Broadway is often a platform for important stories that reflect the diverse tapestry of our collective history. Martin Luther King Jr., an iconic figure in the civil rights movement, has not been exempt from this trend. Over the years, various productions have paid homage to his legacy through impersonation, invocation, and references. In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let’s take a journey through some notable instances of Martin Luther King Jr. on the Broadway stage.
Samuel L. Jackson as Martin Luther King Jr. in The Mountaintop. Photo by Joan Marcus
The Mountaintop Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop provides a unique perspective on the last night of Dr. King’s life. Premiering on Broadway in 2011, the play featured Samuel L. Jackson as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Angela Bassett as a mysterious hotel maid. The production delved into King’s inner thoughts and struggles, offering a poignant portrayal of the man behind the movement. The Mountaintop humanizes the legendary leader, giving audiences a glimpse into the vulnerability beneath the public persona.
Brandon J. Dirden as Martin Luther King Jr. in All The Way. Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva
All The Way Bryan Cranston took on the challenging role of President Lyndon B. Johnson in All The Way, which premiered on Broadway in 2014. While the play primarily focuses on LBJ’s presidency, it touches upon the Civil Rights Act and King’s interactions with the administration during a crucial period in American history. Brandon J. Dirden took on the role of the iconic activist as “All The Way” served as a reminder of the intricate dance between political leaders and activists during a pivotal era.
Jay O. Sanders as Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee in Purlie Victorious. Photo by Marc J. Franklin
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch Although not a play centered on Martin Luther King Jr., Ossie Davis invokes his name in Purlie Victorious as a timeless symbol of progress and racial equality when Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee asserts that segregation ought to remain the way of things and “to hell with Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King.” It also deserves mention due to King’s actual attendance at its original Broadway production. Dr. King was in the audience when the play reached its 100th performance, becoming a historical moment connecting theater and the civil rights movement.
Billy Dee Williams as Martin Luther King Jr. in I Have A Dream. Photo by Martha Swope
I Have A Dream I Have A Dream was a musical revue that pays tribute to the powerful words of Dr. King. Premiering on Broadway in 1976, the production wove together King’s speeches and sermons, providing audiences with a musical journey through the key moments of the civil rights movement. Billy Dee Williams played the central figure. Through soul-stirring musical performances and poignant storytelling, “I Have A Dream” celebrated the enduring impact of King’s words and the resonance they continue to have in the fight for justice and equality.
The cast of the film One Night in Miami, directed by Regina King.
One Night in Miami Kemp Powers’ play One Night in Miami explores a fictional meeting between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown. While not directly focused on King, the play acknowledges his influence on the era, placing his ideals at the center of the cultural and political discourse. One Night in Miami invites audiences to reflect on the interconnectedness of historical figures and the collective pursuit of social change. The play underscores the enduring relevance of King’s principles in shaping conversations around activism and equality. The play was adapted by Regina King for a 2020 film.
These Broadway productions serve as a testament to the enduring impact of Martin Luther King Jr. on American society. Whether through direct impersonation or indirect references, the stage has become a canvas for artists to explore and celebrate the legacy of a man who played a pivotal role in the fight for civil rights.
Max Wolf Friedlich made a splash this fall with the world premiere of his play JOB. Starring Sydney Lemmon (Tár) and Peter Friedman (Succession), and directed by Friedlich’s longtime collaborator Michael Herwitz, the psychological thriller about tech workers in San Francisco, opened last October at Soho Playhouse. Now, the new play moves to the Connelly Theatre beginning on January 19th.
We recently spoke to Max about his inspirations, from Martin McDonagh to AI Instagram influencers, and how the production hopes to bring new audiences to the Off-Broadway space.
JOB playwright Max Wold Friedlich. Photo by Nikky Ayra
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Broadway’s Best Shows
Congratulations on the upcoming remount of Job at the Connelly! I’d love to know your influences, and how this script began.
Max Wolf Friedlich
I think at my core, it was growing up seeing Conor McPherson plays and Martin McDonagh plays, and Jez Butterworth and Sarah Kane, very British [and] Irish. Dark, twisty, supernatural, perverted, surreal, but also very real, often with a horror element. I think those were the things that as a kid were really foundational, and they are the kind of writer I still aspire to be.
Job is not the most autobiographical work. I started writing it as part of a theater development group in LA in fall of 2019. We were really actively working on it until the final preview that we locked. This past summer, we did a week-long workshop, where going in the script was 14 pages longer [than it is now.]
BBS
That was a very fruitful workshop if you cut 14 pages! Congratulations.
MWF
Thank you! I have worked with our director, Michael Herwitz, and our dramaturg-slash-producer Hannah Getts for many years. I write the plays, but we really develop [them] as a core trio. To be honest, it was pretty seamless. Where the play comes from is twofold. One is, I met someone at a party who had the job that is portrayed in the show, working in content moderation [for social media.] And the other element of it was, I worked for this very strange tech company that built fictional influencers, the most famous of which was called Lil Miquela.
So I have the strange experience of being a famous woman on the internet by playing this character professionally. The parts of the play that are really autobiographical are like, when you have 1.3 million followers, and you’re portraying a 19-year-old young woman–I didn’t mainline the internet the same way that the character in the play does–but, I could look at my phone any hour of the day, and someone [would be] saying something really heartfelt, or really disturbing, or very weird, or, you know, “I’m in the Philippines, I love your fashion.” That’s crazy. It’s literally me, you know?
BBS
That sounds like a truly surreal experience.
MWF
Really ran the gamut from Martin McDonagh to fake influencers. Yeah.
BBS
I’m imagining you at eight years old, just reading The Pillowman.
MWF
Maybe not eight, but probably…10. Yeah.
BBS
What was the theatrical experience that got you from a general interest in theater to playwriting?
MWF
I was a really self-conscious kid, which is why my mom suggested that I try acting. I really didn’t enjoy being on stage in that way. I didn’t like being told what to do. And then I wrote a Christmas play that I won’t disclose the details of because I picked it up again recently, like 10 years later, and it’s the next play that I want to do [after JOB.] It was a very perverse Christmas play. And my eighth grade English teacher, Mr. Byrne, was like, “I need to tell your parents about this. Because this is disgusting.” And also, “This is great, and you should keep going.”
JOB at Soho Playhouse. Photo by Emilio Madrid
BBS
The play takes place in a therapist’s office. And without saying too much, it is about a woman, Jane, who has been deeply traumatized. The show is constantly questioning mental health care, its relationship to being a participant in labor, and then also how trauma functions [in the brain].
MWF
Yeah. I did very little research into the actual job. That is encapsulated in the fact that it used to be fairly obvious that Jane worked at a very specific company. And then we were like, well, we’re not really doing the due diligence. We’re not representing these people. So the play is really an accentuated hyperbolic version of what it is to be on the internet. The experience of being online and growing up online is so ubiquitous that we don’t think of ourselves as having our brain chemistry altered and having seen traumatic images and had experiences that we shouldn’t have had, due to our access to the internet.
There’s a lot of my own relationship with therapy too, which is I think a very uneasy one. I don’t go, not currently, but, I have historically gone. I think therapy is good. But I’ve always been unnerved by that relationship and being like, Who is this person? What have they done? I had a therapist once who, anytime I’d mention something in my relationship, he would be like, “women can be really difficult.” And then I found out through our setting [that] he was divorced. And I was like, “Okay, you’re kind of bringing your own stuff.”
I’m more interested in the Rorschach test possibility of theater, rather than being like, this is where I want you to get to. I think anything people take away from it is something that I’m cool with.
BBS
You’ve spoken about how this play is about and for young people. Can you tell me more about how Job is trying to show young people that theater can be about them?
MWF
I’m an avid theater goer. I grew up in New York and have seen a s***load of theater, and I simply don’t see a lot of things that address our generation’s experience. And I think that that can exist across lines of race and gender and sexuality. JOB is really about our modern relationship with labor. First and foremost, it’s a play about how Millennials and Gen Z see work and see their role in the world. We were really conscious [of that] in our branding. We used photographers and graphic designers who typically work in music editorial, because we didn’t want it to look like a play. Which – accessibility means a number of things, right? There’s very tangible things like ticket prices. And then there’s things in the middle. How do we actually reach this audience? You can make your ticket prices as low as you want but if the content isn’t for the demographic that it seeks to reach, and if you’re not reaching them, then there’s no way to get them there. It’s little things. I’m a huge advocate of saying, “hey, doors at 6:30, show’s at 7”, because, when young people go see music, and it says the show’s at 7, the show is never actually at 7. It lets people know that this is for them, that there aren’t tricky rules that they don’t understand. As a young person seeing theater when I was 10, or 11 or 12, I was made very aware that I was an outlier in those spaces. I don’t want 10 year olds coming to see JOB, to be clear!
BBS
Ha, yeah, I was going to say.
JOB starts performances at the Connelly Theatre, 220 East 4th St, January 19th, and runs through March 3rd. $32-$127.
The jukebox musical featuring the songs of ABBA, premiered on the West End in 1999. Two years later, the show was an international sensation and opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre. In the years since, the musical continues to entertain with productions and tours all over the world, two movie adaptations, and a rumored third on the way!
Come along, dancing queens, as Broadway’s Best Shows dives into the careers of the original Broadway cast over 22 years later.
Louise Pitre (Donna Sheridan)
As Donna, Pitre earned herself a Tony Award nomination in 2002. After leaving the show in 2003, Pitre has continued in musical theatre, with iconic performances as Fantine in Les Misérables, Mama Rose in Gypsy, and Joanna in Company. In 2009, Pitre performed at Carnegie Hall in the musical Kristina, written by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.
Judy Kaye (Rosie)
Kaye received a Tony Award nomination for Mamma Mia!, and has continued to appear on Broadway and regional stages across the country. In 2006, Kaye appeared as Mrs. Lovett for 1 week in the revival of Sweeney Todd while Patti LuPone was on vacation. Later that year, she took over for Patti again in the revival of Gypsy. Kaye starred in the 2012 musical Nice Work If You Can Get It, winning a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her portrayal of Duchess Estonia Dulworth. After a brief run as the Dowager Empress in the Broadway musical Anastasia, she originated the role of Queen Elizabeth II in Diana, The Musical.
Karen Mason (Tanya)
Seven years after originating the role of Tanya on Broadway, Mason appeared on Broadway in Hairspray as Velma Von Tussle. In 2011, Mason appeared as the Queen of Hearts in the Broadway musical Wonderland and went on to recreate the role in the Tampa & Houston productions. She also appeared as Madame Giry in the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Lover Never Dies.
Karen Mason, Louise Pitre & Judy Kaye in Mamma Mia! Photo by Joan Marcus
Ken Marks (Bill Austin)
Marks has appeared in several Broadway productions since originating the role of Bill, including Hairspray as Wilbur Turnblad, Spring Awakening, Spider-Man Turn off the Dark, Airline Highway, and most recently, the 2022 Tony-winning revival of Take Me Out.
Dean Nolan (Harry Bright)
Following his run as Harry Bright, Nolan continued to appear in Off-Broadway and regional theaters. He co-produced a documentary titled “None Less than Heroes,” about the Honor Flight program which brings World Warr II veterans to Washington D.C. Currently, Nolan is on the faculty Texas Tech University’s School of Theatre and Dance.
Tina Maddigan & Joe Machota in Mamma Mia! Photo by Joan Marcus
Tina Maddigan (Sophie)
In 2006, Maddigan returned to Broadway as a standby in the original Broadway cast of The Wedding Singer. After a spinal injury left her with vocal paralysis, Maddigan spent years in vocal therapy and is currently an avid TikToker with over 500k followers.
Joe Machota (Sky)
After leaving the production in 2005, Machota moved to the business side of the industry, becoming the head of theater at CAA, where he currently represents some of the largest names in entertainment.
Notable Broadway Replacements
Carolee Carmello (Donna)
Following her departure from the show, Carmello originated the role of Alice Beineke in the musical The Addams Family. In 2011, she replaced Victoria Clark as Mother Superior in the musical Sister Act. Other notable Broadway credits include Scandalous, Finding Neverland, and Tuck Everlasting. Carmello starred as Dolly Levi in the national tour of Hello, Dolly! Until its closing in 2020, and most recently appeared in the Broadway musical Bad Cinderella.
Beth Leavel (Donna)
Beth Leavel succeeded Carolee Carmello as Donna in 2009. Since, she’s appeared on Broadway in Elf the Musical and Baby It’s You!, earning a Tony nomination for the latter. In 2018, she starred in The Prom, earning another Tony nomination. Most recently, Leavel starred as Miranda Priestly in the Chicago premiere of the musical adaptation of “The Devil Wears Prada.”
Christy Altomare
Altomare made her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia! Since, she originated the role of Anya in the Broadway musical adaptation Anastasia.
Judy McLane (Donna & Tanya)
McLane starred as both Donna and Tanya, and is the longest-running lead in the musical’s history with over 4,000 performances. Currently, McLane is starring as Joanne on the national tour of Company.
Mark your calendars because New York City Tourism + Conventions is back with a show-stopping extravaganza – Broadway Week! And it’s not just a week; it’s a theater lover’s dream that stretches from January 16 to February 4! Yes, you read that right – more than a week of Broadway bliss awaits you.
Here’s the scoop: NYC Broadway Week is your golden ticket to the finest theatrical productions, all available at a fabulous 2-for-1 deal. The stage is set, the actors are ready, and the only missing piece? You! Grab your tickets to the Broadway’s best without breaking the bank!
Here is our list of some of the best shows available for this season’s offer:
Hamilton
First up on our list is the phenomenon that took Broadway by storm – Hamilton. Join Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the rest of the Founding Fathers in this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical that seamlessly blends hip-hop, R&B, and traditional show tunes. One of the hottest tickets in town, don’t throw away your shot to witness the magic of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece!
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Gutenberg! The Musical
If you’re in the mood for laughter, look no further than Gutenberg! The Musical. Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad reunite for the first time since their Book of Mormon days in this comedy where two aspiring writers attempt to sell their “masterpiece” – a musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg. Only in performances through January 28, so don’t miss out!
& Juliet
For a fresh take on a classic, look no further than & Juliet. This innovative pop musical, powered by the music of Max Martin, reimagines Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, giving Juliet a chance to rewrite her own destiny. This modern twist on the timeless tale of love is a must-see for romantics and rebels alike!
Photo by Marc J. Franklin
Purlie Victorious
Ossie Davis’s landmark 1961 play Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch is back on Broadway for the first time in over 60 years! Leslie Odom, Jr. and Kara Young star in the roles that Davis and his wife Ruby Dee originated in the original production. Set in the American South, this gem of a revival promises powerful performances and an unforgettable journey that will tug at your heartstrings.
Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman
Spamalot
If you’re a fan of irreverent humor and absurdity, Spamalot is the show for you. This Tony Award-winning musical returns to Broadway to lovingly mock the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table in true Monty Python style. Some of Broadway’s brightest stars, including Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Michael Urie, James Monroe Iglehart, and Alex Brightman are giving laugh-out-loud performances nightly at the St. James Theatre!
Prayer for the French Republic
Last but certainly not least is Josh Harmon’s latest, Prayer for the French Republic. This thought-provoking epic play explores the continuation of antisemitism around the world by contrasting the experience of a Jewish family in Paris across two periods of recent French history. The new play opened on Broadway on January 9, 2024 after a successful Off-Broadway run last season.
So, what are you waiting for? Click here to snag your 2-for-1 tickets to these Broadway gems. Whether you’re a seasoned theatergoer or a Broadway newbie, NYC Broadway Week is your chance to savor the magic of live performances at a price that can’t be beaten!
In our new series, Unsung Roles of the Theater, Broadway’s Best Shows takes a peek behind the curtain to showcase the work of underappreciated Broadway professionals and their contributions to the theatrical ecosystem.
This week, we will be highlighting the work of Thomas Schall, a veteran fight director with over 100 Broadway credits to his name, including Waitress, Angels in America, and the 2023 revival of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch. He has won two Drama Desk Awards: one as an actor for Outstanding Ensemble Performance (Stuff Happens, 2005), and another for Outstanding Fight Choreography (A Soldier’s Play, 2020).
Thomas Schall in rehearsal for the Public Theater’s Othello, 2018.
As a fight director, Schall is intimately concerned with violence as a device of narrative storytelling. When building a scene, Schall considers three main narrative elements: the emotional arc of the characters in the show, the physical story of the violence, and the communication between actors during a fight scene. With these elements in mind, Schall must choreograph fight scenes that serve the narrative of the show at large, ensuring that the violence is readable to the audience and safe for the actors to perform every night.
Schall’s passion for fight directing emerged while training to be an actor in college. After enjoying stage combat classes in school, Schall followed his passion, working as both an actor and an in-house fight captain for productions at the Folger Shakespeare Theater in Washington D.C. There, he studied with several choreographers who whetted his interest in the art form and trained with the Society of American Fight Directors. Schall soon began choreographing fights of his own while continuing to work as an actor.
Thomas Schall (right) in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Hamlet, 1992, in which he played Marcellus and served as Fight Captain. Photo by Martha Swope
When Schall moved to New York City in the mid-1980s, he feared his work as a fight director would limit his acting opportunities.
“I was a little bit afraid of being pigeonholed as an actor who was a ‘fight guy,’” Schall said. “And [hearing] ‘there is no role for a fight guy in this show’ and having my resume set aside. So I stopped doing it completely, and was just an actor and did pretty well in New York over the years.”
After putting aside fight work for a few years, Schall put acting on the back burner and began pursuing fight work full-time as gigs became more regular in the late ‘90s.
In the current revival of Purlie Victorious, Schall choreographed a scene where Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee is about to whip protagonist Purlie, considering each character’s emotional arc throughout the show and the history of their relationship to make the scene work onstage. For Schall, bringing this scene to life onstage was challenging as it required finding the comedy in a moment of real violence.
“It’s the game that the entire play plays,” Schall said. “It’s talking about very serious themes, and very serious pieces of history in the country, but at the same time, it’s also a comedy, it’s a farce, and it’s a romp. And playing those two notes against each other is a very tricky, subtle game.”
Schall worked closely with director Kenny Leon and star/producer Leslie Odom Jr. in order to strike the right balance between seriousness and humor. By examining the overstory, or emotional arc of the scene, the trio found that the crack of Ol’ Cap’n’s bullwhip, a charged piece of imagery for the audience and the cast alike, was the perfect catalyst for the scene’s tonal transformation.
The bullwhip is both a prop and symbol in Purlie Victorious, representing the physical and psychological violence inflicted on African Americans during a time of segregation and oppression. Photo by Marc J. Franklin
“That whip crack became like a button, a sort of a switch for when things went from serious to comedic,” Schall said. “And so we shifted a line so that everything happens, sort of all the threatening things happened up to the whip crack. And then we were free to have fun.”
For Schall, it is these moments of collaboration that he values most. In his work as a fight director, Schall seeks to build a room of trust, asking his collaborators to trust him with their safety and have faith that they won’t feel embarrassed or stupid performing fight sequences onstage. While building trust is often challenging, it is also the most rewarding part of Schall’s job, as it allows him to form close relationships with his collaborators. After decades of working as a Broadway fight director, Schall has had several repeat collaborators, many of whom he calls friends.
“Every show and rehearsal on some level is a celebration of community,” Schall said. “And I love being part of a community of people. There comes a point in your career, hopefully, where you come into one of these rehearsal rooms, and you see people you’ve worked with before and they’re friends, and that, for me, is the most gratifying part.”
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch runs at the Music Box Theatre through February 4, 2024.
Mel Brooks’s musical comedy, which held the record for the most Tony Awards ever received by a single production for 15 years (in 2016, Hamilton tied with 12 Tony Awards), opened on Broadway in 2001. The musical, based on Brooks’s 1967 Oscar-winning film, which constantly broke box-office records at the St. James Theatre, ran for 6 years and was adapted into the 2005 hit film of the same name. Come with Broadway’s Best Shows as we look into the careers of the original Broadway cast since their departures from the show.
Nathan Lane (Max Bialystock)
After his Tony Award-winning performance in The Producers, Nathan Lane has continued to be a prominent figure in entertainment. On Broadway, Lane has appeared in The Odd Couple (Alongside Matthew Broderick), Butley, November, Waiting for Godot, The Addams Family, The Nance, It’s Only a Play, The Front Page, Angels in America (Tony Award Win), Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, and Pictures From Home. He has appeared in TV shows like “Only Murders in the Building”, “Modern Family”, “The Good Wife”, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”, and “Gilded Age.” On Film, Lane has been in the A24’s “Beau is Afraid” and “Dicks: The Musical.”
In 2006, Lane received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2008.
Photo by Paul Kolnik
Matthew Broderick (Leo Bloom)
Broderick has remained an active entertainer since his acclaimed run as Leo Bloom. He starred in the 2005 movie adaptation of the musical alongside Nathan Lane. On Broadway, Broderick has starred in The Odd Couple (with Nathan Lane), It’s Only a Play (also with Nathan Lane), The Philanthropist, Nice Work If You Can Get It with Kelli O’Hara, Sylvia with Annaliegh Ashford, and most recently, Plaza Suite alongside his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker. He appeared in TV series like “Better Things”, “30 Rock”, “Bojack Horseman”, “Rick and Morty”, and “Modern Family”, and did voice work in the films “The Lion King 1½”, “Good Boy!”, “Bee Movie”, and “The Tale of Despereaux.” In 2006, Broderick also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and has also been inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Gary Beach (Roger De Bris)
After his Tony-winning performance as Roger De Bris, Beach starred as Albin in the 2004 Broadway revival of La Cage Aux Folles, as well as the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables. Beach also starred alongside Lane and Broderick in the 2005 film adaptation of the musical.
Unfortunately, Gary Beach passed away in 2018.
Photo by Paul Kolnik
Cady Huffman (Ulla)
Since The Producers, Cady Huffman continued her career in theater and appeared in various productions, including alongside Nathan Lane in the Broadway play The Nance. She has also had appearances in the TV series “The Good Wife”, “Frasier”, and “One Life To Live.” Huffman was a regular judge on Food Network’s competition show, “Iron Chef America.”
Roger Bart (Carmen Ghia)
Following his departure from the show, Bart returned in 2004 as a replacement for Leo Bloom. Bart’s other Broadway appearances since The Producers include Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs, as Dr. Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, Disaster!, and currently Back to the Future: The Musical at the Winter Garden Theatre. Bart has had TV appearances in “The Blacklist”, “The Good Fight”, “Grace and Frankie”, “Modern Family”, “How I Met Your Mother”, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, “30 Rock”, and many more. Bart has a cameo in the 2021 film adaptation of Tick, Tick… Boom!.
Brad Oscar (Franz Liebkind)
After his successful run as Franz Liebkind, Oscar replaced Lane as Bialystock. In 2008, Oscar returned to Broadway as Sir Bedevere in Spamalot, and has since appeared in The Addams Family, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Big Fish, Something Rotten!, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Recently, Oscar was a replacement in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. Oscar has had appearances in TV series including “Law & Order”, “The Good Wife”, and “Smash.”
The new show Emergence, now running at the Pershing Square Signature Center, knows it’s hard to describe – is it a musical? A concert? A scientific exploration? An acid trip? It’s a little bit of everything. In this interview with lead performer and composer Patrick Olson, we explore the creative process behind this idiosyncratic event, that’s a little bit David Byrne, a little bit Carl Sagan, and even a little bit Woodstock.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Broadway’s Best Shows
Why write songs about huge philosophical questions?
Patrick Olson
You know, it may be less of a choice than just a simple response to how my mind is evolving, as I get older. I’ve tended to find that over time, whatever songs I’m writing at a given point in my life are reflective of the thought space that I carry around in that time. And maybe that’s not so surprising! I really think about these big questions, I really think about the implications of scientific insight. I really think about what it means to be human in a rapidly changing environment that we’re all in. And since I think about those things all the time, I think it’s natural that the music would reflect that.
BBS
Tell us about the songwriting process. I mean, it’s the cliche question, which comes first, the music or the lyrics, but…
PO
I normally start with just a baseline, and try to find some bass groove that feels right to me, and evokes some kind of specific emotion. The rhythm section of drums and bass constitute the spine of any song, so I like to start with the spine. And once that feels like it’s in a certain kind of pocket, then I just start noodling around the edges of that. Typically, the next thing [is] a basic portal structure that I would do on an acoustic piano, and figure out what kind of chord progressions feel right in relation to that baseline and those drums, and what sort of harmonic harmonic dimensions will come out of that. Lastly, I start to experiment with vocal ideas, which constitute the melody of any given song.
Once all of that is in place, then I really like to give the music a week or two, to breathe on its own and develop its own sense of character. And so when writing lyrics and the song, the structure of the song, the tone of the song, the qualities that the instrumentals offer, they really shape what the emotional context of the lyrics is going to be in. Then it’s just a matter of linking that to whatever ideas seem to fit the best. And usually, there are scientific insights of one kind or another, and the song kind of comes together at that point.
BBS
How and why did your album Music for Scientists become a work of theater that’s now running at the Pershing Square Signature Center? That’s a really unusual journey.
PO
Yeah! Writing and recording and producing that album was immense, fun, and really interesting. We really didn’t cut any corners. You know, we had a full orchestra that we recorded in Nashville. And this was during COVID, too, so that represented all of its own challenges, but we had I think a 50, 60, 70 piece orchestra with it. All of the songs on that album constitute the fertile soil that the next stage would grow out of. We really only used one song from that album, in the show Emergence, and that was “Moons of Jupiter.” I wrote nine new songs to constitute the show. But that album laid out the DNA for what the following songs would be and how they might constitute a different kind of experience, not just an isolated sonic experience, but a visual experience and a community experience of that theatrical experience.
BBS
That leads really nicely into my next question– what is the sort of emotional experience you’re hoping to create for your audience?
PO
I would really love for people to just be plainly entertained, in the most superficial way. [And] I would hope people would experience some emotional movement. For them to be touched, or for them to have the music and the stage-theatrical experience, evoke an emotion from them.
I’m really, really happy to report that, we go out into the lobby after every show and greet everyone as they’re leaving, and every single night, I get to hear people say [those] things: they feel it was so entertaining, and the show was really tight, and the choreo was great. And everything just kept moving, and they didn’t know what to expect next. And that there were periods of time in the show where people tell me they were really moved to tears. And it was just really beautiful.
People tell me pretty regularly, “I never thought of this in that way. And I don’t think I’ll ever think of it the old way again. Now I see the world in this way.” So it’s not just my intention, but I really have the privilege of being able to have face to face contact with people as they’re leaving the theater. And they tell me [that] happens. And it’s wonderful!
BBS
And you give them a tulip, which is also lovely. (Audience members are handed a tulip as they leave the theater.)
PO
They get a tulip as well! Which is sort of an emblem of the show in many ways. It’s referenced in the show and has scientific meaning as well as, you know, just kind of a nice little practical thing to give people to memorialize the experience.
BBS
So what do you see as the importance of an artist, such as yourself, communicating science? Why is that important to you? Why does that matter?
PO
It’s really fascinating because the word ‘science’ is loaded. It can mean so many different things to so many other people, you can say the word ‘science’ to someone on the street and who knows how they might react to that – it might be they have a sense of dread about physics exams that they had during college, or they feel like it’s really ‘mathy’ and something far away from them. Or it’s inscrutable, [like] “science is all about test tubes, and formulas and things I don’t understand.”
I don’t think of science as any of that stuff. I think of science as the insight, the understanding into the nature of the universe. That’s what I care about. The scientific method and good research methodology lead to solid insights, but it’s the insights that I care about. And so when I think about science, what I think about is reality. That is our best human understanding of the nature of things. And science happens to be the most reliable tool for getting at that thing, but it’s that thing that I care about.
BBS
An element of the show that was really unique was Jordan Noltner’s lighting design. It had a sort of rock concert feel that I so rarely see onstage. And so I’d love to know how that unique visual was created.
PO
There’s no question Jordan Noltner is a gifted lighting designer. It has to do with the DNA of the show… a big part of what we are is a musical concert, and any rock concert that you would go to for any popular musician, they have extensive and dramatic lighting, and we felt that that would be fitting for what we’re doing here as well.
BBS
So you come from the music world. How is the theater schedule treating you? What’s your routine to do this show? Because this is a big sing.
PO
Yeah, you know what I didn’t realize? Last night we finished our 62nd or 63rd show. And since a run of this length is very new to me, I did not understand just how taxing it is physically. I find I live a pretty quiet life outside of the show. And that’s necessary for me to summon all of the energy and explosive stuff that happens in the show. And then I go back home and recover and continue with my quiet life. So it does take a lot of sustained energy–I was surprised by how physically taxing a theatrical run like this is! But it is at the same time the most inspiring and most fun thing I think I’ve ever done in my life. So I will take the exertion, I’ll take all the beatings that come down the pipe, and I’ll keep doing this as long as we’re able to, because it is so exciting. And mostly it’s just about having contact with the audience after the show, when they can speak to me about their experience and that, more than anything else, just recharges my batteries for the next show.
For many Broadway lovers, the intermission is a welcome interlude in the theater-going experience, providing audience members with the opportunity to get out of their seats, use the restroom, or head to the concession stand. However, it appears the well-worn tradition of the intermission is at a critical juncture. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, of the 80 new plays that opened in the U.S. 2019-2020 theater season, 62% had no intermission. This development begs a vital question: are intermissions a thing of the past?
The intermission has a storied history. Before electricity, they allowed theater staff the opportunity to trim and relight the wicks of candles illuminating the stage. Intermissions served a similar purpose in movies, giving projectionists the time to change film reels. Over time, the intermission gained commercial as well as practical value. In the 1950s and 60s, advertisers enticed moviegoers to make trips to the concession stand with commercials like Let’s All Go to the Lobby, featuring dancing candy, popcorn, and soft drinks. Likewise, Broadway theaters encourage audience members to open their wallets during intermission with flashy merch tables and cocktails with names relevant to the show, allowing the audience to continue engaging with the production between acts.
In recent years, more and more Broadway shows have been presented without an intermission, including musicals such as Come From Away and the most recent revival of West Side Story (which was pared down to a single act), and plays like Leopoldstadt, The Minutes, The Shark is Broken, Ohio State Murders, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, and The Sound Inside alike. Why has there been a trend away from intermission in recent years? Given shorter attention spans and an increased focus on accessibility in the theater, it seems that the absence of an intermission would be counterintuitive.
The 2017 musical Come From Away had a runtime of approximately 90 minutes with no intermission at the Schoenfeld Theatre. Photo by Matthew Murphy
However, having an intermission doesn’t always make sense for a production. In an interview with the L.A. Times, playwright and director Robert O’Hara argues that a “seismic shift” must occur between acts for an intermission to be justified. From this angle, productions shouldn’t have intermissions just because they are expected. Instead, an intermission should only occur if it serves the narrative of the show and how the audience experiences the story.
More and more, having an intermission in theater seems arbitrary, especially when audiences are willing to sit through long movies without a break. Recently, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Avatar: The Way of Water have been hits at the box office while all running three hours or longer. If audience members can watch the latest Scorsese saga straight through, a two-hour Broadway show should be a walk in the park.
The 2023 Broadway revival of Purlie Victorious is performed without an intermission at the Music Box Theatre. Photo by Marc J. Franklin
What’s more, not having an intermission often has strategic value to theatermakers, allowing them to heighten the emotional and narrative arc of their plays. The current revival of Purlie Victorious is a timely example. While the original 1961 production had an intermission, standard for straight plays of the era, the 2023 revival runs without one. Without an interruption, Purlie Victorious builds tension and maintains its comedic momentum, taking audience members on an uproarious journey as they root for Purlie to win back his family’s inheritance. Foregoing an intermission, Purlie Victorious sustains its dramatic thrust, providing no shortage of laughs and surprises over its two hours.
While plenty of shows continue to have intermissions, playwrights and directors are reconsidering the efficacy of this tradition, not having a break in their shows’ runtime unless it makes sense as a narrative tool. Although not having an intermission can have strategic value, it raises concerns about accessibility, especially for the elderly and people with disabilities, for whom sitting for extended periods of time can be physically challenging. Going forward, Broadway may consider taking further measures to ensure that everyone has a more comfortable and enjoyable time at the theater.
What is a Broadway show without the actors at its core? Here, we single out the singular talents that burned bright on Broadway stages this year. Prepare to be enthralled as we navigate some of the exceptional performances that have defined the essence of Broadway in the year 2023.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Sean Hayes in Good Night, Oscar
In a surprise to no one, the top mention in this year’s list goes to Sean Hayes for his Tony-winning turn as Oscar Levant in Doug Wright’s play. Whether it was his tickling of audiences’ ribs or the ivories in his rendition of ‘Rhapsody in Blue,’ a performance this special does not go unnoticed. In his return to the Broadway stage after performing An Act of God in 2015, Hayes asserted himself as a theatrical powerhouse, and he will surely be welcomed back to the stage in seasons to come.
Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman
Annaleigh Ashford in Sweeney Todd
After icons including Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Imelda Staunton, and Christine Baranski have all filled the role of Mrs. Lovett, you wouldn’t think there were any crumbs left in the material with which to do something new, make a unique choice. It is our utmost pleasure to report that Ms. Ashford finds them all, and then some. With her wit and vocals in hand, Ashford manages to almost recreate this tried and true character, begging her castmates to catch up as she runs off with their show.
Photo by Marc J. Franklin
Kara Young in Purlie Victorious
Fresh off her second Tony Award nomination for Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living (which was in turn fresh off her first Tony Award nomination for her Broadway debut in Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s), Young displays a different facet of her enormous talent and versatility as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins in Purlie Victorious. In this role, Young delivers a masterclass in comedy in all its forms: physical, verbal, satirical, and the like. Her prowess, a must-not-miss performance, is on display nightly at the Music Box Theatre through February 4, 2024.
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
This year, Comer brought her Olivier-winning performance in Suzie Miller’s one-woman legal drama stateside, where she added yet another trophy to the mantle. Known to New York audiences primarily for her television career, Comer’s stage acting wowed as she spun this heavy tale with authenticity, nuance, and sheer power.
Photo by Andy Henderson
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer in Spamalot
As the Lady-of-the-Lake, Kritzer is the Standout-of-the-show! In a series of sparkly Jen Caprio gowns, she evokes Broadway divas like Liza Minelli, and adds the touch of Broadway glamor that holds the looney world of Spamalot together, making it not just a salute to Monty Python, but an exceptional stage musical on its own. Director Josh Rhodes wisely gives Rodriguez Kritzer ample opportunity to improvise, making the show fresh every night (see: the floored social media reactions from the audience that found out the SAG-AFTRA strike had ended because Leslie announced it live onstage and in character.) It’s a delight to watch her lead the company in her 8th Broadway show, and a treat to hear her belt to the rafters.
Michael Urie in Spamalot
Urie has a sterling reputation as a comedic heavy hitter, from prior credits like Torch Song Trilogy, Buyer and Seller, and TV’s Ugly Betty. In a production full of actors with PhDs in clowning, Urie still manages to steal the show with his surgically precise timing, detailed facial expressions, and total commitment to chaos in his performance as the nervy Sir Robin and a host of other medieval wackos. Who else could land a huge laugh just by darting his eyes back and forth? Watching him bring down the house with his Act 2 number ‘You Won’t Succeed on Broadway’ is a bit like watching Julia Child cook or Serena Williams play tennis – the sheer joy of watching a master at work.
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Alex Brightman in The Shark is Broken
Jaws fans got a behind-the-scenes look at the storied set of the iconic blockbuster in this year’s The Shark is Broken. With Alex Brightman (AKA Beetlejuice, to those in the know) playing the real-life Richard Dreyfuss, the play was infused with a burst of energy, zaniness, and neurosis that transports the audience effectively through the boredom of waiting on the boat. Brightman excels in exhibiting Dreyfuss’s ambitious and chaotic spirit, even if the real-life actor did not so much appreciate the interpretation…
Photo by Marc J. Franklin
Billy Eugene Jones & Jay O. Sanders in Purlie Victorious
Both given a near-impossible task of making grounded and genuine human characters out of archetypes, Billy Eugene Jones (last seen on Broadway in Fat Ham) and Jay O. Sanders (last in Girl From the North Country) make comedy magic as Gitlow Judson and Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee, respectively. As the “Uncle Tom” and racist plantation owner types, this duo of New York theater perennials use the vessels created by Ossie Davis to subvert stereotypes and deliver the play’s thesis, under the watchful direction of Kenny Leon.
Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez in Merrily We Roll Along
How could we sever the unbreakable bond between this trio of Broadway stars?! For their convincingly deep friendship and for their help in reifying the glory of one of Stephen Sondheim’s lost treasures, the Frank-Charlie-Mary of 2023 round out our list of the best performances to hit Broadway this past calendar year.
On the occasion of their father’s death, three siblings return to a dilapidated plantation home where they must battle with dysfunctional relationships and their own demons in Appropriate, now playing at the Hayes Theater. Returning to the Broadway stage, Sarah Paulson takes no prisoners. As Toni, Paulson is unrelenting yet vulnerable, delivering a masterclass in emotional volatility, especially as tensions run high in the second act.
You would be hard-pressed to find a weak link in the cast of Appropriate. Under the direction of Lila Neugebauer, the actors shine both individually and as a whole, tackling Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ tragicomic narrative of a dysfunctional family with both humor and heart. Michael Esper delivers an affecting performance as Franz, estranged and desperate to reconcile with his siblings over the harm he caused them in the past, while Elle Fanning is eccentric yet grounded as his younger girlfriend River.
Another highlight of Appropriate is its sound design by Bray Poor and Will Pickens. Throughout the show, an anxious chorus of cicadas pervades the theater, overwhelming audiences with the feeling that something terrible is about to happen. Just as impressive is scenic design by dots, especially in the play’s last five minutes, when rapid set changes take place as the plantation house falls into disarray and is overrun by vegetation. Together, these elements add to the play’s dramatic tension, creating an environment of dread that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats.
A riveting portrait of family dysfunction and prejudice, Appropriate is not to be missed.
