Broadway

Broadway’s “The Great Gatsby” Shimmers Like Misplaced Gold

Published

18 mins ago

April 30, 2024

Ross

There he is, just as I remember him from when this new musical adaptation previewed at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse last fall, dressed sharply in a white suit, staring off into the horizon across the water reaching out for everything he’s been dreaming of. It’s just as we might have imagined the central mythical and titular soul that is, in a way, oddly and quite naturally at the center of this majestically sung new musical, The Great Gatsby. “It’s New York City, folks,” and we are now live, at the Broadway Theatre. The “time is opportune“, especially for this musical extravaganza based on the 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel that we (mostly) all know, and most probably love (even though, as history informs us, this great American novel was not such a financial hit when it was first published).

Running onto Broadway quickly and much improved, before that other adaptation, simply called Gatsby (with music and lyrics by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett and a book by Martyna Majok), now premiering in Boston (officially opening on June 5, 2024), makes its way to NYC, this Broadway production, with soaring music by Jason Howland and some sharp lyrics by Nathan Tysen – the team that brought us the powerful but equally earnest Broadway musical, Paradise Square – is dressed in as much superficial gold as that unveiled ensemble that swings and shimmies themselves forward to a defined beat in the house where the party doesn’t stop.

Jeremy Jordan Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

The writing team does not seem to know how to create connecting tension to what the show is swirling around. At least as it opens itself up to us initially. Layering in a few soaring songs made for adoration and wild applause, The Great Gatsby, much like their last Broadway venture, never really finds its continuity or resonance. The songs are not the problem, even when they feel misplaced from some other moment, like that opening number that’s connected to and surrounds the man who should be our narrator. The chorus sings about a party, while the lost transplant is really just interested in finding his place in the chaos. It is made to feel epic and celebratory in proportion, but it is the connective tissue that seems to be the issue in question, especially within the book written by Kait Kerrigan (West End’s The Time Traveller’s Wife). Inside that framework, there is a complication that only cements itself the further we go, as we can’t quite figure out who is actually telling us their story. And through whose bespectacled eyes we are seeing all that transpires, regardless of whether our narrator can or cannot.

Noah J. Ricketts & the cast of The Great Gatsby. Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

This tragic iconic tale of thwarted love and a cursed American Dream, like the Fitzgerald novel and the 2013 Baz Luhrmann movie that I couldn’t get out of my mind while watching this new stage version, should be unmasked through the wide observing eyes of its innocent narrator, Nick Carraway, played absolutely gloriously by the wonderful Noah J. Ricketts (Disney’s Frozen; 2ST’s To My Girls). He should be the epicenter for us all, and with him, we should feel his wide-eyed unpacking from that first moment he lays his eyes on all that surrounds him on the Sound. We must register what it means to him to come from such a uniquely different social class and discover the complications that Nick must inhabit in the deceit-filled lies of those he is connected. It’s his unwinding that we must experience, and when Ricketts’ Nick is given the space to expand his emotional and complex horizons, we feel in our bones the fading of that easy-going optimist that first arrives at that cottage door.

Unfortunately for this new musical stage adaptation, that wide Broadway stage has continued to have a hard time keeping its attention focused on his collision with the decadence and indifference of the world that, at first, engulfs him. There are too many storytellers here. Yet, in all those different vantage points, the story is essentially told efficiently, but not in the most emotionally engaging manner. Wisely, this production does have is its eyes fully aimed and refocused on the two star-crossed lovers that ultimately come and crash together leaving quite the mess discarded on the side of the road. It is Nick’s ultimate disappointment in those around him that plays the bigger part of the causality list. But no wonder that we aren’t as engaged with that emotive theme, as the music and the lyrics have been created to give this production’s two leads a tremendous number of opportunities to showcase their true undeniable talent. So how can we look the other way?

Jeremy Jordan (Broadway’s Newsies; American Son) as that captivating titular character, Jay Gatsby, steals the spotlight without question, and in a way, becomes the one who will lead us through this emotional upheaval. Without a doubt, he is given the most spectacular moments to vocally shine as magnificent as the world he has created around him, courtesy of the very (almost too) geometric sets (and projections) that have been pulled together by designer Paul Tate DePoo III (Broadway’s The Cottage) with distinct lighting by Cory Pattak (Broadway Center Stage’s Next to Normal).

The glittering visuals and the impressive vocals displayed by our star leads are forever rich and dynamic. Jordan has never sounded better, with Eva Noblezada (Broadway’sHadestown) matching his stellar performance every step along the way, although we know to hold back emotionally from this woman. There’s an emotional disconnect inside her casual indifference that red flags her. But in regards to their vocal pairing, it is perfect and masterful, finding clarity and distinctiveness in every sophisticated nervous attempt for connection and renewal. Their vocals shine and sparkle within every song they are gifted. But the ultimate question remains: does it work for the story being told?

Noblezada does find her shimmering soldier love story inside every song she sings, lifting herself up high and digging herself in and away from the enchanted life she has been trying to cultivate with her handsome, old-moneyed, brutish husband, Tom Buchanan, played perfectly by John Zdrojeski (Broadway’s Good Night, Oscar). The framework is all there, centered around the clash between new and old money, honesty and deception, and even some gender dynamics, most impressively embodied by the impressive Samantha Pauly (Broadway’s Six) as the wonderfully sharp, lady golfer, Jordan Baker. That character magnificently rises above it all, almost stealing the whole crown away from everyone else. She swings that club and knocks those balls far and away with force, forever delivering fascination and excitement within her character and her strong voice. She is a magnetic force to be reckoned with on that stage, bringing energy and excitement to every scene she inhabits, even when she swerves to the left.

Inside the minimal amount of handwringing that happens when Jay and Daisy meet up once again outside Nick’s cottage for a little bit of tea, the story, even with that sometimes choppy dialogue, drives forward at a neck-breaking speed. But somewhere along the road, these three super talents, basically steal the show away from our well-toned narrator, pulling us quickly into Jordan’s fascinating superficial stance, and Jay and Daisy’s fantasy romance without even trying all that hard. It’s Kerrigan’s book that is the main culprit, driving us away from Nick without anyone really kicking up much of a fuss.

It’s a bit of a frustrating recentering, that works well for the roaring love party of the show’s two stars sparkling brightly in the center. But not so well for the overall melodrama. The two bedazzle us with their magnificent, vocally perfect romance, thanks to the fine work done by music director Daniel Edmonds (Broadway’s Shucked) and sound designer Brian Ronan (Broadway’s Some Like It Hot). Yet, it pushes the humanistic themes of disillusionment somewhat to the side of the road, leaving the spectacled poster eyes staring out into the audience with a look that seems to be saying, “Where did we lose our way?” Was it on our way to the Met? (Now that was a fun, well-staged moment.)

The same question could be asked of that other couple that finds themselves caught in the spectacled gaze of that ominous sign on the road to the city. That eyeglass symbol and metaphor are infinitely better addressed and unpacked in the novel, but here, in the show’s off-balanced storytelling, those eyes just hang there staring back at us, almost distracting us from the fine work done by Paul Whitty (Broadway’s Come From Away) as gas pump owner George Wilson, alongside his cheating wife, Myrtle, played deliciously wild and wicked by Sara Chase (Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt“). These two are given some pretty amazing moments of vocal shining and emotional unburdening, but once again, whose story is this really? And do we really need a big powerful ballad from Myrtle, regardless of how well she sings it, about her pregnancy just before that somewhat clumsy climax that we all know is coming around the corner?

Noah J. Ricketts, Sara Chase, & John Zdrojeski in The Great Gatsby. Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

As directed with a stereotypical but never still stance by Marc Bruni (Broadway Center Stage’s The Music Man), The Great Gatsby musical is ushered forward in a pretty straightforward approach. Bruni seems to always want to bring everyone down centerstage for their big musical moments, singing loud, strong, and true most magnificently in a spotlight, framed in squares by everything behind them. But they do find some lovely angles and flair in the fine, but sometimes overly done costuming by Linda Cho (Broadway’s Summer, 1976) and the jazzy sharp choreography by Dominique Kelley (Ebony Rep’s Ain’t Misbehavin’) that breaths life into some stilted moments, even if they feel forced and flippant.

It’s all so geometrical and classic in the way this rendering has been staged. It feels a bit too direct, even when we are caught up in the hot hotel drama inside the fantasy. I almost wanted a more experiential telling from the maestro who brought us Moulin Rouge! the Musical on Broadway. It needed that level of focused imbalance and involvement. And speaking of Moulin Rouge!, I also craved that intense and frenetic energy that Luhrmann brought to his cinematic retelling of this great American tale. The fascinating thing about that comparison is that regardless of how spectacular the music is in this Broadway version of The Great Gatsby, the pop music score of Luhrmann’s version almost feels more in tune with the period than this original score. And more memorable. Especially in the party scenes at that grand house. Something in this musical’s pop-jazz fusion feels more standardized and out of touch than the jukebox score of Luhrmann’s film. It’s ironic actually, that his film delivers a party that I don’t want to leave. Unless Pauly’s Jordan is my companion. Because if that was the case, I’d go to any party that character invited me to. Without a single doubt or hesitation.

For more go to frontmezzjunkies.com

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Oh, What a Glorious Evening!

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The 68th Annual Drama Desk Award Nominations

Ross

My love for theater started when I first got involved in high school plays and children's theatre in London, Ontario, which led me—much to my mother’s chagrin—to study set design, directing, and arts administration at York University in Toronto. But rather than pursuing theater as a career (I did produce and design a wee bit), I became a self-proclaimed theater junkie and life-long supporter. I am not a writer by trade, but I hope to share my views and feelings about this amazing experience we are so lucky to be able to see here in NYC, and in my many trips to London, Enlgand, Chicago, Toronto, Washington, and beyond. Living in London, England from 1985 to 1986, NYC since 1994, and on my numerous theatrical obsessive trips to England, I've seen as much theater as I can possibly afford. I love seeing plays. I love seeing musicals. If I had to choose between a song or a dance, I'd always pick the song. Dance—especially ballet—is pretty and all, but it doesn’t excite me as, say, Sondheim lyrics. But that being said, the dancing in West Side Story is incredible! As it seems you all love a good list, here's two. FAVORITE MUSICALS (in no particular order): Sweeney Todd with Patti Lupone and Michael Cerveris in 2005. By far, my most favorite theatrical experience to date. Sunday in the Park with George with Jenna Russell (who made me sob hysterically each and every one of the three times I saw that production in England and here in NYC) in 2008 Spring Awakening with Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele in 2007 Hedwig and the Angry Inch (both off-Boadway in 1998 and on Broadway in 2014, with Neal Patrick Harris, but also with Michael C. Hall and John Cameron Mitchell, my first Hedwig and my last...so far), Next To Normal with Alice Ripley (who I wish I had seen in Side Show) in 2009 FAVORITE PLAYS (that’s more difficult—there have been so many and they are all so different): Angels in American, both on Broadway and off Lettice and Lovage with Dame Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack in 1987 Who's Afraid of Virginai Woolf with Tracy Letts and Amy Morton in 2012 Almost everything by Alan Ayckbourn, but especially Woman in Mind with Julia McKenzie in 1986 And to round out the five, maybe Proof with Mary Louise Parker in 2000. But ask me on a different day, and I might give you a different list. These are only ten theatre moments that I will remember for years to come, until I don’t have a memory anymore. There are many more that I didn't or couldn't remember, and I hope a tremendous number more to come. Thanks for reading. And remember: read, like, share, retweet, enjoy. For more go to frontmezzjunkies.com

Broadway

Patriots The Rise Of A Snake To Power

Published

13 mins ago

April 30, 2024

Suzanna Bowling

I can’t see Broadway loving Peter Morgan’s new play Patriots, especially at the beginning of Act 2 when they mention Len Blavatnik as one of the Russian oligarch. Blavatnik is a producer on multiple Broadway shows. He also owns most of the Warner Music Group.

The new drama playing at the Barrymore Theatre is basically the Russian oligarchs vs. Vladimir Putin. Act 1 is rather slow, very much like a Tom Stoppard play, with wit and lots of information, but it is leading to a riveting second act, that if you remember the news and put 2 + 2 together makes you really think.

Michael Stuhlbarg Photo by Matthew-Murphy

We meet Boris Berezovsky (Michael Stuhlbarg), a math-whiz-turned-billionaire who was one of Russia’s most powerful men during the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union. He is the head oligarch. Berezovsky enlists Vladlmir Putin (Will Keen), a former KGB lieutenant colonel, to be the oligarch’s puppet. First Putin becomes the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, then prime minister and then president after Boris Yeltsin (Paul Kynman) steps down. As Putin grows in power, we see him stare at himself in the mirror, becoming a man who hides the monster within. As he grows in power, Putin ignores the oligarchs then starts to take them down. As this happens Berezovsky and Putin become mortal enemies.

Will Keen Photo by Matthew-Murphy

As Berezovsky’s disagreements with Putin became public, Berezovsky resigns saying he “did not want to be involved in the country’s ruin and the restoration of an authoritarian regime”. When his media company attacks Putin, it is overtaken and he is extradited to Britain. In court he loses his wealth to his ex-business partner (Luke Thallon), who has sold him out. His associate Alexander Litvinenko (Alex Hurt), is murdered and in the end Berezovsky is found dead at his home, with a rope around his neck.

Luke Thallon, Michael Stuhlbarg Photo by Matthew-Murphy

Director Rupert Goold tries to make this a play against Putin, but the facts are both sides were and are corrupt.

Broadway

The 68th Annual Drama Desk Award Nominations

Published

12 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Suzanna Bowling

Nominations for the 68th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced today by stage and screen star Kathleen Turner.

In keeping with the Drama Desk’s mission, the nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway during the 2023-2024 New York theater season, that the Drama Desk determined ended as of April 25, 2024. Productions must run for 21 or more live performances to be considered eligible.

In determining the eligibility of productions with runs in prior seasons, the nominating committee considered only those elements that constituted new work. These productions included Appropriate, Cross That River, Gutenberg! The Musical!, Harmony, Here Lies Love, Just For Us, Mary Jane, Prayer for the French Republic, Public Obscenities, Suffs, and Sunset Baby.

Productions deemed not eligible, either because they were considered in their entirety in prior seasons or because they did not invite awards consideration in the current season, included Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Here We Are, Merrily We Roll Along, The Animal Kingdom, The White Chip, and Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice.

And the nominees are:

Outstanding Best Musical
Dead Outlaw
Illinoise
Lizard Boy
Teeth
The Connector
The Outsiders

Outstanding Best Play
Infinite Life
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Mother Play
Stereophonic
Swing State
The Ally

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Cabaret
Gutenberg! The Musical!
I Can Get It For You Wholesale

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Appropriate
Doubt
Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Purlie Victorious
Uncle Vanya

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Nicole Cooper, Macbeth (an undoing)
William Jackson Harper, Primary Trust
Jessica Lange, Mother Play
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
Tobias Menzies, The Hunt
Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
A.J. Shively, Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Juliet Stevenson, The Doctor
Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Santino Fontana, I Can Get It for You Wholesale
Brody Grant, The Outsiders
Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company
Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company
Liam Pearce, How to Dance in Ohio
Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Ben Levi Ross, The Connector, MCC Theater
Ricky Ubeda, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Brittany Adebumola, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Manhattan Theatre Club
Marylouise Burke, Infinite Life, Atlantic Theater Company
Michael Esper, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
Marin Ireland, Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions
Will Keen, Patriots
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play, Second Stage Theater
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
Sheila Tousey, Manahatta, The Public Theater
Bubba Weiler, Swing State, Goodman Theatre
Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen
Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company
Dorian Harewood, The Notebook
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot
Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen
Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Steven Pasquale, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons
Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook
Thom Sesma, Dead Outlaw
Emily Skinner, Suffs

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons
Rupert Goold, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre
Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
Ciarán O’Reilly, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Rebecca Frecknall, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Daisy Prince, The Connector, MCC Theater
Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants
Danya Taymor, The Outsiders

Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen
Graciela Daniele and Alex Sanchez, The Gardens of Anuncia, Lincoln Center Theater
Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders (includes fight choreography)
Lorin Latarro, The Heart of Rock and Roll
Justin Peck, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory
Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants (includes circus choreography)

Outstanding Music
Jason Robert Brown, The Connector, MCC Theater
Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company
Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders
Shaina Taub, Suffs
David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Lyrics
Rachel Bloom, Eli Bolin, and Jack Dolgen, Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show
Jason Robert Brown, The Connector, MCC Theater
Michael R. Jackson, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons
Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders
David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company
Michael R. Jackson, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons
Michael John LaChiusa, The Gardens of Anuncia, Lincoln Center Theater
Rebekah Greer Melocik, How to Dance in Ohio
Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Orchestrations
Timo Andres, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory
Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons
Andy Evan Cohen, The Greatest Hits Down Route 66, New Light Theater Project
Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company
Erik Della Penna, Dean Sharenow, and David Yazbek, Dead Outlaw
Michael Starobin, Shaina Taub (vocal arrangements), and Andrea Grody (vocal arrangements), Suffs

Outstanding Music in a Play
Michael “Mikey J” Asante, The Effect, The Shed
S T A R R Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis, (pray), Ars Nova and National Black Theatre
Will Butler, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons
Dionne McClain-Freeney, The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel, New Georges and The Movement Theatre Company
Ben Steinfeld, Pericles, Classic Stage Company and Fiasco Theater

Outstanding Revue
Amid Falling Walls, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play
Es Devlin, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre
dots, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Scott Pask, Grey House
David Zinn, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders
Paul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby (includes projections)
Riccardo Hernández, Suffs
Arnulfo Maldonado, Dead Outlaw
Grace Smart, Good Vibrations: A Punk Rock Musical, Irish Arts Center

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play
Alex Berry, Macbeth (an undoing)
Karen Boyer, Warrior Sisters of Wu, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons
Lux Haac, Manahatta, The Public Theater
Rodrigo Muñoz, Sally & Tom, The Public Theater

Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical

Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company
Márion Talán de la Rosa, The Connector, MCC Theater
Loren Elstein, Once Upon a One More Time
David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants
Paul Tazewell, Suffs

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
Jane Cox, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
Stacey Derosier, Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions
Natasha Katz, Grey House
Lizzie Powell, Macbeth (an undoing)
Eric Southern, Swing State, Goodman Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
Lap Chi Chu, Suffs
Heather Gilbert, Dead Outlaw
Bradley King, Water for Elephants
Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim (projections), The Outsiders
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, The Connector, MCC Theater

Outstanding Projection and Video Design
Eric Dunlap, Our Class, MART Foundation and Arlekin Players Theatre
Jared Mezzocchi, Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy, Vineyard Theatre
Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen
Olivia Sebesky, Melissa Etheridge: My Window
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, The Connector, MCC Theater

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre
Tom Gibbons, Grey House
Palmer Hefferan, The Comeuppance, Signature Theatre
Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater
Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
Jason Crystal, Suffs
Kai Harada and Joshua Millican, Dead Outlaw
Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Cody Spencer, The Outsiders
Walter Trarbach, Water for Elephants

Outstanding Wig and Hair
J. Jared Janas and Cassie Williams, Sally & Tom, The Public Theater
Charles G. LaPointe, Suffs
Nikiya Mathis, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Manhattan Theatre Club
Nikiya Mathis, The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in he Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel, New Georges and The Movement Theatre Company
Robert Pickens and Katie Gell, Stereophonic, Broadway production

Outstanding Solo Performance
Michael Cruz Kayne, Sorry for Your Loss
Madeleine MacMahon, Breathless, Theatre Royal Plymouth
Wade McCollum, Make Me Gorgeous!, triangle productions!
Robert Montano, SMALL, Penguin Rep Theatre
Patrick Page, All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain

Unique Theatrical Experience
A Eulogy for Roman, Through the Tollbooth Co.
A Simulacrum, Atlantic Theater Company
ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly, Happenstance Theater
I Love You So Much I Could Die, New York Theatre Workshop
Grenfell: in the words of survivors, St. Ann’s Warehouse, National Theatre, and KPPL Productions

Outstanding Fight Choreography
Michael G. Chin, Warrior Sisters of Wu, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Cha Ramos, Water for Elephants
Steve Rankin, The Who’s Tommy

Outstanding Adaptation
An Enemy of the People, by Amy Herzog
Macbeth (an undoing), by Zinnie Harris
The Comedy of Errors, by Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri, The Public Theater Mobile Unit
The Doctor, by Robert Icke, Park Avenue Armory
The Hunt, by David Farr, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre
The Whole of Time, by Romina Paula, Joben Studios

Outstanding Puppetry
Matt Acheson, Hotel Happy, Houses on the Moon Theater Company
Adrian Kohler and Handspring Puppet Company, Life & Times of Michael K, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Baxter Theatre Centre, and Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus
Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman, and Camille Labarre, Water for Elephants
David Valentine, Poor Yella Rednecks, Manhattan Theatre Club

Special Awards
The How to Dance in Ohio Authentic Austistic Representation Team
Lighting designer Isabella Byrd
Publicist Irene Gandy

Ensemble Award
The Cast of Stereophonic

Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
Cole Escola

This year’s awards will be held on Monday, June 10 at The Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (556 LaGuardia Place). Staci Levine and Jessica R. Jenen will Executive Produce the Awards.

David Barbour and Charles Wright are the Drama Desk co-presidents.

As was the case last year, all performance categories are gender-free. The updated gender-free categories are: Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, and Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical.

Each of these categories has twice as many nominees as the former gendered categories and voters will cast two votes for each category. These categories will also have two winners each. If there is a tie, there may be more than two winners in a category.

What sets the Drama Desk Awards apart is that they are voted on and bestowed by theater critics, journalists, editors, and publishers covering theater. The Drama Desk Awards honor all aspects of New York’s professional theater.

The 2023-2024 Drama Desk Nominating Committee is composed of: Martha Wade Steketee (Chair; freelance: UrbanExcavations.com), Linda Armstrong (New York Amsterdam News), Dan Dinero(Theatre is Easy), Peter Filichia (Broadway Radio), Kenji Fujishima (freelance: Theatermania), Margaret Hall (Playbill) and Charles Wright (ex-officio).

Productions with multiple nominations:

Dead Outlaw – 11

The Outsiders – 9

Stereophonic – 8

Suffs – 8

The Connector – 8

Appropriate – 7

Water for Elephants – 7

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club – 5

Hell’s Kitchen – 5

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch – 5

The Hunt – 5

Illinoise – 4

Macbeth (an undoing) – 4

Teeth – 4

Buena Vista Social Club – 3

Grey House – 3

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – 3

Lizard Boy – 3

Mother Play – 3

Philadelphia, Here I Come! – 3

Swing State – 3

Uncle Vanya (OHenry Productions) – 3

Days of Wine and Roses – 2

How to Dance in Ohio – 2

I Can Get It for You Wholesale – 2

Infinite Life – 2

Manahatta – 2

Patriots – 2

Sally & Tom – 2

The Doctor – 2

The Gardens of Anuncia – 2

The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents the 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in the Grand

Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel – 2

The Notebook – 2

Warrior Sisters of Wu – 2

Broadway

2024 Chita Rivera Award Nominations Celebrating The Best in Dance and Choreography

Published

13 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Suzanna Bowling

Nominations for the 2024 Chita Rivera Awards were revealed by Bebe Neuwirth, this afternoon April 29 at 1 p.m. on ABC News’ “GMA3: What You Need to Know.” Winners will be named at an awards ceremony on May 20 at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

Bernadette Peters

Bernadette Peters is the recipient of this year’s award for lifetime achievement.

The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence, preserve notable dance history, recognize past, present, and future talents, while promoting high standards in dance education and investing in the next generation.

Nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers, and ensemble in shows on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as outstanding choreography in film, that opened in the 2023-2024 season. Nominations for the productions under consideration this season will be determined by the designated nominating committee. There are separate nominating committees for Broadway, Off Broadway and Film. There is also an awarding committee for Broadway, which determines the final nominations that are received from the Broadway nominations committee.

All proceeds of the Chita Rivera Awards benefit the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation Scholarship Program. The NYCDA Foundation is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) committed to broadening performing arts awareness while advocating education and high standards of excellence in dance.

This year, all funding and proceeds will support the creation of a new Chita Rivera Training Scholarship.

Broadway

Outstanding Choreography In A Broadway Show

Camille A Brown, Hell’s Kitchen
Julia Cheng, Cabaret
Rick and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders
Lorin Latarro, The Heart of Rock and Roll / The Who’s Tommy
Justin Peck, Illinoise
Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water For Elephants

Outstanding Dancer In A Broadway Show

Antoine Boissereau, Water For Elephants
Ben Cook, Illinoise
Chloe Davis, Hell’s Kitchen
Gaby Diaz, Illinoise
Tilly Evans-Kreuger, The Outsiders
Rachel Lockhart, Illinoise
Phillip Johnson Richardson, The Wiz
Byron Tittle, Illinoise
Ricky Ubeda, Illinoise
Avery Wilson, The Wiz

Outstanding Ensemble In A Broadway Show

Cabaret
Hell’s Kitchen
Illinoise
The Heart of Rock and Roll
The Outsiders
Water For Elephants

Film & Documentary

Outstanding Choreography In A Theatrical Release

Barbie, Choreographer: Jennifer White
Carmen, Choreographer: Benjamin Millepied / Marina Tamayo
Color Purple, Choreographer: Fatima Robinson
Mean Girls, Choreographer: Kyle Hanagami / Casey Nicholaw
Wonka, Choreographer: Christopher Gattelli

Outstanding Direction Of A Dance Documentary

Daughters, Directors: Angela Patton / Natalie Rae
Eldorado: everything the Nazi’s Hate, Directors: Benjamin Cantu / Matt Lambert
Lift, Director: David Petersen
Studio One Forever, Director: Marc Saltarelli
Swan Song, Director: Chelsea McMullan

Broadway

She Says: Alicia Keys Brings Life To NYC With Hell’s Kitchen

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2024

Suzanna Bowling

There are songs, movies and shows that bring to mind the excitement of NYC. Now there is Alicia Keys’s Hell’s Kitchen. This exciting, heartfelt, energetic and electrifying show brings its magic to Broadway. Originally debuting at The Public Theatre, this musical takes place at Manhattan Plaza, located on 42nd between 9th and 10th Avenues, and is pulsating with life.

Not normally a fan of jukebox musicals, Ms. Keys, songs are perfect for the Broadway stage. Maybe because this story, is her story. Ironically I wrote about some of this during COVID, when I interviewed the residents of the famed actors building. Kristoffer Diaz’s book, focuses on the 17 year old, who according to her mother (the fabulous Shoshana Bean), “her brain doesn’t work”, but then again what 17 year old’s does? We see her relationship between her loving, but controlling mother, her absent father (Brandon Victor Dixon), the woman who teaches her about ancestry, what to do with her rage and piano (played to perfection by Kecia Lewis) and the man she is crushing on Knuck (Chris Lee). This is a coming of age story, that most everyone with hormones can relate to.

Playing Key’s is Maleah Joi Moon as Ali, the teen who is rebellious, seeking to be her own person, but it is in the Ellington Room that she meets Miss Liza Jane who brings out Ali’s talent.

Keisha Lewis, Maleah Joi Moon Photo by Marc J. Franklin.

Directed by Michael Greif, we feel all the emotions so intensely, as the music brings everything into focus, thanks to Adam Blackstone, Lily Ling and Tom Kitt. This show is given it’s pulse by choreographer Camille A. Brown, who makes us want to learn these dance moves and join in on the vibration of life.

The company of Hell’s Kitchen Photo by Marc J. Franklin.

Anyone who lived in the 90’s will recognize the fashion done by Dede Ayite. The set brings out the heart of the city thanks to Robert Brill, with Natasha Katz’s lighting and Peter Nigrini’s projections that make it seem as if the sun is rising and setting in constant motion.

Broadway

She Says: Mary Jane Takes Caring To Another Level

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2024

Suzanna Bowling

As The Notebook plays on Broadway as a musical, its film star Rachel McAdams is starring in quite another role. She has taken on Amy Herzog’s title character Mary Jane, a single mother whose 2-year-old son Alex was born chronically ill. As he slowly loses what control he has, we hear in the other room the monitors, the warning beeps and see the oxygen and feeding tanks go in and out of his room. Mary Jane (McAdams) entire existence revolves around his care.

As we meet the caregivers (April Matthis), nurses, friends, music therapist (Lily Santiago) and superintendent (Brenda Wehle) who support her, we feel her isolation, her pain and her love for this child that will never get better. The proximity of her ever having a normal life again is nil to none. Her husband has already given up on the two of them.

Mary Jane navigates the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for a chronically ill child as she builds a community of women from many walks of life into her world such as a woman (Susan Pourfar), who has many other children to care for, but is still their for her child that will also never be well.

This play is personal for Herzog as it is semi-autobiographical and based on Herzog’s daughter Frances, who was born with Nemaline myopathy and died at age 11 in 2023.

McAdams bring such love, care, resiliency, vulnerability, helplessness and an openness to this role, that is layered and poignant.

Herzog’s play is a tough to watch, even though it is calmly and mundanely told as directed by Anne Kauffman.

Rachel McAdams and Lily SantiagoPhoto by Matthew Murphy

In the end, we move from the apartment to the hospital, which is really well done by set designer Lael Jellinek, because Alex is seriously not doing well. As Mary Jane waits for her son to get out of surgery a Buddhist chaplain named Tenkei (brilliantly played by a serene Wehle) asks her to talk about her child. Mary Jane remembers only the good, as the light fades as she remembers his smile.

Mary Jane: Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W 47th Street.