rock, you’ll love it. Ali Louis Bourzgui in the lead is wonderful.
The Wiz. This show didn’t get very good reviews, but I thought it was great fun. The cast is fantastic, and it’s colorful, well-sung, and well-danced. It’s also a great show for kids. Wayne Brady, who was playing the Wiz, has left the cast, but it’s still worth seeing without him. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Back to the Future. I’m including this show, which has been running for a while, because it’s one of the few shows right now that your kids will probably love. Led by the wonderful Casey Likes and Roger Bart (who is a national treasure), I love this silly show that pays tribute to the movie most of us know well and love just as much. The magical stagecraft will also leave you in awe. Go if you want to laugh and have the time of your life.
If you think, “she’s missing a few shows,” you’re right. There are a handful I still haven’t seen yet, including the Tony-nominated Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and Water for Elephants. And there are shows still coming this summer, including Once Upon a Mattress with Sutton Foster and Michael Urie and the play, Oh, Mary!
I’m also not mentioning the shows that have been running a while or the ones that are getting ready to close, such as the much-nominated Sondheim musical, Merrily We Roll Along, with Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez. But if you get here fast enough, you might be able to snag a ticket for some of those.
Visit Playbill for a full list of Broadway shows.
In the comments, let me know what you’ve liked the best or what you want to see the most.
But before you run off and pay full price for tickets, read my advice for getting discounts. The shows that are selling best won’t have discounts, but some will.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and the International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 39 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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