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Broadway's Best

Broadway’s Best Love Songs

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, here are some of our very favorite love songs from the musical theater canon. Enjoy!

‘Some Enchanted Evening’ from South Pacific

This Rodgers & Hammerstein classic embodies the essence of love at first sight. Its lush melody and romantic lyrics perfectly capture the magic of falling in love. ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ earns its spot for its enduring popularity and its ability to evoke the wonder of romance.

‘Tonight’ from West Side Story

In this poignant duet, Tony and Maria express their love despite the tensions surrounding them. Leonard Bernstein’s sweeping score and Stephen Sondheim’s heartfelt lyrics make this a Broadway classic. The song was originally written as a solo for Tony, but Sondheim and Bernstein later decided to turn it into a duet to heighten the emotional impact of the scene. ‘Tonight’ is noted for its emotional intensity and its status as a quintessential Broadway love ballad.

‘You Matter to Me’ from Waitress

In Sara Bareilles’s musical adaptation of Waitress, Jenna finds solace from her abusive marriage with love interest Dr. Pomatter. With the tender lyrics of ‘You Matter to Me,’ the two affirm their love for each other and relish in finding a partner to requite their affection. It’s a beautiful moment of vulnerability and calm amid a tumultuous journey for our protagonist.

‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ from My Fair Lady

Eliza Doolittle’s joyous declaration of love and newfound freedom is captured beautifully in this Lerner and Loewe masterpiece. It is theatrical lore that Julie Andrews, who originated the role of Eliza on Broadway, recorded the song in one take, despite having a cold at the time. The recording went on to become a bestseller and a treasured classic.

‘As Long As You’re Mine’ from Wicked

This haunting duet between Elphaba and Fiyero in the smash hit Wicked represents the intensity and passion of forbidden love. Stephen Schwartz’s evocative lyrics and soaring melody make it unforgettable for its contemporary appeal and its portrayal of love amidst adversity. Idina Menzel and Norbert Leo Butz, as Broadway’s original Elphaba and Fiyero, respectively, enter the canon of musical theatre love songs with this number.

‘Changing My Major’ from Fun Home

In Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s adaptation of the Alison Bechdel memoir graphic novel, Alison’s sexual awakening is depicted with this euphoric tune. She bashfully declares her fascination with Joan, as Tesori’s anthemic melody and Kron’s authentic lyrics beautifully convey the rush of emotions, and the freedom of her self-discovery. It’s both a song about love of another, and also about self-love and finding courage in your own identity. Alison’s vulnerability and newfound understanding of both herself and her feelings for Joan make it a powerful and relatable number.

‘Seasons of Love’ from Rent

This iconic anthem celebrates love in all its forms, urging us to measure our lives in the love that surrounds us. Jonathan Larson’s poignant lyrics and memorable melody have made it an enduring favorite for all theatre kids. Larson is said to have written ‘Seasons of Love’ in just one night, capturing the essence of the show’s themes in a burst of creativity. The act two opener is listed for its universal message and its significance in the modern Broadway repertoire.

‘So in Love’ from Kiss Me, Kate

Cole Porter’s sultry jazz waltz is a declaration of passion and desire. Its sophisticated lyrics and lush melody make it a standout in the Great American Songbook. ‘So in Love’ was famously covered by jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, whose rendition became a jazz standard in its own right. This song is remembered for its timeless elegance and its portrayal of love’s intoxicating allure.

‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ from Jesus Christ Superstar

Mary Magdalene’s soul-searching ballad in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice rock opera is a poignant exploration of love and devotion. Its questioning melody and introspective lyrics resonate deeply across generations since the musical’s 1971 debut. Yvonne Elliman, who originated the role of Mary Magdalene on Broadway, was initially reluctant to sing the song due to its religious themes, but was convinced when Webber performed it for her in his flat. She ultimately delivered a captivating performance that became a highlight of the show, with its emotional depth and its unique perspective on love.

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Creative

Broadway’s Married Couples

We all know that theater is a labor of love. But some of Broadway’s brightest stars have taken that to heart more than others, looking within our own theater community for romantic partnerships. In preparation for Valentine’s Day, here’s Broadway’s Best Shows’ list of our favorite Broadway duos.

Audra McDonald & Will Swenson

Photo by Marc J. Franklin

Audra McDonald is the Tony-winningest performer in history. And if she represents Broadway royalty, then her husband of over 10 years, Will Swenson, undoubtedly stands as a king in his own right. While McDonald graced the stage most recently in Ohio State Murders, Swenson commanded the stage just across Times Square, leading the cast of A Beautiful Noise as Neil Diamond. The couple starred opposite each other in a 2015 Williamstown Theatre Festival production of A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O’Neill.

Phillipa Soo & Steven Pasquale

Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Another pair of performers, Philippa Soo and Steven Pasquale recently mirrored their real-life relationship, playing lovers at the Kennedy Center in their 2022 production of Guys & Dolls. Individually, Soo has appeared in Hamilton, Amélie, and Camelot, while Pasquale’s credits include The Bridges of Madison County and American Son. The couple were married in 2017, following her star-making run in Hamilton and ahead of his engagement in Lincoln Center Theater’s Junk

Andy Karl & Orfeh

Photo by Amy Arbus

Likely the first Broadway couple that comes to mind for many, Andy Karl & Orfeh have been married since 2001, mere months after meeting when Karl joined the cast of Saturday Night Fever. The stalwarts have appeared together on the Broadway stage twice more since then, in 2007’s Legally Blond: The Musical and 2018’s Pretty Woman: The Musical

Christopher Fitzgerald & Jessica Stone

Photo: City Center

It might be a surprise to learn that the Tony-nominated director of Kimberly Akimbo and the upcoming Water for Elephants is married to the legendary character actor, of Wicked, Waitress, and now Spamalot fame. In true showbiz fashion, Fitzgerald and Stone met in 1999, performing opposite each other in the 1999 Encores! Concert of Babes in Arms at City Center, and married in 2001. As Stone transitioned from a performer to a director, they continued to work together – most notably, Stone directed the legendary 2009 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Williamstown Theatre Festival, starring Fitzgerald as Pseudolus alongside an all-male cast.

Photo: Williamstown Theatre Festival

Lisa Peterson & Rachel Hauck

Photo by Jennifer Broski

A power couple off- and on Broadway, Rachel Hauck is the Tony-winning set designer of Hadestown, and Lisa Peterson is the two-time OBIE-winning director of new plays premiered around the country. They met while working at the Mark Taper Forum in 1996. Audiences might best know their project An Iliad, which Peterson wrote with performer Denis O’Hare, and which toured the country after its 2012 premiere. They most recently collaborated on the 2023 play Good Night, Oscar, which also marked Peterson’s Broadway debut. 

Charlotte d’Amboise & Terrence Mann

Photo by Joan Marcus

Triple threat Charlotte d’Amboise has been married to fellow performer Terrence Mann since 1996, after meeting over a decade prior when they were both in Cats on Broadway. D’Amboise has had a long career on the Broadway stage, including two Tony-nominated performances, but is maybe best known for her perennial stints as Roxie Hart in Chicago, to which she has returned more than 25 times for brief runs in the starring role. Mann, a three-time Tony nominee, has appeared in 14 Broadway productions since 1981. The couple most recently appeared together in the 2013 revival of Pippin, and have also co-founded Triple Arts, a training program for aspiring musical theater performers, which they operate and teach together.

Maryann Plunkett & Jay O. Sanders

Photo by Joseph Marzullo

Two veterans of the New York stage, Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders have been married since 1991. Each with decades-long careers on and off Broadway, the pair has appeared onstage together in Richard Nelson’s Apple Family and The Gabriels play cycles, as husband & wife in the former three plays and then as brother- & sister-in-law in the latter. Recently, their work on Broadway overlapped as Sanders finished up the final weeks of his run in Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch at Music Box Theatre, while Plunkett worked directly across 45th Street in tech rehearsals for The Notebook at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

Leslie Odom, Jr. & Nicolette Robinson

Photo by Marcus Middleton

Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. married Nicolette Robinson back in 2012, years before he would go on to become a household name as the original Aaron Burr in Hamilton, and she would make her own Broadway debut in Waitress. The couple are frequent creative collaborators, releasing music together, co-writing a children’s book, and most recently, teaming up as producers for the 2023 Broadway revival of Purlie Victorious, in which Odom also starred in the title role. 

Allan & Beth Williams

Broadway.com | Photo 30 of 43 | Great Balls of Fire! Million Dollar Quartet  Burns Up Broadway on Opening Night

Behind-the-scenes duo Allan Williams & Beth Williams have each been a part of over 65 Broadway productions in their careers to date. Allan is a veteran General Manager and Producer, recently serving as GM on Purlie Victorious, Good Night Oscar, and Diana the Musical and as Executive Producer on American Utopia, The Band’s Visit, and American Psycho. Beth is a Producer, who also served as CEO of Broadway Across America between 2008 and 2013. She has 12 Tony Awards to date, and her next show is the new musical Water for Elephants.

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Creative

“My Most Challenging Work” with Director Pam MacKinnon

Pam MacKinnon is a prolific New York theater artist, with years of directorial experience on Broadway and off, as well as across the country. With a certain proclivity for the works of Edward Albee, she has directed A Delicate Balance and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway (winning a Tony Award for the latter), as well as world premiere productions of Peter and Jerry and Occupant (the latter of which is further discussed below). Other Broadway credits include Clybourne Park, The Heidi Chronicles, China Doll, Amélie, and The Parisian Woman.

MacKinnon gave a unique answer when Broadway’s Best Shows asked which, of all her many productions to date, she considers to have been the most challenging. Rather than discussing the dark themes of a particular piece, she is shining a light on the sometimes hectic nature of being a top working director in New York City, when an unfortunate turn of events had her multitasking beyond her wildest dreams… Here is Pam MacKinnon on her most challenging project(s) yet:

Putting up a great show is always full of joy and hard work. Always.

As a lucky, in-demand freelance artist, I sometimes found myself with as many as seven productions in a season. It’s a hustle that both feeds and interferes with the art. Schedules are beyond our control.

There was one week in the spring of 2008 with my production of Itamar Moses’ THE FOUR OF US up and running at Manhattan Theatre Club, as I was already starting tech of Edward Albee’s OCCUPANT at Signature Theatre. Two amazing projects; beautiful plays with glorious acting companies. After many years working out of town I was about to have two shows off-Broadway.

Blue skies. What could go wrong?

Well.

We got word with a couple of weeks to go in the MTC run that Sony Music had finally gotten around to answering our rights query about some transition music that had been central to our many transitions. Lightning out of a blue sky. Their answer was no. We were facing an immediate cease and desist. I was suddenly teching lights and sound for two shows! One from 8 am-11 am. The other from 12 noon to midnight. Designers were already onto their next gigs. Associates who had not been involved with THE FOUR OF US were my new collaborators, brought in to make it all seem seamless. We had one understudy covering both roles in the two-hander, he came in those three mornings to help with the crucial timing.

And I peddled my bike to and fro City Center and the old Signature space—could it have been any further west?!!—avoiding Times Square at all costs, feeling very fortunate to be living the dream, angry with Sony, and very very sleepy by my next Monday day off.

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Interviews

“You can take the kid out of the theater, but you can’t take the theater out of the kid”: Jonathan Bennett on making his Broadway debut in Spamalot

By Ben Togut

Jonathan Bennett has always had his sights set on Broadway. A self-professed “musical theatre freak” who spent much of his adolescent life performing, Bennett moved to New York at the beginning of his career with the hopes of getting on Broadway. However, fate had other plans. He soon booked a role on All My Children, and later landed the part of heartthrob Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, leading to a successful career in TV shows and movies. After putting his theatrical aspirations on pause, Bennett finally fulfilled his dream of being on Broadway when he joined the cast of Spamalot as Sir Robin on January 23rd. 

Jonathan Bennett as Sir Robin in Spamalot. Photo courtesy of the production.

“You can take the kid out of the theater, but you can’t take the theater out of the kid,” Bennett told Broadway’s Best Shows. “And my whole life has been longing for that itch that has never been scratched. And that is Broadway.”

Bennett has been wholeheartedly welcomed into the cast of Spamalot, especially by Michael Urie, who played Sir Robin in the revival before Bennett. Ever since Bennett closed the deal to take over as Sir Robin, Urie has gone above and beyond to make sure Bennett feels confident for his Broadway debut, including taking him out to dinner and personally introducing Bennett to everyone backstage.

“[Michael] has been in constant communication with me from the day that this happened to make sure that I feel comfortable because he cares so much about the show,” Bennett said “And he cares so much about the character. I don’t know of that ever happening with someone coming into a cast. And that’s because Michael Urie is a superhuman with the biggest heart.”

For Bennett, one of the challenges of being Sir Robin is playing a character who isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed yet is completely unaware of their shortcomings. Taking over the role from Urie, Bennett plans to exaggerate Sir Robin’s naïveté and to channel his feelings about being on Broadway for the first time to capture Robin’s excitability. 

“I think my Robin is a little more eager for acceptance,” Bennett said. “He gets excited a little bit more than Michael’s Robin. And I think I’m going to just pull from my excitement of making my Broadway debut and my dream coming true.”

More than his time as an actor, Bennet believes his experience hosting shows like Cake Wars and Times Square Ball has prepared him most for the Broadway stage, allowing him to stay present, and think quickly and creatively on his feet. As someone who is often in front of the camera, Bennett is eager to go all out with Spamalot’s irreverent humor and make a fool of himself in front of a live audience.

“I am a gay, only-child actor,” Bennett exclaimed. “There is nothing I love more than attention, and people clapping and laughing at my stupid jokes. I can’t wait to get on stage and play and test out material and jokes and different ways to deliver lines and different improvs.”

Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of Spamalot for his first Broadway curtain call. Photo by Andy Henderson.

Speaking with Bennett ahead of his Broadway debut, his enthusiasm for Spamalot’s spirit of play and the revival’s dynamic cast is palpable.

“I’ve never seen a cast that has such an unexplainable spark,” Bennett said. “It’s different every single night because you never know what the heck is going to come out of Alex Brightman’s mouth. You never know what the heck Leslie Kritzer is going to sing. And so every night the whole cast is electrified as they stand there and wait to hear who’s going to try to crack the other one up. And when you have that happening on stage, the audience just goes nuts for it. I’ve never seen lightning in a bottle on Broadway the way that you see it when you see Spamalot.”

Bennett is making his Broadway debut soon after the movie musical version of Mean Girls comes to theaters, which he finds mysterious but in no way a coincidence. As the film that launched his career reaches new audiences, Bennett will take the next step in his career, finally realizing his Broadway dreams. He hopes Spamalot is just the beginning.“My goal, with doing Spamalot, and making my Broadway debut, is to continue to aggressively work in the Broadway and theatre space, “ Bennett said. “Because, as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz once said, ‘There’s no place like home.’”

Jonathan Bennett celebrates his Broadway debut. Photo by Andy Henderson
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Creative

“My Most Challenging Work” with Director Leigh Silverman

For 20 years, Leigh Silverman has built an impressive directing career in New York and across the country. Since her Off-Broadway debut with 2004’s Well at the Public Theater (which she would restage for Broadway two years later), Silverman has helmed five Broadway and over 30 Off-Broadway productions. 

Her Broadway credits include Chinglish, The Lifespan of a Fact, and Grand Horizons, among others, and her sixth Broadway show is this season’s new musical Suffs, which Silverman brings to the Music Box Theatre following its Public Theater premiere in 2022.

Her awards nods include a Tony nomination for her work on the 2014 revival of Violet and two Drama Desk nominations, one for directing the play From Up Here in 2008 and the other for the musical Soft Power. The latter happens to be the show that came to mind for Silverman when Broadway’s Best Shows asked about her most challenging work to date. See what she had to say about the difficult project, and her eye towards its future… 👀

Conrad Ricamora & Kendyl Ito in Soft Power at the Public Theater. Photo by Joan Marcus

This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

Broadway’s Best Shows: What has been your most challenging work to date?

Leigh Silverman: This is such an interesting question because every project is rife with its own unique, amazing challenges. I love challenge when it is artistic in nature and forces my collaborators and me to imaginatively and rigorously grapple.

The most challenging work, using this framework, would be Soft Power, a musical I directed at the Ahmanson Theater in 2018 followed by a run at the Curran in San Francisco and was then produced at the Public Theater in 2019.

BBS: What was so difficult about this project? 

LS: This musical had been a dream of David Henry Hwang’s, with music by Jeanine Tesori, and was a true exploration/investigation of what is “possible” in musical theater.  David wanted to write a play that would shatter when the character of DHH is stabbed (a hate crime that did happen to the real David), and then the play would replay/transform into a musical complete with a full orchestra. He loved the structure of Anne Washburn’s iconic play, Mr. Burns, and in his own spin wanted to create an inverse to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. So in his musical Soft Power, America’s struggles are musicalized through a futuristic Chinese musical lens. 

We faced challenges in tone and style as we tried to bend and twist and subvert and articulate why we love musicals, and why, even when they are so very problematic and racist, they still have the power to move us so deeply. All this while commenting on China’s possible future point of view about America as told through musical theater and thereby exerting their “soft power.”

BBS: How did you address and/or resolve the challenges?

LS: We worked tirelessly.  We love musical theater and wanted to make an exciting piece of musical theater that honored the form while interrogating it. We wanted to explicitly address the brutal and constant racism Asian Americans face. We worked and worked and worked and at one point Jeanine said to David, “David! Put your pancreas on the table!” That’s how hard we were all working.

BBS: Are you proud of the result?

LS: Extremely. But also it is unfinished. 

BBS: Is there anything you would do differently with the benefit of hindsight?

LS: The world has changed significantly since 2019 and I believe, when we get back to it, there will be fresh ideas and energy for reinvestigating David’s incredible vision.

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Capsule Reviews

Days of Wine and Roses

by Ben Togut

Caught in the grip of alcoholism, two lovers watch as their lives spiral out of control in Days of Wine and Roses, a new adaptation of the 1962 film, now playing at Studio 54. Two Broadway veterans at the top of their game, Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James deliver nuanced and devastating performances as a husband and wife struggling to navigate the toll of addiction.

As Kirstie, O’Hara is truly a joy to watch. Commanding Adam Guettel’s haunting score, she has never sounded better, her rich soprano underscoring the emotional volatility of her performance. Guettel’s score provides O’Hara ample opportunity to showcase her versatility as both a vocalist and actor, as when she scats while her character drunkenly vacuums the apartment, a welcome moment of comedy in a musical with such bleak subject matter. 

D’Arcy James perfectly complements O’Hara, delivering an earnest and moving performance as Joe, a husband fighting to stay sober and keep his family afloat. The chemistry between the couple and the pathos of their performances is also a credit to director Michael Greif, whose direction establishes the emotional stakes of this classic story and breathes new life into its characters.

At once a love story and a harrowing portrait of addiction, Days of Wine and Roses is sure to resonate with audiences whether they are familiar with the original movie or not.

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Broadway's Best

Broadway’s Best Shows Closing in Winter 2024

While some Broadway shows are lucky enough to run for decades with no signs of slowing, others set out only to play for a finite time in a limited engagement, or, unfortunately close earlier than they had hoped, due to the unpredictable nature of the industry. 

Here’s a recap of what you need to see in the next month before they disappear from the Broadway boards for good:

Photo by Matthew Murphy

Gutenberg! The Musical! – January 28

Bud & Doug, as played by Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells, are soon to hang their hats (of the yellow baseball variety) as they end their limited Broadway engagement at the James Earl Jones Theatre on January 28. With this metatheatrical musical directed by Alex Timbers, the duo reunited on Broadway for the first time since originating the lead roles in The Book of Mormon together back in 2011.

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch – February 4

Leslie Odom, Jr. returned to the stage for the first time since Hamilton in September 2023 when he opened the first-ever revival of Ossie Davis’s Purlie Victorious in the titular role. Starring alongside Kara Young in this “outrageous comedy,” as director Kenny Leon put it, Odom, Jr. has put this 1961 play back on the map and you only have a couple weeks left to experience it. Final performance Sunday, February 4.

Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Harmony – February 4

With music by Barry Manilow and a book & score by his longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman, Harmony came to Broadway in the fall to retell the true story of the Comedian Harmonists. This moving musical darkly dramatizes the rise of Naziism across Europe as it collides with the hopes and dreams of this part-Jewish group of traveling singers. The histori-musical ends its Broadway run on February 4.

Photo by Curtis Brown

How to Dance in Ohio – February 11

Based on the HBO documentary of the same title, this peppy new musical recounts the highs and lows of a group of young adults on the Autism spectrum, as they learn all the skills and behaviors needed ahead of their group therapy program’s spring dance. The show introduces audiences to seven of these young adults, all played by actors who are also on the spectrum. Featuring standout performances from Liam Pearce and Caesar Samoya, endearing storytelling helmed by Sammi Cannold, and authentic representation across the board(s), don’t miss your chance to dance along with this inspiring company until February 11.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Appropriate – March 3

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ family drama made its Broadway debut in late 2023, ten years after it was initially performed in Washington, D.C. Sarah Paulson, Elle Fanning, and Corey Stoll lead the cast as the Lafayette family comes to terms with its dark ancestral past. The play is running in a limited engagement at Second Stage’s Helen Hayes Theater through March 3.

Prayer for the French Republic – March 3

Joshua Harmon’s epic exploration of Jewish identity and perseverance over generations of persecution and hate landed on Broadway as the first new show of 2024. Following its smashing success Off-Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club has transferred the David Cromer-directed three-act to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, where its short run is scheduled through March 3.

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Creative

“My Most Challenging Work” with Set Designer Beowulf Boritt

Beowulf Boritt is one of the busiest set designers on Broadway. Since making his debut with 2005’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Boritt has designed the set of over 30 Broadway productions, earning two Tony Awards (from six nominations), and two Drama Desk Awards (from eight nominations) in the best scenic design category. His latest Broadway set was for Harmony, and next up is the upcoming revival of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town.

His 2023 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award wins were both for his design of the new musical New York, New York. These must have been particularly rewarding accolades, considering that show is the one Boritt named when we asked him about his toughest project to date. Here is Beowulf Boritt on his most challenging work to date:

An early sketch for ‘Wine & Peaches’ in New York, New York, courtesy of Beowulf Boritt.

This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Broadway’s Best Shows: What has been your most challenging work to date?

Beowulf Boritt: New York, New York (by John Kander, Fred Ebb, David Thompson, Sharon Washington, and Lin-Manuel Miranda at the St. James Theatre, Directed and Choreographed by Susan Stroman, 2023) was by far the largest, most complicated set I’ve designed. 

BBS: What was so difficult about this project? 

BB: The show required many, many locations in quick succession and it all had to squeeze into a Broadway theatre without a very big backstage. The rapid pace of the scene changes was hard because there were several 15-20 minute sequences in the show that were basically constant scene changes keeping the crew working at a fevered pace. For the first 10 days of tech, I think the crew and stage management just thought it was impossible, but they kept at it valiantly, and eventually, we got it all working efficiently, safely, and beautifully.

BBS: How did you address and/or resolve the challenges?

BB: We planned very carefully, making sure everything was exactly the size we had laid out in our technical drawings so it could all fit together like a giant three-dimensional Tetris game. We had to balance all these technical needs with the look of the design so it would all feel beautiful and effortless.

BBS: Are you proud of the result?

BB: I won a Tony Award for it, so that’s a nice cherry on top!

BBS: Is there anything you would do differently with the benefit of hindsight?

BB: The show was enormous. Perhaps too enormous to survive in the current Broadway climate. It was what the artistic and producing team wanted, I think, but I suppose in retrospect had we done a much simpler production it might have had a longer life.

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Broadway's Best

Broadway’s Most Anticipated Shows of Winter 2024

After the first Broadway opening of 2024, “Prayer for the French Republic” at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 9, Broadway’s winter theater season is off to a strong start. To keep the celebration alive, Broadway’s Best Shows presents a peek at some of the most anticipated shows set to grace the stage between now and the spring equinox on March 19, 2024. From romance-centered musicals to intense classic dramas and one-person spectacles, the next couple of months promise a diverse roster of new Broadway offerings.

secondary preview
Photo by Ahron R. Foster

Days of Wine & Roses

Where: Studio 54

Opening: January 28

Following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company last year, “Days of Wine & Roses” brings its poignant tale of love and struggle to Studio 54, with powerhouse performances by Brian D’Arcy James and Kelli O’Hara and an original score by Adam Guettel (“The Light in the Piazza”) in tow. For more information, click here.

Doubt

Where: American Airlines Theatre (soon to be renamed the Todd Haimes Theatre)

Opening: February 29

Roundabout Theatre Company presents a revival of “Doubt” with powerhouse duo Tyne Daly and Liev Schreiber taking center stage. Off-Broadway stalwarts Zoe Kazan and Quincy Tyler Bernstine (Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play) round out the cast. This is the first revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning 2005 play. For more information, click here.

Rob Madge's My Son's a Queer to Receive Special New York Industry  Presentation | Playbill
Photo by Mark Senior

My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?)

Where: Lyceum Theatre

Opening: March 12

Direct from a critically acclaimed London premiere, Rob Madge makes a splash on Broadway with their one-person show My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?). Madge’s compelling storytelling and charismatic stage presence promise an evening of laughter, tears, and a celebration of love and acceptance. For more information, click here.

The Notebook

Where: Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

Opening: March 14

As iconic as the beloved novel and film, “The Notebook” takes a new form as a musical at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. With music by songstress Ingrid Michaelson, get ready for a romantic and emotional journey as three pairs of performers play lovers Noah and Allie at different stages of their lives. For more information, click here.

An Enemy of the People

Where: Circle in the Square Theatre

Opening: March 18

Directed by Sam Gold and featuring Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) and Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”), the latest revival of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People features a new adaptation by Amy Herzog (of last season’s A Doll’s House). Strong plays a doctor who uncovers corruption and pollution in a close-knit vacation spa town. For more information, click here.

Categories
Capsule Reviews

Prayer for the French Republic

By Ben Togut


The threat of antisemitic violence, both past and present, looms throughout Prayer for the French Republic by Joshua Harmon, now running at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway. A portrait of a family in crisis, one of the three-act epic’s great strengths is its dynamic ensemble cast, who embody the humor and pathos at the heart of Harmon’s timely play. 


As Elodie, the eldest daughter of the Salomon-Benhamou family, Francis Benhamou is delightfully sardonic as she defends and rails against her family’s antics and staunchly held beliefs throughout the play. Anthony Edwards gives a commanding performance as Patrick Salomon, who recounts his family’s struggle with antisemitism yet struggles with the religiosity and growing anxieties of his sister’s family. 


The scenic design by Takeshi Kata is an undeniable highlight, working seamlessly with the play’s alternating timelines, as the Benhamous’ apartment transforms back and forth between Paris of the present day and the 1940s with ease. It elegantly complements David Cromer’s staging, which places the anxieties that the Salomon-Benhamou family confronts in the past and present in conversation with each other and highlights that the struggle against antisemitism is a constant one.


An urgent story of faith and family, Prayer for the French Republic is a thought-provoking and necessary production.

Running at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre through February 18, 2024. For more information and tickets, click here.