As has been tradition over the years, before we look ahead, we like to take a moment and appreciate what was. This past fall, we were fortunate to have seen five productions, all of which we really loved.
Off-Broadway, we had the chance to re-visit Heathers, a show that is so much fun, and much improved over its original production. A lot of that, I think had to do with some smart revisions and some excellent casting. And then there was the wickedly funny and surprisingly heartfelt Bat Boy: The Musical, a show completely new to us and Encores! did not disappoint.
On Broadway, we took the opportunity of great re-casting to make another trip down to Hadestown. What a thrill! The new cast was stellar (especially Paulo Szot and Jack Wolfe!) and the production is in pristine shape. Next was the Lincoln Center revival of Ragtime, and I found it to be superior to the original (over-produced), with stunning performances from the entire company, but especially Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz, and Joshua Henry. Finally, we saw an early preview of the utterly charming and hilarious Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty (Broadway debut) are the "it" couple of the season to date. Five for five!
And now for the winter months. Will the theater warm us up or leave us cold? Maybe a mix? So far, the pickings are slim... Both shows we are definitely seeing are leftovers from the fall that we didn't get to.
Looking Forward to Winter:
December 2025 - February 2026
We were determined to skip this one altogether, what with the star's political statements and the aftermath of all that, but we grabbed the opportunity to catch her alternate, Sherie Rene Scott (with a significant discount). She's gotten great reviews from the fans, and now at least we will probably see all of this season's new musicals. Can it really be as bad as we've heard? Or can it really be deserving of its New York Times Critic's Choice status? We shall see soon enough. Stay tuned!
Chess (Broadway - Imperial Theatre)
Real life interfered, and so we had to miss a later preview performance of this (now) hit revival. How happy are we that we will get to see it soon, after all! Book problems? Don't care! (and maybe it's part of the charm...) The score performed by a cast of Broadway favorites at the top of their game? We can't wait! Don't know what I'm looking forward to most... Lea Michele's "Someone Else's Story", Nicholas Christopher's "Anthem" or Aaron Tveit's "Pity the Child"? Or will it be something else entirely? No matter what I am counting the days until I get to see one of my favorite flops on Broadway!
