While I haven’t seen every show currently on Broadway, I’ve seen most of them. In this article, I’ll give you my honest opinion about the ones I’ve seen, but I’ll only include the news shows. I won’t discuss long-running shows like Hamilton or The Lion King. Here’s my rundown (I’ve given 6 of these “top pick” status, so there’s lot to see):
Boop! The Musical.*TOP PICK* If you want to see an old-fashioned style, big Broadway musical that makes you feel good, this is an excellent choice. I thoroughly enjoyed this show, even though it’s mostly frivolous with some nice feminist moments during the second act. Jasmine Amy Rogers, however, who plays Betty Boop, is a revelation, making a star turn in this role that earned her a Tony Award nomination. The show was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, who brought us Kinky Boots. Highly recommended if you like pure entertainment.
Buena Vista Social Club.*TOP PICK* I absolutely adored this show. There is a story (which is mostly true), but it’s more of a showcase for the singers, dancers, and musicians to perform the incredible vintage Cuban music that you’ll hear throughout. These are virtuoso performers (they’re even set to receive a special Tony award), and I can’t imagine that you won’t want to dance in your seat. I plan to see this one again.
Death Becomes Her. This hilarious show is loads of fun, but it wouldn’t be my top choice. Led by Broadway stars Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard, who sing the hell out of the songs, I still can’t say I remembered more than one of the tunes. If you liked the movie and want to laugh hard, this might be the show for you, but I don’t quite understand why it received so many Tony nominations.
Floyd Collins. This show at Lincoln Center (a little off the beaten path from other Broadway theaters), is by composer Adam Guettel (the grandson of Richard Rodgers and the composer of The Light in the Piazza). It showcases big Broadway star and incredible singer Jeremy Jordan. I see everything he does. It’s based on the true tragic story of a Kentucky miner, which makes it anything but a feel-good musical. Guettel’s score is also not as accessible as most Broadway music, but it’s worth seeing for the wonderful cast and the incomparable Jordan. The show received 6 Tony nominations.
Good Night and Good Luck.*TOP PICK* This straight play based on the film stars George Clooney. Need I say more? There’s nothing new from the movie, but it’s well done and timely, as it shows how much we need journalists in order to keep checks on our government.
Gypsy. This revival of one of the best musicals ever written has been beautifully produced with Audra McDonald as Rose, Joy Woods as Louise, and Danny Burstein as Herbie. I had a great time, even if Audra’s voice isn’t what we’re used to hearing in the role of Rose. Nevertheless, she acts the hell out of this character, and Joy is a new star on Broadway who is showing herself to be worthy of sharing the stage with the greats.
Maybe Happy Ending.*TOP PICK* This new musical has been the surprise of the season. Starring Darren Criss of Glee and unknown Helen J. Chen, it’s nice to see Asian-American leads in a show that’s done so well. People didn’t know much about it when it started, but it has gotten great buzz – and rightly so. (The cast album is already available.) It’s a feel-good love story set in South Korea about two robots who become more and more human. A smaller musical with a lovely score, I highly recommend it and expect it to be a top contender for the Best Musical Tony Award.
Pirates! The Penzance Musical.*TOP PICK* This revival of Gilbert and Sulllivan’s The Pirates of Penzance stars David Hyde Pierce of Frazier and Broadway star Ramin Karimloo, along with Jinkx Monsoon from RuPaul’s Drag Race. It turns the classic musical on its head by setting it in New Orleans, but it’s a hoot and a half. If you’re looking for lighthearted fun, you’ll love this.
Real Women Have Curves.*TOP PICK* I love that we have two new musicals with Latin American music this season. This new one based on the film starring America Ferrera is very well done. A timely story about immigrants trying to make ends meet in the U.S. without getting deported, it’s also a beautifully told feminist theme that leaves you feeling good. The cast is stellar, the book is solid, and the score is nicely written. In fact, a couple of the songs in this show are hysterically funny. Highly recommended. I wish this show had received more Tony Award nominations, but it did get nods for best score and best featured actress.
Smash. This show loosely based on the TV show is a big musical extravaganza with lots of dance and flash. You can’t fault the actors, who all sing, act, and dance the heck out of their roles. And you certainly can’t fault the brilliant score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, mostly taken from the series. I have to fault the book, which has changed the story significantly from what we watched on television. I understand why they did this – the score for TV was full of 11:00 showstoppers that don’t allow for a progressive story. There are moments that are extremely funny, but I thought the premise was too outrageous for it to work. The Ivy character, played on stage by Robyn Hurder and on TV by Megan Hilty, becomes ridiculous the way she’s written here. For that reason, it wasn’t my favorite this season, but if you’re a fan of the TV show, you’ll at least enjoy hearing this score sung so well. (And while Bella Coppola’s character has no real reason for being, that woman can SING! She’s a real find.) This show was largely snubbed by the Tony nomination committee, which was a big surprise to me.
There are more shows currently on Broadway that I haven’t seen but expect to see. These include Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salongo, straight play John Proctor is the Villain starring Sadie Sink from Stranger Things, Dead Outlaw by the composer of The Band’s Visit (a top contender for the Best Musical Tony Award), Just In Time starring Jonathan Groff (nominated for a Tony for this performance) about the life of Bobby Darrin, straight play Call Me Izzy starring Jean Smart of Hacks, and straight play The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook of Succession (also nominated for a Tony for her performance).
There are others I don’t expect to see. These include Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal with ticket prices to match their notoriety; Glengarry Glen Ross starring Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, and Bill Burr; Redwood starring Idina Menzel; The Last Five Years starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren; Operation Mincemeat, which transferred from London; straight play Purpose; and Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a stage version (not a musical) based on the TV series.
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.
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. But the show is now closing July 21st.
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.
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.
I sat down to watch the Tony Awards Sunday night, June 16, with trepidation. It had been a particularly stuffed season, especially with musicals, which is my favorite genre. I expected to be disappointed by some of the decisions.
But I walked away happier with the awards as a whole than in most previous years. I wouldn’t have made all of the same choices as Tony voters, but I agreed with a lot of them. A dozen shows took home at least one Tony.
First of all, I was thrilled that The Outsiders won the Best Musical award. In a season with a number of terrific musicals, I still strongly feel that this is the best one. It won the most awards for a new musical with four Tonys. You get a small taste of the show’s epic fight choreography and wonderful score here.
I wanted The Outsiders to also win for Best Score, but I wasn’t mad to see Shaina Taub on stage to receive that award for her wonderful score for Suffs,the musical about the real suffragists who won women the right to vote. In also winning the Tony for Best Book, she became the first woman to win both by herself (without a writing partner). She took home the only two Tonys won by Suffs.
I saw an interview with her in which she said she suffered a lot of doubt during the process of writing the show. It just goes to show that self-doubt happens to the best of us, no matter how talented and accomplished we are!
Dede Ayite was also the first Black woman to win for Best Costume Design of a Play. She had three Tony nominations for her costume designs for three shows this year!
Hell’s Kitchen, the jukebox musical using Alicia Keys music, had the most nominations of the night but only won two – both for the show’s lead actresses. I was especially happy to see veteran actress Kecia Lewis walk home with her first Tony. I have followed her career for years.
I wasn’t happy with the performance of Hell’s Kitchen during the Tony Awards, however. I thought it misrepresented the show since Alicia Keys and Jay Z joined the cast on television, but that never happens during the show at the theater. The Who’s Tommy, which received a nomination but no awards, did something similar by having Pete Townsend join them on stage.
The revival of Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along won big with four Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical and for its two lead actors – Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe. Both actors have been on Broadway numerous times, and Jonathan has been nominated before. But it was a first win for both of them, and it was a first nomination for Daniel for any acting award despite the fact that he’s been an actor since a very young age. It was lovely to see them both get the recognition they deserve.
Jonathan Groff. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
While the other lead in Merrily, Lindsay Mendez, didn’t win this year, she has a Tony for her work in Carousel in the past. So now, all three leads in the show have a Tony. Nice!
Lindsay Mendez. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I expected Maria Friedman to win Best Director for Merrily, but I’m still excited it went to the director of The Outsiders, Danya Taymor, the niece of famed director Julie Taymor.
Nevertheless, the wins for Merrily are particularly sweet since the original production of the show was a well-known flop. I have long loved Sondheim’s score for that show, so I’m pleased to see it finally work and get the accolades it has been due for decades (even though bittersweet since Sondheim didn’t live to see it.)
It was also wonderful to see Jonathan Tunick win for Best Orchestrations for Merrily We Roll Along. A longtime collaborator with Stephen Sondheim, orchestration wasn’t a category during most of their years of working together. So it was his first win for a Sondheim musical.
There were some categories that were almost done deals. We knew Merrily We Roll Along would win Best Revival of a Musical and that Appropriate would win Best Revival of a Play. We knew Kara Young would win Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for Purlie Victorious and that Sarah Paulson would win Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Appropriate.
We also knew Stereophonic would win Best Play. It walked away with the most wins of the night with five Tonys. No surprise since it had the most nominations of any play in Tony history. But I considered all of the other categories to be more or less a crap shoot, which is rare.
Stereophonic wasn’t a musical, but it was nominated for Best Score because there are songs in the show. I would have been furious if it had won for score, however, in a season filled with full, brilliant scores in actual musicals! Thank God it didn’t win in that category.
Meanwhile, it’s sad that most of the design awards are given out during a pre-show that few people see because it isn’t on the major network. They did give the Best Book of a Musical award at that presentation, but I’m glad they moved Best Score to the regular broadcast this year where it belongs.
In a season so stuffed with shows, it isn’t enough to be good. You have to be better than your competition. For this reason, a lot of excellent shows were locked out of either awards or any nominations at all. Like The Who’s Tommy, The Notebook and Water For Elephants both got nominations but won nothing. In a less competitive season, The Notebook might very well have won big, for example.
The Heart of Rock and Roll got excellent reviews but no nominations. Even though it’s a wonderful show, jukebox musicals often struggle to get a lot of recognition (and rightly so in most cases since the score isn’t new). Hell’s Kitchen is an exception to the rule.
The biggest puzzler for me was The Great Gatsby, which is one of my favorite shows of the season. It did win for Best Costumes, but it absolutely should have at least been nominated for set design, lead actor for Jeremy Jordan, lead actress for Eva Noblezada, and featured actor for Noah J. Ricketts. The Great Gatsby did win big in awards chosen by the fans.
As for the Tony show itself, I think Ariana DeBose does a fine job as host, but I still miss Neil Patrick Harris, who remains for me the best Tony host ever. The opening number last night was a bit underwhelming, but only because Neil and the writers when he was part of the show set such a high bar.
That said, Ariana DeBose is the epitome of a triple threat. She could make it as an actress alone, as a singer alone, or as a dancer alone. But she does them all equally well.
My personal award for favorite acceptance speech of the night goes to David Adjmi, the playwright of Stereophonic, who said: “It’s really hard to make a career in the arts. We need to fund the arts in America. It’s the hallmark of a civilized society.” Hear, hear.
Besides the aforementioned numbers of Tonys won by particular shows, Appropriate won three, and the following each took home one award: The Great Gatsby, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, An Enemy of the People, Illinoise, Purlie Victorious, and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Below is a full list of winners in each category:
Best Musical: The Outsiders Best Revival of a Musical: Merrily We Roll Along Best Direction of a Musical: Danya Taymor, The Outsiders
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical: Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen Best Book of a Musical: Shaina Taub, Suffs Best Original Score: Shaina Taub, Suffs Best Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick, Merrily We Roll Along Best Choreography: Justin Peck, Illinoise Best Scenic Design in a Musical: Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Best Costume Design in a Musical: Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby Best Lighting Design in a Musical: Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, The Outsiders Best Sound Design of a Musical: Cody Spencer, The Outsiders Best Play: Stereophonic Best Revival of a Play: Appropriate Best Direction of a Play: Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play: Sarah Paulson, Appropriate Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Will Brill, Stereophonic Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch Best Scenic Design in a Play: David Zinn, Stereophonic Best Costume Design in a Play: Dede Ayite, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding Best Lighting Design in a Play: Jane Cox, Appropriate Best Sound Design of a Play: Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic
