Broadway Musical Recommendations Tailored Just for YOU
Published: April 21st, 2015Are you wondering what show you should see tonight (or the next time you are staying with us)? Here’s Shari on the Aisle’s guide to help you decide which Broadway musical(s) to see right now, based on your personal preferences. Read the “YOU” descriptions below, choose the one that best represents you, then go see a show!
Keep in mind: this list is far from exhaustive. With the Broadway Spring season well under way, there are abundant choices for both the occasional and frequent theatregoer. The following suggestions are culled from some of the newest shows. You should also consider productions that have been around for a while—those oldies but goodies like “Matilda,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Aladdin,” and “Kinky Boots.” (Also keep in mind that Shari on the Aisle hasn’t yet seen all of the new shows, including “Finding Neverland” and “An American in Paris.”
(Stay tuned: Shari will provide personalized play recommendations in her next post).
YOU: “I want to see a show that has me whistling a happy tune when I leave the theatre.”
GO SEE: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The King and I” (Lincoln Center Theatre at the Vivian Beaumont). Nobody does musicals better than Rodgers & Hammerstein—or Lincoln Center Theatre. Un
der the sure direction of Bartlett Sher, LCT knows how to put on a classy, glossy, top notch show. While “The King and I” isn’t on a par with say, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” (Lincoln Center presented that show, also directed by Mr. Sher and also starring the ebullient Kelli O’Hara, a few years ago and it was sheer perfection), you’ll happily hum along with “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “Getting to Know You,” and “Shall We Dance.” This production is big and gorgeous. Sure, the book is a bit weak and Ken Watanabe’s accent renders some of the dialogue and lyrics indecipherable. But Ms. O’Hara’s glorious voice and radiant presence, along with the sumptuous costumes and stunning sets, more than make up for these shortcomings. And yes, you will leave the theatre whistling a happy tune and with a song in your heart.
YOU: I’d rather see a dark, thought-provoking show than a cute piece of fluff. (And I’d make a mad dash to see anything starring the legendary Chita Rivera).
GO SEE: “The Visit” (Lyceum Theatre). A musical that explores the darkness of men’s souls? Yes, and it’s terrific. “The Visit” is a work created by theatre royalty. It’s the last collaboration of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the musical geniuses behind “Cabaret,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and many other award-winning shows. The book is by Theater Hall of Famer Terrence McNally. And Chita? She’s a national treasure. The plot centers on Claire Zachanassian, the richest woman in the world, and her return to the small town where she spent a miserable childhood. The town has fallen on hard times, and the villagers who once taunted and reviled her believe she has come back to save them. Claire offers to do just that, but with a chilling twist. At 90 minutes with no intermission, “The Visit” is riveting, intelligent theatre. Some of the songs are reminiscent of “Cabaret,” but there’s nothing wrong with that. And Chita’s haunting performance of “Love and Love Alone,” sung while performing a pas de deux with her younger self (Michelle Veintimilla) is well worth the price of admission. You won’t leave this show humming a happy tune, but rather with the satisfying feeling of having experienced brilliance live on stage.
YOU: “I want to see something that will tickle my funny bone—the sillier the better.”
GO SEE: “Something Rotten” (St. James Theatre, in previews; opening April 22). Did you love “The Book of Mormon” and “Spamalot?” This original new show, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw (“Book of Mormon”) stars Brian d’Arcy James (“Next to Normal,” “Shrek the Musical”) and Christian Borle (Tony-award winner, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” TV’s “Smash”) as rival playwrights Nick Bottom and William Shakespeare. Shakespeare is the 1590’s equivalent of a rock star, and Nick
and his younger brother Nigel are desperate to come up with a strategy to compete. They turn to soothsayer Nostradamus (a show-stopping Brad Oscar) who encourages them to create the very first musical: “Oohs, aahs, big applause, and a standing ovation. The future is bright, if you can just write a musical!” The first three musical numbers in the show—“Welcome to the Renaissance,” “God, I Hate Shakespeare,” and “A Musical”—are absolutely hysterical, brilliant crowd pleasers. While nothing in Act 2 equals the perfection of those first few songs—and the preview performance I saw went on a bit too long—this show is tons of fun and will be a huge hit. So go back in time around 400 years or so to the Renaissance, “Where everything is new.” You’re guaranteed to have a great time.
YOU: “I want to see an old-fashioned, beautiful, romantic show.” OR: “I have a tweenage daughter who geeks out over “High School Musical.’”
GO SEE: “Gigi” (Neil Simon Theatre). You’re probably familiar with the Oscar-winning1958 film version of “Gigi” starring Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, and Louis Jordan. This “re-launched” (according to the Playbill) Broadway version stars Vanessa Hudgens, the talented young star of Disney’s “High School Musical” films, along with an excellent cast of Broadway veterans (Tony-award winner Victoria Clark, Tony nominees Dee Hoty and Howard McGillin). The new “Gigi” has been sanitized to make it more “G-rated” than the film. For example, the famous song “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” sung by the Chevalier’s aging roué character in the film, is now sung by two
women, Gigi’s grandmother and her aunt. And the fact that 15-year-old Gigi (now 18 in the Broadway musical) is being groomed to be a courtesan is never discussed. So no worries, parents: you can feel at ease taking your impressionable tweens and teens to this charming show. Musical highlights include the exuberant Act 1 closing number, “The Night They Invented Champagne” and the tender title song, wistfully sung by Corey Cott, the former “Newsies” star. The costumes and sets are lovely and Hudgens, who has been a performer since the age of 8, is delightful. At the preview performance I attended, teenage girls in the audience repeatedly shrieked with joy (and not just over Hudgens). Adults who like their musicals squeaky clean and romantic will also enjoy this 2-1/2 hour escape to a somewhat mythical La Belle Epoque, where Ms. Hudgens sparkles like the bubbles in a glass of champagne.
For ticket information, see the shows’ websites as listed above, or visit:
For more Broadway show reviews, please visit Shari on the Aisle, and if you need assistance, the concierges at the Casablanca Hotel in Times Square, the Library Hotel, the Hotel Giraffe and the Hotel Elysee will all be delighted to help you with any arrangements you need to make your stay memorable.