Friday 5: 5 Iconic Props of the 2024-2025 Season

If I said, "rolling pin and chaste silver razor" or "a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, a slipper as pure as gold," you'd probably know right away what Broadway show to which I am referring. These props have become synonymous with their respective productions. 

Over the years there have been many. Heck, just looking over the shows currently playing there are several. The genie's lamp is so iconic it is part of Aladdin's logo. Hadestown goes even farther - that red flower is not only on the Playbill cover, it adorns the outside of the Walter Kerr Theater! Then there's the golden quill from & Juliet, the green elixir from Wicked, Eliza's letter from Hamilton, and Ponyboy's journal from The Outsiders. At least some of those have achieved Sweeney Todd levels of notoriety, right?

Each season, I am always curious to see what will become the latest additions to the "Broadway's Iconic Props" list. Here's what I think they might be from the season just ended:

5 Iconic Props of the 2024-2025 Season

5. John Proctor is the Villain: Copies of The Crucible: Since Arthur Miller's classic figures so prominently in this play (and its title), it would seem odd not to have the scripts appear in the show. Every character in the play has a copy in their hands at least once. Very meta. 

4. Oh, Mary!: The Bucket: Ok, so it is gross, but completely necessary in this zany Tony-winning play. I won't go into details here, but if you know, you know!

3. Sunset Blvd.: The cameras: Everyone in the show had to be ready for their close-up! Given the way this revival is presented, this inclusion shouldn't be a surprise. I'll admit that before I saw it, I was prepared to be annoyed by them getting in the way. Now I can't imagine it without them. 

2. Death Becomes Her: The Potion Vail: This little purple vial is so important to this show, it not only appears in the show, and is part of the show logo, but it later shows up as a big set piece! Did the Wicked vial walk so this one could run?

1. Maybe Happy Ending: The Firefly Jar: That big jar starts out as a money holder, then transforms into a habitat for Claire's beloved fireflies. It is part of one of the most beautiful scenes of the entire season. I love that this is Claire's connection to nature, just as HwaBoon is Oliver's. Even Helperbots need life to make them feel whole.

A Special Note About HwaBoon: I'm betting many of you are thinking, "Jeff, how could you not pick the breakout prop of the year, HwaBoon?" Well, that's because he's come out as a character, NOT a prop. He even posted a pic from his dressing room with his script (left). You may have seen that he's also been getting around town, visiting Audrey II at Little Shop of Horrors, and as recently as last week, he visited the grasslands at The Lion King. I'd like to see Mrs. Lovett's rolling pin do that!

Around the TheatreScene July/August 2024

Over the course of each month, we'll collect pictures and newsy tidbits from the "TheatreScene." We'll be scouring Twitter, Instagram and other social media for interesting items. And we'd love to share your love of theater, too! Send us your pics from your theater scene - local stuff, school shows, fan art, stage door encounters! Send them to: jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (careful of the spelling!).

Around the TheatreScene

July/August 2024

Opened: Once Upon a Mattress

The season's first new musical rehearsed and opened this month at the Hudson Theatre! Micheal Urie posted some things from his "first day of school."

Closed: The Who's Tommy

It's the circle of life on Broadway. Shows open and close. This month saw the closing of The Who's Tommy. Sad as that is, a new show (Redwood) will soon take its place. And we suspect that this won't be the last we see of "Tommy," Ali Louis Bourzgui.

Coming Soon: Maybe Happy Ending

Rumors have been swirling since the first preview was postponed a month due to "supply chain issues" that this isn't happening. We choose to be optimistic. So does the Belasco Theatre.

Oh, Mary! Goes Glam and Has a Super Fan!

The hit of the season has had some glamour shots done. Has anything Lincoln-related ever had such luck in the boxes? Plus a certain Broadway Diva has become a big fan of Mary - she even did a commercial for the show!

 

Cole Escola (Mary)     Conrad Ricamora (Mary's Husband)

 

James Scully (Mary's Teacher)     Bianca Leigh (Mary's Chaperone)

 

Tony Macht (Mary's Husband's Assistant)     Peter Smith (Wonderstudy)

Hannah Solow (Wonderstudy)

📸: E. Madrid

Patti LuPone (Super Fan)

Fan of the Month

This fan of The Outsiders really wants to see it! More than 12 hours before the B.O. opens, she's in the rush line. Let's hope she got a seat! (We're having old-school Rent flashbacks...)

It's a Return!

One of our all-time favorites, Paulo Szot, is back at the Sondheim in & Juliet! 

Broadway Flashbacks

One of our Twitter pals, Burnside Gooch, really took us back with this O.G. Chicago pic. Imagine seeing this as you walked into the 46th Street Theatre!

Forty-nine-years ago tonight. pic.twitter.com/IE7GasN8O0

— Burnside Gooch (@akakarenwilson) August 8, 2024

And here's Mike Faist from his Broadway debut days in Newsies, signing at the stage door with a smile! (Circa 2012 - pre Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, West Side Story and Challengers on film.)

Broadway Beefcake

We are glad to see that these guys are staying in shape between shows! 

Our Story of the Month

Harmony and Funny Girl star Julie Benko took to X (fka Twitter) to make a big announcement for her and husband Jason Yeager! Congratulations, Julie and Jason!

Our Story of the Month

Broadway really does care! 

It was only a matter of time before Sasha Saynor made her Broadway debut and we were honored to be a part of it! Thanks to Make-A-Wish for making Sasha's dream a reality! 💙 pic.twitter.com/tMOuBSXfPL

— Back To The Future Broadway (@BTTFBway) July 31, 2024

 

2023 in Review: Our Favorite Productions

Before we sign off for 2023, Mike and I thought we'd weigh in on our favorite productions that we saw over the past twelve months. Overall, the shows we loved far outweighed those we didn't. That said, there were those we felt were the cream of the cream of the crop. Here they are:

2023 in Review:

Our Favorite Productions

(6 Categories)

Favorite New Musical

What we said: & Juliet is proudly, unabashedly a jukebox musical. Heck, there's an actual jukebox center stage and spotlighted at the start and the finish of the show! And just when I was ready to write off such fare, along comes this perfect gem of a show. The entire enterprise has elevated the genre and is now the gold standard of catalog musicals. Everyone involved should be proud. Grade: A+

Favorite New Play

Mike:

What we said: So rarely does a play receive such rave reviews as Leopoldstadt. Even more rarely does a production so fully deserve such accolades.This one is as advertised. It is a masterpiece. Grade: A+

Jeff:

What we said: When people ask me why I love theater as passionately as I do, I answer by talking about shows like Life of Pi. Nothing compares to seeing such artistry and sharing a deeply human experience happening right in front of you. Grade: A+

Favorite Revival

Jeff:

What we said: There simply aren't enough adjectives or words that even do justice to the magnitude of this production. All I can think of is "thank you." Grade: A+

Mike:

What we said: This is not a Sweeney for the faint of heart. And it just builds from there. Part psychological thriller, part horror show, part musical comedy, this production embraces all of it. It is traditional yet acutely modern. The result is one of the top theater experiences I've ever had. Grade: A+

Favorite Off-Broadway Production

What we said: The Encores! presentation of The Light in the Piazza is the perfect example of the joy and pain of the ethereal nature of the art form we love so much. It's that "capturing lightning in a bottle" thrill of witnessing a once in a lifetime moment, savoring the memory of it, and lamenting that it'll never happen again. Grade: A+

Favorite Regional Production

What we said: Pacific Overtures is a stunning classic, rarely performed, and perhaps underappreciated. True, it isn't for the faint of heart, and you need to bring your "A" game to fully understand it as an audience member. But, when there's as glorious a production as Signature Theatre's current revival, it is most definitely worth the extra effort. Grade: A+

Most Disappointing Production

What we said: They say in the show that well-behaved princesses rarely make history. Neither do rotten musicals. If pop hits and girl power re-write is what you need, head over to the Sondheim and grab tickets for & Juliet. Grade: F

2023 in Review: The Final Tally

Over the course of our yearly review, we honored 19 of the 21 productions we saw in 2023. 90 acknowledgements were made and here's how they broke down by show:

Shucked 12

& Juliet 10

Parade 10

Sweeney Todd 9

Here Lies Love 8

The Light in the Piazza 8

Bad Cinderella 5

Life of Pi 5

Bob Fosse's Dancin' 4

Pacific Overtures (Signature Theatre) 4

Back to the Future 3

Leopoldstadt 2

New York New York 2

Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center) 2

The Gardens of Anuncia 2

A Beautiful Noise 1

Camelot 1

Once Upon a One More Time 1

The Play That Goes Wrong (Kennedy Center) 1

Thank you all for joining us this year. We wish you all the very best for a happy, healthy and theatrical new year!

2022 - 2023 Season Wrap-up: Broadway Logos - The Best and the Worst and the Much Improved

2022 - 2023 Season Wrap-up: 

Broadway Logos - The Best and the Worst and the Much Improved

We make it no secret that we love Broadway show art and advertising campaigns here at JK's TheatreScene. And we are thrilled that a lot of you seem to agree. These logo-related posts are always among the top most read each month.

This season just ended has really been an embarrassment of riches in terms of shows and show art. We saw two plays and fifteen musicals (all of the new ones!) during the 22/23 season, and were pleased to bring you not only reviews of each, but also "closer looks" at each of those show's logos. 

Below is a recap of how we graded each, a look at how some of the low scorers have improved their campaigns, and our pick for the Best of the Best!

GRADE RECAP: Average: A

F: 

17. Bad Cinderella     16. Camelot

C: 

15. Some Like It Hot

C+: 

14. Kimberly Akimbo

B-: 

13. A Beautiful Noise     12. KPOP

A-: 

11. Life of Pi     10. Almost Famous

A: 

9. 1776     8. Into the Woods     7. Leopoldstadt

A+: 

6. Parade     5. Bob Fosse's Dancin'     4. & Juliet

3. Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street     2. New York, New York

THE BEST SHOW ART (and Advertising Campaign): 

1. Shucked

Simple, eye-catching and as fun as the show it represents, the show art, merch and the overall marketing for Shucked is inspired, interactive and has a broad appeal. While not forgetting more "traditional" means, those in charge have fully embraced the new generation of cyber loving influencers. It is, in fact, so ingenious that I suspect we've reached a turning point in the way Broadway shows will be advertised.

MOST IMPROVED:

Happily, all four of our lowest-rated logos have made some positive steps in the right direction. Adding interest and some much needed context, each has largely gotten rid of their original images, keeping only their titles, and adding photos of their stars in action, along with some tweaks to their taglines. (This is in addition to the usual pull quotes and awards numbers.)

  

  

I think the most improved of the lot are Bad Cinderella and Kimberly Akimbo. Sadly, it's too little, too late for the former, as it'll be closing in a matter of weeks. Hopefully, the latter will get a boost from the updated ads (and several awards).

With a new crop of shows already started for the 2023-2024 season, we are already at work on a closer look at Once Upon a One More Time. Look for that soon!

2022 - 2023 Season Trend: On Stage Logos

Trends of the 2022/2023 Broadway Season:

On Stage Logos

Now that the season is behind us, pre-Tonys time is when we like to look at recurring trends. Being the show art lover that I am, I couldn't help but notice that three musicals featured their show logos as a part of the set. It reminds me of a time when painting or projecting the show title on the curtain was common. Les Miserables, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Sunset Boulevard, and even this season's Almost Famous featured that. Of course, there are some examples from previous seasons where logo/show titles were integral to the set, like The Full Monty, the most recent revival of Company and Moulin Rouge. So this isn't a new thing. But with three in one season, I think it qualifies as a trend.

The thing about the three from this season is that they all are part of the action as well as being part of the setting and blocking of the cast. And I think that's pretty cool. 

& Juliet

When you enter the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, the first thing you may notice is that the title of the show is hanging just off the floor, surrounded by carts of paints, ladders and random letters the spell out "Romeo." In other words, a production of Romeo & Juliet is being prepared. As show time approaches, the cast comes out and starts putting it together, until everything changes. "Romeo" stays on the ground. "& Juliet" flies into the rafters and her story begins. The logo is part of the show!

New York, New York

The stage is set when the house opens at the St. James Theatre, and the neon New York, New York is there big enough to go on top of a skyscraper. Unlit, it gives an air of expectation; lit,  it's the bright light excitement of the big city. Modern Times Square has fewer and fewer signs like this anymore, so it also helps set the scene before the show even starts - it doesn't take place in 2023. At this point, we haven't seen this in person, but production photos confirm that at least one cast member interacts with it, so again, the logo is part of the show!

Dancin'

Early in this show, the title is projected on the enormous back wall screen, albeit backwards, as if we are behind the title with the company. Then at the end of the spectacular curtain call, the logo appears in floor to ceiling letters, brightly lit. Through it, we see the dancers doing what they do best, all in tribute to the great Bob Fosse. One last bump of lights and a finale button from the orchestra, and we see the dancers one last time between the letters. Then they are gone. You guessed it: the logo is part of the show!

I'm sure this won't be the last we see of this stage convention. But three times in one season? Will it be a trend again?