Posts Tagged ‘The Music Man’

Closing This Month: A Dozen Broadway Plays and Musicals

Broadway has come back in a big way, with many openings, some lasting and some with very limited or shortened runs. A new crop of shows is scheduled for March, but, in the meantime, here are the ones that you absolutely shouldn’t miss. They’ll be closing some time in January.

Almost Famous © Matt Murphy

Almost Famous – Did you love Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film about a would-be reporter coming-of-age in the world of rock musicians and rock groupies (here called Band Aids)? The play is pure fun and does a pretty good job of replicating the roles in the movie. It’s a shame that it’s closing – there’s some great talent here, with quite a few of the players making their Broadway debuts. Make yourself look cool (to paraphrase a key line in the play and the movie)and grab tickets while you can. Happily for us, the original Broadway cast recording with music and lyrics by Tom Kitt will be released on March 17. Closing January  8, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre .

Beetlejuice Alex Brightman and Company © Matthew Murphy

Beetlejuice – Another theatrical adaptation of a beloved film dating from 1988, “Beetlejuice” has been a play with multiple lives, closing during the pandemic and being kicked out of its theatrical home. Then, led by strange teenager Lydia Deetz and demonic Beetlejuice, it rose from the dead, if you will, to a second Broadway theater. Alex Brightman is pretty darn incredible, especially in the opening scene. It’s a shame that he suffered a concussion during the last week of the show’s run and missed numerous performances. There’s still a tiny bit of time to see him in the lead role from Tim Burton’s wonderful movie before the play is lowered into the ground for good. You’ll be dancing to “Day-O” as you leave the theater. Closing January 8, Marquis Theatre.

Into the Woods © Matt Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Into the Woods – Those of us who saw this remarkable show, stripped-down and star-studded, at New York City Center Encores! recognized the power it had.  It was no surprise that, with its amazing cast, it moved to Broadway. There, with several cast changes, it ate up the stage with Stephen Sondheim’s fabulous music and lyrics and James Lapine’s mash-up of three Brothers Grimm fairytales,” Little Red Riding Hood,” “Rapunzel” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.” If you miss this limited run, and you shouldn’t, you can watch Meryl Streep’s tantalizing turn as the Witch in the 2014 movie. Closing January 8, St. James Theatre.

The Roundabout Theatre Company's 1776 © Joan Marcus

1776 – A beauty of a musical, first produced in 1969  and revived by the Roundabout Theatre Company in 1997, “1776” received an uneven makeover in 2022, reversing genders and including a multiracial transgender, non-binary, and female cast. The huge Roundabout production, which doesn’t quite fit the stage at the American Airlines Theater, seems shrill and disjointed compared to its predecessors. Nonetheless, if you like American history and enjoy the wonderful tunes of Sherman Edwards, a history-teacher-turned-songwriter, you have just a little time to see “1776.” Frankly, I’d prefer that you listen to the original cast album than the over-the-top renditions in this show. I’m glad I saw this, but some things are better left untouched. In this case, I have to ask, “Why?” Closing January 8, American Airlines Theatre.

A Strange Loop © Marc J Franklin

A Strange Loop – Pulitzer Prize winner, Michael R. Jackson’s “A Strange Loop” engendered mixed reactions from those who saw it. Some loved it, some hated it. Some were irritated by it. The Tony winner for Best Musical is a story about a wannabe playwright named Usher currently serving as an usher. The play that this young, gay Black man is writing explains the “loop” title of the show. It’s about a young, gay Black man who is a theater writer. Bawdy, racy scenes add a strange vibe to what could have been a more provocative tale of personal development. Maybe just get the Broadway cast recording instead. Closing January 15, Lyceum Theatre.

Death of a Salesman © Joan Marcus

Death of a Salesman – It seems that every few years someone decides to revive Arthur Miller’s American tragedy about the American Dream. This time, the Loman family is African American and the story is one of both equality and opportunity. It’s still a long show, lasting approximately three hours, but it’s one where the time factor is insignificant. I wish this play were staying longer (it’s a limited engagement) – the cast is superb (Wendell Pierce, Sharon D. Clarke, André De Shields) and the play deserves to be seen or re-seen. Closing January 15, Hudson Theatre.

Courtesy Mike Birbiglia

Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man & The Pool – Storyteller Mike Birbiglia came to prominence with his off-Broadway show, “Sleepwalk with Me” in 2008. Since then, he has performed various autobiographical comedies off-Broadway as full performances or as tryouts for a new show, as he did with “The Old Man & The Pool.” If you missed it at the Cherry Lane Theater in 2019, now is a good time to laugh along with Mike as he describes his experiences as a middle-aged man during the final weeks of his Broadway run. Closing January 15, Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center.

The Music Man Hugh Jackman & Sutton Foster © Julieta Cervantes

The Music Man –  Covid-plagued “The Music Man” was a highly anticipated revival of the beloved 1957 show starring Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill. With star power provided by Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, Meredith Wilson’s musical was good, if not amazing. But you still enjoy the songs and the old-time warmth. And who doesn’t love watching Jackman and Foster ham it up in the wonderful “Marian the Librarian” scene? You have one more week to see this pair show off their chemistry and singing and dancing. Closing January 15, Winter Garden Theatre.

Ohio State Murders © Richard Termine

Ohio State Murders – You don’t have much time to see Audra McDonald in her tour de force performance  as a writer and lecturer coming to terms with the murders of her twin daughters. The play is told as a story by McDonald and also stars Bryce Pinkham as the professor turned mentor, friend and lover. Closing January 15, James Earl Jones Theatre.

Topdog/Underdog © Marc J Franklin

Topdog/Underdog – The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, originally performed on Broadway in 2002, has returned for a limited engagement. The story about sibling rivalry and obsession focuses on Lincoln and Booth, two brothers eerily named by their father as a joke about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Closing January 15, Golden Theatre.

The Collaboration © Jeremy Daniel

The Collaboration – This short-lived Manhattan Theatre Club production depicts the 1984 collaboration between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat on a modern art exhibition. Closing January 29, Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

The Piano Lesson Samuel L. Jackson & Ray Fisher © Julieta Cervantes

The Piano Lesson – A stunning revival of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, originally staged in 1990, “The Piano Lesson” is the fourth play in Wilson’s ”The Pittsburgh Cycle.” Playing a pivotal role in the story of family relations, the family-heirloom piano becomes a living memory of times past and present issues. Don’t miss it – with Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks and John David Washington, this powerful play is one that you will remember for a long time. Closing January 29, Barrymore Theatre

Broadway Gift Guide: Give the Gift of Theater This Holiday Season

There’s never a time limit on seeing a fabulous Broadway play or musical.  And you don’t even have to wrap anything up!

With the wonderful excitement surrounding Broadway’s re-opening, this is a perfect time to mask up, bring out your vaccination card and ID, and settle into a plush seat for a night of live enchantment.

And, for an insider-y refresher to the magic of Broadway, gift a Broadway Up Close Tour with Tim Dolan, back in person, strolling through the streets and theaters of Broadway.

Broadway Up Close

Broadway Up Close © Tim Dolan

Tim Dolan has put together a series of tours designed to make you ask for an encore. A true Broadway savant, Dolan knows a thing or two about the Great White Way and has made it his life’s passion to uncover the Theater District’s dirty little secrets, or even those that aren’t so dirty. Broadway Up Close is led by the Green Team, all working actors quite intimate with the “secrets” and stories of Broadway.

Broadway Up Close © Tim Dolan

A range of tours will show you the insides secrets via the HamilTour, the interiors and hidden gems of great theaters of the past like the splendid theater that is now the Times Square Church, and more. You’ll learn fun facts like how the Tony’s got their start thanks to some very determined women and about the architect of many of the theaters, a gentleman named Herbert J. Krapp. At every stop, there’s more to absorb and you’ll also find out why some theaters are better suited to certain types of shows.

Broadway Up Close © Tim Dolan

Dolan has researched so much about Broadway that he seems to channel the ghosts of the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the Schuberts as he describes their role in Broadway history. He also has a vast assemblage of rare photos that are truly amazing. Broadway Bar Crawl, Hudson Theater, and Broadway Ruins are three of the tours currently offered, accompanied by Dolan’s mascot Belasco, named after one of the theaters. Virtual tours are also offered.

The Broadway Theater Schedule

Here’s a sampling of what‘s running on Broadway now.  Note that several shows are closing in January – these are listed first as you’ll likely want to purchase tickets for these immediately. Two others will be in previews full swing by mid-December.

Closing soon

Caroline, or Change © Joan Marcus

A revival of Tony Kushner’s hit musical of 2004, The Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Caroline, or Change stars Sharon D Clarke as Caroline Thibodeaux, a Black maid working for a Jewish family in 1963 Louisiana. The change reference has a double meaning, pertaining to monetary change and changes in one’s life.  (Insider tip: attending a show at this theater is a glimpse of the 70s in the former Studio 54 of disco fame, now returned to its previous life as a theatre). Closing January 9.

Studio 54, www.RoundaboutTheatre.org


Diana

Diana © Matthew Murphy

Better hurry to get tickets to this somewhat campy, vastly entertaining musical about the life of the Princess of Wales.  Closes December 19.

Longacre Theatre, www.thedianamusical.com


The Lehman Trilogy

The Lehman Trilogy © Julieta Cervantes

A three-man triumph depicting nearly two centuries of Lehman family history from Europe to fabric cutting to Wall Street titans, The Lehman Trilogy is an engrossing three-and-a-half hour drama with two intermissions. Characters seamless evolve to depict the Lehman Brothers and the influences that shaped the meteoric rise of their financial institutions and its devastating destruction. Closing January 2.

Nederlander Theatre, www.thelehmantrilogy.com

In Previews Starting December 2021 for 2022 Opening

MJ

MJ the Musical © Matthew Murphy

Drawing attendees from all over the world, MJ’s fans queued up or hours for the sold-out first preview of the new Michael Jackson musical in December. Planned opening night for MJ is February 1, 2022.

Neil Simon Theatre, www.MJTheMusical.com


The Music Man

The Music Man Rehearsal © Julieta Cervantes

Previews start December 20. Opening night is set for February 10, 2022 for this long-awaited remake of The Music Man with Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy Award- award-winning star Hugh Jackman as Professor Harold Hill and Tony Award-winner Sutton Foster as Marion Paroo.  Originally premiered on Broadway in 1957, The Music Man earned its place in Broadway lore running 1375 performances and with a cast album that won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album and stayed on the charts for nearly five years.

The Winter Garden Theatre, www.Musicmanonbroadway.com

Long Runs

Ain’t Too Proud – the Life and Times of the Temptations

Ain’t Too Proud © Matthew Murphy

A jukebox musical that goes further to elaborate on the story of The Temptations’ rise from the streets of Detroit to musical superstardom, the show includes familiar tunes like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” all presented with the legendary coordinated choreography that made the Temps Top 40 giants.

Imperial Theatre, AintTooProudMusical.com


Aladdin

Aladdin © Matthew Murphy

One of two current Disney supershows on Broadway, Aladdin is now in its eighth year (ignoring the pandemic time off).  A great introduction to live theater for viewers of all ages, the show is the consummate tour of adventure mixed with music. You’ll recognize the songs like “You’ve Never Had a Friend Like Me.”

New Amsterdam Theatre, www.aladdinthemusical.com


The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon © Joan Marcus

Do you love South Park?  Then this play-cum-musical is a must for you. A little offensive, a lot crazy, the show irreverently tells the tale of two Mormon boys who have been given their first “conversion” assignment far far away from their hometowns.

Eugene O’Neill Theatre, www.bookofmormonbroadway.com


Chicago

Chicago © Jeremy Daniel

It’s hard to believe that this fabulous, utterly contemporary musical has been running for 25 years. No matter how many times you see Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly and their murderous cohorts sing about what  landed them in jail, the show is as fresh and sexy as ever. If you can, try to imagine Joel Grey, the original Mr. Cellophane, when you watch.  The choreography by Bob Fosse is legendary.

Ambassador Theatre, www.chicagothemusical.com


Come from Away

Come from Away © Matthew Murphy

An emotion-evoking musical about the kind-hearted folks of Gander, Newfoundland who welcomed passengers stranded on incoming international US flights on 9/11, Come from Away tugs at the heartstrings with its passionate cast of characters. As tragic as the real-life story is, this is an event that remains an uplifting tale of resilience and cooperation. It’s a must-see.

Schoenfeld Theatre, www.comefromaway.com


David Burney’s American Utopia

David Burney’s American Utopia © Matthew Murphy

What started as a concert performance led by David Byrne, filled with glorious unusual barefoot dance against the songs of David Byrne and the Talking Heads, has become a special Tony-winning Broadway sensation. Synchronicity in song and movement, expressiveness, costuming, lighting, instrumentation and a rocking rhythm create an evening of theatrical performance that will have you tapping your toes and rocking out.

St. James Theater, www.AmericanUtopiaBroadway.com


Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen You Will Be Found © Matthew Murphy

For any teenager who’s ever suffered from feeling like an outsider, Evan Hansen is immediately relatable. Evan Hansen, alone with his divorced mother, faces the challenges of moving beyond his own issues to integrate himself into his high school. A tragedy changes his life in ways he could never have imagined. The music is memorable and the digital effects are breathtaking. You may have seen the movie, but this is the real thing.

Music Box Theatre, www.dearevanhansen.com


Girl from the North Country

Girl From the North Country © Matthew Murphy

Bob Dylan’s music becomes the foundation for this play about  a guesthouse in the North Country. Innkeepers and guests share in each other’s lives with Dylan’s tunes delivered with surprising renditions. Originally off-Broadway at the Public Theatre.

Belasco Theatre, www.NorthCountryonBroadway.com


Hadestown

Hadestown © Matthew Murphy

Greek mythology characters Orpheus and Eurydice and King Hades and Persephone are two couples trapped in differing worlds. Darkness and light, love and a trio of singing Fates add to the mystique of this breathtaking show. The on-stage musicians play an intoxicating mix of New Orleans-inspired Jazz and folk music.

Walter Kerr Theatre, www.Hadestown.com


Hamilton

Hamilton © Joan Marcus

The show that shattered all records and changed theatrical history is back in all its glory. Rap, ballads, deceit and ambition all mix together in Lin Manuel-Miranda’s groundbreaking musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. If you didn’t know much about Hamilton and his relationship with Aaron Burr before this play arrived on Broadway or the Disney Channel, you certainly will by the end of this show. Creative staging, stunning costumes and rapid-fire lyrics add to the show’s brilliance.

Richard Rodgers Theatre, www.hamiltononbroadway.com


Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child © Matthew Murphy

The wizardry is back! And now in one extended performance, rather than two back-to-back or separate parts, you can watch the special effects from the movies take place in real life.  Hogwarts and all of your favorite characters have grown up, now with their own children to worry about. See it twice – once from an orchestra seat and once from the mezzanine where you’ll be gifted with a different view of the spectacular set changes and magic.

Lyric Theatre, www.harrypotteronstage.com/us.com


Jagged Little Pill

Jagged Little Pill © Matthew Murphy

Featuring the music of Alanis Morrisette, Jagged Little Pill presents a Connecticut family confronting a variety of personal issues.

Broadhurst Theatre, www.jaggedlittlepill.com


The Lion King

The Lion King © Joan Marcus

The second of Disney’s gargantuan Broadway hits currently running, The Lion King is a visually striking depiction of the story of the animals living in Pride Land. The characters – Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumba — are familiar from the animated movie of the same name. The show’s standout “Circle of Life” song and procession will stay with you long after you’ve left the theatre.

Minskoff Theatre, https://lionking.com


Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge © Matthew Murphy

An over-the-top, musical interpretation of Baz Luhrmann’s film about decadent Parisian, literary life, Moulin Rouge is a wondrous romp through the Bohemian lifestyles of its characters, replete with more than 70 songs that will test your knowledge of pop music. There’s a reason this show won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Al Hirschfeld Theatre, www.moulinrougemusical.com


The Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera © Matthew Murphy

No matter if you’ve seen this musical once or five times, the chandelier scene will still have you gasping out loud. A thriller about an opera singer and the masked phantom who yearns to be with her, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musically rich Phantom of the Opera has been playing to packed houses since 1988.

Majestic Theatre, www.thephantomoftheopera.com


TINA: the Tina Turner Musical

TINA: the Tina Turner Musical © Manuel Harlan

Fans of Tina Turner will love this musical story of the singer’s rise from being part of the Ike and Tina Turner duo to stardom on her own merit. The songs, the shimmies and the hair will have you dancing all night to the music of the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll.

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, www.TinaOnBroadway.com


To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird © Julieta Cervantes

Harper Lee’s story of 1930s Alabama racism, prejudice and innocence centers on lawyer Atticus Finch’s attempts to correct overt injustice.

Shubert Theatre, www.tokillamockingbirdbroadway.com


Waitress

Waitress © Matthew Murphy

With music and lyrics by songwriter/composer-turned-actress Sara Bareilles, Waitress is a tasty musical about pie making sensation and waitress Jenna and her coming-of-age in a loveless marriage. Yes, that’s apple pie you actually smell in the theater!

Ethel Barrymore Theatre, www.waitressthemusical.com


Wicked

Wicked © Joan Marcus

Who doesn’t love the Wizard of Oz?  Wicked takes another look at the Man Behind the Curtain story with a story about two school chums who grow up to be Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, the gorgeously green Elphaba.

Gershwin Theatre, www.wickedthemusical.com

New (or Revivals)

Company

Company © Matthew Murphy

An even more important show now with the recent passing of its composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, Company remains one of the most brilliant examples of Sondheim’s genius. The new revival takes the story of a group of friends and switches up the genders.  Bobby is now Bobbie, a woman in despair over not finding a man. Songs including “The Ladies Who Lunch” and “Being Alive” sizzle.

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, www.companymusical.com

Diana

A new musical about the life and legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales. Catch this somewhat campy musical NOW — it’s closing December 19.

Longacre Theatre, www.thedianamusical.com

Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire © Joan Marcus

You know the story made famous by Robin Williams in the title role of the movie. Divorced dad Daniel Hillard finds a way to spend time with his kids by reinventing himself as a Scottish nanny, Euphegenia Doubtfire.  This musical interpretation invites all ages to experience family life in an entirely different way.

Stephen Sondheim Theatre, www.mrsdoubtfirebroadway.com

Six

Six © Liz Lauren

Set to originally open on the exact night that Broadway went dark in March 2020, Six is a rocking musical-concert telling the stories of the six wives of Henry VIII. The transplant from the West End will have you repeating the show’s “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” chorus over and over again.

Brooks Atkinson Theatre, www.SIXonBroadway.com

To keep updated, sites like www.broadway.org, The Broadway League’s official online info site; www.telecharge.com, www.broadwaybox.com, and www.todaytix.com are great places to further your awareness of show openings and closings, ticket availability and deals, and other theater news. Also download the TKTS app for real-time listings at the Theater Development Organization’s discount, day-of ticket booth at Father Duffy Square just north of Times Square.

Planning a trip to NYC?