Broadway

The new musical [*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets) has garnered 13 Tony Award nominations — the most this season — for its swinging score, hilarious book, and brilliant cast. The nods include Best New Musical and four first-time nominations for co-writer Amber Ruffin and cast members J. Harrison Ghee, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and Kevin Del Aguila. 

Inspired by the 1959 Marilyn Monroe-led film of the same name, the musical features a book by Matthew López and Ruffin, and a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The musical sees two musicians, Jerry and Joe, escape the mob by disguising themselves as women and joining a traveling all-female swing band, where they learn a lot about their own truths and identities. *Some Like It Hot* incorporates everything you’d expect in a Broadway mega-musical: ensemble numbers, plenty of tap dancing, and marvelous set pieces.

The stage adaptation is more inclusive and openly celebratory of LGBTQ themes than its predecessor, which was groundbreaking at the time but limited in what the story could and couldn’t include due to censorship in the film industry. Below, the three nominated cast members shared their journey with the heartwarming show and how it feels to receive recognition for their performances.

Get [*Some Like It Hot* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets) now.

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## Creating a safe space

[J. Harrison Ghee](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/j-harrison-ghee-contains-multitudes-in-some-like-it-hot-on-broadway), who previously played Lola in *Kinky Boots*, another show celebrated for its inclusivity, touched on the heartfelt interactions with *Some Like It Hot* audiences.

“[I’ve had] moments at the stage door with a parent of a trans kid who's like, 'Thank you for showing my child that their existence matters,'” said Ghee. “There's a part of them living on stage.”

Williams, who plays Sweet Sue, the leader of the all-female swing band, shared how the show creates a sense of community. She hopes audiences see the show and realize they don’t have to be isolated. Instead, she wants them to think, “I have to reach out and embrace others and have others embrace me so that we can move forward.”

In addition to creating a safe space for audience members to feel accepted for who they truly are, *Some Like It Hot* gives people a joyous respite from difficulties in their everyday lives. “People go to theatre to escape, feel, and see a spectacle," said Ghee. “They want to see something beyond normalcy sometimes. We're giving them that, but in such a beautiful way that’s grounded in truth.”

![1 some like it hot-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/60bl9xOY63DGZIq7srVBNo/cde27655be206d00abb379cb8539a5de/1_some_like_it_hot-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Living your truth

Both the movie and the musical explore the theme of identity. By the end of the story, all the characters transform in some way, having learned something crucial about themselves. In developing these characters, each of the nominated performers brought a piece of themselves to their roles.

“The whole show is about identity, right?” says Del Aguila. “You have this idea of who you are inside, but the world tells you that you must be something else. You have to figure out how to live your truth in this world that may not see that.”

Kevin Del Aguila plays Osgood, a millionaire infatuated with Daphne, and brings part of himself to the role. While recording a demo for the musical, Matthew López said he wanted to make Osgood half-Mexican, a departure from the film portrayal. “Everyone in the show could have this dual nature that they're trying to figure out,” said Del Aguila, who is half-Peruvian.

For her part, Williams found it most special to celebrate strong maternal figures through her character Sweet Sue, who builds her band from the ground up and watches over its members as if they were her daughters. For her portrayal, Williams drew upon inspiration from strong women in her own life, such as her aunt and mother.

“What an honor to mirror some of the women in my life who pushed me and said, ‘We don't have to take that; we can go do our own thing,’” she said. “I knew who Sue was. So it was an honor to be able to just slice off people in my life and make them come to life.”

For Ghee, taking on this role was important for the message they could send to other gender-expansive people. “[This role] met me where I am in my life of being able to, as I say, free myself to see myself,” said Ghee. “To allow life and circumstances to expand me beyond my own labels, limits, and boundaries.”

They made history this year as one of the first non-binary actors to receive a Tony nomination, alongside *[Shucked](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26987-shucked-tickets)*'s Alex Newell. 

“It is not something I take lightly, especially in this climate of legislation against queer and trans and nonbinary beings,” Ghee said of their historic Tony nomination. “It is something I care for with pride. I live with intention and purpose and love. And for that to be honored in this work is truly incredible.”

![2 some like it hot-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2Tw6BBa1k8OK21tSASJS5Z/940b9a1a33392e8a89336dc34aecc1f3/2_some_like_it_hot-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Welcome back to Broadway

*Some Like It Hot* feels pertenint to this moment in history. Broadway reopened in September 2021, but it has taken some time for the world of live theatre to fully transition back to what it was before the pandemic. 

“This show has been everything that I think anybody needs coming out of the pandemic,” said Williams. “We have the opportunity to come together to laugh, to be with people in the space that says there's room for you here and you belong here. There’s no better place to be.”

“Broadway is back in such a bold, brassy way, and we're doing that at the [Shubert](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/shubert-theatre),” added Ghee. “It's wonderful to feel audiences every night receive that [message] and also be taken places they didn't expect in our journey. It's beautiful.”

Echoing his castmates, Del Aguila said it’s hard not to feel alive while performing. “You're surrounded by all these people tap dancing in this giant band just swinging these songs,” he said. “The joy, the vibrancy, the life has all come back in this incredibly big, glorious musical.”

Get [*Some Like It Hot* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets) now.

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*Photo credit: Some Like It Hot on Broadway. (Photos by Marc J. Franklin and Matthew Murphy)*


First-time Tony nominees in ‘Some Like It Hot’ celebrate the milestone

some like it hot-1200x600-NYTG 1

Recommended for 12 + Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

Some Like It Hot on Broadway - NYC

Some Like It Hot on Broadway

*Some Like It Hot* led to first-time nominations for cast members  J. Harrison Ghee, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and Kevin Del Aguila. 

Joshua Harmon's [*Prayer for the French Republic*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24257-prayer-for-the-french-republic-tickets) will premiere on Broadway this winter with Manhattan Theatre Club, two years after the company produced its Off-Broadway premiere. Performances begin at the [Samuel J. Friedman Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/samuel-j-friedman-theatre) on December 19 ahead of an opening night on January 9, 2024.

In *Prayer for the French Republic*, a Jewish couple in Paris awaits news of their missing relatives in 1944. Seventy years later, their descendants, also in Paris, wonder about their own safety in this epic connecting generations and shows the lasting effects of anti-Semitism through the years.

The show won the 2022 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. A [four-star *Prayer for the French Republic* review](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/prayer-for-the-french-republic-review-manhattan-theatre-club) on New York Theatre Guide reads, "In a dramatic feat, the play does not collapse under its own weight. Instead, *Prayer for the French Republic* is a breathtaking work that skillfully balances the humanity of its characters with sprawling history."

The play is by Joshua Harmon, the author of other acclaimed plays like *Bad Jews* and *Significant Other*. David Cromer, who staged the Off-Broadway production, returns to direct.

Casting and additional creative team have yet to be announced.

*Photo credit: Prayer for the French Republic off Broadway. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)*

'Prayer for the French Republic' to premiere on Broadway

Prayer for the French Republic

In 1944, a Jewish couple in Paris desperately awaits news of their missing family.

Prayer for the French Republic - NYC

Joshua Harmon's drama about a Jewish family premiered with Manhattan Theatre Club, which is producing the Broadway show, off Broadway in the winter of 2021.

This is good news, no doubt about it! Roundabout Theatre Company will present the first Broadway revival of [*Doubt: A Parable*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/30042-doubt-a-parable-tickets) in February 2024, starring Tony and Emmy Award winner Tyne Daly and Tony and SAG Award winner Liev Schreiber.

Daly is a Tony Award winner for *Gypsy* and a nominee for *Mothers and Sons* and *Rabbit Hole*. She makes her Roundabout debut with *Doubt*. Schreiber has performed in *Betrayal* and *Moonlight* with Roundabout, and he received a Tony for *Glengarry Glen Ross*.

In John Patrick Shanley's play, Daly and Schreiber play Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn, respectively. Aloysius is the fearsome principal of an all-boys' Catholic school who wrestles with her morals and doubt when she suspects unseemly relations between Flynn and one of her students.

Scott Ellis directs the production, *Doubt*'s first since 2005, at the [American Airlines Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/american-airlines-theatre). Additional casting, creative team, and exact performance dates have yet to be announced.

*Doubt: A Parable* completes [Roundabout's 2023-24 season](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/danny-devito-to-lead-i-need-that-on-broadway-2023-24-roundabout-season-announced), which also includes the previously announced *I Need That*, starring Danny DeVito, on Broadway and *The Refuge Plays*, *Covenant*, and *Jonah* off Broadway.

Tyne Daly, Liev Schreiber to star in first 'Doubt' Broadway revival

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Doubt on Broadway - NYC

Doubt on Broadway

John Patrick Shanley's play completes Roundabout Theatre Company's 2023-24 season, and it will play at the American Airlines Theatre from February 2024.

Julie Benko will join the cast of [*Harmony*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24995-harmony-tickets) on Broadway, the new Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman musical coming to the Barrymore Theatre this fall. Performances begin October 18 ahead of a November 13 opening.

Benko is known for her breakout role as the alternate Fanny Brice in the current Broadway revival of *Funny Girl*, playing the role once a week in place of Lea Michele. Her performance earned her the 2023 Theatre World Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre.

Benko will play Ruth in *Harmony*, joining a cast that also includes the [previously announced](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/initial-casting-set-for-harmony-on-broadway) Chip Zien as Rabbi, Sean Bell as Bobby, Danny Kornfeld as Young Rabbi, Zal Owen as Harry, Eric Peters as Erich, Blake Roman as Chopin, and Steven Telsey as Lesh. All but Benko reprise their roles from the musical's 2022 Off-Broadway premiere.

*Harmony* tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, a German Jewish choral group who reached their heyday in the 1920s and 30s, but were soon rocked by the rise of the Nazi regime. Manilow composed original songs for the musical, which also features a book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman and direction and choreography by Warren Carlyle.

New York Theatre Guide's [four-star review of *Harmony*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/harmony-off-broadway-review) off Broadway reads, "*Harmony* hits all the right notes."

Check back for information on *Harmony* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

*Photo credit: Julie Benko. (Photo courtesy of production)*

Julie Benko joins 'Harmony' Broadway cast

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Harmony: A New Musical on Broadway - NYC

Harmony: A New Musical on Broadway

The actress is known for her breakout role as the alternate Fanny Brice in the current Broadway revival of *Funny Girl*, receiving a Theatre World Award.

The Drama Desk has announced the winners of the 67th annual Drama Desk Awards, recognizing excellence in Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-offBroadway productions during the 2022-23 season. The Drama Desk Awards ceremony, co-hosted by Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, will take place on June 6 at Sardi’s Restaurant in New York City. 

This year, all performance categories are gender-free and award two winners. A group of journalists, editors, and publishers covering theatre vote on the nominations put forth by a nominating committee. Top winners include *[Some Like It Hot](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets)* with eight wins and *[Life of Pi](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26712-life-of-pi-tickets)* with four. 

In addition to the competitive awards, the Drama Desk bestowed the Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award to Stephen McKinley Henderson, the Ensemble Award to the cast of Soho Rep’s Public Obscenities, and the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award to Ryan J. Haddad, for his writing and performing in *Dark Disabled Stories* and *american (tele)visions.*

Read the full list of 2023 Drama Desk Award winners and nominees below. The winners are denoted with an asterisk.

Get *[Some Like It Hot](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets)* tickets now.

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__Outstanding Play__
- *A Case for the Existence of God*, by Samuel D. Hunter
- *[Fat Ham](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27141-fat-ham-tickets)*, by James Ijames
- *[Leopoldstadt](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26003-leopoldstadt-tickets)* by Tom Stoppard *
- *Love* by Alexander Zeldin
- *[Prima Facie](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25983-prima-facie-tickets)* by Suzie Miller
- *Wish You Were Here* by Sanaz Toossi

__Outstanding Musical__
- *[& Juliet](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets)*
- *Between the Lines*
- *F*ck7thGrade*
- *[Shucked](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26987-shucked-tickets)*
- *Some Like It Hot* *
- *White Girl in Danger*

__Outstanding Revival of a Play__
- *A Raisin in the Sun*
- *Death of a Salesman*
- *Endgame*
- *The Piano Lesson* *
- *Ohio State Murders*
- *Wedding Band*

__Outstanding Revival of a Musical__
- *A Man of No Importance*
- *Into the Woods*
- *Merrily We Roll Along*
- *[Parade](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26500-parade)*
- *[Sweeney Todd](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26216-sweeney-todd-on-broadway-tickets)*

__Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play__
- Hiran Abeysekera: *Life of Pi*
- Kyle Beltran: *A Case for the Existence of God*
- Will Brill: *A Case for the Existence of God*
- Brittany Bradford: *Wedding Band*
- Jessica Chastain: *[A Doll’s House](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26989-a-dolls-house-tickets)* *
- Sharon D. Clarke: *Death of a Salesman*
- Sean Hayes: *Good Night, Oscar* *
- Denise Manning: *Amani*
- Audra McDonald: *Ohio State Murders*
- Wendell Pierce: *Death of a Salesman*
- John Douglas Thompson: *Endgame*
- Kara Young: *Twelfth Night*

__Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical__
- Annaleigh Ashford: *Sweeney Todd* *
- Nicholas Barasch: *The Butcher Boy*
- Sara Bareilles: *Into the Woods*
- Andrew Burnap: *Camelot*
- Micaela Diamond: *Parade*
- Andrew Durand: *Shucked*
- Callum Francis: *Kinky Boots*
- J. Harrison Ghee: *Some Like It Hot* *
- Jonathan Groff: *Merrily We Roll Along*
- Somi Kakoma: *Dreaming Zenzile*
- Lindsay Mendez: *Merrily We Roll Along*
- Anna Uzele: *New York, New York*

__Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play__
- Emily Bergl: *Good Night, Oscar*
- Danielle Brooks: *The Piano Lesson*
- Amelda Brown: *Love* 
- Ray Fisher: *The Piano Lesson*
- K. Todd Freeman: *Downstate* 
- Francis Guinan: *Downstate* 
- Nick Holder: *Love* 
- Arian Moayed: *A Doll’s House*
- Brian Quijada: *Wolf Play* 
- Miriam Silverman: *The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window* *
- Brandon Uranowitz: *Leopoldstadt* *
- Kara Young: *Cost of Living*

__Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical__
- Kevin Cahoon: *Shucked*
- Kevin Del Aguila: *Some Like It Hot* *
- Robyn Hurder: *[A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24254-a-beautiful-noise-tickets)*
- Mark Jacoby: *A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical*
- Tarra Conner Jones: *White Girl in Danger* 
- [Julia Lester](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/julia-lester-on-growing-up-with-into-the-woods): *Into the Woods*
- Alex Newell: *Shucked* *
- Daniel Radcliffe: *Merrily We Roll Along* 
- Phillipa Soo: *Into the Woods*
- Mare Winningham: *A Man of No Importance* 

__Outstanding Direction of a Play__
- Zi Alikhan: *On That Day in Amsterdam* 
- Shayok Misha Chowdhury: *Public Obscenities* 
- Miranda Cromwell: *Death of a Salesman*
- Adam Meggido: *[Peter Pan Goes Wrong](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27336-peter-pan-goes-wrong-tickets)*
- Max Webster: *Life of Pi* *
- Alexander Zeldin: *Love* 

__Outstanding Direction of a Musical__
- Jeff Calhoun: *Between the Lines*
- John Doyle: *A Man of No Importance* 
- Maria Friedman: *Merrily We Roll Along* 
- Thomas Kail: *Sweeney Todd* *
- Jack O’Brien: *Shucked*

__Outstanding Choreography__
- Andy Blankenbuehler: *Only Gold* 
- Tislarm Bouie: *the bandaged place*
- Edgar Godineaux: *The Harder They Come* 
- Casey Nicholaw: *Some Like It Hot* *
- Susan Stroman: *[New York, New York](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26043-new-york-new-york-tickets)*
- [Jennifer Weber](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/choreographer-jennifer-weber-proves-her-versatility-on-broadway): *KPOP*

__Outstanding Music__
- Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally: *Shucked* *
- Michael R. Jackson: *White Girl in Danger*
- Tom Kitt and AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer): *Almost Famous*
- Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson: *Between the Lines*
- The Kilbanes: *Weightless*

__Outstanding Lyrics__
- Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally: *Shucked*
- Jonathan Hogue: *Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical*
- Michael R. Jackson: *White Girl in Danger*
- Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman: *The Bedwetter*
- Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman: *Some Like It Hot* *

__Outstanding Book of a Musical__
- Jonathan Hogue: *Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical*
- Robert Horn: *Shucked*
- Matthew López and Amber Ruffin: *Some Like It Hot* *
- Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue: *Titanique*
- David West Read: *& Juliet*

__Outstanding Orchestrations__
- Bruce Coughlin: *A Man of No Importance* 
- Jason Howland: *Shucked*
- Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter: *Some Like It Hot* *
- Kenny Seymour: *The Harder They Come*
- Daryl Waters and Sam Davis: *New York, New York*

__Outstanding Music in a Play__
- Ben Edelman, Zane Pais, and Sinan Refik Zafar: *Letters from Max, a ritual*
- Mauricio Escamilla: *the bandaged place*
- Suzan-Lori Parks: *Plays for the Plague Year* *
- Ian Ross: *Wuthering Heights* 
- Daniel Schlosberg: *Montag*

__Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play__
- Jason Ardizzone-West: *Wedding Band*
- Beowulf Boritt: *Ohio State Murders*
- dots: *Public Obscenities*
- Tim Hatley: *Life of Pi* *
- Natasha Jenkins: *Love*
- John McDermott: *Chains*

__Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical__
- Beowulf Boritt: *New York, New York* *
- David Korins: *Only Gold*
- Scott Pask: *Shucked*
- Walt Spangler and Brendan McCann (production props): *Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical*
- Michael Yeargan: *[Camelot](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25210-camelot-tickets)*

__Outstanding Costume Design of a Play__
- Kara Branch: *According to the Chorus*
- Enver Chakartash: *Public Obscenities*
- Qween Jean: *Wedding Band*
- Sarah Laux: *Wish You Were Here*
- Emilio Sosa: *Ain’t No Mo’* *
- Roberto Surace: *Peter Pan Goes Wrong*

__Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical__
- [Gregg Barnes](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/costume-designer-gregg-barnes-on-fashioning-the-1930s-in-some-like-it-hot): *Some Like It Hot* *
- Tilly Grimes: *Shucked*
- Jennifer Moeller: *Camelot*
- Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi: *KPOP*
- Anita Yavich: *Only Gold*
- Donna Zakowska: *New York, New York*

__Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play__
- Isabella Byrd: *Epiphany*
- Jiyoun Chang: *The Far Country*
- Natasha Chivers and Willie Williams (video): *Prima Facie* *
- Allen Lee Hughes: *Ohio State Murders*
- Cha See: *On That Day in Amsterdam*
- Japhy Weideman: *The Piano Lesson*

__Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical__
- Ken Billington: *New York, New York*
- Jeff Croiter: *Only Gold*
- Heather Gilbert: *Parade*
- David Grill: *Bob Fosse’s Dancin’*
- Natasha Katz: *Sweeney Todd* *

__Outstanding Projection and Video Design__
- Simon Baker: *Wuthering Heights*
- Andrzej Goulding: *Life of Pi* *
- Caite Hevner: *Between the Lines*
- Josh Higgason: *White Girl in Danger*
- Nicholas Hussong: *On That Day in Amsterdam*
- Johnny Moreno: *Public Obscenities*

__Outstanding Sound Design of a Play__
- Justin Ellington: *Ohio State Murders*
- Tom Gibbons: *Hamlet*
- Josh Anio Grigg: *Love*
- Lee Kinney and Daniel Kluger: *You Will Get Sick*
- Ben & Max Ringham: *A Doll’s House* *
- Mikaal Sulaiman: *Fat Ham* 

__Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical__
- Peter Hylenski: *Almost Famous*
- Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann: *Into the Woods* *
- John Shiver: *Shucked* *
- Joanna Lynne Staub: *Weightless*
- Jon Weston: *Parade* 

__Outstanding Wig and Hair__
- Campbell Young Associates: *Almost Famous*
- Cookie Jordan: *The Piano Lesson*
- Mia M. Neal: *Ain’t No Mo’* *
- Earon Nealey: *Twelfth Night*
- Mitsuteru Okuyama: *Chushingura 47 Ronin*
- Luc Verschueren: *A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical*

__Outstanding Solo Performance__
- Jodie Comer: *Prima Facie* *
- David Greenspan: *Four Saints in Three Acts*
- Jessica Hendy: *Walking With Bubbles*
- Anthony Rapp: *Without You*
- Tracy Thorne: *Jack Was Kind*

__Unique Theatrical Experience__
- *Asi Wind’s Inner Circle*
- *Peter Pan Goes Wrong* *
- *Plays for the Plague Year*
- *Zephyr*

__Outstanding Fight Choreography__
- B.H. Barry: *Camelot* *
- Rocio Mendez: *Día Y Noche*
- Rocio Mendez: *How to Defend Yourself*
- Unkledave’s Fight-House: *soft*

__Outstanding Adaptation__
- *A Doll’s House* by Amy Herzog *
- *Arden of Faversham* by Jeffrey Hatcher and Kathryn Walat
- *black odyssey* by Marcus Gardley
- *Oresteia* by Robert Icke
- *Wuthering Heights* by Emma Rice

__Outstanding Puppetry__
- John Leader: *Wuthering Heights*
- James Ortiz (design), Kennedy Kanagawa (as Milky White): *Into the Woods*
- Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell: *Life of Pi* *
- Kirjan Waage: *The Immortal Jellyfish Girl*


2023 Drama Desk Award winners announced

Life of Pi - 1

LIFE OF PI - Hiran Abeysekera, Richard Parker (Fred Davis, Scarlet Wildeernik, Andrew Wilson) - by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made

*Some Like It Hot* and *Life of Pi* are the top winners of the 67th annual Drama Desk Awards.

Don’t just brush up on your Shakespeare – shake it up! 

Two writers earned Tony Award nominations this season for tapping into the Bard’s classic plays in innovative ways. Though their works are worlds apart, there’s a common thread: Both consider the impact of choosing life over death. 

Emmy-winning *Schitt's Creek* writer David West Read, who’s now up for Best Book of a Musical for [*& Juliet*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets), began with *Romeo & Juliet* and a “what if.” He imagined a story in which the lovestruck heroine doesn’t kill herself, weaving the narrative together with hits from the pop catalog of songwriter Max Martin. 

The show is accessible to Shakespeare nerds, pop music aficionados, and everyone in between, he said. “The different generations seem to be coming together.”

James Ijames, a playwright, director, and professor whose 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner [*Fat Ham*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27141-fat-ham-tickets) is up for Best Play, put his stamp on *Hamlet*. “My starting point was always *Hamlet*,” said Ijames. “I always had a really beautiful relationship with *Hamlet*. I did an abbreviated, student-directed version of it in college.”

He played the title character. “I don’t think I was very good, but I had a good time,” Ijames said. “I learned a lot, and I just really was taken by the play. It just has always stayed with me.” 

*Fat Ham* is set at a Black family's Southern backyard barbecue where a young man, Juicy, questions his life along with his father’s death and his mother’s hasty remarriage. That may sound familiar. But along with ghosts, notions rise about race, queerness, and identity. The riff on the classic play coaxes out fresh contemporary food for thought – and that’s the point. 

“As a writer, I’m really interested in how we can disrupt the idea of the canon,” Ijames said, adding that he’s keen to offer “a wider group of people access to these stories that we consider the stories of our culture.” Now that he's served up *Hamlet*, his next project is a loose adaptation of *Othello*.

![2 & juliet-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/4uRxS4JCAwq28qRsfLQYse/a3e7a49d37437ce5ce8b0c37b59d75ed/2___juliet-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

Read was likewise interested in mining fresh insights. When he started writing the book for *& Juliet*seven years ago, he received a list of Martin's songs, like “Oops … I Did It Again” and “Since U Been Gone.” 

“I needed some sort of brand to unite all of these songs from so many different artists,” he said. “So much of Max’s music is about young love and heartache that *Romeo & Juliet*, the ultimate symbol of heartbreak, came to me. If we were going to reinvent Max’s music, it also felt like an opportunity to reinvent that story for the modern context.”

In a nutshell, Juliet puts down the dagger and lives. “When Juliet didn’t kill herself and instead went looking for love again, the story expanded,” said Read. “I thought of it as an opportunity to explore second chances. There are these different love stories within the story.” That includes one between Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, whose story evolves as Juliet’s. 

“There have been so many adaptations and reimaginings of the play before *& Juliet*,” Read said. “It’s a challenge to try and find a fresh way in and something that feels personal and allows you to find yourself in that story.”

![fat ham broadway-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/4ZhzLE1qhWKeFBZZ7t9Zqz/8f9e84ed08ca74fc9b67eb731d1738fd/fat_ham_broadway-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

Ijames is interested in works that simultaneously speak specifically and broadly. “I want everybody to feel like they have access to what I’m talking about,” he added. “At the same time, I don't want to feel like I have to explain Black culture or queer culture to people who are not inside it. When I sit down to watch ‘The Scottish Play’ [*Macbeth*], I’m not Scottish. But the assumption is that I’ll catch up and understand and be okay. And that’s true.” 

Read pointed out that the structure of *& Juliet* “is very Shakespearean, including the asides and the misunderstandings and the multiple weddings at the end," he said. “There’s dialogue that I’ve stolen, repurposed, and flipped, and a lot of puns.”

When it comes to the source material, Ijames “was always game to change it all up,” he said. Suffice it to say that *Hamlet*'s “everyone dies” ending just doesn’t apply. 

“I read and watched the play for about a year before I even started working on it,” Ijames said. “The stuff that kept flowing back up to the surface, that’s the stuff that stayed.” That includes the complicated relationship between Hamlet and his mother, Gertrude – in this case, Juicy and Tedra.

“When it came to the madness of Ophelia and the hotheadedness of Laertes, I wanted that to stay,” said Ijames, “but I didn’t want the surrogates of those characters [Opal and Larry] to have those attributes. So I flipped them. That’s how I approached this – how do I make this feel vital and specific and exciting?” 

But Ijames also did his share of direct borrowing. Of course, someone says, “Ah, there’s the rub.” The play’s setting is a barbecue, after all.

Get [*Fat Ham* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27141-fat-ham-tickets) now.

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Get [*& Juliet* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets) now.

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*Photo credit: & Juliet and Fat Ham on Broadway. (Photos by Matthew Murphy and Marc J. Franklin)*

How the authors of '& Juliet' and 'Fat Ham' shook up Shakespeare classics

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*& Juliet* bookwriter David West Read and *Fat Ham* playwright James Ijames are both 2023 Tony Award nominees for their fresh adaptations of classic stories.

They're finally a part of it — the ranks of Tony Award nominees, that is. The world-premiere musical [*New York, New York*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26043-new-york-new-york-tickets) burst onto Broadway in March with [Kander and Ebb and Lin-Manuel Miranda songs](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/all-the-songs-in-new-york-new-york-on-broadway), explosive energy, and a whole lot of NYC love, much of which comes from new talent, new talent. Or at least newly recognized.

Nominees Colton Ryan (Best Actor in a Musical), Sharon Washington (Best Book of a Musical) and Donna Zakowska (Best Costume Design of a Musical) have all been in the entertainment industry for years, but this is their first time in the Tonys race. They account for three of the show's nine total nominations, which also include Best Musical.

Washington's story, co-written with three-time nominee David Thompson, is [set in 1946 New York](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/how-the-new-york-new-york-designers-recreated-the-city-on-stage), where jazz musician Jimmy Doyle (Ryan) and Francine Evans (Anna Uzele) brought together by the "major chord," as Jimmy describes it, of music, money, and love. The struggles of lots of young artists to make it in the post-World War II city are also interwoven into this bustling world.

"We wanted to truly capture the tapestry that makes the city what it is," Washingston said. "You may only experience snippets of other stories, but that's very New York. Snatches of conversations overheard on a subway, or in the park, or through an open window, or on a fire escape. Pieces of lives that sometimes connect and sometimes don't. And of course the city itself is a character."

Tony nominations may be new to Ryan, Washington, and Zakowska, but the city's unmatched energy is something the trio, being longtime New Yorkers, know well.

Get [*New York, New York* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26043-new-york-new-york-tickets) now.

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![ny ny 4-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1wTAVgiWYxYOAKXIuGSP0u/8bcdf60280b6a0ce0cda4ea8dfd40f48/ny_ny_4-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Celebrating home

It's safe to say all three first-time nominees see themselves in the characters of *New York, New York*. They, too, were once aspiring artists with big dreams. Zakowska grew up in Brooklyn, and she said her current motto is the same as her younger self's back then: "Ultimately work as hard as you can, when you can, and relentlessly pursue your goal."

Washington's roots are in Manhattan — "a member of my family has lived on the island of Manhattan since 1835," she said. "Most every character has some aspect of myself - a story I'd either heard or experienced growing up in the city. Parts of my personality as a born and bred New York City native - the tenacity, the drive, the sarcasm, the vulnerability, the openness to possibility."

She infused not just herself, but her whole community into the characters she wrote, too. "Being able to tell some of the stories I heard and showcase characters I knew growing up: my father, my mother, uncles and aunts, friends and neighbors; the unseen and unheralded workers that help make New York the greatest city in the world was important to me."

That's precisely what sets *New York, New York* apart: Some touristy landmarks make appearances, but the most affecting moments happen in less showy settings. Construction workers tap on a sky-high beam; restaurant workers share their ambitions in the kitchen; a grieving teacher connects with her student on her apartment stoop. Washington was glad to be recognized for shedding light on the thriving, diverse New York that exists beyond postcard pictures.

"It's the New York I know and love," she said. Of her own NYC community, she said. "They were here. They're still here. It's personal to me. And I hope therefore, universal."

Ryan, in contrast, grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, but he's been in New York since 2016, when he had his break as an understudy in *Dear Evan Hansen*. Like his character, he's learned a thing or two from experience in that time about the difficulty of "making it there" — and how rewarding the payoff is.

"[*New York, New York*] shares the same philosophy that I have about why I would ever choose to do something as outlandish as live in New York City and pursue this lifestyle," Ryan said. "It’s just like a Kander and Ebb song: it’s downtrodden and melancholic, but it chugs along anyway. And to me, my god, if that ain’t show business.

"I love this place, this life," he continued. "It is where I’ve achieved my wildest dreams and yet has broken my heart ten ways to Sunday. But I couldn’t fathom living anywhere else or living any other way. This city has been the culmination of so much love in my life. And I’m thankful I can scream my love for this place eight times a week."

![ny ny review-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1hwx1JWG0p3kWX5aZCkem0/1f6dd4a817a987b412391ff26052c12a/ny_ny_review-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Learning new tricks

Living in New York requires its own set of skills: reading a subway map, navigating the non-numbered streets, confidently rattling off your deli order. Similarly, being in *New York, New York* required its first-time nominees to pick up new tricks.

Ryan, for one, had to learn multiple instruments to play Jimmy, who breaks out half a dozen during the song "I Love Music" alone. "I had to learn so many new skills for this (how to tap, to play the sax, the piano), and I didn’t think it in my nature to be so brazen about it all: that I would willingly do all these firsts on the biggest stage for a very discerning crowd," Ryan confessed. "But I’m thankful I taught my hands how to make [Jimmy] come alive."

Washington called her process a "learning mountain" as opposed to a mere "learning curve." She began her career more than 30 years ago as an actor and has since written a few plays, but *New York, New York* is her first Broadway book. The lessons she learned from this experience aren't tangible  like sax playing, but they're no less valuable.

"What I've learned is tenacity and problem solving. I've learned to be open and flexible and not to second-guess myself. I've learned to work quickly. I've learned you have to do your homework and then be prepared to let it go," she said. "I've learned there is no ownership of ideas in a collaboration. Don't be precious. There are multiple ways to solve a problem.

"I've learned the absolute necessity of making a safe space for all involved to be free to bring their best selves and ideas. I've learned that you've got to laugh. I've learned, to quote John Kander, 'There's nothing better than making art with your friends.'"

![ny ny 2-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/76uUS8WipVTT9QVHVh4amf/1bea349f9046dbe852c66037faa9e88d/ny_ny_2-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Reaching milestones

A first Tony Award nomination is a milestone no matter what, but Zakowska and Washington share the joy of finally being recognized after decades of hard work.

"I have designed over 25 theatre pieces, often with extremely small budgets," Zakowska said. "I have always believed in the importance of theatre and considered my participation in it a very meaningful. This nomination is a culmination of the many moments I have spent passionately supporting its existence."

Zakowska has worked more extensively in TV than Broadway, though, so she already has other awards to her name — her costume designs for *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* earned her an Emmy. But this nomination is a first for any major award for Washington.

"I've been a working actor for 35 years but only became a produced playwright seven years ago," she said. "Longevity in this business is difficult. Particularly for women 'of a certain age' and women of color. It's getting better as more and more of us are behind the scenes writing, producing and directing. We are in rooms where we can make sure that our stories and our voices are heard and centered."

Ryan's nomination is a different kind of special, and the 27-year-old actor is "so glad it happened now and not a moment sooner."

"It’s so much sweeter because you are the person you always wanted to be, outside of all this," he said. "My life will be inevitably filled with more art because of it, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted."

Plus, like Washington, the support of his family and community in part led him to his nomination. "The thing that has lingered with me the most was my mother’s face [when I got nominated]... As many parents know, it’s very costly to have your children surrounded in art. But no matter what, it was never a question in my mother’s mind: She was going to make it all work. And if this nomination is any sort of validation, I hope it is for her. It was worth it, Mom."

![ny ny new-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/4QFC3qu9AzpJFmA6AwiaxB/90aa96b8277f804c4b8e77ed17bd0b83/ny_ny_new-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Sharing the love

In "difficult, divisive times," Washington said, she sees her show as a way to unite everyone on stage and off. No matter what one's background is, *New York, New York* professes, everyone's connected simply because they're here. 

"The New York I grew up in was a city of neighborhoods - separate yet somehow intertwined and codependent," Washington said. "There's a line in the show that's a direct quote from John Kander about New York being the "greatest social experiment ever." My hope is that our show celebrates not what separates us, but what brings us together."

That's best exemplified at the show's very end, when the company sings the iconic title song. After the bows, the audience gets to join in.

"We finally turn the mic around and let them sing the song that lives in their bones, that lets them know the wedding’s over, that celebrates the ballgame win or loss," Ryan said. "I can see how much unbridled pride it brings them. This city means so much to so many, way beyond just its inhabitants. And after a few years of being told that this city would never be again what it once was, it’s so brilliant to turn that mic around and hear 1,700 people sing its anthem in defiant harmony."

Get [*New York, New York* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26043-new-york-new-york-tickets) now.

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*Photo credit: New York, New York on Broadway. (Photos by Paul Kolnik)*

'New York, New York' first-time Tony nominees on celebrating the city they love

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New York, New York on Broadway - NYC

New York, New York on Broadway

Actor Colton Ryan, bookwriter Sharon Washington, and costume designer Donna Zakowska share their connections to the city and the joy of sharing them with audiences.

The new musical [*Kimberly Akimbo*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25458-kimberly-akimbo-tickets) has been decades in the making — well, sort of. David Lindsay-Abaire’s same-named play *Kimberly Akimbo* premiered with Manhattan Theatre Club in 2003, and his musicalized version premiered with Atlantic Theater Company in 2021 before quickly transferring to Broadway the following year.

Now a contender for the Tony Award for Best New Musical, *Kimberly Akimbo* follows Kimberly Levaco, a 16-year-old teen in New Jersey with a rare disease that causes her to age four times the average rate. Kimberly looks like she’s 70something, and she’s got resentful parents, a scheming aunt, and an expected short lifespan.

Despite it all, she has a verve for life, brimming with the hopes and dreams of teenhood while ice skating and chasing friendships and crushes. As it made its way uptown, the quirky tuner, with a book and lyrics by Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, found its sound and its heart. (And [seven more Tony nominations](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/2023-tony-award-nominees-announced).)

At a live recording for SiriusXM in New York City, the cast of *Kimberly Akimbo* shared their journeys with the lauded show. Victoria Clark, a Tony nominee for playing the title Kimberly, first learned of the musical project before the pandemic.

“*Kimberly Akimbo* has been in my life for more than three years,” said Clark. “I've been living with [Kimberly] and trying to get to know her all this time… I've been living with the script and the music for a long time.”

Justin Cooley, who stars as the big-hearted, tuba-playing Seth, joined the musical project fresh out of high school after being a fan of Tesori’s for years. “I didn't feel super prepared, and I didn't know if I could make it happen, but I knew I had to take the chance,” said Cooley, who also earned a Tony nomination for his performance.

Olivia Elease Hardy and Nina White, who portray members of the high school show choir, were classmates at Michigan State University. When Hardy got a callback for *Kimberly Akimbo*, she reached out to her fellow graduates in New York City to see if anyone had an open couch.

White, who had been a New York resident all but two days, offered up her futon. Hardy was tight-lipped about the project, but little did she know, White was also called back, and the two performed sides together at the audition. “It’s been so nice to have one of my closest friends beside me for this ride,” said Hardy.

When Lindsay-Abaire’s play premiered at MTC, Clark was in *The Light in the Piazza* and missed the production. “It starred the iconic Marylouise Burke, who is about as different a Kimberly as you can find on planet Earth from moi — she’s brilliant,” said Clark with a laugh.

However, being part of its second go-around has been a real gift. “David and Jeanine talk about how they feel adapting this from a play to a musical has made the whole piece deeper and more beautiful in some ways,” Clark added.

Bonnie Milligan, who stars as Kimberly’s jailbird Aunt Deb, shared that the process of transferring the show uptown honed it further. “One of the things that the team really focused on in moving from off Broadway to Broadway was deepening the work,” said Milligan, who is nominated for her performance. “They made it more intimate and beautiful.”

Character-wise, the adults got a revamp. “This round really deepened the adults in her life because we're a little bit dysfunctional,” said Milligan with a laugh. The creative team aimed to make the adult characters as real as possible, despite the show’s absurd situations. The dichotomy leaves “audiences laughing and also feeling all the feelings,” said Milligan.

The heartfelt music really drives the musical’s emotional narrative. Tesori worked closely with the cast to develop musical throughlines and hone in on the storytelling. At Atlantic Theater Company, one run-through focused solely on transitions, so Tesori could identify which characters to highlight musically from scene to scene. “She is, I think, one of our greatest living composers. She's a genius,” effused Milligan.

Cooley added, “She really helps not only build the world but also our characters.” An electric guitar riff in Cooley’s solo number “Good Kid” unlocks an edgier side to his goody-two-shoes character. “It shows a different side, and she gives you so many different things to think about as you're building your own character… She composes in the style of the character; she's the heartbeat of the person.” Indeed, the score ranges from bouncy ukulele tunes to rollicking belts.

The process of building up the characters and the songs for the Broadway run was incredibly collaborative. Milligan workshopped her show-stopping number “Better” with Tesori in the basement of Atlantic Theater Company. Together, the pair zeroed in on the character’s tactics in the song. “That was one of the best times in my entire life — having Jeanine Tesori say, ‘Can I build something on you?’ Absolutely, ma'am!”

Even after its yearslong journey to the [Booth Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/booth-theatre), the close-knit cast still lines up in the wings to watch certain scenes night after night, a testament to the musical’s magic and staying power. For his part, Cooley enjoys watching the show choir’s singing entrance. “It’s complex and dynamic every night — they all have something different going on, and it is so awesome,” said Cooley.

Get [*Kimberly Akimbo*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25458-kimberly-akimbo-tickets) tickets now.

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*Photo credit: The cast of Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway. (Photos by Joan Marcus)*

The cast of 'Kimberly Akimbo' on how the story got better with age

kimberly akimbo-1200x600-NYTG 5

Children under 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway - NYC

Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway

The cast of *Kimberly Akimbo* shared their journeys with the show and how the play-turned-musical transformed from its Off-Broadway premiere to Broadway.

A Broadway designer's challenge is to immerse audiences in another place and time, conjuring it well enough that they feel a part of it even if they've never been. For the team behind [*Leopoldstadt*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26003-leopoldstadt-tickets), a 2023 Best Play nominee by Tom Stoppard, that's a loaded task.

On the one hand, *Leopoldstadt* is a lively drama about an extended Jewish family in 20th-century Austria, and its success comes from the fact that "we're invited into the Merz-Jacobowitzes' commonplace gatherings, debates, trysts, squabbles, and playtimes as though we, too, are kin," as [New York Theatre Guide's critic observed](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/leopoldstadt-broadway-review-tom-stoppard). Tony-nominated designers Richard Hudson (set), Brigitte Reiffenstuel (costumes), and Neil Austin (lighting) are integral to achieving that effect, sparing no detail on the well-to-do family's warmly lit, inviting manor with clothing to match.

On the other hand, the play quickly darkens as it inches ever closer to World War II, and Jewish Austria soon becomes the last place any audience member would want to be. But that feeling is also key to *Leopoldstadt*'s emotional heft. The design follows suit, with the house gradually deteriorating, the clothing getting simpler, and the warm lighting subtly becoming starkly cool.

The designers first undertook this task in 2020 when they mounted the world premiere of *Leopoldstadt* in London. "The production for Broadway was created from scratch, based on the London design," said Reiffenstuel. "We had the opportunity to sharpen the design and heighten some design ideas."

They made some of these changes out of necessity — the lighting equipment Austin used in London, for example, was no longer available by the time of the 2022 Broadway transfer. But the shift to new technology ended up deepening the storytelling. "The final act of the play is really enhanced by the ability of the [new] LED rig to produce strong cold blues," Austin noted, as the chilling light sets a melancholy, empty mood.

"Hopefully, [my lighting] supports the actors and Tom's story invisibly — subtly steering the audience’s focus and emotions to create a seamless whole of storytelling narrative," he continued.

![2 leopoldstadt-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/xRyCjmpDUeiKnh86mS1fh/21f4fd224d860b73f7d242e94e3dcbb5/2_leopoldstadt-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

Other tweaks were made with the audience in mind — Hudson amended his sets to better "facilitate quick, seamless scene changes," as *Leopoldstadt* has no intermission. On the costuming end, Reiffenstuel recognized that the play's dozens of characters are difficult to keep straight. That's partly intentional on Stoppard's part — a major theme of the play is how people and memories fade away in history — but the Broadway transfer allowed her to clarify things.

"[Director] Patrick Marber and I decided to color-code some of the characters’ clothing to make it easier for the audience to follow the character through the ages," she said. Rosa is in blue in 1899, in 1924, and in 1955. Sally is in brown in 1899, 1924, and 1938, and so on. We enhanced this idea in New York."

Their efforts have clearly succeeded. *Leopoldstadt* extended on Broadway multiple times (now through July 2) and has six total Tony nominations.

"I think the play has landed with so much more resonance on Broadway," said Austin. "That’s partly because we’ve had time to adapt and tweak the production, but it’s also undoubtedly the understanding and innate affinity the New York audience[s] have to the story."

It's unfortunate, of course, that this understanding is due to the wide-reaching effects of the Holocaust. But though the play is tragic, its reception in both the U.K. and the U.S. has made working on it a positive experience, reminding the designers — and audiences — of the unifying power of theatre. As Reiffenstuel said, "Art is a global language that communicates and connects us."

"Broadway and West End audiences for a Stoppard play are by and large the same," Hudson observed. "The intense concentration, the appreciation of the profundity of the ideas and words, the humour and the essential importance of the shared experience are the same on both sides of the pond.

"Different cities and collaborators, different cultures and traditions, all linked by one common objective – to make theatre that speaks to everyone."

Get [*Leopoldstadt* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26003-leopoldstadt-tickets) now.

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*Photo credit: The cast of Leopoldstadt on Broadway. (Photo by Joan Marcus)*

'Leopoldstadt' designers on how the play resonates across time and space

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Recommended for 10 +. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

Leopoldstadt on Broadway - NYC

Leopoldstadt on Broadway

The set, costume, and lighting designers of Tom Stoppard's family epic, all 2023 Tony nominees, spoke about how the show evolved from London to Broadway.

Think you haven't heard of Max Martin? Think again. You're more familiar with the Swedish music executive than you know if you've heard Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time," Bon Jovi's "It's My Life," The Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," or dozens of other chart-toppers the five-time Grammy Award winner wrote and/or produced over the past three decades.

He is, to be fair, a famously private person. And unless they also perform their tunes, songwriters don't often get public attention for their work. Or, for that matter, dedicated Broadway musicals a la Carole King, ABBA, or [Neil Diamond](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24254-a-beautiful-noise-tickets).

But Martin, with an extensive catalog of 250-plus songs, has made just as seismic an impact on popular music as any performer. He had the idea to fashion his songs into a musical years ago — and in 2019, that thought became a reality with the world premiere of [*& Juliet*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets) in London. The pop musical has now earned nine Tony nominations, including Best Musical, for its 2022 Broadway transfer.

The *& Juliet* team has called him the "Shakespeare of pop," so it's fitting that 30 of his songs score a show inspired by a Shakespeare play: *Romeo & Juliet*. The musical picks up just before that play's end, when Juliet suddenly decides not to die and instead ditches Verona in search of new life, new friends, and new loves.

Shakespeare's play has been around centuries longer than Martin's songs, but those were the true genesis of *& Juliet*. He remained closely and enthusiastically involved every subsequent step of the way — Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe, who plays Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway, described him as "a kid in a candy store during this whole process."

The cast and creatives' excitement to work with Martin, in turn, was mutual, and they shared how Martin's influence lives in everything the audience hears. The journey begins in fair Canada, where we lay our scene...

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## Two writers, alike in dignity

Technically, it begins in the Martin family home, where Jenny Petersson, Martin's wife, said, "We should make a musical," Martin recalled. "And a long journey ahead started."

But Martin is an expert songwriter, not a scriptwriter. "I was insecure about how this is going to [be]," Martin admitted. "I really wanted it to be a great story, not just a bunch of songs — to have a purpose, so to speak."

One would expect someone with as prolific a career as Martin to take on the job. But it was Canadian writer David West Read — a relatively unknown name who hadn't won his Emmy Award for *Schitt's Creek* yet — who came up with the winning idea at the unlikeliest of times.

"I suffered a concussion, which worked out well because I couldn't look at screens or anything, so I was lying in a dark room listening to the playlist [of Martin's songs]," Read said. "There's so many songs about heartbreak and young love, and I thought, 'How do you put a brand to this?' Because Max Martin wasn't really known by anyone, even though he's the most successful songwriter [after] the Beatles." (That's statistically true — only Paul McCartney and John Lennon notched more Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.)

"So I came up with the idea of Juliet from *Romeo & Juliet*," Read continued. "We're going to repurpose and reinvent these pop songs and it'll be great, but also reinvent a classic love story."

His idea won over the production team and Martin. "When he created this story and gave me an example of how the songs could actually work to tell this story, that's really when it started to come to life," Martin said.

![1 & juliet-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/49EUJ9kZqURbfXB5E6ptGQ/d797e6c8d37da845daafe20015083944/1___juliet-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Arise, fair sound

In *& Juliet*, Juliet first enlists her nurse, Angelique, to hit the road with her, but it takes a crew of friends old and new to enliven her adventure. Similarly, West and Martin couldn't refashion pop songs for the stage alone. Their crew included sound designer Gareth Owen, music director/orchestrator Dominic Fallacaro, and orchestrator/arranger Bill Sherman. (All three are Tony-nominated.)

When asked what convinced them to work on *& Juliet*, they all had the same answer: Martin. "The possibility of collaborating with the greatest songwriter of the last 25 years on songs that define your life is impossible to pass up," Sherman said. Fallacaro similarly called the opportunity a "no-brainer."

"I’d never met the guy [before *& Juliet*], but everyone behind the scenes in the music industry knows he’s a genius," Owen said. "Then I met him and realised he was nice as well as talented - frankly, between Max, Bill Sherman, and I? Well, it was a bit of a bromance!"

Sherman recalled a different kind of nervousness — not the bromantic kind — defining his and Martin's first meeting. "Max said two things: 'If a song is going to be a departure from the original version, go all the way. Don't half-ass it,'" Sherman remembered.

"The second thing that Max said was, "If it's not perfect, it goes in the trash." You can imagine me eight years ago, having no idea what the hell is going on in the world, and the greatest songwriter of our time looks at you dead in the eye in a very humbly Swedish way and goes, 'If it's not perfect, it goes in the trash.' I can safely say that was one of the most terrifying days of my life."

Having Martin on hand during London and Broadway rehearsals, though, helped ensure the sound of *& Juliet* was to his liking. "One of the coolest parts about getting this was getting access to the vault of Max," Fallacaro said. "We're not approximating what the synth sounds like. We're running it past someone who knows exactly what it's supposed to sound like."

"It's been so fun and rewarding reimagining and bringing some of the greatest songs of our generation onto a theatre stage, and to put a narrative force behind them," he added in a separate interview. "The challenge of fusing the traditional orchestral and band components of Broadway with the studio 'pixie dust' of synthesizers and drum machines was a tremendously rewarding experience."

"It might not be perfect," Sherman said of the final result, "but it's pretty damn close."

![2 & juliet-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/4uRxS4JCAwq28qRsfLQYse/a3e7a49d37437ce5ce8b0c37b59d75ed/2___juliet-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## What's in a cast?

The final piece of Martin's songs' journey from studio to stage is the Broadway cast that sings them live every night. He worked directly with them in rehearsals, too, even scheduling one-on-one sessions to coach them on their singing performances. It didn't take long for him to become a familiar, friendly face — Wolfe said the cast's reactions to seeing him shifted from awe to "Oh yeah, it's Max."

"It was so scary, but at the same time, he's become a proud papa," said Lorna Courtney, a Best Actress Tony nominee for playing Juliet. "He wants us to succeed and do well, and the notes that he would give — it's all expertise, and it's all to better ourselves and the overall longevity of what we're doing."

"It's both exciting and not exciting, because he's there the whole time. You can't get rid of him!" joked Melanie La Barrie, who originated the role of Angelique in London and New York. "He's in the fabric of this musical. Because when we were making it in London, and again when we were making it here, he is here. He's giving us all of his energy and all of his insight and everything that he knows about his world, and now this world, because he knows this musical like his own skin."

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How Max Martin shaped '& Juliet' on its road to Broadway

& juliet review-1200x600-NYTG

Contains some strong language. Recommended for ages 6+. Children age 4 and under will not be admitted into the theatre. Everyone must have a ticket, regardless of age.

& Juliet on Broadway - NYC 

& Juliet on Broadway

The Grammy-winning songwriter/music producer is behind the biggest pop hits of the '90s onward, and 30 of his songs fuel this Tony-nominated Broadway musical.

When the casting notice came out that <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/letters-of-suresh">Letters of Suresh</a>,&nbsp;the new play from Rajiv Joseph being produced at <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/tony-kiser-theater">Second Stage Theater</a>, actor Ali Ahn texted every Asian American actor friend she knew working in New York City. It was because the show had two prominent East Asian roles and one Indian role. "It's very rare to have a story that centers around an Asian American character's growth," said Ahn.Ahn ended up getting a role, and her character now opens the new play Letters of Suresh,&nbsp;currently running at Second Stage Theater through October&nbsp;24. The show contains four seemingly disparate characters whose only connection to each other are through letters, and the personal revelations they have&nbsp;not just about each other, but also about themselves through those letters. Rajiv considers Letters of Suresh a companion piece to his hit play Animals Out of Paper.Ahn is a working actor, having had regular television roles in Orange Is the New Black&nbsp;and Billions.&nbsp;Her theatre&nbsp;credits include The Heidi Chronicles&nbsp;on Broadway and The Great Leap&nbsp;at Atlantic Theater Company.&nbsp;Ahn admits that she's rarely gotten as meaty of a role as&nbsp;Melody, a young woman going through something of a career crisis. She starts writing letters to Suresh, who she's never met, in order to get some kind of clarity on her own life."To have a female character whose creative angst is the primary concern is very rare," said Ahn. "That's usually a quandary left for male characters, their artistic development. And to see a woman doing that — and not in the context of motherhood, and also that she's Asian American — is really different." She then added, "Any opportunity to be in a Rajiv Joseph plan I'm gonna take."Below, Ahn talks about how Letters of Suresh, which was in the works even before the Covid-19 pandemic, has become more poignant and moving now.How does it feel to be back in a theatre&nbsp;after this long industry pause?Surreal. Definitely the first few shows, it didn't feel like it was happening. It feels like a weird time warp. It just feels like everyone who's in the audience really wants to be there. That's really nice. It's nice to perform to people who are so appreciative of the luxury that it is to be in a group and enjoying a story.You open the play with a monologue that lasts, it seems like, 10 or 15 minutes. How do you prepare for that as an actor?My character sets up the vocabulary of the play: What is this play? What are the rules? It's definitely scary. It's probably the most scared I've been in my professional life, like, how am I going to do this? And I also know, these are rare opportunities — most actors feel like we get these boxes that we are put in and then we just get frustrated by them. So when you have an opportunity to do something that actually challenges you, it would be a shame to run away from that challenge. So you kind of have to lean into the fear a little bit.The characters in Letters of Suresh are trying to make a deeper connection with another person. Is that what you're trying to do when you're directly addressing the audience and trying to bring them into the play?You are trying to connect, you really are. And you do feel this literal gulf of like the fourth wall. But when you're doing direct address, the challenge is to not try to add too much, like, actor trickery. You want to try to be as naked and as simple as possible. For my character, she doesn't think her letters are being received, so it's more like a journal entry, kind of an imaginary friend. And because of the imaginary nature, I think she has to extend herself and bear herself in a way that she might not if it was a real person. And so for me, it was really just about, like, how truthful and naked can I be? As though the person I'm trying to reach truly has no judgment of me. So it is trusting that the audience is not going to hate me. [chuckles]What has this play taught you about connecting with other people?I think about this line that another character, Amelia, says: "The things that you don't say, they're valuable. And the reason why we don't say them is because they matter. And so you should share those things." And I think about that: A lot of the things that are left unsaid. And to not live with regret. I think that it's really scary to be honest. Your desire to connect to people, I think most people don't reach out just simply because they don't want to be rejected.&nbsp;This play is a kind of a meditation on taking a leap of faith and extending yourself. So many of these characters are afraid to, because they don't do that. They're stuck. So the thing that I'm trying to take away from it is to sort of lean into the thing that scares me&nbsp;and always err on trying to connect rather than being afraid of what might happen.I'm sure, especially after the pandemic.&nbsp;I honestly think that helped me in my process with this play. It was, of course, scary and challenging to think, oh my God, I'm opening a play with a bunch of monologues. But after the pandemic, you just get perspective to realize, what are really the stakes here? What is really so scary? We've just been through an existential crisis as a species. This [play] is something that I can do safely. I should push forward.<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/letters-of-suresh">Letters of Suresh is at Second Stage Theater to October 24. Get Letters of Suresh tickets now.</a>Photo credit: Ali Ahn (Photo courtesy of Second Stage Theater)

Ali Ahn of 'Letters of Suresh' on monologuing her way into audiences' hearts

Photo credit: Ali Ahn (Photo courtesy of Second Stage Theater)

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