World Theatre Day
Today - March 27th - is World Theatre Day! Live theatre is unlike any other experience in the world. It’s a shared experience with a room full of people where we can escape the real world for a few hours. On the topic of theatre, Broadway has been bustlin’ lately as we approach the end of the 2022-2023 Tony Award season, which cuts off on April 27th. This means that any show from the day after last years cut off to April 27th will be eligible for a Tony award this year! In this post, I will highlight some of the recent show openings as well as some shows that have just entered previews. If you see any shows that interest you, please feel free to reach out to me for more information and we can get started on booking your trip!
Sweeney Todd
The highly anticipated revival of Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on March 26. It stars Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford as Sweeney Todd & Mrs. Lovett, respectfully. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, and direction by Thomas Kail.
Show Synopsis:
After 15 years in exile, Sweeney Todd, an unsettling man with a mysterious past, arrives in a dark and gritty London, hungry for vengeance against the judge who destroyed his life. Todd joins forces with Mrs. Lovett, the unhinged proprietress of a failing pie shop, and together they develop a spinetingling plot to exact revenge. When the lights go down and the curtain goes up, you won’t dare look away.
Sweeney Todd on Broadway - Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Sweeney Todd on Broadway - Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Bad Cinderella
Legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber introduces us to a new Cinderella that is quite unconventional from what you may have seen before. Bad Cinderella opened at the Imperial Theatre on March 23. Linedy Genao stars as Cinderella, Carolee Carmello as the Stepmother and Grace McLean as the Queen. It features new music from Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by David Zippel, book by Emerald Fennell and direction by Laurence Connor.
Show Synopsis:
In the exceptionally beautiful kingdom of Belleville, the fields are idyllic, the prince is charming, and the townsfolk are ravishing. Only one stubborn peasant stands in the way of absolute perfection: Cinderella. To the flawless residents and royals of Belleville, this damsel IS the distress.
Bad Cinderella on Broadway - Photo by Matthew Murphy
Parade
The highly acclaimed revival of Jason Robert Brown’s musical, Parade, is on Broadway again for a limited engagement ending on August 6. Parade opened at the Jacobs Theatre on March 16. It is baserd on the tragic true events surrounding Leo Frank in Marietta, Georgia in 1913. Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, book by Alfred Uhry and direction by Michael Arden.
Show Synopsis:
Marietta, Georgia, 1913. 13-year-old Mary Phagan is found dead in the basement of a pencil factory, and Leo Frank, the Jewish superintendent of the factory, is wrongfully accused of committing the crime.
Parade on Broadway - Photo by Joan Marcus
Camelot
Lerner & Loewe’s classic musical, Camelot, has returned to Broadway once again. Previews began at the Vivan Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center on March 9. Opening night is scheduled for April 13. Andrew Burnap stars as Arthur, Phillipa Soo as Guenevere, and Jordan Donica as Lancelot. Aaron Sorkin has updated Alan Jay Lerner’s original book. Music and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe. Direction by Bartlett Sher.
Show Synopsis:
King Arthur founds the kingdom of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table, who fight for justice and right, only to see his ideal crumble when his wife Guenevere falls in love with his favorite knight, Sir Lancelot.
Camelot on Broadway - Photo by Joan Marcus
New York, New York
A new Kander & Ebb musical has hit Broadway. New York, New York just entered previews at the St. James Theatre on March 24 with an opening night scheduled for April 26. It has a blend of big band classics and some new material, all based on the 1977 film. It stars Colton Ryan as Jimmy Doyle and Anna Uzele as Francine Evans. Music and lyrics by John Kander & Fred Ebb, with additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The book is by David Thompson and Sharon Washington. It is directed by Susan Stroman.
Show Synopsis:
It is 1946, the war is over, and a resurgent New York is beginning to rebuild. As steel beams swing overhead, a collection of artists has dreams as big and diverse as the city itself. But do these singers, dancers, musicians and makers have what it takes to survive this place, let alone to succeed? If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere.
New York, New York on Broadway - Photo by Paul Kolnik
Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
The first ever revival of the legendary Bob Fosse’s dance work opened at the Music Box Theatre on March 19. The show acts as a tribute to Bob Fosse and is filled with original dance choreography inspired by the man himself. The show is an ensemble piece with a variety of music ranginng from Neil Diamond to George Cohan. The show is based on the original dance concept by Bob Fossee & directed by Wayne Cliento.
Show Synopsis:
Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ is Fosse’s full-throated, full-bodied celebration of the art form he loved, practiced, and changed forever. Dancin’ brims with Fosse’s warmth, emotion, color, and endlessly influential style rarely seen in modern interpretations of his work. Featuring an eclectic score that spans a multitude of musical genres and an extraordinary cast of Broadway’s most accomplished dancers, Dancin’ delivers the quintessential Broadway experience for Fosse fans and first-timers alike.
Dancin’ on Broadway - Photo by Julienta Cervantes
That was a lot of shows to cover! Those are only shows that have opened or begun previews in the past month. There are these plus many more running on Broadway right now, so if you are ready to make a trip to the city that never sleeps and catch some - or all! - of these shows, reach out to me anytime to get started planning!
