2023 in Review: The Movers and Moments of the Year

Every year, there are huge hits, big flops, news makers and fan favorites, scandals and groundbreaking ideas in the theater scene. And when we pause to review the year just ending, we always think of things that deserve recognition, but don't really fit any single category. 2023 was no exception. Here are some of those people and moments:

2023 in Review:

The Movers and Moments of the Year

The Movers

New Faces of 2023 - Performers

Here are six individuals who made a huge impression on us this year, and we think each these remarkable performers are set to have huge careers in the coming years.

Erin Rose Doyle (Mary Phagan - Parade)

Jake Pedersen (Frankie Epps - Parade)

J. Savage (Gawain/"Hunk" - Bad Cinderella)

Ben Jackson Walker (Romeo Montague - & Juliet)

Kalyn West (Young Anuncia - The Gardens of Anuncia)

Anna Zavelson (Clara - The Light in the Piazza)

New Faces of 2023 - Creatives

Here are four people who made their mark in the world of theater this year in the creative areas of theater production. Each has already excelled in their respective fields, but 2023 really brought them to our attention. And now we can't wait to see what they do next!

Sammi Cannold - Director - Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center), How To Dance in Ohio

Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally - Composers (Music & Lyrics) - Shucked

Jamie Lloyd - Director - A Doll's House, Sunset Boulevard (West End)

Performer of the Year - Jordan Dobson

We've kept an eye on this fantastic performer ever since we saw him go on as Tony in the 2020 revival of West Side Story. 2023 was a great year for this uber talented young actor: he was in the original companies of two new Broadway musicals! As featured soloist and ensemblist in A Beautiful Noise, he delivered one of the few highlights of the evening, singing "Shilo." He left that show to be the lead - Prince Sebastian - in the highly underrated Bad Cinderella. His "Only You, Lonely You" in that show was a highlight of the entire season.

The Moments

Best Intermission - Ben Platt in Parade

Though most people used his presence at the interval as a photo op/Insta post, it was actually in interesting study in maintaining a challenging role and reminding everyone in the theater that even as life goes on for the rest of us, the incarcerated are trapped in their prison cell, guilty or not. Kudos to both Platt and director Michael Arden.

Best Curtain Call - Bad Cinderella

Fun, campy and energized! Just like the rest of the show. A great reminder to not take everything so seriously.

The Jaw-Droppers

Here are those moments that catch you off guard, make you gasp, and remind you of why live theater is the thrill of being there. Some are big effects, others are surprising small details, and all of them are exciting.

The flying DeLorean in Back to the Future

The orchestra reveal and title number of New York New York

The final exit of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd

The Best Moment of 2023:

"The Turnaround Heard 'Round the World" - When the divine Ruthie Ann Miles started to walk of the stage, paused and turned back to look at us one last time... nirvana.

2022 - 2023 Show Logos: & Juliet and A Beautiful Noise

Today, we are taking a closer look at the logos of two Broadway musicals that opened during the first half of the 22/23 season. Both are jukebox musicals - the Max Martin catalog show, & Juliet and the Neil Diamond bio-musical, A Beautiful Noise. Both are doing well at the box office (one more so than the other, but let's not split hairs), but do their logos help, hurt, or have little effect on their ad campaigns? Will either draw tourist crowds?

2022 - 2023 Show Logos:

& Juliet and A Beautiful Noise

   

Slick and fun, this key art certainly matches the tone of the show. The colors are sleek and very modern, while the title font has a Shakespearean feel. The metallic sheen to the entire logo fairly screams rock star. 

The details are what really sell this icon-style show art, while its simplicity recalls some of Broadway's most recognizable images. I mean, this was made for a t-shirt, right? The golden headphones tell us this is not entirely an Elizabethan enterprise. And the heart, of course calls to mind the romance of the story we think we are about to see. But then there's the tagline, "There's life after Romeo." What?! But they are both dead by the end, right? 

But for me, the title is what sells it: a modern spin with classical lettering, and a stylized quill with stars (crossed?) on it. The placement is genius. It all but begs the question, "What about Romeo?"

Grade: A+

For me, this is one logo that gets the job done, but not much more. The color choices against a black background are certainly eye-catching, and the layout seems made for a tote bag - they were flying off the shelves of the merch booth the day we saw it!

The simple font has an almost powerful vibe and reminds me of old concert photos. The bolding of "Neil Diamond" draws the eye, as does the title in a gold Vegas lights (or sequins). No matter how it presents itself, it is easily noticeable, which is a good thing. I also think it wise to make what is usually a subtitle for such shows come above the title. In the spectrum of his career, "A Beautiful Noise" is certainly not one of his well-known tunes. (Calling it "Sweet Caroline" would not be a good choice given the show itself...)

Unfortunately, the most interesting thing about this key art likely either goes unnoticed or is written off as just a picture of Neil. I think the way the titles of his greatest hits make up the form of his jacket and guitar is interesting and really makes you pause to look closer.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

Review of the Saturday, January 14, 2023 evening performance at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. Starring Will Swensen, Robyn Hurder, Mark Jacoby, Linda Powell, Jessie Fisher, Michael McCormick, Tom Alan Robbins and Bri Sudia. Book by Anthony McCarten. Music and lyrics by Neil Diamond. Orchestrations and arrangements by Sonny Paladino and Bob Gaudio. Set design by David Rockwell. Costume design by Emilio Sosa. Lighting design by Kevin Adams. Sound design by Jessica Paz. Choreography by Steven Hoggett. Direction by Michael Mayer. 2 hours 15 minutes, including one intermission.

Grade: D+

Growing up, Neil Diamond was always a part of my life. My whole family enjoyed his music. We saw his movies. He was a constant. And so I looked forward to seeing the bio-musical of his life, A Beautiful Noise. Were my expectations too high? I don't think so. Maybe I'm just burnt out on the genre. But the truth is, this latest story-of-my-life show is an uneven mess. What is good is very good, but what doesn't work really doesn't work.

The concept sounds like winner - today's Neil Diamond is in therapy, and through a close analysis of his lyrics, he hopes to find answers to issues that plague him. But after two plus hours of getting down to why the word "king" appears frequently in his ouvre, and the usual litany of relationships succumbing to ambition, fame has its pitfalls, and blaming a crappy childhood on everything, Anthony McCarten's book gets, dare I say it? Boring. Eventually, your mind wanders, waiting for the next song. While not going chronologically through the song catalog is an admirable deviation from the standard, many times, the chronological telling of his life sometimes causes a jarring interruption. Inexplicably, mid-act two, the story takes a disruptive (and unnecessary) turn back to his early childhood. Ugh. Then there's the final excruciating scene - five minutes that felt like twenty - with pregnant pauses long enough to actually give birth. True, it leads to a powerful final number, "I am, I said." (In retrospect, I have to wonder if the number was really that powerful, or if I was just relieved that the scene was over.)

The bright spot of this otherwise lacking enterprise is the terrific company, lead by the glorious Will Swensen (Neil-Then), who makes the most of the acting scraps the book gives him, and absolutely blasts star power into the Broadhurst every time he sings. Charisma and an uncanny Diamond sound ooze from his every pore. Mark Jacoby (Neil-Now) acts his ass off (while planted in an overstuffed chair, no less), but it isn't until the very final moments that he really lets go and shows us why he has had a lengthy Broadway career. 

The supporting cast includes Tony-winner Michael McCormick in a pair of funny roles and a fast costume change, Tom Alan Robbins also in a pair of roles, is less impactful through no fault of his. Otherwise, we see the larger number of women that orbited Mr. Diamond, from the blander than plain oatmeal first wife, played by the equally uninteresting Jessie Fisher, and the sassy engineer of his early career, Ellie Greenwich, a delight throughout, played by Bri Sudia, to his muse (and second wife) played with sexy and vibrant finesse by the always magnetic Robyn Hurder. Of these three, she has the most to do, singing and dancing the hell out of each of her numbers, even if they occasionally feel awkward and/or shoe-horned in. "Cherry Cherry" is great, while "Forever in Blue Jeans" is sung and danced well, but is really weird in terms of the book. The less said about her "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," the better. There's also Linda Powell, who does an admirable job in the thankless role of the analyst. Bless her, she makes a meal out of thin air.

The "Beautiful Noise" aka the 10 member dance ensemble is really terrific. Many of them get opportunities to shine individually, but none so brightly as Jordan Dobson, who does leading man quality work with the song, "Shiloh." Jess LeProtto is a stand out dancer as always. As I said, the collective group is aces. Too bad that they are also the physical embodiment of the messy, uneven staging. 

I have always enjoyed the work of choreographer Steven Hoggett, and Michael Mayer is one of my all-time favorite directors. But here, they never quite get a handle on what they want to show to be. Is this a Behind the Music special? A series of Ed Sullivan Show variety numbers? An outright rock concert? It tries to be all three, none fully successfully. Is The Beautiful Noise really parts of Neil's psyche, or are they shards of memories, or just back-up dancers? I guess they are all three. This lack of focused concept and a maddening imbalance of tone is disappointing from these two.

Just like the rest of the show, the design elements are uneven, with lighting designer Kevin Adams doing his usual stellar work. On the other hand, costume designer Emilio Sosa, who can usually be relied upon to create a cohesive feast for the eyes, seems unable to overcome the demands (?) of the concept. Even more shocking is the bizarre scenic design by David Rockwell. Aside from the enormous Hollywood Squares wall of sound, the rest of the set is alternately spare and busy, and consistently unattractive. Jessica Paz's sound design is at best unbalanced, and at worst, so muddy as to make the lyrics incomprehensible. Noise, yes. Beautiful, no.

To be fair, there were several times I found the show enjoyable - mostly when Mr. Swensen and Ms. Hurder were front and center. And the audience ate up every note, at times reacting as though at a religious revival meeting. ("Sweet Caroline" rendered them orgasmic all three times it was presented.) Still, the low points far outweighed the highs. Unfortunately, A Beautiful Noise makes the case for ending the bio-musical parade.

 📸: J. Kyler, J. Cervantes