Last week, four musicals and plays with lots of original music opened on Broadway, and two plays opened off-Broadway. Seven more Broadway shows will open by the end of Thursday, when the Broadway season officially ends.
The Week in New York Theater Review
Listing Broadway openings in order of my preference:
Saf
“Suffus,” which depicts the last seven years of American women's efforts to win the right to vote, is a major change from the off-Broadway production of two years ago. The show is more streamlined and more focused. At the same time, my evaluation of the show changed a bit after it moved to Broadway. Broadway's “saffs'' will be sought after for inspiration and enlightenment rather than entertainment.
hell's kitchen
The upbeat musical “Hell's Kitchen'' is not a musical biography of Alicia Keys, nor, despite its title, is it a story about the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood where she grew up. This is actually a jukebox, a system that efficiently distributes Alicia Keys' songs.
stereo sound
play The film chronicles a year in which the members of a popular 1970s rock band (an unnamed, fictitious band) spend their time in the recording studio sessions working on their latest album and experiencing their ups and downs. . At over three hours long (including intermissions), “Stereophonic” feels like it's in Annie Baker territory. That is, it is long and slow, but meticulously observed from real life, and it unfolds as if in real time, but also offers a subtle sensation. Wit and the possibility of deeper meaning. But does that seem like the right approach for a play about rock and roll?!
cabaret
In short, this misguided work strikes the wrong balance between anxiety and fun.
With
“The Wiz,'' which opens at Broadway's Marquis Theater after an admittedly exhausting seven-month tour, is overkill. Toto is missing! There are no “Munchkins” (now they are “townspeople”.) The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are only seen in Oz, and were not seen in the Kansas version beforehand. And there's no yellow brick road. I don't think these iconic elements are strictly necessary – many classic stories are “reimagined” for a new generation – but this reworked Wiz is lacking. There is something more essential. The (non-yellow brick) road may still be easy to navigate, but there is little sense of security.
What I mean is, the cast as a whole can sing to the rafters and dance like the Dickens, but their belting starts to feel like an American Idol contest, and the dance numbers Some of them seemed very enthusiastic and at times gave off an aura. despair.
Off-Broadway:
sally and tom
Thomas Jefferson was in his 40s when he began having sex with one of his slaves, 14-year-old Sally Hemings.
Did they fall in love? That question is absurd.
But did they finally fall in love?
This is one of several interesting questions Susan-Lori Parks explores in Sally & Tom. This play is her play about a modern theater company putting together original plays about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. pursuit of happiness. “A play within a play is led by an interracial couple:…Full review
orlando
Sarah Ruhl's stage adaptation of Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel is being revived at Signature Theater at just the right time, with just the right cast. But the production doesn't quite get it right.
The Week in New York Theater News
Kit Connor (The Heartstopper) and Go Rachel Zegler (Directed by Spielberg) west side story) set to star in new Broadway production of William Shakespeare romeo + juliet,The film was directed by Sam Gold, with music by Jack Antonoff and movement by Sonya Teyer. Aiming for autumn 2024
Woody King Jr.'s New Federal Theater has moved and is now located at: of WP (formerly Women's Project) Theater. Performance space is located at 2162 Broadway, and administrative offices are located at 55 West End Ave.
This week's awards: Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, Chita Rivera nominations.
Check out the 2024 New York Drama Awards Calendar and Guide.
in mourning
Carrie Robbins, 81, Broadway costume designer for original Broadway productions and more Grease, White Christmas, Yentl
From an interview with her at Howl Round 10 years ago:
Carrie Robbins designed the costumes for the original production of Meryl Streep's first Broadway play. grease, He also appeared in over 30 other Broadway shows. However, soon after her husband's death, there came a time when she felt that her costume design alone was not enough.
“The most important decision I make as a costume designer is, 'Should I make this in silk charmeuse or silk crepe?'” she mused. Now she says: That what her husband did was better than what I was working on. ”
Her husband was a doctor and then a writer.Carrie Robbins decided to adapt her own short story for the stage
This week's theater video
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