2024 Broadway in review
This year was a fun one for shows. I realized I tend to watch most shows in previews, when it's easier to win the lottery or line up for rush. This means I watch shows in 2 intense spurts – once around March/April (when shows open to qualify for the Tony's), and again around October/November (I assume when shows are trying to capitalize on holiday tourist money).
I also learned there's a Reddit user, u/BroadwayRushReport, who will aggregate rush statistics from the r/Broadway community, such as when the first person in line got there or how many people were inline when the box office opened. This was super helpful for accurately estimating when I needed to get to a theater to guarantee a rush ticket.
Below are the shows that stood out to me the most in 2024, along with everything I watched.
Best set: Maybe Happy Ending
Maybe Happy Ending follows two humanoid helper robots as they try to figure out the meaning of their existence now that they've been "retired". This was probably one of the most high tech shows I watched, but in a way that was extremely tasteful and just continually caused delight throughout the show. It was also one of the more original and unique plots I watched.
I don't have a photo that does this set justice, but I did find this trailer pre-Broadway that highlights the cool aspects of the set well:
The way they highlighted the "viewport" in the front wall with lighting and moved the rooms side to side on stage to direct the audience's attention was spectacular. If you watch this show, I would highly recommend trying to sit dead center of the theater, whether in the orchestra or mezzanine. I sat in the left orchestra, so the way the viewport narrowed in meant I couldn't always see every little detail happening.
As a bonus, the plant that Oliver (one of the robots) cares for even has its own entry in the Playbill which was adorable:
Most feels: Hell's Kitchen
There were several shows this year that surprised me with its depth of emotion (read: made me leak a tear or two). I won't include The Notebook here, because that one I just expected to cry at the end (and I did). Hell's Kitchen stood out to me the most in terms of emotional gut punches.
This show is a semi-autobiography about Alicia Key's life growing up in Hell's Kitchen, with original songs in the first act and remixes of her classic songs in the second act. It follows 17 year old girl, Allie as she tries to find her place in the world while falling in love with making music thanks to a piano teacher in her building.
Something about how hard Allie's mom was trying to make a good life for her while Allie was trying to find her place in the world, combined with the soulful tunes by Alicia Keys hit some emotional chord for me. Every actor sang so well – I was especially impressed with the actors that played Allie's parents. The way Allie ended the show with Empire State of Mind at the end made me forget about all the times I would hear it in Times Square, as it was a different more heartfelt rendition in that context.
The set was also pretty cool, with a unique use of lighting to simulate riding an elevator up and down.Runner up: Suffs
Suffs follows the events leading up to the ratification of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I didn't expect to be so moved by the suffragists' plight, but there were scenes where they were going through so much yet still trying to push for better that made me tear up a couple times.
There are a lot of comparisons to Hamilton with this show – I think I actually enjoyed this show more than Hamilton, partially influenced by how close I got to sit (right behind the conductor!), and partially because I actually enjoyed the style of music and the plot more.
Most impressive: Sunset Blvd.
There are times when I watch someone sing so well that I get literal chills. The first time I felt that was watching Lindsey Mendez sing Defying Gravity in Wicked in the first Broadway show I ever watched. The most times I've felt that in a show was watching Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Blvd. It was the first time I had seen multiple standing ovations in the middle of a show, she was that good.
I had actually seen a different production of Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close in 2017, but I honestly could not tell you what happened in most of the show, since I fell asleep. Suffice to say I didn't fall asleep in this production.
Interestingly enough, the set on this show was nearly bare, aside from some lighting and a projection of the steady cam live feed they had on stage (the show is about the shallowness of Hollywood). Because it was so bare, and the vocalists so good, it felt like theater in its purest form. It was all about the drama and the performance, made even more meaningful in being a meta-commentary on the performative nature of people in show business.
One unique moment in the show (slight spoilers), is when the actor who plays Joe, one of the main characters, is live streamed to the audience singing "Sunset Boulevard", starting from the dressing room, out the theater, down the street, and then back on stage. It made such an impression on me that I went back a couple weeks later and stood outside the theater to watch it from the outside. Turns out there are a dozen security guards who actually block traffic for the few minutes it takes for the cast to cross the street and then loop back.
Did you notice the gorilla? 🙃
All shows watched
I watched 24 shows this year, 13 of which were from winning the lottery! These are quick soundbites for each show watched.
King Arthur attempts to round up some knights and find the Holy Grail.
The only thing I remembered from Monty Python were the knights who say "Ni!" and something about swallows, but I think this show's slapstick humor is great for anyone with fond memories of watching the movie. I watched primarily for specific actors I've seen before (Alex Brightman and James Iglehart), and came away overall entertained and amused by the set and the lyrics.
This was a jukebox musical where Shakespeare and his wife play out the scenario where Juliet doesn't actually die, with hits by Max Martin (i.e. "I Want It That Way" and "Oops! ..I Did It Again")
The way they matched the lyrics to the plot was hilarious, and for a 90s kid it was a great way to relive those songs. The music was incredibly catchy, and I watched it again (and would yet again) just for the music.
This is the story of how three close friends drifted apart over decades.
The chemistry between Lindsay Mendez (who played Elpheba when I watched my first Broadway show ever!), Daniel Radcliffe, and Jonathan Groff was off the charts. I loved how the story was told in reverse chronological order, starting with the friends being the furthest apart and ending when they first met.
An aspiring vet joins the circus and finds himself in a love triangle while taking care of an elephant.
I came to the show primarily to watch Grant Gustin and left mostly impressed by the acrobatics. I will never have as much core strength as the acrobats I watched that night – the fact that many actors were former Cirque du Soleil members made the performance top notch.
It's based off of the movie.
I've watched this three times (and would probably watch it again..) just for the car and the effects – the music aside from the classic "Johnny B. Goode" wasn't that memorable. There are apparently multiple cars for different scenes, but they won't say how many.
A rock opera by The Who which tells the tale of young Tommy, who witnesses a traumatic event at a young age which renders him blind, deaf, and mute.
One of the more amusing aspects of the show was how excited the row in front of us was, since they were very clear The Who fans. The set was pretty cool with its use of lighting, black and white tones, and only using yellow as the only accent color for effect. Although the cast was talented, the story was disturbing and the show a little too experimental for my tastes.
Based off of Nicholas Sparks' novel (and movie)
I came for the rain, and this show delivered – two rows of pipes created a solid downpour for the movie's iconic scene. Overall, the acting (and Joy Woods' single, My Days), was what stood out the most. The actress who played older Allie was phenomenal, and made everyone cry at the end.
This show chronicles the efforts of Alice Paul and other leaders of the women’s suffragist movement in early 1900s America.
The show was fast paced in a good way, and yet incredibly informative. I had forgotten the small fact of suffragists burning Woodrow Wilson’s effigy outside the White House until a ring of fire appeared on stage, to my delight. Overall the show was moving and funny, and makes you appreciate how far America has advanced as a society.
It's Aladdin!
Genie, the sets, and costumes are what stood out to me the most about this show. A highlight was a "Friend like Me" with Genie – it's such a fantastic spectacle of lights, dancers, and people popping up (literally) from all different parts of the stage. The best piece of stagecraft is definitely the flying carpet. Ten years after watching it the first time, I found what I'm pretty sure is the patent for the mechanism. Turns out the answer is to rotate wires so fast you can't see them from the audience.
The classic tale of the Wizard of Oz, re-imagined in music and cast.
Overall the vocals and the choreography carried the show - every cast member had such a strong voice and they nailed every note. The second act had a lot more full cast dance numbers that were fun to watch as well. Other than that, the plot was knowable and it was a fun show without a ton of depth. But fun nonetheless!
A semi-autobiography of Alicia Key's life growing up in Hell's Kitchen.
I came expecting to feel soulful by the end, and soulful I felt indeed. They saved her most recognizable songs to the second act, which I feel like was the right choice since the story followed a 17 year old Ali, who was rebellious in the first act and then is forced to face the grounding reality of life in the second act. I thought the dynamic of her and her mom evoked the most emotion, and the singing was phenomenal. Ending with "Empire State of Mind" was just so.. New York :)
An interactive stage performance of a condensed DnD game.
The dungeon master was phenomenal . Charismatic and entertaining, he also managed to explain enough of DnD to the audience that even if you weren't an avid player you understood what was happening. It was also fun that they got the audience to participate via mini games and live voting to influence what happened with particular dice rolls. I'll note that the demographic of the audience was highly overlapping with that of MIT Mystery Hunt, so I felt right at home.
2 Swedish magicians practice mentalism on the audience.
Some of the more impressive moments involved the crowd work, where the magicians would make guesses about decisions that audience members just by (I presume) reading the person's body language. The most fun part was seeing my friend get called to stage and getting them to make the right "guesses"
Based off of F. Scott Fitzegerald's novel.
I never really liked the book because of how shallow the characters were, though I concede that was the point. With that obvious bias against the show aside, the sets were extravagant and elaborate as befitting the plot, and I mostly came to see Jeremy Jordan (who played Gatsby) live, who was fantastic.
Based on the book by S.E. Hinton, it follows the conflict between two gangs in Tulsa, Oklahoma - the affluent "Socs" and poorer "Greasers".
I was here for the fight scene in the rain (yes I like rain on stage), and it was so cool. Otherwise, the plot and music was just ok to me – the acting and choreography was probably the standout. I did nod off during this show though, oops.
An aspiring Hollywood writer meets a washed up actress and they spiral downward together.
This was probably theater in its purest form – unreal vocalists, minimal set, excellent lighting, and a creative use of steady cams. At one point they're live filming on the streets of NYC and it makes me want to go see it from the outside. Nicole Sherzinger was absolutely phenomenal – I had never seen standing ovations in the middle of a musical before, so that was a first.
This show follows a band's drama over the year long process of recording an album.
I think the show was very good at what it was, in a hyper realistic set (recording studio). However, it just wasn't for me – the play felt really long at times, I wasn't really invested in the toxic drama that was happening on set (though it was objectively good acting), and I ended up nodding off at times.
The stories of the six wives of Henry VIII, in concert form.
I watched this show for the first time on the West End, and it's great fun. Each queen's song is modelled off of 2 real life singers – my favorite is probably Catherine of Aragorn, based off of Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson. I still listen to the soundtrack!
Two “best friends” who are rivals in every aspect of life battle it out after becoming immortal.
The practical effects of this show were awesome, especially when the two leading actresses get into an epic cat fight and heads literally start rolling. I loved the story arc of going from frenemies to actual best friends.
Two humanoid helper bots try to find fulfillment during their retirement.
The story was super cute, and the set was amazing. The way they controlled the audience’s view, played with lighting and projections, and had the actors interact with the moving rooms was phenomenal.
This musical follows the tragedy of a shipwreck and the men that survived.
Aside from an amazing transformation the set goes through, I think this musical overall had too slow of a pace and touched on too uncomfortable topics to be enjoyable to the average theater goer. I did find it amusing that any time the plot started to hit a slow point they would just start spinning the life boat faster on stage.
A meta commentary about the use of AI in the world of writing, framed from the perspective of a high ego writer played by Robert Downey Jr.
This was a great role for RDJ, in that it’s similar to characters he’s played in the past - talented, high ego, and deep down consumed by guilt. The AI version of him that spoke was both creepy and impressive at the same time. The play definitely made you think about the use of AI in the creative arts, so mission accomplished!
A comical yet highly inaccurate retelling of the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, in the months leading up to Lincoln’s assassination.
If you like raunchy humor then this play is great. I think some of the jokes went over my head, yet there were others I still occasionally think about (e.g. Mary repeatedly shouting “the South of WHAT?!” when talking to her husband about the Civil War). Overall it was a fun watch!
Mama Rose tries to make it in show business at all costs via her two daughters, June and Louise.
The acting and vocals were fantastic- Audra McDonald in particular really sucked me into being frustrated at her character, until I remembered that was the whole point. I think a good number of the songs unfortunately didn’t play to the actresses’ strengths, but it was still awesome to watch. Probably my favorite Sondheim musical thus far!