Broadway Games: The 2021-2022 Broadway Season Quiz

As the Broadway season approaches its conclusion, here's a little quiz about the 2021-2022 season. Good luck!

Broadway Games:

The 2021-2022 Season

1. The number of musical revivals that opened this season: ____

2. The number of Broadway theaters that are currently empty (as of April 28): ____

3. The first NEW production to open this season was: __________________

4. The only Shakespearean play revival this season is: ________________

5. The number of one-person shows that opened this season: ____

6. The number of Tony-eligible lead actresses in Six: ____

7. Which theaters had 3 different shows in them this season?

8. How many bio-musicals opened this season? ____

9. 9 new musicals opened this season. Of those, how many are NOT based on a previously existing source or song catalog? : ____

10. The number of shows currently running that have won the Pulitzer Prize: ____

Answers to Last Week's

Broadway Games: For Openers

1. 'Til we find our place on the path unwinding (4 words) In the circle, The circle of life 

2. It's the din of old Berlin, You're in the Grand Hotel (3 words)

3. Oh, what a beautiful mornin', Oh, what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feeling (5 words) Ev'erything's goin' my way

4. Who am I anyway? Am I my resume? (4 words) That is a picture of a person I don't know

5. Oh my god, oh my god you guys, Looks like Elle's gonna win the prize (4 words) If there ever was a perfect couple, this one qualifies

Best of 2021: Showstoppers and Special Moments

Even with a limited number of shows under our belts in 2021, there were plenty of showstopping numbers and some very special moments to enjoy. We have moments from new musicals, dazzling revivals, a re-visit to a favorite, and a wonderful family holiday show. Did any of your favorites make out list?

THE BEST OF

SHOWSTOPPERS AND SPECIAL MOMENTS

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE:

"16 Feet Beneath the Sea": A promising opening number, the mysterious tone and the troubling symbolism of the song's metaphors give the audience plenty to think about. We hung on every word.

"The Dryer": Sensuous and sinister, the red-glowing Dryer (Kevin S. McAllister) brings an edge to Caroline's basement friends.

COMPANY:

"Tick Tock": Hilariously brought to life as a door-slamming farce, this number revels in the panic of Bobbie's commitment issues. Plus, a feathered nightie-clad Patti LuPone taking an exhausted dump (art imitating life once again, dolls), and a scorching hot Clybourne Elder shaking off after a pee are two images I never thought I'd see, but here we are.

"Getting Married Today": Sure Matt Doyle sings (and acts) this classic tongue-twister perfectly. But what really makes this number stop the show is his chemistry with Etai Benson, gorgeous interludes by Rashidra Scott, and some really funny staging. Organized chaos that we are here for!

DIANA: Let's face it, this score is a soon-to-be (if not already) guilty pleasure classic. Like the show, the score has two tones, serious musical theater and total camp. And as the kids say, each and every song is a bop that slaps. Completely fun, and so bad it's good, we were able to narrow down our favorite moments to two in each, er, camp...

CAMP: "This Is How Your People Dance" and "The F**k You Dress": It will be some time before we get the image of a Diana strip down and a neon cello out of our head, and damn if the tune of the former isn't an ear worm! Meanwhile, the latter is sure to become a staple in drag shows. We've never hear the f-word sung so well!

SERIOUS: "Snap, Click" and "If":  Dance numbers (the former) as social commentary aren't new, but there is something chilling about watch the paparazzi swarm the Princess, knowing her eventual demise, and the trench coat as Cursed Child cape swirls are both thrilling and horrifying. Beautiful anthems (the latter) as ironic finales are also not new, but there is such a bittersweet mix of person triumph and tragedy here that it's hard not to get emotional, and watching Diana fade away into flood of flash bulbs is a striking final image.

EMMET OTTER'S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS:

"The 1st Annual Talent Contest": Well, this one is really a sequence of numbers, but it's a showstopper nonetheless. Any 10 minute thing that enthralls small children who squeal in delight throughout and has the adults belly-laughing certainly qualifies. This perfectly executed piece blends traditional musical theater, vaudeville and the magic of first-rate puppetry. Bravo to all who made this happen.

JAGGED LITTLE PILL:

"Smiling" and "Uninvited": Both of these numbers are showstoppers for two very good reasons. One, Diane Paulus' staging and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's choreography/movement are spectacular. And two, Heidi Blickenstaff gives a stellar powerhouse performance in both. I'd be remiss not to mention the truly stunning dancing done by Heather Lang in "Uninvited." These are theatrical moments I'll remember forever. I miss them already.

SIX:

"Get Down": The catchiest of a score full of catchy numbers, Brittney Mack is a powerhouse, emulating Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, Charlie XCX and a dash of Beyonce. I still can't get "And you can't stop me 'cause, I'm the queen of the castle, get down you dirty rascal" out of my head!

"All You Wanna Do": Britney and Ariana better watch out, there's a queen looking to take your throne! Courtney Mack (at our performance) as Katherine Howard, oozed pouty siren as she sang about all the men she seduced. A lot of fun!

BEST OF THE DECADE: Favorite Scenic Designs

Earlier this week, we named (what we thought, anyway) the Best of the Decade's projection design. That technical element is the newest in theatrical design. This week, we name our favorites in the area of an older, traditional element: scenic design. It has been interesting to watch how projections have continue to evolve, and, importantly, how they have become integrated into scenic design.  As we considered which shows to include, we thought about the creativity and ingenuity brought to the stage, creating a new world in which to immerse the audience. Of course, we also gave thought to arguably the most important thing - how the set design supports the script, its themes, and the overall concept of the piece.

BEST OF THE DECADE:

Jeff and Mike's Favorite

Scenic Designs

FAVORITE SCENIC DESIGNS OF A PLAY:

The Glass Menagerie (2013) - Designed by Bob Crowley

A memory play, this glorious design was a wonder of specificity and cloudy remembrance. The balance between now and then was perfection, even as the action took place entirely on small platforms that seemed to hover over a pool of black water. Less is more here.

Three Tall Women - Designed by Miriam Buether

Count us both among those who gasped when the lights came up on the set for the second part of the play. How the set managed to be both ice cold and warm, just as A, B and C themselves were, was design gold.

War Horse - Designed by Rae Smith

In a play with so many spectacular elements, the accomplishment here is that the set didn't overwhelm the production. Instead, it added to the sweeping epic aspect of the story when necessary, and pulled back to allow the focus to be squarely where it belonged when necessary. Brilliant.

FAVORITE SCENIC DESIGNS OF A MUSICAL:

Matilda: The Musical - Designed by Rob Howell

Walking into the Shubert Theatre was like walking into a child's imagination, perfect for this show. It revealed delight after delight, scare after scare, and it was simply wonderful.

Moulin Rouge! - Designed by Derek McLane

We were pessimistic that anyone could come up with anything close to the movie version. We couldn't have been more wrong. It is, well, spectacular. The best part for us was that there were plenty of familiar nods to the film, but that McLane embraced the live theatrical element present in the musical. It's always great to see stage designs that show off things that the stage can do that film can't.

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 - Designed by Mimi Lien

Immersive productions were quite a trend over the past decade. This show took it to a whole new level. I'll never forget walking into the Imperial door and right into a metallic smelling Russian bunker. I'll also never forget walking into the theater itself and right into another world bathed in red, wreaking of opulence and excess.

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2019 in Review: The 5 Best Shows

As the year comes to a close, we take one last look at the shows we saw in 2019. It was very difficult to narrow it down to just five. Each of these gave me such joy, and all for different reasons. Some pushed boundaries, while others reignited classics. All of them were wonderful reminders that the power of live theater is like no other. Listing them in alphabetical order seemed easier than the challenge of trying to rank them. Here's to even more great theater in 2020!

2019 in Review:

The 5 Best Shows of the Year

New York:

Hadestown (Grade: A++)

WHAT WE SAID: "Helmed by the über-talented Rachel Chavkin (she was also instrumental in the development of the work), Hadestown is so tightly constructed and the staging and choreography (by the equally brilliant David Neumann) so seamlessly blended it feels less like watching a musical and more like watching living, breathing art bloom right before your eyes. 'Come see how the world could be,' indeed. Timely and timeless, Hadestown is a masterpiece." 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I and II (Grade: A+)

WHAT WE SAID: "'Are all Broadway plays like this?' That was the question a co-worker of mine asked about a month go, when she saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two. It practically drove her crazy not getting an answer from me for weeks, and even more so, not being able to discuss it until after I finally saw it. So, I answered my co-worker, "No. Not all Broadway plays are like Cursed Child." There are so many things I want to write about this extraordinary production and vastly entertaining play. The themes, the portrayals, the surprises...but I won't ruin it for you. Just see it to believe it. And when you do, please #KeepTheSecrets."

Little Shop of Horrors (Grade: A+)

WHAT WE SAID: "What a wonderful thing it is to see a thrilling production of a show you love! Such is the case with the practically perfect off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. The show is such fun, made even more so by the cast and production that are completely on the same page, and they are all clearly having a ball."

Oklahoma! (Grade: A)

WHAT WE SAID: "Daniel Fish's stunning, often disturbing take on the Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic Oklahoma! is just the kind of show I love. All by itself, this work has been groundbreaking - the original is oft credited as being the first modern musical. But this very modern, highly sexualized and violent version - without changing a word of the original - resonates in a very modern, current way, while making it clear why its first audiences in the early 40's were taken aback. It isn't quaint and charming. Far from it. It is a scathing indictment of both the American West and our country's gun obsessed culture."

To Kill a Mockingbird (Grade: A+)

WHAT WE SAID: "Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a masterpiece of literature, a masterpiece of film-making, and now, under the power of playwright Aaron Sorkin and director Bartlett Sher, it is a masterpiece of theatricality. The beauty of this piece is that it reveals the material to be both timeless and timely. That it does so as a memory play and courtroom drama only serves as a stark reminder that history seems to be repeating itself over and over again. That it does so with a heady mix of vicious, inflammatory language and a surprising amount of humor and moral heart (sans didactic preaching) makes it remarkably entertaining and gripping."

Regional: 

Fun Home - Baltimore's Center Stage (Grade: A+)

WHAT WE SAID: "Fun Home at Baltimore's Center Stage is wonderful in every respect. It's just that simple. Under Hana S. Sharif's poignant direction, this trip to Pennsylvania is decidedly more robust and intense than any version I've seen before. Think hybrid of the Public Theater premiere and the Broadway version, plus an urgency heretofore un-mined. There were some nice new laughs and some new heartbreaking moments as well."

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