Looking Forward to Summer: June - August 2025

Soon enough, we'll be trading in light jackets for shorts and tees, and turning up the A.C. Where did spring go? The last couple of summers were busy, theater-wise, but this year it feels much lighter. It will be the perfect opportunity to catch up on an extremely busy spring!

Looking Forward to Summer:

June - August 2025

As always, before we look ahead, let's review what we got to see this past spring. We started with a re-visit to a favorite, Sunset Boulevard, where we discovered an amazing new talent, Diego Andres Rodriguez (left), who is now in London getting ready to co-star in Evita. Then we had a long weekend of shows, all of which we really enjoyed: the new sensation Dead Outlaw;the gorgeous revival of Floyd Collins with brilliant performances by Jeremy Jordan, Taylor Trensch, Jason Gotay and a thrilling new talent, Lizzie McAlpine; the nostalgic revue Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends with the legendary Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga as we've never seen her before; and, finally, the emotional, visually stunning Redwood with Indina Menzel proving she still has it. We wrapped up our spring just last week with an imperfect but promising world premiere play, John Wilkes Booth: One Night Only, starring a new favorite actor, Ben Ahlers in the title role. It was a good spring all around.

And now, to catch up this summer...

We've Got Tickets:

Buena Vista Social Club (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre - Broadway) I don't know much about this band, album or even this style of music, but I can't think of a better way to learn about it than with a 10-time Tony nominated musical. Everything I've seen about it looks beautiful. And with Avenue Q's Natalie Venetia Belcon in a triumphant return, we are even more excited to see it.

John Proctor is the Villain (Booth Theatre - Broadway) Ever since it was announced, I've been interested in seeing this one - probably not for the reason many people are. I'd never heard of Sadie Sink until her name appeared above the title (I don't watch Stranger Things). But I have always loved Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and I love works that re-examine classics like this new play does. And no offense to Ms. Sink, but I am really excited to see Gabriel Ebert once again, and to discover what she does have to offer.

Operation Mincemeat (John Golden Theatre - Broadway) Considering what a buff of World War II I am, and how much of an Anglophile I fancy myself to be, it surprises me just how little interest I've had in this one. But 10 Tony Nominations and seeing Jak Malone perform the touching "Dear Bill," convinced me to snag a ticket. Now, I'm actually excited to see what all the fuss is about.

Real Women Have Curves (James Earl Jones - Broadway) I've never seen any other iteration of this property, and I can't believe it, really. I love sassy women and an underdog story. Add one of my favorite actors, Tony-nominee Justina Muchada, and a much-raved about debut from Tatianna Cordoba, and I had to see it! Word-of-mouth on this is nothing but positive, and I look forward to laugh and love it.

On Our Wish List:

Pirates! The Penzance Musical (Todd Haimes Theatre - Broadway) We hope to get to this one for many reasons. The cast - Jinkx, David, Ramin -, the book update by the great Rupert "Drood" Holmes, and the locale change to New Orleans, all combined to make this old chestnut a hopeful addition to our collection of new old favorites.

Heathers (New World Stages - Off-Broadway) Saw this one the first time it was off-Broadway, and really enjoyed it. Fun and subversive, it really is my cup of tea. The song, "Seventeen" is one of my favorite show tunes of the 21st century. But what makes seeing this revival a priority is the great casting - Kerry Butler alone would get my interest, but with two of the biggest up and comers on the theater scene as the leads I have to see this. I mean, how could I miss & Juliet's Lorna Courtney and Almost Famous' Casey Likes?