Looking Forward to Spring: March - May 2023

Alright, so winter doesn't officially start for three more weeks, but we're going to go ahead and call it early. Just like it always does, Broadway is beginning to fill its empty theaters with new shows to entertain, provoke and move us. And we are so excited to see many of them! Our goal is to see every new musical in each season, meaning the list below is musical-heavy, but beyond this period, we have several plays we are looking at for the summer.

Of course, before we look ahead, we like to review the recent past. Over the winter months we were very fortunate to have seen several wonderful shows, and only one real clinker. Though we didn't make it back to Harry Potter, we did make another visit to Kimberly Akimbo, which was as brilliant as ever! We also saw & Juliet (A+), A Beautiful Noise (D+), Leopoldstadt (A+), and The Kennedy Center's Sunset Boulevard (A+) for an average of A. Not bad at all!

Looking Forward To Spring:

March - May 2023

BROADWAY:

Bad Cinderella (Broadway - Imperial Theatre) Despite, or maybe because of, the vitriol of certain social media influencer wannabes, I'm looking forward to seeing this! The cast looks fun, and the snippets I've seen look pretty neat-o. True to my word, I'm going into this looking forward to a new musical where anything is possible.

Camelot (Broadway - Vivian Beaumont Theater) Any time Bartlett Sher helms a new Lincoln Center revival, it is cause to be excited. I'll admit this is not my favorite classic, but if anyone can get me to love it, it is Sher. Add to it the stunning, sexy and young principals (Andrew Burnap, Phillipa Soo  and Jordan Donica), and I am ready to be transported!

Dancin' (Broadway - Music Box) If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know I am obsessed with anything Bob Fosse. In fact, the 1st National Tour of Dancin' was my first brush with his genius. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to seeing what original cast member-turned-revival director Wayne Cilento has done to bring this piece back to life. 

Life of Pi (Broadway - Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) Okay, I am more interested in how this play will be done than what it is about. Actually, I know nothing more about this work (in any form) than what can be gleaned from the logo. The pictures I've seen of it look enchanting. I have a feeling seeing it happen live will only intensify the thrill!

Shucked (Broadway - Nederlander Theatre) The season's biggest question mark for me, on paper this looks absolutely ridiculous. But I've been won over by equally silly on paper shows (Urinetown, Xanadu). Frankly, I think their ad campaign is a riot - they know what they have and are really into the silliness. Jack O'Brien parading around Times Square dressed as an ear of corn is an image one won't soon forget. And have you seen their music video for the song "Maybe Love?" It gives me confidence in the quality of the writers.

Sweeney Todd (Broadway - Lunt-Fontanne Theatre) Even more than Fosse, I am truly a Sondheim fanatic, and Sweeney Todd is my absolute favorite of his shows. The cast and creative team have me really excited to experience the thriller of all musicals. I don't know who I'm most excited to see - Josh, Annaleigh, Ruthie, Jordan? Heck, it's the entire company! 

REGIONAL:

Pacific Overtures (Signature Theatre, Virginia) The mid-Atlantic's foremost interpreter of the works of Stephen Sondheim, Virginia's Signature Theatre is bound to put on a thrilling production of this regrettably rarely done piece. Catch their recently posted video of the song, "Someone In a Tree." If that's any indication... 

Spamalot (Kennedy Center - Eisenhower Theatre) If I'm being completely honest, one of the biggest reasons we got a Kennedy Center subscription for the Broadway Center Stage series was to see Kiss of the Spider Woman. And frankly, Spamalot is not really any sort of equal trade off. So, why does it still make our "looking forward to" list? Well, I like to give shows a second chance. Who knows? Maybe I'll like it better this time! But really, the initial casting has me intrigued. Alex Brightman, James Monroe Iglehart, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Rob McClure are all on my "actors to see no matter what" list. Even as I type this, I'm getting excited!

Before the Tonys, we'll also be seeing Parade, Fat Ham and New York, New York, and I don't know about you, but this summer is going to be hot with new shows!!