Category: Broadway’s Best

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Reel to Real: The Films That Found a Second Life in Theatre – Plays Edition

Hollywood and Broadway have always shared a creative dialogue. Sometimes a story begins on stage and becomes a film. Just as often, the path runs in reverse. A movie so rich in character, tension, or cultural resonance eventually finds its way back to live theatre.

While movie to musical adaptations often dominate the conversation, there is a quieter and increasingly fascinating tradition of films becoming plays. These adaptations strip away cinematic spectacle and rediscover what made the story compelling in the first place: character, language, and the immediacy of live performance.

Dog Day Afternoon

Sidney Lumet’s 1975 film starring Al Pacino remains one of the most gripping crime dramas ever made. Based on the true story of a chaotic Brooklyn bank robbery, Dog Day Afternoon blends social commentary, dark humor, and raw humanity.

The story feels almost inherently theatrical. Much of the action unfolds in a single location, the bank itself, creating a pressure cooker environment that translates naturally to the stage. Without cinematic cuts, the tension becomes immediate and unavoidable.

In 2026, the story makes its Broadway debut in a major stage adaptation written by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Rupert Goold. The production stars Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, both making their Broadway debuts. Previews begin March 10, 2026 at the August Wilson Theatre, with an official opening on March 30 and a limited engagement running through July 12.

Like the film, the play follows a Brooklyn bank robbery that spirals into a citywide spectacle as the media, police, and public descend on the scene. On stage, the audience sits inside the chaos, experiencing every turn of the story in real time.

Tickets:
https://dogdayafternoon.com/

Good Night, and Good Luck

George Clooney’s 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck dramatizes the real life battle between broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy during the height of the Red Scare.

The story’s structure, newsroom debates, and moral confrontations make it particularly suited to the stage. In 2025, the film was adapted for Broadway by George Clooney and Grant Heslov.

The production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in April 2025, starring George Clooney as Edward R. Murrow, marking the actor’s Broadway debut. The play recreates the urgency of live television journalism in the 1950s while examining the responsibility of the press in moments of political pressure.

What made the film gripping on screen becomes even more immediate in the theatre, as the audience experiences Murrow’s broadcasts unfolding live in front of them.

Dr. Strangelove

Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 dark comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb remains one of the sharpest political satires ever made.

In 2024, the film was adapted for the stage by Armando Iannucci and Sean Foley. The production premiered in London’s West End at the Noël Coward Theatre, running from October 2024 through January 2025.

The production starred Steve Coogan performing multiple roles, echoing Peter Sellers’ famous multi character performance in the original film.

The stage version embraced the absurdity of Cold War paranoia while using inventive staging to recreate the iconic War Room. The theatrical adaptation proved that Kubrick’s biting satire still resonates in a world where political brinkmanship remains all too real.

All About Eve

Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1950 film All About Eve remains one of the most iconic stories ever told about the theatre world. The film follows ambitious young actress Eve Harrington as she insinuates herself into the life of Broadway star Margo Channing.

The story returned to the stage in 2019 in a new adaptation directed by Ivo van Hove at London’s Noël Coward Theatre. The production ran from February through May 2019 and starred Gillian Anderson as Margo Channing.

Using live video cameras and modern staging, the production reexamined the film’s themes of fame, ambition, aging, and power within the entertainment industry.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Perhaps the most famous film to play adaptation of recent years is To Kill a Mockingbird. The 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel, starring Gregory Peck, became an American classic.

In 2018, playwright Aaron Sorkin reimagined the story for Broadway in a production directed by Bartlett Sher. The play opened at the Shubert Theatre on December 13, 2018, starring Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch.

The production became one of the highest grossing plays in Broadway history and ran until January 2022, later launching national and international tours.

Rather than simply recreating the film, Sorkin reshaped the narrative structure, giving greater voice to Scout, Jem, and Dill as narrators while presenting Atticus as a man grappling with the moral complexity of his time.

Network

The 1976 film Network, a blistering satire of television news and corporate media, was adapted into a stage play by Lee Hall.

The production premiered at the National Theatre in London in 2017, starring Bryan Cranston, before transferring to Broadway in 2018 at the Belasco Theatre. Cranston reprised his role as news anchor Howard Beale and won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

The stage version was one of the first to make use of the recent trend to use live cameras and screens throughout the theatre, turning the audience into participants in the broadcast world that the play critiques. The result was both theatrical and cinematic at once.

The Graduate

Few films capture generational confusion quite like Mike Nichols’ 1967 film The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman. Its story of an aimless college graduate seduced by the older Mrs. Robinson became a defining portrait of the late 1960s.

The stage adaptation premiered in London’s West End in 2000 before transferring to Broadway. The Broadway production opened April 4, 2002 at the Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) and ran for 380 performances.

The production starred Kathleen Turner as Mrs. Robinson, with Alicia Silverstone as Elaine and Jason Biggs as Benjamin. It became widely discussed for its bold staging choices, including a nude scene that echoed the provocative tone of the original film.

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Broadway's Best

Inside the Algorithm: Matthew Libby’s Data Asks What We’re Becoming

What happens when a playwright with a degree in cognitive science turns his gaze toward Silicon Valley?

You get Data, a razor sharp, unnervingly timely new play that feels like it was written yesterday even though it wasn’t.

Matthew Libby, born and raised in Los Angeles and educated at Stanford before earning his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU, has been thinking about artificial intelligence long before it became a Super Bowl commercial buzzword. In fact, he has been developing Data since 2018, the same play he brought with him into grad school.

“I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer,” Libby shares. “But the only thing more important than knowing how to write is having stuff to write about.” At Stanford, that “stuff” became cognitive science and an academic deep dive into AI, years before ChatGPT entered everyday vocabulary.

From Silicon Valley to the Stage

Libby describes Data as rooted in his coming of age experience in Silicon Valley, a world where the tech industry does not just seem appealing but inevitable.

“There’s this sense that it’s not only the best thing to do, it’s the only thing to do,” he explains.

While briefly considering a tech career, Libby interviewed at Palantir, a powerful data analytics company that contracts with governments and enterprises. He did not get the internship, but the experience stayed with him. Years later, headlines about immigration policy and data driven enforcement brought that company back into sharp focus. The fictional corporation in Data echoes those real world giants.

“I think if the play does anything,” Libby says, “I hope it makes people aware of how much of this is actually happening.”

Demystifying the Machine

One of the most striking elements of Data is not just its topicality but its clarity. Libby is not interested in treating AI as a mystical black box or an alien intelligence descending upon humanity.

“AI isn’t inherently good or bad,” he says. “It’s a tool. A hammer isn’t good or bad. It depends on how it’s used.”

For Libby, writing the play became an act of demystification. He hopes audiences walk away with language, vocabulary to articulate the concerns they may already feel but struggle to define.

“These systems are the result of thousands of human decisions,” he explains. “They’re not gods. They’re not perfect. They reflect human values and human biases.”

In a world where AI often feels like electricity, inevitable and unstoppable, Data insists on something radical: understanding.

A Play About Dehumanization

Without giving away spoilers, Libby is clear about what the play is truly about.

“It’s a play about dehumanization,” he says. “How we dehumanize each other and how we dehumanize ourselves.”

In an increasingly technological world, he suggests, we are often encouraged to reduce ourselves to metrics, productivity, and data points. Data explores how that mindset operates at the governmental level, within workplaces, and inside our most personal relationships.

But it does not stop at diagnosis.

“The end of the play is about breaking out of that cycle,” Libby shares. “It’s about returning to inherent humanity. Realizing that there are some things that can’t be put into an algorithm, that we are not our data.”

That final turn from critique to reclamation is where the play lands its emotional punch.

An Unintentional AI Trilogy

Data is not Libby’s only foray into artificial intelligence. In fact, he has realized he has created an unofficial trilogy:

The Machine, set in the past and exploring generative AI
Data, set in the present and focused on predictive and analytical AI
Sisters, set in the future and imagining sentient AI

All three were written before the explosion of public AI tools, making them less reactive and more foundational in their inquiry.

“I’m going to pretend it was intentional,” he jokes. “But taken together, I think they say everything I want to say about living in an AI infused world.”

What to Talk About on the Way Home

Audiences have already been telling Libby how timely the play feels, but he gently reminds them that these questions have been with us for years.

“I’m not a prophet,” he says. “I just pay attention.”

As Data continues its run through March 29, Libby hopes theatergoers leave not only shaken but curious. Curious enough to research. Curious enough to question. Curious enough to examine the ways they may be flattening themselves, or others, into something less human.

Data is at the Lucille Lortel Theatre through March 29, 2026

Tickets at https://www.datatheplay.com/

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Broadway's Best

London Is Taking Big Swings Right Now

By Jim Glaub

I went to London to see what the city is building on its stages—the shows with American transfer potential, the ones that could cross the Atlantic. They are not playing it safe.

What struck me wasn’t scale or budgets. It was confidence. These shows trust the audience. They trust silence, darkness, discomfort, sincerity, and joy. Across five very different productions, some with major IP, I kept seeing the same thing… experiences built with intention, generosity, and nerve.

Paddington The Musical

Paddington is a big, beautiful act of kindness.

It would have been easy to turn this into a brand exercise or a loud family spectacle. Instead, what Luke Sheppard has directed is something far more generous. After & Juliet, My Son’s a Queer, and What’s New Pussycat?, he’s clearly mastered the balance of spectacle and joy. Here, he adds something rarer… taste.

This show radiates love. It’s not cloying or forced, but sincere and deeply felt in a way that sneaks up on you.

The craft is all there: earwormy music, stunning costumes, and a storybook set that never tips into theme park. There’s cheekiness, smart jokes, and theatrical magic, but what really lands is care. There’s respect for the character, for the audience, and for the idea that kindness itself is radical when placed at the center of a show.

I left smiling, teary, and oddly lighter, like I was carrying a piece of Paddington out into the world.

In a moment where so much entertainment is built on snark and edge, this show dares to be earnest. It works, and the world needs it.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

I walked into Harold Fry on its third preview with absolutely no idea what I was about to see. I assumed a twee British musical about an older man finding self-discovery.

I was wrong, and this show walked straight into my heart.

The ensemble carries the story with devastating warmth, and the lead performance by the incredible Mark Addy holds everything together without ever pushing, and Passenger’s score is quietly extraordinary. I need the cast album immediately.

What you get here isn’t just a story, but a gently transformational experience. It met me exactly where I was.

The tears came constantly, not necessarily from sadness, but from catharsis and from the release of believing that kindness still works, that community still matters, that people are actually good.

It has the imagination and emotional intelligence of Matilda, Fun Home, and Maybe Happy Ending, paired with the gentle epic quality of the movies of Forrest Gump and Big Fish. What stayed with me most was how it treats grief: not as an ending, but as a love letter to what we can no longer have. And yet, it gives you hope and a reminder that we only make it through by walking together.

This show will work in New York, not because it’s British, but because it’s human.

Some shows impress you, some entertain you – this one holds you.

The Hunger Games: On Stage

The Hunger Games on stage is a flex.

I’m still processing the scale. A full restaurant experience, a massive purpose-built theatre, an epic live production that never feels tentative. It’s ambitious, confident, and somehow still warm and human.

Songbird, the on-site restaurant, sets the tone before you ever reach your seat with excellent food, seamless service, and intentional design. Then, the theatre reveals the real triumph.

The logistics are staggering: audience flow, staffing, and distinct stadium sections. The way performers move through that space is unreal. Conor McPherson is a perfect choice for this material, and if this comes to New York, I’m excited to see what he sharpens.

What fascinated me most was the audience perspective. Are we the Capitol, consuming and cheering? Or are we aligned with the Resistance? I loved what the stadium gave us.

The show is powerful and devastating when it counts. The large-scale moments satisfy. SPOILER: Rue’s death wrecked me.

The Hunger Games isn’t about overthrowing a system by force, it’s about destabilizing it through community. That idea pulses beneath the spectacle, and when it surfaces, it’s electric.

Bold, thrilling theatre that embraces scale without sacrificing meaning.

Witness for the Prosecution

If The Hunger Games is a flex of scale, Witness for the Prosecution is a flex of precision.

Agatha Christie’s courtroom thriller is staged inside London’s historic County Hall, not as a gimmick, but as a fully realized piece of environmental storytelling. You sit in the actual council chamber, sometimes in the jury box. The architecture does half the directing for you.

There’s no spectacle here, but there’s no spectacle needed.

The tension builds through language, timing, and the slow tightening of narrative screws. You feel implicated. You lean forward differently when the witness stand is only a few feet away, when the accused glances in your direction, and when the barrister pauses just long enough for doubt to bloom.

This is London trusting craft and that a 70-year-old play can still devastate if the container is right. It’s trusting that audiences don’t need reinvention, they need precision.

The result is gripping and a reminder that boldness isn’t always about size, sometimes it’s about restraint.

Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity is a deeply satisfying night at the theatre.

This isn’t prestige angst or horror bait – it’s craft, control, and a genuinely fun, pulse-raising experience. Think roller coaster, not haunted house. You know you’re safe… but your body doesn’t.

The direction by Felix Barrett (the vision behind Sleep No More) understands exactly how to use darkness, silence, and timing. It lets anticipation do the work. The set and performers ground the story just enough that the scares land hard, but the true stars are the lighting, sound, and theatrical tricks.

What’s especially smart is how accessible it is. You don’t need to know the films; you don’t even need to like horror. This is theatre flexing its unique power, reminding you that live performance can mess with your nervous system in ways film never can.

Paranormal Activity is slick, controlled, confident, and great night out that knows exactly when to let you breathe… and when not to.

What London Is Doing Right Now

These productions trust the audience. They invest in design without forgetting storytelling. They allow joy, grief, fear, and wonder to exist without apology.

London theatre right now feels alive, confident, and creatively fearless. After a week like this, it’s impossible not to come home inspired.

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Broadway's Best

Valentine’s Day Broadway Guide

By Ben Lerner 

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner on February 14, and if you’re looking to find a Broadway show to level up your basic date night, look no further! Broadway’s Best Shows presents a guide to current theatrical offerings that could make a great Valentine’s Day date — as in, not devastating, traumatic, or full of heartbreak! 

Note: these all apply to “Galentine’s Day” and friend dates for the singles — this writer is right there with you.

FOR ROMANCE: musical romcoms that will leave your heart warmed!

A super-sweet new musical romantic comedy direct from the UK, Two Strangers is full of catchy tunes and two terrific lead performances by Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts — the only cast members! It’s funny, heartwarming, and very NYC-centric. (Okay, maybe the city is the third character.)  

Another delightful musical romcom — but they’re robots! With a wholesome plot and sharp use of technology, Maybe Happy Ending is both innovative and romantic. Darren Criss stars in the role he originated and won him the 2025 Best Actor in a Musical Tony Award. It also won Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Direction. 

FOR THE LAUGHS: less romantic, but guaranteed smiles throughout!

This hilarious adaptation of the 1992 cult classic satire starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn boasts a top-tier score and a remarkably clever script. It’s straight-up comedy with an element of the supernatural — plus a stunning set, delicious costumes, and a fabulous ensemble of dancers. The brilliant Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard were both Tony-nominated for their roles as Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp. Betsy Wolfe has since replaced Hilty. Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child costars as Viola Van Horn. 

Cole Escola’s 80-minute one-act absurdist comedy took the New York theatre scene by storm, becoming an unlikely hit by word of mouth. Escola won the Tony for their performance as Mary Todd Lincoln in this fictionalized account of the former First Lady’s life before her husband’s assassination. Yes, here she’s an alcoholic washed-up cabaret singer, and icons like Jane Krakowski and Jinkx Monsoon have since stepped into the role. Outrageous and deeply silly, Oh, Mary! currently stars Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s John Cameron Mitchell and Marvel’s Simu Liu.

FOR THE POP MUSIC STANS: if one partner is skeptical of traditional musical theatre, they’ll recognize these songs!

A reimagining on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet that is far less tragic, & Juliet has become a Broadway hit. It’s a jukebox musical featuring the pop music of songwriter Max Martin, who has penned hits for almost every major pop star. Expect to hear tunes by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, and more. 

If you’ve seen Baz Luhrmann’s musical film, you know Moulin Rouge! mixes lush romance, comedy, and tragedy. But regardless of a leading character’s fate, we recommend it for a fun theatre date. The stage adaptation is far less of a bummer, with superb concert-esque production value. This Tony-winning jukebox musical features original songs written for the film (“Come What May”), many of the pop songs covered in the film (“Lady Marmalade”), and plenty of new pop and rock selections from this century that are delightfully mashed up — sometimes with dozens of songs featured in one number. Moulin Rouge! has a dazzling set and choreography that make a supremely entertaining theatrical experience for pop music and theatre lovers alike.

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Broadway's Best Capsule Reviews

Review of BUG

By Ben Lerner 

The current Broadway season of plays is full of high-stakes drama, intensity, topicality, and stellar performances. Oedipus, for example, is gripping and haunting. Marjorie Prime is powerful and deeply relevant. Neither is light viewing — you’ll leave shellshocked — but both are effectively thought-provoking, top-tier dramatic theatre. If you liked either of those, add Bug to your list now.

Carrie Coon stars in a revival of her husband Tracy Letts’ 1996 thriller, which was also adapted into a horror film starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon. It takes place exclusively in the motel room of Agnes (Coon), who strikes up a friendship with Peter, an ex-soldier with a mysterious backstory (Namir Smallwood). The supporting cast is Agnes’ abusive ex-husband (Steve Key), her friend and drug dealer R.C. (the scene-stealing Jennifer Engstrom), and a doctor from Peter’s past (Randall Arney).

In this new Broadway production at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, the events remain horrifying — but it’s not necessarily a straight-up horror play. The new direction by David Cromer, and especially the devastating lead performances by Coon and Smallwood, present a story that surely gets gory (be forewarned) but is more sad than prior iterations. In other words, the villain and his victim are both suffering from mental illness and/or trauma, and the ways in which they descend into madness evoke sympathy alongside shock.

If you think Act One is a slow burn, just you wait. Act Two builds to a crescendo of shocking proportions, mirroring the slippery slope of conspiracies and how quickly things can devolve from reality to insanity. I found the full nearly two-hour performance gripping, but it’s worth knowing this one builds exponentially, so each scene is more “off” than the last — at first subtly, and eventually very, very climactically.

The notion this play is just about conspiracy theorists, at least in a “faked moon landing” sense, is reductive — one character is sick, while the other is susceptible. It begs the question: if conspiracy theorists are “delusional,” are all people experiencing delusions conspiracy theorists? Or are they all just unwell? The play doesn’t answer this, so you’ll be left theorizing. As the lead characters leave reality, it’s sometimes unclear if what we see onstage is real. Are we a fly on the wall (no pun intended), or are we seeing it through the eyes of the drug-abusing lead characters? 

What is certain is that Carrie Coon delivers a tour de force. Fans who love her from The Gilded Age or The White Lotus will forget those characters quickly, as Coon transforms into Agnes, who couldn’t be more different. With a season full of intense, thought-provoking dramas anchored by spectacular lead female performances, this year’s race for the Leading Actress in a Play Tony Award will be heated. Coon enters the competition as a major threat alongside Jean Smart in Call Me Izzy, June Squibb and/or Cynthia Nixon in Marjorie Prime, and my personal pick, the brilliant Lesley Manville in Oedipus. Many more plays are set to open this spring, so plenty could change. For now, don’t miss Carrie Coon in Bug, through March 8 only. Tickets at https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2025-26-season/bug/

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Broadway's Best

FIRST LOOK: Blood/Love Takes A Bite Out Of Off-Broadway

By Ben Lerner

Broadway’s Best Shows caught an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming Off-Broadway vampire pop opera Blood/Love — and it’s sure to entice lovers of musical theatre and sexy vampires alike.

Directed by Hunter Bird, who recently helmed Masquerade (the popular immersive reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera), Blood/Love begins previews at Theater 555 on February 13 before opening March 3. The limited run will close March 29, 2026. The pop opera was written by Grammy-nominated songwriter Dru DeCaro with leading lady Cary Renee Sharpe, who plays Valerie Bloodlove, the world’s first vampire. Her costars include The Voice finalist Brooke Simpson and Christopher M. Ramirez (Real Women Have Curves) as Anzick, a mysterious mortal musician who changes everything for Valerie. 

Bird mentioned inspirations for the “highly theatrical, sleek visual production” ranged from Lady Gaga’s Mayhem tour to Doechii’s performance style to the work of artist James Turrell. The musical numbers we watched did not disappoint. Sharpe, in particular, brought the house down channeling Gaga, alongside an ensemble of dancers, with a catchy, synthy pop-rock anthem aptly called “Just Beyond The Pale.” 

Bird said Blood/Love is largely set at The Crimson Club — which evokes “Studio 54 by way of Bushwick.” If that tantalizes you, or even if you’re just a fan of pop operas, True Blood, or Twilight, get tickets here to sink your teeth into the limited Off-Broadway run of Blood/Love: https://bloodlove.com/tickets/.

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Broadway's Best Capsule Reviews

Review of DATA

By Ben Lerner

Plays exist to entertain. Some amuse. Some devastate. Some evoke complex thought. Some, like Data, do all three. To say that Matthew Libby’s new Off-Broadway work is timely would be a massive understatement. 

A deeply relevant and suspenseful drama, Data is by no means an upper, though its satirical elements of Silicon Valley tech bro culture bring some laughs. But it doesn’t take long for existential dread and moral dilemmas to overwhelm the lead character, a new employee at tech company Athena named Maneesh (the terrific Karan Brar). His concerns and fears mirror the audience’s, as the hyperrealism of Libby’s narrative sets in. It’s a work of fiction — Athena doesn’t exist, but it’s palpable that the tech companies that do are just as ethically dangerous as they appear in the play.  

The 100-minute, intermission-free drama follows Maneesh as he is recruited out of his basic job in user experience (UX) under mentor/himbo Jonah (Brandon Flynn) to the prestigious data analytics team under CEO Alex Chen (Justin H. Min). Maneesh is hesitant, but his college friend Riley (Sophia Lillis), who is already central to the data team, gets him a meeting with her boss. Each of the four characters’ motivations are not what they initially seem, as secrets are revealed and the gravity of Maneesh’s dilemma simultaneously hits him and the audience.

Sharply directed by Tyne Rafaeli, Data brings Libby’s script to life with sleek, effective set and lighting design, respectively by Marsha Ginsberg and Amith Chandrashaker. As Maneesh, Karan Brar, best known for Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Disney Channel’s Jessie and Bunk’d, more than proves his dramatic prowess for a very different audience (not for kids!). Sophia Lillis (of the It horror films) is the other standout as Riley, who we first meet as a nervous, socially awkward workaholic, but soon discover is in a far more complex situation. Similarly, Brandon Flynn (Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why) first presents Jonah as a basic tech bro with little nuance, but reveals a darkness and desperation that instigates a major plot point — the handsome himbo is more than meets the eye, for better or for worse!

The political and ethical implications of rapidly growing AI technology — who it really serves, and at what cost — seem ripped from our very current headlines. Fascinatingly, Libby first developed Data as an NYU grad student in 2018, well before the AI boom changed the tech landscape. He edited and updated the script as AI grew and the tech industry’s entire culture changed at rapid pace. There’s a second incredibly timely political element to Data that I won’t spoil — you’ll know it when you hear it.

Data isn’t an easy watch. It’s alarming because it’s so real and of our time, even as a work of fiction that’s been in development for over seven years. It reminded me in some ways of the current Broadway production of Marjorie Prime, which confronts the ethics of AI from a different, equally pertinent angle. That play premiered in 2014 and feels even more relevant today, as if it saw the future. The future — or likely, the present — portrayed in Data is not a hopeful one. But not all plays should be. It is certainly well-acted, engaging, and smart, but it most effectively confronts important ethical issues that are sadly not theoretical. They’re here, and just as the play ends ambiguously, we can only hope the whistle is blown before it’s too late.

Playing through March 29 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Tickets at https://www.datatheplay.com/

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Broadway's Best

AI, Broadway, and the Power of Human Storytelling

Micah Hollingworth of Satisfi Labs in Conversation with Jim Glaub

Broadway is built on emotion, humanity, and shared experience, but how audiences discover shows, ask questions, and decide what to see is evolving fast.

Micah Hollingworth of Satisfi Labs sat down with Jim Glaub (Super Awesome Friends) to discuss all things AI, websites, and the emotional storytelling and humanity unique to Broadway. Their conversation explored how AI is reshaping discovery and engagement, what Broadway websites need to become next, and how technology can support – not replace – the human connection at the heart of live theater.

What follows is a candid, future-forward conversation about where Broadway has been, where it’s going, and why better answers can lead to better outcomes for audiences and shows alike.

Jim Glaub:
I’m really excited about this conversation. You and I have worked together for a while now, but I want to start at the beginning. You’re not really a “technology person,” at least not in the traditional sense. How did you end up here?

Micah Hollingworth:
I’m definitely not a technology person. I didn’t come into this thinking, “I’m going to bring technology to Broadway.” I like new ideas, problem-solving, and finding opportunities that make things incrementally better. I’m an entrepreneur at heart.

I fell into theatre because it was my tribe. Putting on a show is actually a perfect fit for an entrepreneurial mindset. Straight out of college, it was like, “Let’s put on shows.” I fell into the commercial side because I needed to eat and stay in New York.

My lens has always been that of a generalist. Understanding how different roles in a business operate, what their objectives are, and where the friction is, then trying to match solutions to those problems.

Jim:
I’m really curious about when the lightbulb went off for you. When did you say, “Oh, actually, AI belongs on Broadway”?

Micah:
Very specifically. Fall 2017, the G. Janssen conference room at the St. James Theatre.

We were having a conversation about a tech idea that Satisfi was working on at the time, originally demoed for sports teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder. And my partner, John Scott, said out loud, almost casually, “This all sounds great, but could we sell tickets this way?”

And that was it.

You know those moments where someone says something and your brain just jump-cuts ahead? I could immediately see it. One step, then the next, then the next. It was instantaneous. That’s when I thought, “Oh… this actually belongs on Broadway.”

When an idea is right, it stacks. You can see three, four, five steps down the road immediately. When it’s not right, you keep second-guessing it.

There’s a running joke with people I work with that I’m the Kool-Aid Man. I burst through the wall like, “Oh yeah, we’re doing this,” and everyone else is like, “Yes, but slow down.” But that moment didn’t need convincing.

Jim:
What’s interesting to me is that this is actually a very old-school idea. It’s really just like going to the box office and talking to someone. What does this technology actually do for people who don’t understand it?

Micah:
At its core, it started as a simple answer engine. People have questions about a show, and the data proves that when you answer those questions well, you get better outcomes. Happier patrons. More confident buyers.

Early chat tools were clunky. People had to adapt to the technology. Now it’s flipped. Thanks to ChatGPT and similar tools, user behavior has changed almost overnight. People just ask full questions now.

This allows people to have a conversation with a show the way they would with someone at the box office. How long is it? Is it funny? Is it sad? Is this right for me?

That conversation lives directly on the show’s website.

Jim:
It feels like we’re in a race to the browser now. Search used to be everything. Broadway.com, TodayTix, those businesses were built on search intent. How does Broadway compete in this new world?

Micah:
The race to the browser isn’t new. Controlling browsing behavior has always been the prize. What’s changed is that AI platforms are racing to own the conversational layer.

If someone asks, “Can I get tickets to Maybe Happy Ending on Friday for under $89?” the platform has to decide where that answer comes from.

In the near term, platforms like OpenAI and Gemini are creating official agents. If a show has an official, connected source, that’s what gets prioritized.

Your website still matters, but the harder problem now is discovery. How do you even appear as a possibility?

Jim:
I keep thinking about browsing. Broadway feels like a mall where you walk into a store and immediately someone says, “Buy tickets.” There’s no browsing.

Micah:
That’s exactly right. Broadway skips the browse and rushes to the sale. And honestly, I understand why. It’s a brutal business. It’s incredibly hard.

But people still want to browse emotionally. They want to know how something will make them feel.

AI search is becoming the listings page. People genuinely don’t know what’s on Broadway. If they’re not frequent theatergoers, they’re asking AI what they should see.

If your website doesn’t answer those emotional questions, the system moves on. To Playbill. To TodayTix. Or to another entertainment option entirely.

Jim:
This brings up fear. I was really hopeful about social media when it started, and that didn’t end the way I expected. What are people most wrong about when they’re nervous about AI?

Micah:
AI is not going to replace live storytelling. It can’t. We’re in the business of human, communal experience.

The biggest misconception is that this is plug-and-play. It’s not. It requires constant human intervention. Strategy. Iteration. Models change. Platforms update.

Yes, some basic, repeatable tasks will go away. But what’s emerging is a whole middle layer of work. People who know how to use these tools well, who understand context and outcomes.

AI actually increases the value of human judgment.

Jim:
There’s also fear about misinformation and bad actors.

Micah:
That fear is real. People will misuse this technology. We already see it in politics and social media.

But that actually makes official sources more important, not less. In a low-trust world, people want to know what’s real.

Your website is the verified source. The place people trust. AI doesn’t eliminate that. It reinforces it.

Jim:
Tell us about Satisfi Labs. What do you actually do?

Micah:
You can find us at SatisfiLabs.com.

We focus on transforming legacy chat tools into truly conversational agents. A lot of organizations already have chat, but it’s fragmented and brittle.

We help structure and connect data so people can ask real questions and get meaningful answers.

For example, with the NBA, ticketing lives in multiple systems. Single tickets, suites, promos, group sales. We bring that together so someone can say, “It’s my dad’s birthday, he’s a huge Steph Curry fan, and he’s a veteran. What are my options?”

And the system can respond intelligently, not just sell a ticket, but help create a moment.

Jim:
You’ve said this a few times… “Better answers, better outcomes.”

Micah:
That’s really our mantra.

Is it perfect? No. Can it be better? Yes.

Better is better. And that’s very human. That’s how progress actually happens.

AI can’t replace the live theatre, but it’s forcing Broadway to explain itself better. That might be one of the best things to happen to the industry in a long time. As we step into a theatre renaissance, how can shows move away from pushing audiences to the cash register and sell the promise of emotion, escapism, empathy, actual reality and the core: human storytelling at its very best.

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Broadway's Best Capsule Reviews

Review of Liberation

by Robyn Roberts

The James Earl Jones Theatre in New York currently hosts Liberation, a compelling two-timeline story penned by the talented playwright, Bess Wohl, and brought vividly to life under the meticulous direction of Whitney White. This fresh production offers a thoughtful exploration of complex, intergenerational themes, enriched by captivating performances from lead actors Betsy Aidem, Audrey Corsa, Kayla Davion, Susannah Flood, and more fierce femmes with a few gents. With its blend of emotional depth and sharp dialogue, Liberation on Broadway invites us to reconsider notions of freedom, legacy, and connection in a modern world.

At its heart, Liberation unfolds as an intimate dialogue between women whose lives intersect in unexpected ways, beginning in 1970s Ohio. The story centers on a young, ambitious journalist named Lizzie, who starts a small “consciousness-raising” group, bringing local women together to discuss evolving their lives and the world for the better, by exploring themes of sisterhood, ambition, and societal constraints. Betsy Aidem is Margie, a woman grappling with the shadows of her past and the memories of societal upheaval she once witnessed. Enter Kayla Davion’s character, a younger woman searching for her own identity and a sense of liberation amid contemporary struggles. Their encounter sparks difficult conversations about history, trauma, and the fleeting nature of freedom. In the present day timeline, Lizzie’s daughter revisits her mother’s past, piecing together the history of the group and the choices her mother made, questioning the legacy and the true meaning of liberation.

Wohl’s writing deftly balances the personal and political, weaving moments of tenderness with biting honesty. The narrative does not rely on grand spectacle but thrives on the nuanced exchange of ideas and emotions between the characters, making the theatre space a crucible for reflection and empathy.

Director Whitney White’s vision shines throughout the production, creating a staging that feels both minimalistic and deeply resonant. The intimate setting of the James Earl Jones Theatre complements this approach, fostering a sense of immediacy and engagement that draws the audience directly into the emotional landscape of the story unfolding before you.

Betsy Aidem’s portrayal of Margie is a masterclass in subtlety, her performance conveying the weight of lived experience with a quiet strength that commands attention without overwhelming insistence. Kayla Davion as Joanne complements her character beautifully, infusing youthful urgency and vulnerability into the dynamic between the characters. The cast’s chemistry anchors the play’s themes and invites viewers to linger on the complexities of liberation itself—not just as a concept but as a lived reality.

For a contemporary audience, Liberation resonates on multiple levels. It challenges us to consider how personal histories are intertwined with broader social narratives and how the quest for freedom can take many forms, from political activism to the intimate act of personal truth-telling. Bess Wohl’s script, supported by excellent direction and acting, does not provide easy answers but opens a space for meaningful dialogue, which oftentimes lends more to the cause than a firm resolution ever could.

Moreover, the inclusion of powerful female leads emphasizes the voices that are even still, too often marginalized in mainstream theatre, adding crucial perspectives to ongoing cultural conversations.

Liberation is a testament to the power of theater to confront difficult themes with grace and emotional honesty, leaving audiences both moved and contemplative as they exit onto the ever colorful and always righteous New York City streets. Don’t miss Liberation on Broadway before it ends on February 1st. For tickets: https://liberationbway.com/

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Broadway's Best

Broadway Loves a Politician: New York Leaders in the Spotlight

New York politics has long provided fertile ground for the stage, where ambition, ego, idealism, and controversy naturally lend themselves to drama. This collection examines how Broadway and Off Broadway artists have transformed real New York leaders into compelling theatrical characters, using song, satire, and serious drama to explore the intersection of governance and performance in the city that thrives on both.

Mayor

Based on the memoirs of New York City Mayor Ed Koch, this musical with a book by Warren Leight and music and lyrics by Charles Strouse presents a brisk, satirical portrait of a single day in office. Blending humor with civic commentary, the show captures Koch’s unmistakable voice, outsized personality, and the constant push-and-pull between public service and political survival in 1980s New York. It began its live Off Broadway in 1985 and transferred to Broadway’s Latin Quarter later that year. There’s even a cast recording!

Fritz in Tammany Hall

This turn-of-the-century musical spoof takes aim at New York’s infamous Tammany Hall political machine, using romance and farce to expose the absurdities of corruption and patronage politics. While fictional in its characters, the show reflects very real anxieties and frustrations about city government in the early 1900s when political power often trumped public trust.

Fiorello!

A landmark of political musical theater, Fiorello! chronicles the rise of reform mayor Fiorello La Guardia, charting his battles against the corruption of Tammany Hall, his commitment to immigrant communities, and his relentless energy as a public servant. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and 3 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, it celebrates civic idealism while acknowledging the compromises of political life. Though not seen on Broadway since its original production in 1959, its last major New York production was at New York City Center’s Encores! in 2013.

Jimmy

This musical explores the rise and fall of New York City’s 97th mayor (1926-1932) Jimmy Walker, whose charm, wit, and Jazz Age glamour masked a tenure riddled with corruption and excess. Portrayed as both charismatic and deeply flawed, Walker’s story becomes a cautionary tale about power, celebrity, and the cost of governing by style instead of substance. The show enjoyed a brief run on Broadway in 1969 at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Bella Bella

A dynamic one-woman show set in 1976, Bella Bella brings to life the fierce voice and fearless presence of congresswoman Bella Abzug, who was the first woman to run for US Senate from the state of New York. Through humor, memory, and political reflection, the play celebrates Abzug’s activism, feminism, and unapologetic leadership, highlighting her lasting impact on both New York politics and the national stage. Written by and starring Harvey Fierstein, the show ran Off Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2019.

Just Say No

Yes, there’s a second major theatrical piece about Ed Koch. Larry Kramer’s uncompromising political drama directly confronts Mayor Ed Koch and the Reagan administration for their response to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Urgent and confrontational, the play uses real figures and real anger to challenge governmental indifference, marking one of the most pointed examples of New York political leadership being put on trial by the theater. Just Say No ran Off Broadway in 1988 and there have been other productions across the country: Chicago in 1999 and LA in 2007.

N/A

Set within the halls of Congress, N/A dramatizes a tense power struggle between two congresswomen, widely viewed as inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nancy Pelosi. The play examines generational divides, political branding, and the shifting balance of power in modern politics, using the New York-born congresswoman as a symbol of change within a long-established system. The two-hander premiered Off Broadway at Lincoln Center in 2024 starring Holland Taylor and Ana Villafañe.

Sunrise at Campobello

Dore Schary’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play offers an intimate portrait of New York governor Franklin D. Roosevelt at a pivotal moment in his life, as he confronts the onset of polio while vacationing at Campobello Island. Set years before his presidency, the drama focuses on resilience, family, and political destiny, revealing how personal crisis shaped the leadership style of one of New York’s most influential political figures before he rose to national prominence. The play ran on Broadway at the Cort Theatre in 1958 and was made into a film in 1960.

New York politics have repeatedly proven to be irresistible theatrical material. Whether presented as musical satire, historical biography, or urgent political drama, each piece transforms public office into performance, inviting audiences to see leaders not just as officials, but as characters shaped by ambition, conviction, failure, and change. From reformers and firebrands to scandal-plagued mayors and modern disruptors, Broadway and Off Broadway continue to mine New York’s political history for stories that reflect the city itself: loud, contentious, idealistic, and endlessly dramatic.