NEW YORK >> Following the Tony Awards in June, Broadway hunkers down a skosh. Cast members leave in search of new horizons, some productions shut down and new arrivals are announced to launch previews.
But “Hamilton,” the masterful creation of Lin- Manuel Miranda, was the high-water mark of Broadway’s just-concluded 2015-16 season and likely will remain a mighty force in the upcoming season. A confluence of American history, rap music, political infighting and stagecraft magic, the show focuses on the imperfect Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States who was a bastard orphan, a war hero, the head of the U.S. Treasury and a husband caught up in the nation’s first sex scandal.
Its 11 Tonys certainly make it the most exhilarating musical among the 16 plays I took in during my New York sojourn this month. Prices remain critically high but new blocks of face-value seats are on sale for performances in January through April. So there’s hope.
“Hamilton,” which just posted its first $2 million-plus weekly gross following its Tony wins, is not the only game in town. Several of the shows I saw — “Blackbird,” “American Psycho” and “Bright Star” — have since closed, and “Hawaii Five-0” fans hoping to catch Daniel Dae Kim in “The King and I” at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre are out of luck: The revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic closes today.
Here’s a recap of the Broadway productions (and one off-Broadway show) I attended that are sticking around:
“Hamilton, an American Musical”
Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St., hamiltonbroadway.com
The hype for “Hamilton” has been unprecedented, but the show lives up to its buzz.
Broadway regulars, young kids, critics and, yes, even the Obamas have been swept up in “Hamilton” mania, making it difficult to buy tickets. Its hip-hop and pulsating rhythms speak to the young while parading historical figures (George Washington, King George III, Thomas Jefferson) portrayed by a very diverse cast. Its very now-and-wow story plays off the rivalry between Hamilton (Miranda) and Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.). A new and savvy community of theater fans, who’ve experienced excerpts on the Grammy and Tony awards telecasts, acknowledge history has never been this fun thanks to visionary director Thomas Kail’s creation.
Secure the cast album and get familiarized with the tone and tempo before you see “Hamilton.”
“Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
Music Box Theatre, 239 W. 45th St., shufflealongbroadway.com
Highly regarded Audra McDonald, the winningest Tony recipient ever (six trophies, but not for this one), was not in the performance I saw. She was capably replaced by understudy Darlesia Cearcy as Lottie Gee.
If you adore traditional jazz and lilting rhythm ‘n’ blues, this one’s for you. The ensemble is formidable — Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Brandon Victor Dixon, Joshua Henry — in this true story of playwrights attempting to write, perform, market and score success with an all-black love story (somewhat scandalous for its time). George C. Wolfe has concocted a splendid saga of ambition and perseverance.
“Shuffle” is a souffle with soulful performances. Closing July 24.
“She Loves Me”
Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., roundabouttheatre.org
The season’s most old-fashioned musical, revived by the Roundabout Theatre Company, is as delectable as ice cream, with bursts of cotton-candy colors in its sets, marvelously designed to open, turn, spin and display different rooms as if it were an oversized Barbie house.
Set against this architectural wonderment is a workplace love story of two souls who write love letters to each other but don’t know it. Laura Benanti (who earned a Tony for “Gypsy”) seeks a job at a Maraczek’s Parfumerie in Budapest, in 1931, where Zachary Levi (TV’s “Chuck”) works. A romance is in the works, despite their bickering. The parfumerie universe includes a parallel relationship between two clerks, a darling Jane Krakowski and a heel, Gavin Creel, in a secondary pairing of misfits.
Love prevails — but not before Benanti warbles the show’s top confectionery song, “Vanilla Ice Cream.” Makes you want to grab a scoop. Closing July 10.
“Fiddler on the Roof”
Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway, fiddlermusical.com
Every generation deserves a defining “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Bartlett Sher’s resourceful and revelatory mounting with Danny Burstein as Tevye hits all the right notes.
From the fetching opening fiddler on the roof to the angst of the denizens of Anatevka roaming off to destinations unknown in search of settlement and safety, the implications of homelessness and hardship ring loudly, considering the current state of the world. Burstein’s Jewish milkman is Everyman as he speaks to God, sings “Tradition” with heart-pumping emotion, and ponders his fate and that of his five daughters.
And oy! The songs — “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Do You Love Me,” “If I Were a Rich Man” — plus the bottle dance are triumphant. “Fiddler” is formidable.
“Fully Committed”
Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45th St., fullycommittedbroadway.com
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, at right, who plays Mitchell on ABC’s “Modern Family,” gives a tour de force performance as Sam, a reservationist at an elite New York restaurant. This is an update of Becky Mode’s hilarious 1999 comedy — the title is trade talk for “Sorry, we’re booked solid” — about the high demand for seating at a chic eatery that serves edible dirt. Sam’s the man, chatting and chortling his way through conversations with desperate diners trying to land a table, his dad asking if he’ll get Christmas off, a peer with acting ambitions, a haughty French chef, and an insistent and incorrigible socialite named Carol Rosenstein-Fishburn.
Ferguson tackles the myriad characters with zest, shifting vocal tones and body language, yet maintains coolly and fully committed to the character. Closing July 31.
“Something Rotten”
St. James Theatre, 246 W. 44th St., rottenbroadway.com
I had to see this one a second time! Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, this fave is still dishing out guffaws and good-natured pokes at Shakespeare. The premise: The Bottom Brothers, Nick (Rob McClure, who has replaced Brian D’Arcy James) and Nigel (John Cariani), seek to compete with The Bard (Christian Borle) by writing a musical, as advised by Nostradamus (Brad Oscar).
The show is “Omelet,” a takeoff of “Hamlet,” and the playfulness is the thing. Sight and word gags, including an ongoing depiction of how Shakespeare landed some of his classic quotable lines, and a marvelous parody of Broadway musicals (incorporating snippets of everything from “Sound of Music” to “Chicago,” “The Lion King” and “A Chorus Line”) give this one Will power.
“On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan”
Marquis Theatre, 1535 Broadway, onyourfeetmusical.com
Ana Villafane is Gloria Estefan, Josh Segarra is Emilio Estefan, and their legacy is the Miami Sound Machine. They sing and dance well in this jukebox musical of chart-busting hit songs (“Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “1, 2, 3,” “Conga,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You Now”).
What’s lacking is conflict and dramatic turns that matter. Sure, there’s friction with a record label that feels Cuban- American music won’t appeal to the pop market, and Gloria’s mom holds deep-rooted negativity about her daughter being away from home on tour. And, of course, there’s that road trip accident that jeopardizes Estefan’s career.
Directed by Jerry Mitchell, the show indicates simply that while it was a struggle for unknown Cubans to score hit records in English, there’s precious little substance in their lives to match or surpass the dramatic gravitas of such musicals as the ones on Carole King and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. That’s the agony of this “Feet.”
“The Color Purple”
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 W. 45th St., colorpurple.com
Cynthia Erivo as Celie reigns in “Purple.” As a 14-year-old who has been pregnant twice, who believes she was raped by her own father, this updated and edited production never minimizes the impact of the abuse and turmoil Celie has faced.
In fact, director John Doyle’s “smaller” scope manages to magnify the essence of Celie’s journey to self-respect and dignity. By the time I saw this show, Jennifer Hudson had vacated the role of Shug, replaced by Heather Headley (“The Lion King,” “Aida”). Doyle’s eye-filling set of distressed wooden chairs of all sizes and shapes makes a stunning architectural statement of distressed lives seeking dignity. When Erivo belts “I’m Here,” she ensures her status as this year’s Broadway darling; she won the Tony for best leading actress in a musical and the show was the year’s best musical revival.
“Waitress”
Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th St., waitressthemusical.com
“Waitress,” the new musical by Sarah Bareilles, is as American as apple pie. It’s no “Beautiful” (the Carole King musical, which earned Jessie Mueller a Tony two years ago), but it’s a tasty concoction with Mueller as Jenna, a skilled pie-maker at a diner somewhere in the south. Pie is her way out of a miserable marriage.
With islander Keala Settle (Becky) and Kimiko Glenn (Dawn) providing moral support and theatrical mischief, “Waitress” is sitcom-y. As Jenna battles her domestic woes with her hubby Earl (Nick Cordero), her waitress pals play out their own love trysts (outspoken Becky with the scraggly diner cook; nerdy Dawn with a restaurant stalker) toward a rom-com resolution.
The best moments come at intermission, where the lobby smells like a bake shop, wafting with freshly baked pies. Hawkers sell mini-jars of pie for $10 a pop.
Cirque du Soleil: “Paramour”
Lyric Theatre, 214 W. 43rd St., paramouronbroadway.com
The problem with “Paramour” is ambition. Too many elements, too little chemistry. You get three shows in one: a series of circus acts and some aerial work that are Cirque trademarks; a stab at a Broadway love story while the Cirque-y stuff is going on; and cinematic elements reflecting the Golden Age of Cinema that are visually charming but, ultimately, what’s the point?
Jeremy Kushnier portrays the director, AJ; his aspiring songbird actress is Ruby Lewis, as Indigo; and there’s a composer, Ryan Vona, named Joey. They get lost in the shuffle, however, notably when identical twins Andrew and Kevin Atherton swirl and twirl and thrill. The finale goes on forever — actors hopping and climbing atop multiple hotel roofs — a throwback to silent movies when words didn’t matter.
In the end, “Paramour” is a paradigm of failed ambition.
“School of Rock: The Musical”
Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway, schoolofrockthe- musical.com
Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer for this stage version of the Jack Black flick “School of Rock,” about a rock band trouper out of a job who winds up teaching music to a bunch of kiddie musicians.
Alex Brightman’s understudy Jonathan Wagner took the Dewey Finn role in the performance I caught; he physically resembles Black, so he bounced like a kid during recess throughout. The rocker convinces the upright principal Rosalie (Sierra Boggess) that he is a teacher and lands the job. One cutie kid, Summer (Isabella Russo), knows better and provides ongoing scrutiny of Dewey’s folly.
Who knew Lloyd Webber could channel a bona fide hard-rock lineup — “You’re in the Band” is a take-away anthem — that even kids will clap and romp to? This is family fun — ideal matinee fare for pint-sized patrons.
“Cagney”
Westside Theatre/Upstairs, 407 W. 43rd St., cagneythemusical.com
Robert Creighton is that Yankee Doodle Dandy, James Cagney, is this modest musical bio of the cinematic tough guy who played George M. Cohan in one of his most memorable films. A labor of love, Creighton also co-wrote the music and lyrics with Christopher McGovern. As an off-Broadway attraction, the show boasts a versatile and energetic ensemble playing multiple roles. Creighton has the Cagney moves down pat and tap-dances with fervor, recreating the movie magic that was Cagney.
The lack of resources makes the show feel like a work in progress, so it would be interesting to one day witness a full-blown on-Broadway tribute to the actor, who professes he never said “You dirty rat.”
THE ‘HAMILTON’ FACTOR
The buzz on ‘Hamilton’ Broadway’s $2 million-a-week blockbuster:
>> Tickets to the Broadway production are available but difficult at affordable levels. The Richard Rodgers Theatre box office technically has been sold out of seats through year’s end, but resellers are offering tickets at inflated prices at ticketmaster.com. The better the location, the higher the tariff; but this site guarantees validity of the seats.
>> A new block of seats, from January through April, is on sale at the Rodgers box office and the Ticketmaster website with a six-ticket limit. Once you set your travel dates, secure seats promptly. Regular prices range from $139 to $177, but get used to premium or VIP tickets in coveted orchestra or central mezzanine locations. Producers have announced an $849 premium ceiling (up from $477) to thwart profiteers from buying and reselling future seats.
>> Show creator/star Lin-Manuel Miranda exits the cast July 9, to be succeeded by his understudy, Javier Munoz, the same actor who replaced Miranda in his first Tony-winning hit, “In the Heights.” Also leaving is Leslie Odom Jr., who plays rival Aaron Burr.
>> The “Hamilton” original cast recording, which earned a Grammy Award this year, has made the Billboard Top 10 for the first time, at No. 3. It is the first Broadway CD to make the Top 10 since “The Book of Mormon” in 2011.
>> A “Hamilton Mixtape” is due this fall, containing raps and lines not on the cast album plus a few tunes cut from the show.
>> A 90-minute “Hamilton’s America” documentary, directed by Alex Horwitz, will be released Oct. 21 on PBS’ “Great Performance,” with new footage including at least 15 minutes of performance footage and interviews with Miranda.
>> Before his departure, Miranda’s performances in “Hamilton” at the Rodgers theater will be taped for posterity, its destination not yet revealed. He has said he envisions re-entering the production whenever his schedule permits.
>> A renovated Victoria Palace Theatre in London’s West End will be home to “Hamilton” starting in the fall of 2017. Jeffrey Seller, the lead Broadway producer, will team with Cameron Macintosh, the British producer of such mega-hits as “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Miss Saigon” and “Les Miserables.” “Hamilton” companies in Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles are poised to open in the months ahead.
>> Miranda is multitasking in three films. He’s writing original music for Disney’s animated “Moana” flick, which already has two islanders aboard: Auli‘i Cravalho, voicing the title character, and Dwayne Johnson, voicing Maui the Demigod. Phillipa Soo, who plays Hamilton’s wife Eliza in the stage musical, will portray a villager on Motunui, the fantasy home island where Moana lives, set 2,000 years in the past. And in his second Disney flick, a sequel to “Mary Poppins,” Miranda will star opposite Emily Blunt. Finally, “In the Heights,” Miranda’s first musical, is on the boards for a future feature film.
>> He may have lost this year’s Tony for best actor to co-star Odom but Miranda nonetheless has enjoyed the winningest year among his peers: the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama, a Grammy for the show’s original cast album, the Edward M. Kenney Prize for drama inspired by American history, plus a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant.
GET THE BEST TICKETS
There’s no one way to secure prime tickets for a Broadway show. Timing, strategy, perseverance and plain ol’ luck are factors. Some tips:
>> Search websites often: ticketmaster.com, broadway.com, playbill.com, telecharge.com; avoid resell sites like stubhub.com, which might sell fraudulent tickets.
>> Online vs. phone reservations: Sometimes you need to talk to a live body to discuss specifics; find phone numbers online. You don’t have to buy the first seats that come up when you search a website; often it’s easier to discuss with a ticket seller what you want, where and when.
>> Be flexible: Prioritize your show choices, then work down your wish list.
>> Determine your budget: Lowest-price seats often go first. Familiarize yourself with online seat charts to determine orchestra, mezzanine and balcony locations.
>> The new normal: High-demand shows now routinely offer face-value tickets but also “premium” and “VIP” seating, which costs more.
>> Be resourceful: If you have a friend living in New York, tap him/her for a box office visit. Text or use cellphones for updates with your source.
>> Last-minute purchases: Seats often open up at the last minute; join a cancellation line on the day of a performance.
>> Use it or lose it: All sales are final, no exchanges. You can opt for tickets to be mailed to you at home (there is a cost) or you can print them at home before your trip.
>> Resources: Join playbill.com (free) and receive online notes on sales or developing theater news; buy a copy of the Sunday edition of the New York Times ($6 at supermarkets here or bookstores) and secure the Arts & Leisure section to see a roster of shows.
>> Twofers: The TKTS booth at Times Square offers half-price tickets to select shows for same-day purchase only. You get one free if you buy one; a single ticket is half price. Lineups begin prior to the 2 and 8 p.m. shows. Credit cards and cash accepted.
