Some Like It Hot
How can we not begin with the lead Tony nominee, Some Like It Hot! Up for 13 Tony Awards, this musical adaptation of the beloved film has taken Broadway by storm. With music and lyrics by modern Broadway royalty Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and book by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, the show is set in Prohibition-era Chicago. It tells the story of Joe and Jerry, two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they are forced to disguise themselves as female musicians and join an all-girl band traveling across the country to California. Currently starring Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, and Adrianna Hicks, this is not one to miss!
Funny Girl
The Broadway revival of Funny Girl has been on quite the journey over the last year. After the early departure of Fanny #1, Beanie Feldstein, understudy Julie Benko then stepped into the role full-time for 8 weeks and wowed the critics. However, she stepped back into being the alternate – describing it as “the best of both worlds” – when Lea Michele joined the production. Although her casting was surrounded by a shadow of controversy, Michele has been a unanimous hit with the critics and her chemistry with Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein is undeniable.
Photo credit Matthew Murphy.
But you don’t have long to catch the show! Michele, Karimloo & Tovah Feldshuh (Mrs Brice) have all extended their contracts and are confirmed to stay with the show until it closes in September.
Prima Facie
After winning the Olivier Award for her performance in Prima Facie in London’s West End, Jodie Comer has now moved stateside, where she is taking Broadway by storm in this one-woman production. Suzie Miller’s intense, 100 minute play follows Tessa, a British criminal defense barrister whose view of the legal system changes after she is sexually assaulted. Now with a Tony nomination in the bag, Comer’s performance has been universally praised as she switches effortlessly between characters. However, you’ll need to be quick to catch this one! Prima Facie’s run has been extended through July 2 only.
Sweeney Todd
The streets of Victorian London have come to Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in the new revival of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s legendary musical. Josh Groban stars as the barber who finds a creative use for his customers, alongside Annaleigh Ashford as the scheming Mrs. Lovett. The production is directed by Hamilton’s Thomas Kail, with choreography from Steven Hoggett. The Broadway revival has been nominated for 8 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, and is set to thrill audiences through the summer. So, do as the barber says, and attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
If you’re in the mood to laugh your socks off this summer, then run while you can to catch Mischief Theatre’s Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Written by the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong, the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society battle against technical hitches, flying mishaps & cast disputes as they attempt to reach Neverland with their next production. Neil Patrick Harris guest-starred in the show as Francis/Narrator, playing his final performance on May 7. But, as we write, producers have indicated that the Francis/Narrator role will occasionally be played by other guest stars following his departure. Peter Pan Goes Wrong is scheduled to close on July 9, so make this one of your first shows to see!
Henry Shields (Chris), Henry Lewis (Robert), and Matthew Cavendish (Max)
Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel.
Camelot
With a new book by Adam Sorkin and sword-fighting a’plenty, the Lincoln Center’s revival of Camelot is making a splash on Broadway this summer. Although the production has divided the critics, the show has received five Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical. Andrew Burnap (King Arthur), Phillipa Soo (Guenevere), and Jordan Donica (Lancelot) lead a cast of 27 actors belting out much beloved classics, such as “If Ever I Would Leave You,” and “The Lusty Month of May”.
New York, New York
It’s another big-hitter in the Tony nominations! New York, New York heads back to the 1940s in a glorious homage to the Big Apple. With a new score by John Kander & Fred Ebb (featuring additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda) and an original story by David Thompson and Sharon Washington, the show follows Jimmy Doyle, a brilliant but disillusioned musician looking for his big break, and Francine Evans, a young singer just off the bus from Philly. As the song goes, if they can make it there, they can make it anywhere!
Life of Pi
The Olivier Award-winning adaptation of Yannn Martel’s 2001 novel opened on Broadway in March in the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Although the play surprisingly does not feature in the Best Play nominations at the forthcoming Tony Awards, the production has received five Tony nominations in the design categories. This is a nod to the stunning imagery and dynamic puppeteering work in the show. Life of Pi follows sixteen year-old Pi who has been shipwrecked in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is now stranded on a lifeboat with four companions – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.
What else are you looking forward to seeing on Broadway this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
