2022 in Review: Our Favorite Broadway Writing, Design and Direction

 2022 in Review:

Our Favorite Broadway Writing, Design & Direction

(11 Categories)

We were fortunate enough to see 13 different productions on Broadway in 2022; these are the shows we considered in all categories for our favorites this year: 1776, A Strange Loop, Almost Famous, Funny Girl, Girl From the North Country, Into the Woods. Kimberly Akimbo, KPOP, Paradise Square, Some Like It Hot, and The Music Man. We also saw these shows from previous years for a second time, and considered them only in categories where things have changed: Company and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. We made our lists separately - so below you'll see where we agreed, plus performances we each just had to include! How did we compare to your favorites? Leave a comment below, or catch up with us on Twitter or Instagram! (@jkstheatrescene for both)

FAVORITE NEW BROADWAY SONGS

Jeff & Mike:

"Let It Burn" from Paradise Square 

Music: Jason Howland; Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare

Mike:

"Great Adventure" from Kimberly Akimbo

Music: Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

"Memory Song" from A Strange Loop

Music & Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson

"You Could Have Knocked Me Over with a Feather" from Some Like It Hot

Music: Marc Shaiman; Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman

Jeff:

"Better" from Kimberly Akimbo

Music: Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

"A Darker Shade of Blue" from Some Like It Hot

Music: Marc Shaiman; Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman

"Everybody's Coming Together" from Almost Famous

Music: Tom Kitt; Lyrics: Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt

FAVORITE PRODUCTION NUMBERS

Jeff & Mike:

"How to Wash a Check" from Kimberly Akimbo

Music: Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

Direction: Jessica Stone; Choreography: Danny Medford

"Molasses to Rum" from 1776

Music & Lyrics: Sherman Edwards

Direction: Jeffrey L. Page & Diane Paulus; Choreography: Jeffrey L. Page

"Some Like It Hot" from Some Like It Hot

Music: Marc Shaiman; Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman

Direction & Choreography: Casey Nicholaw

Jeff:

"Amerika (Checkmate)" from KPOP

Music & Lyrics: Helen Park & Max Vernon

Direction: Teddy Bergman; Choreography: Jennifer Weber

"Blast Off" from KPOP

Music & Lyrics: Helen Park & Max Vernon

Direction: Teddy Bergman; Choreography: Jennifer Weber

"Duquesne Whistle / Señor (Tales of Yankee Power) / Is Your Love In Vain? / License to Kill (Reprise)" from Girl From the North Country

Music & Lyrics: Bob Dylan

Direction: Conor McPherson; Movement: Lucy Hind

"Fever Dog Bows" from Almost Famous

Music: Tom Kitt; Lyrics: Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt

Direction: Jeremy Herrin; Choreography: Sarah O'Gleby

"Marian the Librarian" from The Music Man

Music & Lyrics: Meredith Willson

Direction: Jerry Zaks; Choreography: Warren Carlyle

FAVORITE SHOW LOGOS

Jeff & Mike:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

A Strange Loop

Mike:

Girl From the North Country

Kimberly Akimbo

Jeff:

Almost Famous

Into the Woods

FAVORITE PROJECTION DESIGN

Jeff:

Peter Nigrini KPOP

Rae Smith Girl From the North Country

Mike:

David Bengali 1776

Lucy Mackinnon Kimberly Akimbo

FAVORITE LIGHTING DESIGN

Jeff & Mike:

Natsha Katz Almost Famous

Mike:

Jiyoun Chang KPOP

Jeff:

Mark Henderson Girl From the North Country

Jen Schriever A Strange Loop

FAVORITE COSTUME DESIGN

Jeff:

Gregg Barnes Some Like It Hot

Toni-Leslie James Paradise Square

Rae Smith Girl From the North Country

Mike:

Andrea Hood Into the Woods

Emilio Sosa 1776

FAVORITE SCENIC DESIGN

Jeff & Mike:

Santo Loquasto The Music Man

Scott Pask Some Like It Hot

Jeff:

Rae Smith Girl From the North Country

Mike:

David Zinn Kimberly Akimbo

FAVORITE BOOK OF A MUSICAL

Jeff & Mike:

Cameron Crowe Almost Famous

David Lindsay-Abaire Kimberly Akimbo

Conor McPherson Girl From the North Country

FAVORITE SCORE OF A MUSICAL

Jeff & Mike:

Almost Famous

Music: Tom Kitt; Lyrics: Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt

Kimberly Akimbo

Music: Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

FAVORITE CHOREOGRAPHY OF A MUSICAL

Jeff & Mike:

Warren Carlyle The Music Man

Casey Nicholaw Some Like It Hot

FAVORITE DIRECTION OF MUSICAL

Jeff & Mike:

Jeremy Herrin Almost Famous

Conor McPherson Girl From the North Country

Jessica Stone Kimberly Akimbo

COMING FRIDAY: Our Favorite Broadway Productions of 2022