Lifestyle of a Fashionista

6/9/23

Marking 76 years of excellence on Broadway, The Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, will air LIVE on Sunday, June 11, 2023 from the historic United Palace in Washington Heights, in New York City from 8:00-11:00 PM, ET/5:00-8:00 PM, PT on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. Tony Awards

Playbill once again has a special printable ballot that will allow you to make your own picks if you’re playing from home. Download the official Playbill printable ballot here.

I’m writing about Broadway shows to honor this upcoming event and the talented performers and creators who are nominated.

There are a variety of shows on Broadway: musicals, dramas, comedies, plays based on movies and books, and revivals. From Playbill, a list of shows. From Broadway Direct, list of shows.

Reasons to attend a show:

A classic New York City experience: You can get dressed up, have lunch or dinner before or after the show, and create special memories with family and friends. Read about the history on Wikipedia, Broadway Theatre.

Support the performers: The men and women who perform love their work, but the schedule can be tough with two performances a day. Read about them in The New York Times, ‘It’s Intoxicating’: 39 Tony-Nominated Performers on Why They Act

The costume design and the sets are impressive. I’m in awe of how the set changes from scene to scene. The on-stage dress changes in Wicked and Cinderella were splendid. 

The music and dancing: Musicals are fun to attend; you can sing along and even stand up and dance with an invite from the performers; this happens in & Juliet and Tina. The choreography is fantastic; watching the actors sing and dance together creates an entertaining experience.

The acting: Dramatic plays highlight an actor’s ability to capture an audience without song and dance. Many famous movie and television stars are part of a talented ensemble cast, it’s a way to see your favorite actors in person instead of on the screen. Some actors will sign Playbills after the show.

The Playbills: Collecting playbills allows you to revisit your Broadway experiences. You can buy frames and books to hold your favorites.

Shows I’ve attended

When I was younger, we would often travel into New York City from our home in NJ. I remember seeing The Lion King, Annie, and Starlight Express (actors singing and roller skating on stage!) I purged my early Playbills while cleaning up my old room at my parent’s house, but those are the three plays I remember the most.

I’m lucky to have family and friends who enjoy going to shows, and they’ve picked some of the best shows for us to see over the years.

My new Playbill collection started in early 2000s. Here is a list of shows I’ve seen:

Sweet Charity starring Christina Applegate in 2005. This show was nominated for three Tony awards: Best Choreography, Best Revival of a Musical, and Christina Applegate was nominated as Best Actress in a Musical. I loved this show and the music in the show. I bought the CD of the soundtrack.

The Jersey Boys in 2007. This musical featuring songs from The Four Seasons, had a soundtrack you could sing with before seeing the show. Christian Hoff and John Lloyd Young, won Tony award for their performances in 2006.

Arthur Miller’s All My Sons in 2008 with Katie Holmes, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, and Patrick Wilson. No Tony nominations. We met some of the actors, and got some signatures, after the show.

Hamlet in 2009 starring Jude Law. He was nominated for a Tony in 2010.

Memphis in 2010. Inspired by the legendary DJ Dewey Phillips and set against a rock-and-roll score, Memphis follows a 1950s disc jockey who plays African-American music for his white listeners, and soon he begins to fall for a talented black singer. In 2010 the stars Chad Kimball and Montego Glover were nominated for Tony awards. The musical won Tonys for best musical, best book of a musical, best score, and best orchestrations.

Spider-Man Turn off the Dark in 2011. The music in the show was created by Bono and the Edge. The cast flew around the stage during the show. It was nominated for Tony’s in costume and set design in 2012.

Seminar in 2011 starring Alan Rickman, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, and Jerry O’Connell. Rickman plays a literary lion who judges the work of young novelists. No singing or dancing, but the performances were great.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 2013. In the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s last, unfinished novel, the audience gets to decide who murdered the mysterious orphan Edwin Drood, with the musical presented in the style of a Victorian music hall, with a master of ceremonies, a woman playing Drood and other conventions of the period. Nominated for five Tonys in 2013.

Cinderella in 2013. Nominated for nine Tony’s, winning best costume design of a musical.

Annie in 2013. Nominated for best revival in 2013. I loved seeing this classical show again with my family.

Of Mice and Men in 2014 starring James Franco, Chad O’Dowd, Leighton Meester, and Jim Norton. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck. Chris O’Dowd was nominated for a Tony in 2014.

Bullet Over Broadway in 2014 with a talented cast including Zach Braff. It was nominated for six Tony awards in 2014.

Heathers The Musical in 2014 (Off-Broadway). The Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy musical is based on the 1988 cult film about two teens who plot to kill the popular girls at their high school and put an end to their cruel bullying. I loved seeing the live version of one of my favorite movies.

Cabaret in 2014 with Alan Cumming and Emma Stone (who took over for Michelle Williams and was later replaced by Sienna Miller before the show closed in 2015). It was nominated for two Tonys in 2014.

The River in 2015 starring Hugh Jackman. This was a well acted drama where Hugh Jackman cooks a fish on stage.

Kinky Boots in 2015 starring Billy Porter. I loved this story, the music, and the dancing. It was nominated for twelve Tonys, winning six in 2013, including best musical, Billy Porter for best actor and Cyndi Lauper for best score.

Wicked in 2015. Long before Dorothy arrives in Oz, there is another young woman born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships… until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.” Won three Tony awards in 2004, nominated for ten.

King Charles III in 2016. The Queen is dead: after a lifetime of waiting, the prince ascends the throne. A future of power. But how to rule? This controversial new play explores the people beneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of our democracy, and the conscience of Britain’s most famous family. This play was an interesting take on the royal family, including a troubled Prince Harry seven years before the Queen’s death. Nominated for five Tony awards, including the actor who played Harry, Richard Goulding.

Jitney in 2017. Set in the early 1970s, this richly textured piece follows a group of men trying to eke out a living by driving unlicensed cabs, or jitneys. When the city threatens to board up the business and the boss’ son returns from prison, tempers flare, potent secrets are revealed and the fragile threads binding these people together may come undone at last. From playwright August Wilson. Nominated for six Tonys, winning best revival of a play.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical in 2020. From humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her transformation into the global Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner didn’t just break the rules, she rewrote them. This new stage musical reveals the untold story of a woman who dared to defy the bounds of her age, gender and race. Nominated for twelve Tony awards in 2020, Adrienne Warren won for her performance as Tina Turner.

& Juliet in 2023.  & Juliet asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including Since U Been Gone‚ Roar, Baby One More Time, Larger Than Life‚ That’s The Way It Is, and Can’t Stop the Feeling—all from the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century (Max Martin). Nominated for nine Tony awards this year. I loved this show! The concept and story were a creative take on a classic story with the best soundtrack.

Touring Shows:

Many popular Broadway shows will go on tour; some tours are previews where you can see a show before it premieres in New York City. From Playbills, touring shows.

Broadway in Boston – My list of Boston shows:

Sweeney Todd in 2007. In 2006, the Broadway show was nominated for six Tony’s and won two. The current revival is nominated for eight Tony’s, including Josh Groban as Sweeny Todd.

The Drowsy Chaperone in 2008. The Broadway show was nominated for thirteen Tonys, and won five in 2006.

A Confederacy of Dunces in 2015 starring Nick Offerman.

An American in Paris in 2016. The Broadway show was nominated for twelve Tonys in 2015, winning four.

Something Rotten in 2017. Nominated for ten Tonys in 2015, winning one.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical in 2018. This was a preview with the original Broadway cast. The Broadway show won 11 Tony awards in 2020

Hamilton in 2018. I listened to the soundtrack before seeing the show, it is one the top Broadway show soundtracks. The show was great, even without the original cast.