Broadway Musical Logos: 2025-2026 Season (So Far) - The Revivals

I've been asked a lot this season, "why haven't you been reviewing show logos this year, Jeff?" Well, to be honest, it's because I am pretty disappointed in them so far. But, due to popular demand, I will provide my two-cents on each after all. Up first, the season's two new revivals (I'm not counting the returns of Mamma Mia! or Beetlejuice. Both are recycling the original staging and the original logos.). I will start by saying that the original Broadway logos for both of these are among my all-time favorites. Having said that, I am not going to compare them any more than that.

Broadway Musical Logos: 2025-2026 Season

The Revivals

Chess

This one's a partial head-scratcher. Partial because while I don't find it creative, it does make sense to use a photograph of the show's stars as part of the key art. It is a fair hedge for the advertisers. Chess was a huge flop last time around, and using photos of the stars will certainly draw their fans if the title won't. Using black and white seems to add to the gravity and seriousness of the work, too. If you know the show, it suggests the love-triangle aspect of the plot. But for the uninitiated, since they aren't looking at each other, many people will miss that. 

The rest of the logo, and admittedly there's not much more to it, has me at a loss. Chess as a topic for a show has always been a bit of a stretch, but literally nothing about this even hints at the game - not even the title. With a font as boring as the game's reputation and an absolutely ridiculous choice of color, it is beyond me how this was green-lit. And don't get me started on the teeny-tiny "THE MUSICAL" in red. Finally, why is the title font not the same as the rest - or better, why isn't it more substantially different than the rest? Even a couple of chess pieces and a new font couldn't save this, as these earlier iterations prove:

Grade: D

Ragtime

Why oh why couldn't James McMullen come out of retirement to do something really beautiful for this important production. Bless him, at 91, I get it. But damn, what a missed opportunity. Even more egregious is what they came up with. This reeks of rudimentary clip art and Microsoft word art. While I appreciate that the colors are Old Glory adjacent, the red is pretty unattractive, and is saved only by the blue that is close to the green hue of the Statue of Liberty.

Speaking of that, the saving grace of this lackluster show art is the Lady Liberty torch held up by a variety of multicultural hands, all reaching for it. It really is the perfect metaphor for what happens in the show (and in America generally throughout time). But could the title be any less interesting? Not even the Word Art wave style doesn't help. Is it the flag waving?  Uninspiring.

Grade: C-

Broadway Quiz: 2016

Lately, there's been a social media trend where people post photos of themselves from a decade ago. Was it a simpler time? Was it a nostalgic time? I guess any time but now seems quaint by comparison. Personally, I can't believe the past decade has gone by so quickly!

Today's quiz is all about Broadway in the year 2016 - specifically shows that opened between January 1 and December 31, 2016. That covers the end of the 2015-2016 season, and the start of the 2016-2017 season.

Broadway Quiz:

2016

DIRECTIONS: Answer these questions about show that opened during the 2016 calendar year.

1. TRUE or FALSE: The Tony-winning Best Musical of 2016 actually opened in 2015.

2. TRUE or FALSE: The Tony-winning Best Musical of 2016 actually opened in 2016.

3. TRUE or FALSE: The Tony-winning Best Musical of 2017 actually opened in 2016.

4. TRUE or FALSE: A revival of the same musical opened in 2016 and will open in 2026.

5. TRUE or FALSE: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons played a Broadway engagement in 2016, while the musical about them, Jersey Boys, was still running.

6. Ariana deBose left Hamilton to co-star in which 2016 musical?

   A. In Transit    B. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

   C. A Bronx Tale    D. Shuffle Along

7. Current Death Becomes Her star Betsy Wolfe appeared in the original cast what show that opened in 2016?

   A. Falsettos    B. Waitress    C. Bright Star    D. American Psycho

8. All of the following are true about 2016 Broadway, EXCEPT:

   A. Cirque du Soleil opened a new musical on Broadway.

   B. Broadway's first fully a capella musical opened on Broadway.

   C. A Broadway musical closed early to accommodate a star's pregnancy.

   D. One new musical that opened in 2016 was deemed ineligible for the Tony Awards.

9. Which of these Tony Award nominees for Best Musical that opened in 2016 had a score by someone who had never written one before?

   A. Bright Star      B. Waitress    C. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

   D. Shuffle Along    E. Disaster!    F. American Psycho    G. Tuck Everlasting

10. Which of these 2016 musicals had a pro-shot made that was also released to the public?

   A. School of Rock   B. Waitress    C. Falsettos    D. Holiday Inn

11. TRUE or FALSE: 2016 was the last year that had no jukebox musicals open on Broadway.

12.  TRUE or FALSE: American Psycho was Broadway's first show to officially have a trigger warning.

13.  TRUE or FALSE: Only some of the original Broadway cast of The Humans also appeared in the film version.

14. TRUE or FALSE: A Bronx Tale, which ran for 700 performances, is the longest running show to ever play the Longacre Theatre.

15.  TRUE or FALSE: The revival of She Loves Me that opened in 2016 at Studio 54 was the first Broadway revival of that classic musical.

BONUS: What actress is currently co-starring in a musical that is playing in the same theater where she made her Broadway debut in 2016?

Star-To-Be: Jack Wolfe

⭐⭐ Star - To - Be ⭐⭐

Jack Wolfe

I suppose the case could be made that Jack Wolfe is already a star. He has several London stage credits, and was a star of Netflix's Shadow and Bone, and has appeared in several British television series. He also plated the lead role in the German film musical, The Magic Flute, based on the classic opera.

Like many of you, he first came to my attention as Gabe in the West End production of Next to Normal, here shown on PBS' Great Performances. I was bowled over, and fully understand why his was an award-winning (WhatsOnStage) and Olivier-nominated star turn. And so, when it was announced that he was coming to Broadway as Orpheus in Hadestown, I snapped up a ticket! I was not disappointed. He is everything I hoped for and more. (You really should get to see him if you can before he leaves on March 1!) At a mere 30 years of age, it seems he is just getting started. I hope he returns to the Broadway stage soon and frequently.

At This Theatre: The James Earl Jones

At This Theatre:

The James Earl Jones

Built in 1912, this theater was named for its owner, John Cort, and remained so until 2022, when it was renamed for renowned actor James Earl Jones. For a brief period in the late 1960s through early 1970s, it was home to The Merv Griffin Show, but otherwise, it has always been a legitimate theater. Its first tenant was Peg O' My Heart which ran a year and a half. Since then, it has been home to a variety of plays and musicals including The Jazz Singer, The Diary of Anne Frank, Purlie Victorious, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Magic Show, Sarafina! and Bright Star. The Cort has also been home to two productions that never officially opened: Bobby Boland and the original Yellow Face.

With its renaming came a significant refurbishment, including a beautiful and spacious side lobby. 

Number of Shows We've Seen There: 6 

Kat and the Kings, The Little Dog Laughed, The Lyons, The Cripple of Inishmaan, King Lear and Real Women Have Curves

Kat and the Kings To be completely honest, I don't remember much about the show other than that the performers were terrific and the music was entertaining. What I do remember about it was how I came to see it. I was on a bus trip with a friend who had an interview, and I came along at the last minute to catch a matinee while he was busy. They gave out coupons for shows and I picked this one, based on two factors: it was at a theater I had never been in, and it won the Olivier for Best Musical. But the thing that really stood out was when I went to the box office and presented my coupon. They gave me a fifth row orchestra seat on the aisle for free! Yes, a comp!

The Lyons It was twelve years later that I saw this terrific play. It was funny (biting, actually) and ultimately, touching. Looking back, it was a real opportunity to see two masters of their craft before they passed. Both the great Dick Latessa and Linda Lavin held the audience in the palm of their hands. Other favorites in the cast included Michael Esper and Brenda Pressley.

The Little Dog Laughed was my first brush with the work of Douglas Carter Beane. This play was a riot, sharp and scathing. The story of an agent who had the task of handling publicity for her movie star client who is caught in bed with his gay gigolo. It was this play that I would forever point out to people when they talk about TV stars doing Broadway shows. Tony-winner Julie White lead the cast with Tom Everett Scott as the closeted movie star, and Johnny Galecki as the gigolo.

The Cripple of Inishmaan Here was a play you'd think we saw because of its star, and that was part of the reason. But even more so, we went because we love the quirky, always shocking plays of Martin McDonagh, and this did not disappoint. And neither did Daniel Radcliffe who we had previously loved in How to Succeed...

King Lear I had a feeling that this production of my favorite Shakespearean tragedy would be a risky proposition. I wasn't wrong. From the gender-bending casting to the inclusive casting and the Philip Glass score to Sam Gold as director, I knew it would be challenging. While I am glad I had the chance to see Glenda Jackson one last time, I found her performance to be a bit messy. On the other hand I got to see Michael Arden in a rare return to acting, the great Ruth Wilson, and, unknown to me at the time, Pedro Pascal in his Broadway debut.

Real Women Have Curves My first Playbill with the new theater name on it, this show captured my heart as my sentimental favorite of last season. A great chance to see one of my favorite actresses, Justina Muchado, who was, as I suspected, a complete delight. It was also a chance to hear a new writing team, Benjamin Velez and Joy Huerta, who gave us a fun, old fashioned score with both a Latin flair and a modern sensibility. I hope we hear from them again soon. And I still maintain that had they opened in a less crowded season (like the current one) it would have been a big hit!