Looking Forward to Fall: September - November 2025

It's hard to believe another three months have passed. This summer is now past, and unlike other recent summers, Broadway was rather less than busy. Nonetheless, we still managed to get in a few shows, and all four were new! We loved them all for different reasons. Operation Mincemeat, the acclaimed West End transfer, was zany fun, and actually is one I've grown more fond of as time has passed. Jake Malone gave one of the most touching performances of the year. Buena Vista Social Club was thrilling to see live - especially Tony-winner Natalie Venetia Belcon and that band! The old fashioned feel good Real Women Have Curves was also pretty modern, and a sweet, feel good way to end the season of terrific new musicals. But the biggest and best thrill of the season for my money was John Proctor is the Villain, a marvelously entertaining, razor sharp, and tense nail-biter of a play. I saw it in June, and I'm still thinking about it. Summer may have been slower, but it certainly was a great one.

Looking Forward to Fall:

September - November 2025

We already have plans to see more this fall than all of summer. And we are excited for all of it! What a mix - a re-visit to a beloved show with a sensational new cast, a revival of an off-Broadway musical with two of our very favorite young actors, another off-Broadway revival of a show we've only ever heard about (and also full of actors we love), two brand new musicals that couldn't be more different, and two dazzling and long-awaited musical revivals.

Off-Broadway:

Bat Boy (Encores! at New York City Center): This little show has eluded me for decades. Quirky, off-beat shows are among my favorite musical sub-genres, and this is a title I hear about often in theater circles. What a great place to get my first taste of this one, too! And the cast... well, if you follow me regularly you know that Taylor Trensch is one of my favorites, and add in Kerry Butler? Heaven! Alex Newell and Andrew Durand are also names that I equate with "must see." But it is Mary Faber I can't wait to see - I've been smitten with her ever since Avenue Q!

Heathers: The Musical (New World Stages): Speaking of quirky, off-beat musicals and Kerry Butler... We saw this the first time this one played New World Stages. It was enjoyable enough, but getting to hear Casey Likes and Lorna Cortney sing "Seventeen" was enough to buy a ticket. That song is a Top 5 21st Century show tune to me, and both of them are two of the most exciting Broadway talents to come along this past decade or so.

Broadway Re-visit:

Hadestown (Walter Kerr Theatre): Ever since we saw the original cast around the time the show opened, we have vowed to return. One thing or another (new shows, cash flow, a pandemic) has kept us from coming back, but a dearth of new shows and an amazing new company had us clamoring for tickets. I am especially looking forward to seeing Jack Wolfe, who was mesmerizing in the West End Next to Normal, Morgan Dudley, who was wonderful in Jagged Little Pill, and two of may all-time favorite Broadway regulars, Rebecca Naomi Jones and Paolo Szot, neither of whom have ever been less than thrilling.

Broadway Revivals:

Chess (Imperial Theatre): Though over the years, this Broadway musical is second only to Merrily We Roll Along for seeing a flop in the most versions the most times! No matter what they do to the book, I will always count this among my favorite complete scores, and any chance to see it with a full orchestration and a company of accomplished actors is one I will not miss. All three of the announced leads are high on my list of favorite contemporary Broadway actors. I can't wait to hear Aaron tear into "Pity the Child" and Lea throw herself into "Nobody's Side."

Ragtime (Lincoln Center at the Vivian Beaumont Theater):  I have to admit that the cast recording of Ragtime is one that I absolutely adore, so much so, that when I saw the original production I was somehow disappointed. The staging left me cold even as the score had me in tears. Much like Chess, the opportunity to hear this score sung by an accomplished cast and played by the Lincoln Center orchestra is one that would be a crime to miss. I am excited, too, about the cast, particularly Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy who are both actors who can do no wrong in my book! (Brandon Uranowitz and Shaina Taub are no slouches, either...)

Broadway Premieres:

The Queen of Versailles (St. James Theatre): Okay, I know nothing at all about the subject matter of this show, but they had me at Kristin Chenoweth. How can you not love this beam of light in the darkness? But I am also excited to see F. Murray Abraham, who I have loved onstage in both Angels in America and Triumph of Love - talk about range! A new score by Stephen Schwartz is always cause for excitement, and I am happily sat for any production directed by Michael Arden. Will the 21st unique production I've seen at the St. James be a hit or miss? I can't wait to find out!

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) (Longacre Theatre): A brand-new musical by a brand-new writing team is a reason for musical theater lovers like me to rejoice! The premise sounds fun and the two-person cast intrigues me. West End star (and cutie patootie) Sam Tutty has been on my watch list for years since I heard him sing songs from Dear Evan Hansen. And I've been looking forward to seeing Christiana Pitts ever since she won me over in the ill-fated King Kong.

What are you seeing this fall? Let us know!