2023 Broadway in review
I've watched more shows this year than any other year thanks to a lot of lottery wins, so I thought I might try a "year in review" post. Some things to know up front about how I watch shows:
- I optimize for entertainment value, so musicals and comedies are preferred. I tend to fall asleep in plays the moment there is a lull in energy, no matter how good or engaging it is (I view this as a me problem..).
- I prefer not knowing the plot or listening to any music beforehand. The exceptions are shows based off of movies I've watched and Hamilton, where it was literally impossible to avoid listening to the music.
- There are some shows I go primarily for the set – I love good stagecraft, and thinking through how certain tricks are done.
With that in mind, here are some of the shows I watched this year that stood out to me:
Catchiest music: & Juliet
I think this jukebox musical is best enjoyed if you actually have listened to the hits that Max Martin has written before ("Larger than Life", "Since U Been Gone", "I Want It That Way", just to name a few), because the way they incorporated the original songs' lyrics into the plot and dialogue made for some really excellent comedic timing. I still listen to the Broadway cast album, watched it twice this year, and would probably watch it again if I ever wanted a random pick me up.
Best Set: Back to the Future
Usually people are skeptical when I say I really loved this musical, but my response is pretty short: "BUT THE CAR!!". I think I've watched it 3 times to date (the first time was actually in the West End), but the set was fantastic. They did everything the car did in the movie – it sped across the stage, it crashed into a barn, it lit the stage on fire, and then it flew. Even after the third time, watching the marvel of engineering that is the DeLorean never gets old.
Runner up: Peter Pan Goes Wrong
I'd actually put The Play That Goes Wrong as best set, but it doesn't feel like it counts because the time I watched it for the fourth time this year (I've seen it both on and off Broadway). Although Back To The Future's car stood out the most to me this year, the organized chaos of Mischief Theatre's sets will always have a place in my heart. This set took the cake with a rotating set "gone wrong", which required actors to sprint through to stay in view to the audience while reciting lines out of breath.
Notable mention: Here Lies Love
Although I wasn't all that impressed with the musical itself, the way that Here Lies Love transformed the Broadway Theatre was fairly innovative in my opinion. It looked like a nightclub, and the orchestra was actually a dance floor with moving stage pieces that the actors sang and danced on. Ushers had large glow sticks to guide the audience around as the stage rotated, and at various points the DJ directed the audience to start dancing.
Funniest show: Gutenberg! The Musical!
My face hurt by the end of the show from laughing so much. The only cast were Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad, who play two hapless theatre composers trying to impress potential investors (the audience) with their very inaccurate musical about Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press. Since the two actors were acting all the parts, they wore hats labeled with each character's names – sometimes multiple at the same time – and the band provided both music and sound effects. The music wasn't all that memorable, but that was kind of the point when the plot is an objectively bad musical.
During the intermission, my sister noticed Jesse Tyler Ferguson in the audience, and at the end we realized it's because he was to play the "Broadway Producer" who gives them their contract at the end. If you follow their Instagram page, you can see all the other celebrities who played the part, including Santa Claus on Christmas day!
Most puzzling: Grey House
The story was a thriller/mystery about a couple who gets into a car accident and stumbles into a cabin in the woods with 4 girls and their "mother" for help. The effects and ambience were great at setting up an eerie ambience, but not too scary to call it horror in my opinion. I normally can't stand horror movies though, so I flinched even when all they did was turn the lights off suddenly.
Nothing about the plot was explained at the end, which left my sister and I to piece together what we think happened for several hours afterward. Inconveniently, the one time I decided to use Reddit to try and see what others thought was when the Reddit strikes were happening. Overall, I really enjoyed how much this show made you think – I love a good puzzle.
Most surprising: Fat Ham
I honestly had no expectations going in for this adaptation of Hamlet, and was more than pleasantly surprised at how good the play was (and I didn't fall asleep, like I do in most dramas!) . The acting was superb and there were some fun set surprises – the father literally popped up in random places you didn't expect, like a barbecue grill. The best part was the end, when the set transformed from a suburban backyard to a dazzling stage, and one of the characters started singing.
All shows watched
I'll admit the below is 40% about writing reviews and 60% about pixel pushing the cards to put the reviews in, but if you're curious for 1-2 sentence summaries of what I thought of everything I watched on Broadway this year, read on!
It's the Lion King!
The puppetry was indeed impressive, but we otherwise found it hard to hear and a little underwhelming overall. I think I’d rather watch the cartoon.
Cinderella is a rebellious, punk rock teenager who needs to thwart her evil stepmother with her childhood friend, Prince Charming's brother.
The title song was the best (I still listen to it), but the rest was pretty mediocre in terms of both plot and music.
This show was, in fact, about corn.
It took me the entire first act to realize why the narrators’ jokes were all so.. corny. Overall it was funny, wholesome, and I would watch it again just to see Alex Newell sing "Independent Woman".
No plot, just dancing!
I’ll admit I derived the most enjoyment from hearing the critiques and admiration for the dancers from my friend who is actually a ballet dancer. Otherwise, I fell asleep 😬
A singer and a musician try to make in 1940's New York.
The plot was a classic “artists make it in NYC”, but the best part was definitely any time Francine Evans sang literally anything, with the highlight being the musical's rendition of New York, New York rendition by Frank Sinatra at the end.
The Cornley Drama Society attempt to put on a play about Peter Pan.
Some gags I recognized from the Play That Goes Wrong, but they were improved. I watched when Neil Patrick Harris was playing the narrator (he was hilarious), and there was a magnificently revolving set with different scenes that spins while the actors attempt to stay in view while delivering lines.
The Cornley Drama Society attempt to put on a play called "The Murder at Haversham Manor".
This was the first play I ever watched by Mischief Theatre, and I'll pretty much watch anything they put on – their set is so carefully constructed to appear like everything is going wrong, down to the misprinted Playbill. You're guaranteed to laugh and wonder how they did certain gags.
In this adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Juicy is a queer teenager dealing with his own emotions and the family drama following their father’s death and mother’s remarriage.
I was surprised at how involved the set was (the ghost of his father appeared in the most random places, to my delight). My favorite was the ending, which was part fashion show and part concert, finishing the night with a bang.
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.
A classical tale about the love triangle between Guinevere, King Arthur, and Lancelot
The dialogue was surprisingly witty in this classical musical that I definitely thought I would fall asleep in (I didn’t!). I went mainly to see Philippa Soo live and was not disappointed.
A couple crashes their car in the woods and stumbles upon a creepy cabin with 4 girls and an elderly woman inside.. cue suspense.
If you like mysteries and don’t mind puzzling together the plot afterward (absolutely nothing is explained to you), then this is an awesome show to watch. The set was wonderfully creepy for a homey looking cabin, and they had great lighting effects for maximum suspense. If you’ve watched it I would love to compare notes on the plot.
During the making of Jaws, the shark was often broken, so the the main actors in the movie were stuck on the boat together.
Surprisingly deep while also funny, I was impressed most with the emotions conveyed in each individual actor's scripted breakdowns. I was admittedly disappointed to not see a shark on stage though.
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 musical about the life of Imelda Marcos and the politics of the Philippines in the 1960s, with a dance floor and DJ shepherding the audience along.
The show was fast paced and the dance floor set up in the orchestra and platforms for dancers to be in the mezzanine was super creative. The DJ also incorporated the audience at various points (which varied in success depending on how awkward the audience was feeling about dancing in a Broadway theater).
Everyone is cheating on everyone in this comedy that takes place in a cottage in the 1920s.
The plot was amusing (I think it was a love.. square? pentagon? It was complicated). Surprisingly, peak amusement was the number of creative ways the cast lit a cigarette on stage – anywhere from hidden compartments to suggestive statues.
A comedic play about Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson returns from the North to try and save his small hometown church in Georgia from the plantation owner.
I came primarily to see Leslie Odom Jr., and he did not disappoint. However, the highlight was actually Kara Young who played Lutiebell (his accomplice in an attempted con to take back the church) – her acting and comedic timing were fantastic.
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.
Two very earnest theatre composers (Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad) attempt to sell potential investors (the audience) on a very inaccurate musical about Gutenberg by acting and singing all parts of the musical themselves.
I think I laughed through the entire show, it was so funny – the way they use labeled hats to play the different characters was genius, and the sound effects by the band in addition to the "makeshift" props just added to the hilarity. They also have a different celebrity appear most days at the end to play the Broadway producer who gives them a contract; when I watched it Jesse Tyler Ferguson showed up!
Sweeney Todd returns from wrongful imprisonment to take revenge on Judge Turpin who put him in there and stole his wife with the help of his baker accomplice, Mrs. Lovett.
The musical was surprisingly funny (at least in Act I, and then in Act II it very quickly escalates). I didn't actually know the plot before going in, I mostly wanted to see Josh Groban live having listened to his music as a kid. I came away with expectations met for his singing, and delighted by Annaleigh Ashford who played Mrs. Lovett and depicted her as mildly sociopathic, which I guess you have to be to make meat pies of Sweeney Todd's enemies.
A jukebox musical that follows Michael Jackson as he prepares for his 1992 Dangerous World tour, and reenacts pivotal moments in his life.
I think nostalgia was the primary driver for watching the musical, and probably what carried it the most – it otherwise wasn't all that memorable, but listening to songs and watching dance moves I had grown up with was enjoyable nonetheless.
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.
Based on the 2015 film, this musical follows a group of young autistic adults (played by autistic actors!) preparing their social skills for a spring formal.
The music itself wasn't all that memorable, but the plot was what stood out. The show was in between Kimberly Akimbo and Dear Evan Hansen in terms of emotion - it was heartwarming, not without believable emotional challenges, and overall a wholesome story.
A character from Magic Goes Wrong, this mediocre mentalist attempts to wow audiences Off-Broadway.
Although not strictly their strongest show, I love their style of humor so I had a great time. Sprinkled in the "failed" mentalist tricks were moments of actual mentalism, as well as "Jesus" moments where he e.g. walked on (many bottles of) water.