The category is: Broadway. From January 16, two-time *RuPaul's Drag Race* champion Jinkx Monsoon is trading Rusicals for musicals to make her Broadway debut in [*Chicago*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/22-chicago-tickets) through March 12.

But the theatre scene isn't new to Monsoon. She holds a BFA in theatre from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and she's performed in multiple major musicals in that same city. *Hairspray*, *Rent*, *Hedwig and the Angry Inch*, and *Spring Awakening* are just a few of her high-profile musical credits (aside from her impression of Judy Garland on *Drag Race All Stars*).

Now, she's the latest in a long line of famous actors — and the first drag queen — to play the keen, opportunistic prison official Matron "Mama" Morton. Monsoon spoke with New York Theatre Guide on her unique connection to the character, other Broadway divas that influence her, and what her existing fanbase can expect from her performance during her eight weeks on Broadway.

Get *Chicago* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/22-chicago-tickets)

__How is the experience of doing Broadway different than doing a show like *Drag Race*?__

This rehearsal process has been different from anything I've ever done before because I'm coming into a show that's been running for so long, with good reason. But this show just keeps running, and they have a whole system for getting people in. So I just relax into knowing that everyone else knows what they're doing so well that it doesn't matter that I'm still finding my way. Honestly, they've given me so much trust and faith, and I feel so welcomed into this process that if they're not freaking out, I'm not freaking out.

__What can current fans of your drag work expect from your performance in *Chicago*?__

I love the chance to play someone other than Jinkx because I play Jinkx the most. I'll never stop playing her — we're in it forever. But I love the chance to get to portray a different character. It's still me. It'll still be me in the costume and stuff, but don't come expecting to see Jinkx Monsoon play Mama Morton. Come expecting to see Mama Morton.

__So what is your unique perspective on that iconic character?__

Mama Morton is this very fascinating character because she's simultaneously compassionate, but also very pragmatic and and very business-oriented. She has simple rules, and if you follow them, you get along great with her. But what I love most about Mama is that she has adapted in a man's world to be a woman with power.

You see that in every line, you see that in every portrayal, and that's what I'm excited to bring, because it's got an extra layer. I'm a person who was not born perceived female, who's always resonated more with my femininity in a man's world, trying to figure that out. Now I'm going step into a character who has completely different circumstances, but similar outcomes.

__Are there any famous theatre actors that inspire your performance style?__

Oh, absolutely. Audra McDonald, Bebe Neuwirth, Madeline Kahn — she did some Broadway, and she has inspired so much of my work. I'm of course more familiar with her in films. Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, Bette Midler. These women have been with me my whole life, and I feel them with me in this. I don't know any of them personally, but their voices are ringing in my head throughout all of this.

__Lots of drag queens have headlined NYC theatre as of late: Rosé in [*Titanique*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25241-titanique-tickets), Peppermint in *Head Over Heels*. What does it mean to you to be part of this movement?__

It *feels* like this new thing happening now. It's just happening at this level now, but drag queens have existed in theatre, actors find themselves doing drag — this is commonplace for all of us. We're just finally being welcomed into the top tier of what we've always been doing. And it's about time, because drag performers are performers like any other performer. We just choose to do it in drag. So there's no reason to keep us separated from all the fun with the [other] humans.

__Which *Chicago* character would win *Drag Race* and why?__

Roxie Hart would definitely win *Drag Race* because Roxie Hart does whatever it takes to win. It would be that we would all think Velma was the shoo-in and it was Velma's race to lose, and then at the last minute, we'd go, "*(gasp)* Roxie's taken it!" But maybe they'd do a double crowning that year.

__Which Broadway show would make a good Rusical?__

I mean, *Chicago*'s an obvious one. What I love about *Chicago* is there are so many wonderful female roles, and the ratio is not always as such.

But maybe I have to write it. What it is, is I need to write it. DeLa [drag performer Ben DeLaCreme] and I will write *Alice in Wonderland: A Drag Fantasy*. I've been thinking about it for years; it's brilliant.

Get *Chicago* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/22-chicago-tickets)

*This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.*

Jinkx Monsoon on playing a woman in a man's world in 'Chicago'

jinkx-1200x600-NYTG

Broadway

May be inappropriate for 12 and under. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

Chicago on Broadway [22] 

Chicago on Broadway

The *RuPaul's Drag Race* star makes her Broadway debut in the long-running musical.

"Love can touch us one time, and last for a lifetime," sings Celine Dion in "My Heart Will Go On." Marla Mindelle knows how true that is. She's been a Dion fan "as long as [she's] been living," and as a teenager, the actress would spend countless hours "trying to belt 'All by Myself' in [her] bedroom over and over and over again."

Now she's channeling her love for the singer in [*Titanique*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25241-titanique-tickets), a revisionist parody version of James Cameron's *Titanic* film. Mindelle stars as a goofy, scene-stealing version of Dion, who narrates her own recollection of the story of Jack and Rose, filled with all Dion's greatest hits and mile-a-minute pop culture jokes.

From a planned four-month run from June to September 2022, *Titanique* has gone on (and on) to [become a surprise hit](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/titanique-off-broadway-review) and is now running at the [Daryl Roth Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/daryl-roth-theatre) through May. Mindelle has been with the production since its inception in Los Angeles six years ago, and also co-wrote the show with Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue.

The musical has always been a celebration of Dion and her music and became even more so when [Dion announced her diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome](https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/celine-dion-stiff-person-syndrome-tour-postponed.html), which hinders her ability to perform. (She recently postponed her tour due to this diagnosis.) 

Performing a parody show centered on Dion might seem tricky in light of the news, but for Mindelle, continuing with the show is the best way to honor her. 

"When I heard that news, I said to myself, this is no longer about you; this is about her," Mindelle said. "You need to do this for her because if she could, she would be performing eight times a week as well. So it's your responsibility to now channel her, be a refuge for her fans, and in some ways, make sure her legacy and her gift live on."

The cast must be doing something right. Theatregoers, including those who have seen Dion live or plan to, have come to the show for their "Celine fix." They've gotten it, thanks in large part to Mindelle.

"I'm not her, obviously," Mindelle said. "I don't sing as well as her. I don't have a 30-year Grammy Award-winning career. But if I can be a little vessel for her [while] she gets rest and she gets better, and people can come up to me and say this is just like seeing a Celine Dion concert, then I feel like I've done something right."

Mindelle spoke with New York Theatre Guide about growing up a Dion fan, celebrating Dion at *Titanique*, and what she hopes to say to Dion herself.

Get *Titanique* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25241-titanique-tickets)

__What does it mean to you to be singing Celine's songs, as her, right now?__

It's incredibly meaningful. She is courageous for even opening up to the public about her diagnosis. It's a very scary thing. And she literally has an album called *Courage*. She's been such a strong person throughout her entire life, and I honestly feel very humbled that while she is getting the care she needs, while she's getting stronger to come back and perform — we can be a respite. We can be like a little Band-Aid, a little relief for the fans that have been trying to see her for the past couple years.

And that's already been happening. People from Ireland, from Germany, all over the world have stopped by to see the show and said, "It's been so wonderful in the meantime, while she has been getting rest and getting better, that we can come to see your show. The songs are incredible, and you remind me so much of her."

__How long have you been a Celine Dion fan?__

Since I was born. She really hit in my youth, so that '90s era of nostalgia — Whitney [Houston], Mariah [Carey], Celine Dion — that was my Father, Son, Holy Spirit. She taught me how to sing, you know? My voice is very musical theatre, but honestly, her songs are very theatrical, too.

Recently she's had her, what I like to call, "Celine-aissance" — re-releasing *Courage*, going back on tour. She was in so many pop culture memes, so many articles. She's really reinvented herself in the way of Madonna or Lady Gaga. She's always changing and she's also, at the same time, such an incredible spirit and full of joy, and it's just infectious. As I grow up and Celine grows, she's still just as popular as she used to be.

__What's your favorite Celine Dion song to perform?__

My favorite song in performance is actually the end of "My Heart Will Go On," which I can't believe I'm saying because it is literally one of the most vocally challenging things I've ever sung in my life. But it is such an impactful moment in the show the way that it's lit, us all singing together in the new staging. I feel like Jesus Christ. I feel like Evita because I'm at the top of this railing belting my face off.

When you're doing the show eight times a week, you think you're going to get sick of things. I'm not sick of anything. I friggin' love her songs. They're all so well-written. They work so well as musical theatre, weaving in and out of the story.

__As a co-writer on *Titanique*, was there anything specific about her you wanted to make sure to include?__

What distinguishes Celine Dion from so many celebrities and pop stars is that anyone you speak to says she's a genuinely wonderful, kind human being full of heart. That was paramount in creating this: making sure that it is in no way, shape, or form taking the piss out of her. It is a true love letter to how wonderful she is.

We wanted to make sure we are literally honoring her legacy and that it is so close to her and her intentions that if you come to see the show, you're almost blindsided because it's such a similarity. I wanted to be a doppelganger for her. I wanted to embody her joy, her spirit. Granted, she's a little kooky, and I wanted to embody that too.

We did a ton of research. When we built this, I was looking at videos every single day trying to see what she does. And I realized I could get away with all these things because she gets away with it too.

__To your knowledge, does she know of the show? What would you want her to know about it?__

I think she is aware of the show. Her publicist has come. [David] Foster, who wrote all of her iconic songs, has come. Her stylist has come. A backup dancer has come. One of her former agents [has come]. And every single person has been blown out of the water. If she saw this, she would get the biggest kick out of it and she would think it's the greatest thing. Everyone has given their little sign-off, so that's the greatest encouragement.

I just want her to know how much joy she is bringing and her songs are bringing. This is not about me. This is her; she created this. She's the person who sang the songs. I just hope she knows this is such a love letter to her. There are people experiencing such joy from the show, and it is a credit to her.

Get *Titanique* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25241-titanique-tickets)

*This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.*

*Photo credit: Marla Mindelle and the cast of Titanique at the Daryl Roth Theatre. (Photos by David Kraus)*

Marla Mindelle on celebrating Celine Dion in 'Titanique'

marla titanique 2-1200x600-NYTG

Off-Broadway

Titanique - NYC

Titanique

Mindelle plays the Grammy Award-winning artist off Broadway in the musical parody of the Oscar-winning film.

[Danny Burstein](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/danny-burstein) is back on Broadway for the first time since winning a Best Featured Actor Tony Award for [*Moulin Rouge! The Musical*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/15911-moulin-rouge-the-musical-on-broadway-tickets). His latest role, as the influential photographer Larry Sultan in [*Pictures From Home*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26764-pictures-from-home-tickets), marks a triple reunion for the actor.

One reunion is with the playwright Sharr White, who wrote *The Snow Geese*, a 2013 Chekhov-style story Burstein co-starred in. *Pictures From Home* is also “emotionally loaded,” said White, “so Danny is a great choice.”

Another is with Bartlett Sher, who’s directed five previous Broadway shows featuring Burstein was in. They include *South Pacific*, *Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown*, *Golden Boy*, *Fiddler on the Roof*, and *My Fair Lady*. 

The tone and spirit of *Pictures From Home* switches in a blink “from comedy to heart to anger,” according to Sher. “I thought of Danny right away for Larry. He has that skill.”

The third reunion for Burstein is with cameras. “I grew up using Nikon and Canon cameras,” he said, adding that his uncle ran a photo lab on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. “As a kid, I worked in the lab. So I know quite a lot.”

That experience should come in handy for playing Sultan, whose 1992 memoir *Pictures From Home* includes photos of his parents, Irving and Jean, at their California residence after his dad’s early retirement. [Nathan Lane](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/nathan-lane) and Zoë Wanamaker play the parents in the show beginning on January 13 at [Studio 54](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/studio-54). 

Like the book, the play explores art and how it’s made, along with the complicated relationship between artists and their subjects. For the Brooklyn-born Sultan, who died in 2009 after his parents had passed, that relationship was particularly loaded because this project was all in the family. 

“Sometimes the artistic process is volatile,” said Burstein. “Sometimes it’s quiet and sometimes it's messy and sometimes it's very funny. Ultimately, it’s dealing with this very human process.”

Burstein spoke with New York Theatre Guide about his career, his co-stars, and his own favorite pictures from home.

Get *Pictures From Home* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26764-pictures-from-home-tickets)

__Sharr White discovered *Pictures From Home* photos at an art exhibit in 2015. Were you familiar with it?__

I did not know anything about Larry Sultan. This play introduced me to his brilliant photographs and work. I immediately got a copy of *Pictures From Home*. I just fell in love with the idea of this story.

__Which is …?__

Anybody who has parents can relate to it. He’s bringing his parents into his artistic project, and that's such an unusual thing. So it’s not just about a relationship with one’s parents. It's also about the creation of art, which is an amazing thing. Imagine a painter saying, “Hey, Mom and Dad, come paint this with me.” It’s a struggle to get them to do it, and he does it.

__Larry notes in the book that one reason he did this is because he wanted them to be around forever.__

Well, of course. When he goes into the project, he doesn't really know what it’s about… and why it’s meaningful. He just knows he sees his parents growing older and wants to get their history. Really what he’s trying to do is hold on to them.

__You’ve played dads, coaches, and cabbies on Broadway, but sons not so much.__

I’ve always been a character actor waiting to happen. Nathan gives me shit all the time because he's only eight years older than I am, and he’s playing my dad. But it is a memory play; it’s not chronological. 

__What’s your take on your Broadway parents?__

I saw Zoë Wanamaker in *Loot* [a farce by Joe Orton] about 35 years ago. I immediately had a huge crush. She’s really smart. I saw Nathan in a Shakespeare in the Park production of *Measure for Measure* [in 1985]. He had a small part and he was fantastic. I’m just going to continue to try to follow the kind of career Nathan has.

__This is your sixth Broadway production with Bartlett Sher. What’s the key to your collaboration?__

I love working with him, and I’m proud of our track record. Is it always 100% successful? Who knows? But what's important is that we both spark each other’s creativity in really genuine, intrinsic ways.

__While we’re on the subject of *Pictures From Home*, what’s your favorite picture at home?__

I have a picture I took of Rebecca [Luker, Burstein’s late wife]. She just looked so beautiful. When I took it we were early on in our relationship, and I said, “Don’t move,” and I got my camera – a Canon film camera. There was no digital anything then. The picture is on my mantel. I love it.

Get *Pictures From Home* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26764-pictures-from-home-tickets)

*Photo credit: Danny Burstein. (Photo by Michaelah Reynolds)*

Danny Burstein on playing a photographer in 'Pictures From Home' on Broadway

danny burstein-1200x600-NYTG

Pictures from Home on Broadway Starring Nathan Lane - NYC

Pictures from Home on Broadway Starring Nathan Lane

The Tony Award-winning actor stars alongside Nathan Lane and Zoë Wanamaker.

"It's hard to think of living in a world where *Phantom* isn't playing at the Majestic Theatre."

So said Broadway actress Sierra Boggess soon after [*The Phantom of the Opera*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/38-the-phantom-of-the-opera-tickets), the longest-running show in Broadway history, [announced its closing after 35 years](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/the-phantom-of-the-opera-to-close-on-broadway-after-35-years). Her sentiment isn't unique.

The closing news immediately multiplied ticket demand from die-hard "phans" and casual theatregoers alike — those who assumed *Phantom* would always be around and now have a deadline to check it off their bucket lists. Luckily, the increase in sales [allowed *Phantom* to extend](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/the-phantom-of-the-opera-extends-broadway-run), pushing back its closing date to April 16 from the originally announced February 18.

The lead role of Christine Daaé, an opera ingenue whose romance with her childhood sweetheart is threatened by the obsessive Phantom, remains one of her best-known roles globally. She first played Christine in Las Vegas in 2006, then twice in London: in the musical's 25th anniversary concert at Royal Albert Hall and in the world premiere of *Love Never Dies*, a *Phantom of the Opera* sequel musical. She finally starred in the Broadway production twice, in 2013 and 2014.

It's been eight years since Boggess's last performance as Christine, but and her love — and memory — for the show has never died. If called on to reprise the role tonight, Boggess would be ready: "For some reason that I don't know why, Christine comes so naturally to me. There is something about that character — I don't know if it's a past life, or what it is. But I really seem to understand and empathize with her story and her journey. I just get the love relationships with both of those men. I can tap into her quite easily."

"There's little bits of *Phantom* that go out of your mind, but they could call on me and at any time and I could easily slot in there," she continued. "But that’s also not specific to me. People come in all the time because it's a show where once you know it, you really know it."

That, too, can be said of *The Phantom of the Opera*'s audiences. It's impossible to exit the theatre without Andrew Lloyd Webber's rich music, Gillian Lynne's iconic choreography, and Maria Bjornson's dazzling designs on your mind, and the show's most loyal phans return time after time to experience it. And even those who haven't seen the show have at least heard of its most famous moments, like the "Music of the Night" or "Masquerade" songs, the boat ride through an underground lake during the title song, and the infamous chandelier crash that ends Act 1.   

For all these reasons and more, "it's going to be weird seeing another marquee at the Majestic that's not *Phantom*," Boggess said. "It's devastating... but I suppose everything has to come to an end. We just assume it's always going to be there. But of course it's a living and breathing thing and nothing can last forever."

Though *The Phantom of the Opera* has reached the point of no return on Broadway, the musical continues to run in London's West End (in fact, it reopened there in a revised version shortly after its own closing) and around the world, and the timeless Gothic romance is also immortalized in *The Phantom of the Opera* films and the original [1910 novel that started it all](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/discover-the-real-history-behind-the-phantom-of-the-opera).

For performers like Boggess and millions of people that have seen its performances (nearly 14,000 on Broadway alone), the music of the night will never truly fade out. 

Get *The Phantom of the Opera* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/38-the-phantom-of-the-opera-tickets)

*Sophie Thomas contributed reporting to this story.*

*Photo credit: Sierra Boggess in The Phantom of the Opera. (Photo by Joan Marcus)*

Sierra Boggess reflects on the staying power of 'The Phantom of the Opera'

sierra boggess-1200x600-NYTG

Children under 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway [38] 

The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

Boggess previously played the role of Christine Daaé in the storied Broadway production, which has set its closing date.

Batter up! The Tony Award-winning revival of Richard Greenberg’s thrilling baseball dramedy, [*Take Me Out*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/19749-take-me-out-tickets), is back on Broadway for an encore run through February 5 with a key change in the lineup.

*Cabaret* alum Bill Heck deftly slides into the role of shortstop Kippy Sunderstrom, aka “the most intelligent man in major league baseball.” Kippy narrates the play and interacts with other teammates including Darren Lemming (Jesse Williams), who throws a game-changing curveball when he announces to the press that he’s gay. 

“The original production of the play in 2003 was one of the first Broadway shows I ever saw. It’s always had a close place to my heart,” says Heck, who has a Master’s degree from New York University.

Between work and home demands, Heck didn’t see director Scott Ellis’s staging, which means he missed Patrick J. Adams (*Suits*) as Kippy and [Jesse Tyler Ferguson](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/jesse-tyler-ferguson)’s Tony-winning performance as Mason, a financial guru who unexpectedly falls head over heels for baseball. Ferguson and Heck previously shared the stage in 2010 in a Shakespeare in the Park run of *The Merchant of Venice*. 

That open-air production followed Heck’s Off-Broadway breakthrough in Horton Foote’s three-part, nine-hour drama, *The Orphan Home Cycle*. On screen, Heck appears in FX’s action thriller *The Old Man*, Amazon Prime’s *I Know What You Did Last Summer*, and in the upcoming movie *Dust*, starring Sarah Paulson.

Now, he's back on Broadway for the first time in nearly nine years. Heck talked with New York Theatre Guide about being the new kid on the bench in *Take Me Out*, why the play bats a home run, and acting in his birthday suit.

Get *Take Me Out* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/19749-take-me-out-tickets)

__What’s it like being the new guy on a team that rode this revival all the way to a Tony win?__

It’s been really challenging. It's obviously a pretty hefty role. I made sure I was off-book before I came in because it would have been disastrous otherwise. I had my own curiosities and ideas about the part and play, but my primary interest was preserving the integrity of the production and the company. Patrick was fantastic by all accounts, so I’m sort of glad I didn’t see it. I was able to come into things a little fresher and maybe a little more pure.

__What struck you about the play when you saw the 2003 Broadway run?__

It was, and it remains, extremely relevant with all the conversations about inclusivity and diversity. What landed for me initially was Mason’s famous “baseball is democracy” speech. It was filled with this unabashed joy of discovering something new and coming to a new understanding of himself in the world. It’s just beautiful. 

__That speech was very potent when I revisited the show on election night.__

It was our quietest audience by far. I don't know if people were more thoughtful or more uneasy, or if it was the changing weather. Were they more nervous because our democracy might be on the verge? It’s hard to know, but it was definitely a unique performance in this run thus far.

__You’ve said that appearing in the TV series *The Closer* relatively early on in your career in 2007 opened various acting doors. How did *Take Me Out* come your way?__

The director who cast me in that two-episode arc of *The Closer* was Scott Ellis. He reached out through reps about my availability for the play. We didn’t talk directly until the deal was set.

__Did you play baseball? You toss the ball during the play and show off a decent arm.__

I was a soccer kid, but I’m a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. I was born in Arizona, where their spring training is. Both my folks are from outside of Chicago. Some of my earliest, fondest memories are of being with my grandfather at Wrigley Field. Baseball is in me in a very integral, historic kind of way.

__How does being naked in *Take Me Out* compare to being nude on stage as Joe Pitt in the 2010 Off-Broadway run of *Angels in America*?__

I was actually telling somebody recently that the nudity in *Angels in America* is wildly different. Joe is Mormon, so for me, shedding his undergarments as a show of love and commitment for Louis was potentially very fraught. I was wrapped up in that specific experience. 

When I saw Lee Pace play Joe on Broadway in *Angels in America* some years later, he did that scene with such freedom, as though he was really embracing himself for the first time. I thought, “Wow, that’s an amazing choice.” Seeing Lee do that years ago has helped make this easier for me now. That openness can apply to this situation.

__[@Takemeoutbway](https://twitter.com/Takemeoutbway) on Twitter noted that a publication called you “the hot new DILF” in the play. Your reaction?__

I really don’t know what to do with that. If I’m being honest, I’m flattered.

Get *Take Me Out* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/19749-take-me-out-tickets)

'Take Me Out' rookie Bill Heck on joining the Broadway team of the hit revival

bill heck-1200x600-NYTG

Take Me Out starring Jesse Williams and Jesse Tyler Ferguson on Broadway - NYC

Take Me Out starring Jesse Williams and Jesse Tyler Ferguson on Broadway

When Audra McDonald read Adrienne Kennedy’s [*Ohio State Murders*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24218-ohio-state-murders-tickets) for the first time, her “gut was on the floor.” The six-time Tony-winning actress participated in a Zoom pandemic production of Kennedy’s seminal work, based on her own experience at the university, and she was stunned by the material. 

“My heart was on the floor. My brain was exploding,” McDonald says of the experience. “For days afterwards, I just kept thinking about the fact that I got to say those words. And I wanted to know more about Adrienne’s experience at Ohio State. I thought, I have to be involved with this. And then once they said, we're gonna produce it on Broadway. I was just like, yes, please, please. Please let me be a part of it.”

Now, she’s back onstage in the inaugural production at the [James Earl Jones Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/james-earl-jones-theatre) in Kennedy’s play as Suzanne, a writer who returns to her alma mater after many years to uncover the truth of what happened while she was there. The production is the first Broadway outing for Kennedy, who at age 91 is “way long overdue” for the spotlight, McDonald says. 

The production also marks a reunion between McDonald and director Kenny Leon, who last worked together 14 years ago on the television film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. Now, Leon has one word to say about getting to reunite with McDonald: “Hallelujah.”

“Those six Tony Awards are no accident,” Leon says. “When you can get an artist that can trust you completely, and I trust her completely to go where I push her. Doesn’t get better than that. She’s the best.”

*New York Theatre Guide* spoke to McDonald about bringing Kennedy’s work to the Broadway stage for the first time, how she relates to her character’s experience, and working with Leon again. 

[Get *Ohio State Murders* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.  
](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24218-ohio-state-murders-tickets)

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24218-ohio-state-murders-tickets)

__It’s so exciting to have you back on Broadway and also in Adrienne Kennedy’s Broadway debut. Were you familiar with her work before doing this play?__

Not nearly as familiar as I should be. Because I didn't go to drama school – I  went to music conservatory – so I didn't really get a chance to study a lot of theatre literature. And so I was doubly behind the curve, especially since there wasn't a lot of Adrienne’s work being produced commercially in a big way. And so, this was my first time really reading one of her plays.

__She’s such a monumental playwright and theatrical voice.__

She is.

__You’ve also worked with Kenny Leon before on *A Raisin in the Sun*. How does it feel to be working together again?__

It’s wonderful. We've been trying to work together again and haven’t figured out which project, so this kind of fell in our lap. He’s such a such an incredible director. He's such he's such a tough director, but he comes from love, and he pushes me harder than just about anyone. But he pushes me with absolute faith that I will get to where I need to go, and I will grow in the process.

__Do you relate to your character Suzanne’s experience in the play?__

I do. Very much so. And it’s interesting because I see other people in the world who I identify with that also can relate to Suzanne's experience. If you think about it, she was one of 12 Black girls in her dorm of 600 girls in 1949 and that was three years after the first dorm had been integrated. So think about what she was going through. 

__Definitely. And the play takes place in the past, but so many of its issues are unfortunately still relevant today. __

They’re unfortunately way too relevant today, as if we're hurtling back to the 1940s. It’s a necessary time to do this. And maybe if these plays had been produced earlier, we wouldn’t be hurtling toward the 1940s in the way that we are.

[Get *Ohio State Murders* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.  
](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24218-ohio-state-murders-tickets)

Audra McDonald on returning to Broadway in ‘Ohio State Murders’

Audra McDonald Portrait - 1200x600 - NYTG Image

Ohio State Murders starring Audra McDonald on Broadway - NYC

Ohio State Murders starring Audra McDonald on Broadway

The six-time Tony Award winner is back onstage this season in the play, which marks playwright Adrienne Kennedy’s Broadway debut. 

Casey Likes is almost famous. That's thanks to *Almost Famous*. The 20-year-old actor is taking on Patrick Fugit's role, of wide-eyed journalist William Miller, in the musical adaptation of Cameron Crowe's cult classic film about the '70s rock scene. And as if making his Broadway debut in a buzzy new musical wasn't enough, Likes is about to hit the big screen as Gene Simmons of KISS in the biopic *Spinning Gold*.

Clearly, he's on a rock kick. Likes has been with *Almost Famous* since 2019, when casting directors saw his performance at the Jimmy Awards for high school theatre actors. It's fitting that Likes was plucked from high school to play William, as the character (loosely based on Crowe himself) skips high school to cover a rock band's tour for *Rolling Stone*.

Getting easily starstruck is William's journalistic weakness, but that quality makes Likes perfect to act the part. "The cast likes to make fun of me because on the first day of rehearsal, and to this day, I brought in a backpack covered in Playbills," he said. "Most of the cast have been in most of the shows on the backpack."

New York Theatre Guide talked to Likes about these parallels and more, what *Almost Famous* movie fans can expect from the show, and what he's learned from playing two major rock roles.

Get *Almost Famous* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25473-almost-famous-tickets)

__How did you first get the role of William Miller?__

I was asked to go in for a few shows after the Jimmy Awards. One of those shows ended up being *Almost Famous*, and I really, really, really wanted it. I got a little too attached to it.

The day I left my final callback, they called me and asked me to be William and then said, "You're starting in two weeks." Two weeks later, I would start school. So I actually only attended one day of my senior year of high school... and then I left and I never came back. I basically just skipped the first semester to do the show, and then the second semester, Covid happened.

__What fan-favorite moments are replicated on stage?__

Mostly everything that you're looking forward to is in the show. A certain Elton John song might appear at some point. You can also come to expect all of the iconic lines you remember. "I am a golden god," "It's all happening" — that's used quite a bit.

__In *Almost Famous*, William talks his way backstage to get access to his first gig. Have you ever talked your way into a role?__

The big role I talked myself into was Gene Simmons. The director asked me, "Before I take my other meetings, can you tell me why this role is yours? Convince me."

[I asked myself,] "How would Gene Simmons answer this question?" Would he be like, "I don't know. Maybe I'll learn bass. Maybe I can do this for you." No! Gene Simmons would be like, "The role is mine, and you're not going to find anyone else for it. I'm the most qualified."

I just went on a 5-10 minute rant about how qualified I was. I had my ego in the stratosphere. And it worked. He gave me the role right there.

I really admire that about Gene. He put a lot of bets on himself. He was just like, "I'm going to be there." That's what you've got to do a lot in this industry — just say, "Someday I'm going to be there, and I'm going to plant the seeds now."

![almost famous 1-1200](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5BZStqvL8j5jsQ7CNC2odw/c53e258a122f2a02f7db787d44db303b/almost_famous_1-1200.jpg)

__How did your work on *Almost Famous* inform your approach to *Spinning Gold* or vice versa, since they're both rock stories?__

They're both taking place in the 70s. They're both about music at the time. And they both discuss very similar themes when it comes to the personalities in music at the time. I love Gene. It's really cool to study an actual person, whereas *Almost Famous* is an amalgamation of a lot of people.

It was really cool to play the other side of the table. I'm a fan in *Almost Famous*, but it was cool to deep dive and be the actual rock star for a little bit.

__Can you talk about the parallels between you and William? The show is about his big writing break. This gig is your actual big Broadway break.__

I got picked out of high school at 17, same as Patrick in the movie, and same as Cameron in life. Not only am I doing this show, but I'm also having these experiences outside of the show: moving to a new city, living with people that are older than me and that being most of my group around me, learning about friendship and love and and sacrifice. Those things have paralleled my experience of doing the show.

I had to say goodbye to my mom to move out here. I lived with my mom my whole life. That's exactly what Cameron and William do. I have a single mother; she's my biggest hero. I could go on forever. It's just such a universal tale of what it means to find your tribe, find your place, to grow up.

__Did your mom see the show in San Diego?__

A million times. My family, I think, was 50% of the ticket sales in the Old Globe. They definitely saw it, and they're definitely going to see it a few more times. She loved it. It was very special to her because she was on Broadway as well, in *Les Misérables* — she was a double cover of Eponine and Cosette. I always wanted to be like her, so it was really cool getting her to see me do that. Outside my dressing room window is the [Imperial](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/imperial-theatre) [Theatre], where she did the show.

![casey likes-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2U6TFNl2xRnDfrBkZorklA/06c852059b047a076984094bceb16b0a/casey_likes-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

__Did Cameron Crowe give you guidance on playing a version of him?__

The short answer is no; he never imparted himself on me at all. However, he is in the room every single day. He is the bookwriter of the show, so he literally is a part of the process from beginning to the end. There was a very important discussion that happened early on in 2019, where we were trying to figure out what my version of William would be. I was stuck between Patrick's brilliant performance... and what we needed to do for a stage production of it.

I remember thinking, "I don't know why I'm thinking about the movie at all when the guy is right there. All I have to do is just really get to know him and study everything that he is. Then I will begin to understand William, aside from the previous iteration of it." Through that process, I've become just the biggest fan of him. I don't think I'll ever find a day where Cameron Crowe is not one of the most important people in my life. I love him so very deeply.

__So what is your version of William?__

The important things about William are innocence, openness, fandom, and passion, whether it be for love, or for music, or for his writing. There's a connective tissue in passion and music and love and writing. Even though I might not make the exact same smile or eyebrow raise that Patrick made on a certain line in the movie, we still should feel connected because we both feel the same way about the world.

Get *Almost Famous* tickets now.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25473-almost-famous-tickets)

*This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.*

*Top image credit: Casey Likes (center) and the company of Almost Famous. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)*
*Second image credit: Casey Likes and Solea Pfeiffer in Almost Famous in San Diego. (Photo by Neal Preston)*
*Third image credit: Casey Likes and Anika Larsen, who plays Mrs. Miller, in rehearsal for Almost Famous. (Photo by Krista Schuelter)*

Casey Likes on living out his character's life in 'Almost Famous' on Broadway

almost famous-1200x600-NYTG

Almost Famous on Broadway - NYC

Almost Famous on Broadway

Likes makes his Broadway debut as William Miller in the musical adaptation of Cameron Crowe's Oscar-winning film.

Romantic. Quirky. Dreamlike. Fun. That describes Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson's signature songwriting style. The composer-lyricist duo are behind the animated musical comedies&nbsp;Olaf's Frozen Adventure,&nbsp;Central Park on AppleTV+, and now, the Off-Broadway fairytale musical Between the Lines, based on bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer's novel. They've become the team to call for whimsical earworms you'd bust out at a Disney-inspired karaoke night.Samsel and Anderson met in 2010 at the&nbsp;BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, a program that's brought together successful writers like&nbsp;Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Tony Award winners for Ragtime, represented off Broadway this fall with&nbsp;A Man of No Importance) and&nbsp;Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez (who composed both&nbsp;Frozen&nbsp;movies, including the Oscar-winning tune "Let It Go").&nbsp;"We call it love at first write," Samsel said. "It's really important for the theatre to have female songwriting teams, and promote these female-driven storylines about women, told by women."They both worked as nannies while writing these stories in their free time — until 2014, when Picoult came calling. One out-of-the-blue email exchange and "three-hour epic dinner" later, the duo was tapped to compose the stage adaptation of&nbsp;Between the Lines. The premise was right in the songwriters' wheelhouse: a fantasy story about a lonely teenage girl, Delilah, whose favorite book's world comes off the page and blends with her real one, offering her a chance to rewrite the story of her life with a happier ending."The story really resonated with us because we had also been those teenagers who escape into fiction," Samsel said. "We have been those people now who still escape into fiction when things aren't going their way. Everyone has had a period of their lives where they are choosing fantasy instead of facing their reality."That idea also drives their latest project: the world-premiere musical adaptation of&nbsp;The Book Thief,&nbsp;another story about a girl who discovers the power of books to change her life. Picoult and the&nbsp;Between the Lines&nbsp;musical's book writer, Timothy McDonald, are their collaborators once again. It's premiering in London now, but they hope the show will come to New York soon.In the meantime, there are a few weeks left to catch&nbsp;Between the Lines's before it closes September 11. It will end an eight-year chapter of the duo's life (it would have been six had the pandemic not delayed the show's planned 2020 premiere), one that marked their New York stage debut and even got them the&nbsp;Olaf's Frozen Adventure&nbsp;gig. They shared that story, their musical inspirations, and the importance of new musical theatre with New York Theatre Guide.<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/between-the-lines" target="_blank">Get&nbsp;Between the Lines&nbsp;tickets now.</a>How did you get connected with Jodi Picoult?&nbsp;Kate Anderson: We had just written a show called Camp Wish No More. We've done it with NYU. And we thought that was going to be our ticket to our career, and instead, nothing happened. We felt like we were starting from scratch. One day, we got this email in our inbox from Jodi Picoult, and I immediately recognized her name and called Elyssa as I was sprinting over to her apartment — we lived eight blocks away. We both hugged each other on her stoop and just cried because this felt like the moment that everything was going to change, and it really was.[Picoult] emailed saying she had been through our whole website and she was obsessed with our songs, and would we be interested in reading this book and possibly coming aboard to write the songs if it became a musical? She overnighted it to us and we read it immediately. We had a million ideas. We met with her and had a three-hour epic dinner where we also became kindred spirits and best friends forever. Which is weird to say, but truly, Jodi is our family now.There's a line in the show that says books come into your life exactly when you need them. And that's exactly what this book did for us, because it completely changed our story over the next eight years.What musical styles and/or artists inspired the sound of the show?Anderson: It is extremely Disney-influenced because so much of it is a fairytale. Elyssa and I grew up with the classic Disney canon: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, the [Alan] Menken and [Howard] Ashman reign. A good portion of the show is influenced by that. The cool thing, though, is that we have this whole other world. Half the show is set in modern day, so we wanted to keep that sound really fresh and really modern. As the two worlds blend together, it becomes this whole other sound that's a mashup of the two. It's still influenced by musical theatre craft we have learned from the greats — Menken and Ashman are the two, obviously, that come to mind. But it's a hybrid: It's the reality and the fairytale.Elyssa Samsel: One of the major themes is being stuck in a story that you don't want to be in and wanting to break out of the character that you feel like you have to play. That is also touched upon in the music. The music breaks out of genre and has fun and becomes its own contemporary, fresh sound, in the same way that the characters are able to break out of their boxes and become the people they really want to be.What is your favorite song from Between the Lines and why?Anderson: My favorite song is In My Perfect World. Not only because of the chemistry and the fun that Jake David Smith, who plays Prince Oliver, and Arielle are having on the stage during that song, but I love that he is allowing her to tell him what her perfect world looks like. You can tell that it's the first time she's putting words to the things that she's going to set into motion later. There's funny lines in that where she's telling him, "Here in my world, the men wear aprons and take the children to school, while the women come home from their fulfilling careers." There's a little bit of feminism in that statement, and it gets a big laugh every night. I love that. That's the message that is in the show.Samsel: My favorite is "A Whole New Story." It's the Act One finale, and once you hear Arielle Jacobs sing it, you'll understand why it's my favorite. She has the most incredible instrument, vocally, and I love the song because Delilah, in that moment, is dreaming of what a whole new story would be like. It's so important that we do that for ourselves. I's important to realize that we all deserve a whole new story if we want one. I love that she is finding her power in that song. That one's already on Spotify, but the good news is all of the songs that are our favorites as well will be available on Spotify soon this fall as a cast album.How has composing Between the Lines&nbsp;been different from composing for TV and film?Anderson:&nbsp;When you're writing a musical, it is this ever-evolving, living, breathing thing. It's completely different than Olaf&nbsp;or&nbsp;Central Park&nbsp;in that, when you're writing something for TV, we always have deadlines. You're oftentimes writing a draft and maybe rewriting it, and all in all, the whole process takes about a year or two. When the work is due, it's due because the animators have to get to it.Samsel: Back in 2014, we had already gotten the job to write Between the Lines.&nbsp;We got that job because we had written three spec songs to audition, and those spec songs ended up being part of the package we sent to Disney when we were auditioning to get the Olaf's Frozen Adventure job. It's very much in line with how we love to write, which is fairytale, musical, romantic, optimistic, funny, quirky. So if we hadn't had those three songs to get to Disney, I don't know that we would have gotten Olaf's Frozen Adventure. Fun fact on top of that: those three songs that we wrote to audition for Between the Lines and ended up getting the gig? Those are still in the show.Anderson: The very first song we wrote was Ally McAndrews&nbsp;— that leapt off the page at us from the book. The second song we wrote was Between the Lines, the title song, which is when Delilah and Oliver first meet. The third song was A Whole New Story, which is the end of Act 1.What do you want fans of your other work to know about&nbsp;Between the Lines?Samsel:&nbsp;We've got an incredible mother-daughter story, really powerful friendships within the show, quirky characters, a message that encourages anyone to live the story they want if it's not the story they're in, and some really fresh new songs. That is rare in the theatre world right now, to have a new musical that's not based on a movie. It's important that people go and support new theatre like this if they want to see more of it, because this is a really tough time for the theatre industry. We got extremely set back due to Covid. Not only with the first production being delayed two years, but then even in this production, we got hit by Covid very hard. So if people like Olaf's Frozen Adventure, if they like Disney, if they like fresh new musicals, this is the show for them to go see and support.Anderson: It almost feels like new original musicals are in danger of going extinct if we don't support them now. We have to continue to prove that there is a hunger and an audience for new work that's not based on a huge title equity, or written by a huge, gigantic pop star. I think that audience is out there. This is the time that we really need people to buy tickets, buy them ahead of time, prove that that new musicals are still truly the heartbeat of why people love Broadway. It's truly the heartbeat of why theatre is so important, because it's new stories, it's new voices, and it's new perspectives.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/between-the-lines" target="_blank">Get&nbsp;Between the Lines&nbsp;tickets now.</a>This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson on the whimsical music of 'Between the Lines'

samsel anderson-1200.jpg

Between the Lines - NYC 

Between the Lines

Read our Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson on the whimsical music of 'Between the Lines' at NewYorkTheaterGuide.com

Martyna Majok's play&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/cost-of-living" target="_blank">Cost of Living</a>&nbsp;premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts in 2016, opened Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2017, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2018, and played in London in 2019. Now, the show will make its Broadway debut, also with MTC, this fall.&nbsp;Only two people have been involved in all those productions: Majok, of course, and Katy Sullivan.In Cost of Living, the stories of the disabled, the working-class, immigrants, and more converge with four people for whom giving, receiving, and needing care goes both ways. Sullivan plays Ani, a Jersey girl with a brash sense of humor and a mean streak toward her estranged husband, Eddie. She is also a recent double leg amputee, which brings Eddie back into her life. The couple's story is told in parallel with that of John, a Princeton grad with cerebral palsy, and his hired caretaker, Jess.No one in&nbsp;Cost of Living&nbsp;is putting on a disability: Sullivan was born without legs, and Gregg Mozgala, who previously played John off Broadway, has cerebral palsy. That alone sets the show apart in an already slim category of Broadway shows with disabled characters in the script. It also makes Sullivan a figure in a "revolution of change," as she put it, toward greater disability representation in the arts. Now, young actors can see her — an Outer Critics Circle Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner for her Off-Broadway&nbsp;Cost of Living&nbsp;performance — and not feel, as Sullivan did, like a "round peg in a square hole."But like Ani, Sullivan is much more than her disability. She's a sunny person with a hearty laugh. She's an athlete, having competed in Paralympic track and field. And she's someone who values connection with others — something she believes all audiences at&nbsp;Cost of Living&nbsp;will share.&nbsp;"Ultimately, we all need something: we need each other," Sullivan said. "That doesn't have anything to do with physical circumstance or anything like that. It comes down to the human condition."<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/cost-of-living" target="_blank">Get&nbsp;Cost of Living&nbsp;tickets now.</a>Have your performance or your relationship with the show changed over time?The fact that I have been with this piece for a number of years, and particularly what we've globally gone through in the last couple years — I don't think anybody approaches their art the way perhaps they did before a global pandemic. It's something that makes you look at your humanity and isolation and loneliness. This play is so much about those things, about that feeling of loneliness, and what [it means] to be in relationship with other people.Without even trying, so much has tectonically changed in my perspective of this character. The biggest thing is the idea of of needing each other.What makes this play so exciting, and exciting to be a part of, is how it speaks universally to people that wouldn't necessarily think it's a play for them. But at the heart of it, I think everyone will take away a little bit of seeing themselves on stage, especially for how diverse the cast is.&nbsp;I certainly hope so. That's so important for people to walk into the theatre and see themselves reflected in some way, somewhere.Have you ever seen your disability represented on stage before playing Ani?No. Growing up, wanting to be an actor, I didn't have anyone to point to and say, "Well, that person did this, so I can too." To some extent, it's challenging being a part of that revolution of change. It's also incredibly exciting to be a part of that. It's also challenging — you go through periods of time where you're super busy and there's a lot going on, and then no one thinks of writing a character that has a physical difference like I have specifically.I remember saying at one point that I never saw anyone that looked like me on television until I was on television. It's a lot to walk around carrying, but also, thank God people are not going to be able to say that, eventually. We'll get there.By playing Ani, did you learn anything new about the experiences of people who become disabled later in life?I have the incredible benefit of of having people in my life that have those lived experiences, that have been faced with a huge life-changing event and tried to take away from their experiences: What is that newness, and how does one say, "Okay, how do I live my life from this point forward?"It's interesting, though, because being someone who was born with a physical difference, I had that evolution of the grieving process later. As a child, I just wanted to play on the playground. I didn't necessarily know I was different, or it wasn't something I thought about all the time. But it was really adolescence that was like, wow, okay, people will look at me differently, people might not want to date me because of this, or — fill in the blank. Those experiences I have, that feeling of wanting to be that round peg in a square hole — I have other places in my life where I can draw from.Has your time as a Paralympic athlete informed your acting career at all?I was an actor way before I was [an athlete]. I went to acting school, so sports and athletics was the random chapter in my life. I used more of my acting training in being an athlete than I necessarily used being an athlete as an actor. I didn't feel like an athlete, so I would go, "How would an athlete act? I think an athlete would wake up at four and they'd go to the gym or they'd eat this apple instead of these potato chips." I approached it from that place because it was such a huge step out of my comfort zone.Also, being an actor is one of the most athletic things you can do, especially theatre. You've got to stretch. You got to prepare yourself vocally, physically, all of those things. And then you get on the roller coaster ride and you have to ride it all the way to the end. There's no second take. It is committing physically to doing something, and that's the same as being an athlete.<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/cost-of-living" target="_blank">Get&nbsp;Cost of Living&nbsp;tickets now.</a>This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

'Cost of Living' star Katy Sullivan on changing representation on stage

Katy Sullivan

Cost of Living on Broadway - NYC 

Cost of Living on Broadway

Read our 'Cost of Living' star Katy Sullivan on changing representation on stage at NewYorkTheaterGuide.com

Before starring as Jewish comedian Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway, Julie Benko had never seen the iconic 1968 film. Yes, she knows that's hard to believe. "I don't know how that happened, that a Jewish musical theatre girl didn't see Funny Girl growing up," she says, with self-deprecating charm. "I watched the movie after I found out I got a callback. So I've seen the movie once."It's well-known musical theatre lore that Funny Girl (created by Jule Styne, Bob Merrill, and Isobel Lennart) made a star out of Barbra Streisand, who performed in the Broadway production in 1964 and then again in the film adaptation. Streisand's mark on the material was so strong that the show has never been revived on Broadway until now.&nbsp;For Benko, not having a strong prior relationship with Funny Girl has been an asset: "I was able to just bring myself to the role and not do an impression [of Streisand]."Benko started out as the understudy for <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/actor-profile/beanie-feldstein" target="_blank">Beanie Feldstein</a>, but word-of-mouth about her performance was so strong that Benko is now playing Fanny Brice in Funny Girl&nbsp;until September 4. But even when Lea Michele steps into the role full-time beginning September 6, Benko will still perform the part every Thursday, as Michele's alternate.But that's not the only thing Benko is up to this August. She's also releasing an album with her husband, composer Jason Yeager, called Hand in Hand, on August 26. The couple will celebrate the album's release with a concert at Birdland Jazz Club on August 29 (it's on a Monday, on Benko's night off from Funny Girl). Hand in Hand is a mix of jazz standards, Broadway showtunes, and songs about New Orleans (a favorite city for the couple and the source of their favorite morning coffee). And if you want to hear Benko sing a Funny Girl song in stereo, the album contains a bolero-inspired cover of "People," which Benko says the duo recorded "before [she] ever even knew about booking" the show.Benko hasn't met Michele or the new Mrs. Brice, Tovah Feldshuh, yet. But she says she still has a close relationship with Funny Girl's departed star Feldstein, who has given her tips on how to pull off eight shows a week in the demanding role. "Playing Fanny is an Olympic sport," she says with a chuckle. "I remember texting Beanie... I was like, 'Everything hurts! How much Tylenol is normal to take when you're playing Fanny?'" The answer from Feldstein? "A lot!"Below, Benko talks about how she managed to put her own spin on Fanny Brice and how she recorded an album during the pandemic.<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/funny-girl" target="_blank">Get&nbsp;Funny Girl&nbsp;tickets now.</a>Since you never saw the film, what helped you figure out the character of Fanny Brice?I did a lot of research on the real Fanny Brice. I read two biographies of her. And I wrote to one of the librarians at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, and he ended up finding some special footage that had never been seen before, in the Gypsy Rose Lee archives. So I went to go watch the real Fanny.That's been really helpful because there are little things. For example, the real Fanny Brice wrote in her diary that she believes no one should ever see you cry. And that if you need a good cry, you should go into a room by yourself and cry it out. That's actually been a really useful acting tool because I know that whatever I'm feeling inside, even if it's deeply painful, I have this active intention to play, which is, "Don't let them see you cry."Another thing I found her saying was something along the lines of, she always felt that the audience was her best friend. To allow herself to be vulnerable only in front of the audience is a magical nugget that you can hold on to. When I sing songs like "I'm the Greatest Star," I get to communicate with the audience like they're my best friend. And I got that from Fanny's own experience of living a life in the theatre.What about the songs? How did you keep yourself from doing a Barbra impression?Barbara did a lot of her own melodic interpretation [of the original score]. And our music director, Michael Rafter, worked with Jule Styne for a number of years. So he was very intent on honoring the way that Jule Styne wrote the music and saying, "I don't want you to rewrite the melody. I want you to sing the melody that Jule Styne wrote." And so that made it easier to infuse the music, Jule Styne's melodies, with my own inflections and my own interpretation, rather than copying the way that Barbra sang each thing.Why did the Funny Girl producers decide to have you as Lea Michele's alternate?Honestly, I don't know exactly where it came from, whether it was Lea's choice or the producer's. But I think it's a very smart decision to preserve vocal and physical health. Playing Fanny is an Olympic sport. It's not just vocally incredibly demanding, it's also physically incredibly demanding. You almost never leave the stage. When you leave the stage, you're only leaving the stage to change your clothes quickly in the wings and then rush back on. I mean, It's physically so hard on your body, it's hard on your voice. It's emotionally draining and that's what makes it so challenging and therefore rewarding. It's certainly the hardest thing I've ever done.You sing "People" on your new album, but it's a different rendition. It's very dreamy and not as belty.We were in the middle of recording the album before I ever got cast in Funny Girl. In fact, when I got an audition for Funny Girl, we learned the song "People" because Jason, my husband, was playing the piano for my self-tape audition. And we learned the song, which we never knew, and we were both like, this song is amazing! I can't believe how late we were to the game. But I'm like, this song is amazing, we should record it — before I ever even knew about booking it.&nbsp;And the album came out of the pandemic. When the pandemic started, we were doing what we called "Quarantunes," which was a series of us sitting in our living room playing songs that we knew, or requests that came in via Facebook and Instagram Live. And we would pick a charity every week and we would collect tips, and we would donate half of the tips to a different charity. And as we did that, these song arrangements developed as duo arrangements. Part of the reason that it's not a big belting album, and why it is so sort of dreamy and cozy, is that we basically developed all of these arrangements in our living room, and sang it to our living room. We weren't imagining, "Let's fill a big theatre." It was meant to feel like a very soothing and cozy connection with people who were sitting at home in their living rooms in a time of great uncertainty.<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/funny-girl" target="_blank">Get&nbsp;Funny Girl&nbsp;tickets now.</a>Photo credit:&nbsp;Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Julie Benko on being ‘Funny Girl’'s new greatest star

julie funny girl-1200.jpg

Funny Girl on Broadway - NYC

Funny Girl on Broadway

Read our Julie Benko on being 'Funny Girl''s new greatest star at NewYorkTheaterGuide.com

Julie Benko on being 'Funny Girl''s new greatest star

Happy Pride! Across the world, people celebrate Pride month throughout the month of June, honoring the history of the LGBTQ+ community and celebrating its continued survival. With states nationwide introducing anti-LGBTQ laws, this year's Pride Month is an especially important time to support LGBTQ stories and, in the theatre in particular, celebrate the work of queer artists.

The contributions of LGBTQ+ writers, directors, performers, choreographers, and so much more appear in so many shows on stage this month. All these stories are worth uplifting and celebrating, and most of them happen to be pure fun. Check out these plays and musicals this Pride month — everyone is welcome at these theatres.

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

## *Fat Ham*

Everyone's invited to this cookout — but only through July 2, when *Fat Ham* ends its limited Broadway run. In his Pulitzer-winning and Tony-nominated play, James Ijames mashes up the classic plot of *Hamlet* with the sensibilities of a modern-day queer Black student, Juicy. Like Hamlet, he's tasked with killing his murderous uncle, but does Juicy really want to kill anyone? Is there another way that doesn't continue the cycle of violence? Is being sensitive and "soft" to such things really that bad?

Ijames, who also [grew up Black and queer in the South](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/james-ijames-shares-the-ingredients-from-his-life-that-make-up-fat-ham), explores these themes with humor, heart, and hot barbecue. Plus, Juicy's not the only character on stage exploring their identity and trying to access their truest self.

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

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27141-fat-ham-tickets)

![3 some like it hot-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2jrcIPZ0ssP6aFpBOPB9U4/af86078c84c12ef262d7289716e3b6f1/3_some_like_it_hot-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *Some Like It Hot*

If you're thirsty for a fresh update to a classic film that celebrates finding your most authentic self, *Some Like It Hot* delivers. Based on the 1959 Marilyn Monroe movie, this musical follows musicians Joe and Jerry as they escape the mob with an all-female traveling band, themselves disguised as women.

For Jerry, their identity as Daphne ends up being the part of themselves they didn't know they truly needed. Among *Some Like It Hot*'s 13 Tony nominations, including Best Musical, is one for [J. Harrison Ghee](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/j-harrison-ghee-contains-multitudes-in-some-like-it-hot-on-broadway). As one of the first non-binary actors to receive a Tony nomination, it means the most to them that "there's so many trans and queer and non-binary people at the stage door who are like, 'I've been struggling, and now I have more language; thank you for this visibility,’” said Ghee.

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

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets)

![4 shucked-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2A88TTJg0pds5UEOWzjQde/ef28d6d61e4aa6265901b3dfdae57a25/4_shucked-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *Shucked*

Alongside Ghee in this year's ranks of Tony nominees is Alex Newell, also one of the first non-binary Tony nominees for acting. See them onstage as Lulu in *Shucked*, a "farm-to-fable" about a rural town that learns to embrace the outside world when their beloved corn crop starts dying, and they need to branch out to find help.

*Shucked* also features an all-queer lead creative team: book writer Robert Horn, songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and director Jack O'Brien. They're all 2023 Tony nominees, proving that *Shucked* is nothing short of golden.

Get [*Shucked*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26987-shucked-tickets) tickets now.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26987-shucked-tickets)

![& juliet pride-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5xtq29vxJl4jOY1JRY0HVS/52775bdbed16f61071a04978ec319bcd/__juliet_pride-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *& Juliet*

It's gonna be you that sees *& Juliet* this June. In this nine-time Tony-nominated musical, Juliet — of *Romeo & Juliet* fame — decides not to die when Romeo does but instead ditches Verona for Paris in search of a new life and love.

*& Juliet* features characters old and new, and among the new characters is May, Juliet's non-binary pal who finds a star-crossed love of their own with the romance-challenged Francois. Not only is the show a celebration of all kinds of love, but it's simply a party. *& Juliet* is set to 30 chart-topping hits by songwriter/producer [Max Martin](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/how-max-martin-shaped-and-juliet-on-its-road-to-broadway) (the man behind "...Baby One More Time," "Since U Been Gone," "I Want It That Way," and much more) and electric dancing by queer, two-time Tony-nominated choreographer [Jennifer Weber](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/choreographer-jennifer-weber-proves-her-versatility-on-broadway). What more could you ask for in a larger-than-life Pride musical?

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

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets)

![marla titanique 2-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/CKK1sCrTf9ZWnX8DwRcSf/ccf70b44938c0668f011fffcf1881e87/marla_titanique_2-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *Titanique*

Shall we go for it? This campy parody musical is a kooky retelling of James Cameron's film *Titanic* through the character of Celine Dion, set to Dion's catalog of timeless hits. Multiple queer actors have appeared in *Titanique*, including *RuPaul's Drag Race* star Rosé, and it's by an all-queer writing team of Tye Blue, Constantine Rousouli, and Marla Mindelle.

Jack and Rose may be a straight couple, but *Titanique* is a love letter to the LGBT+ community, with plenty of references to queer pop culture, updated regularly as new trends go viral. But everyone will find something to love in this joyful, energetic comedy.

New York Theatre Guide's [four-star review calls *Titanique*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/titanique-off-broadway-review) "as much a love letter to the *Titanic* movie as it is to the people obsessed with that movie: pop culture-savvy, queer theatre kids, or so the creators presume from experience. [ ] Older and/or less theatre-obsessed audiences will find more of their enjoyment in the recreations of all the major *Titanic* movie moments and the Dion hits that score the show."

Get [*Titanique* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25241-titanique-tickets) now.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25241-titanique-tickets)

![seven sins pride-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5aFRRFa53aZKdUcGXK0xeg/3bc7be76192e53733f63737bd79b37ea/seven_sins_pride-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *Seven Sins*

*Seven Sins* is a burlesque variety show based on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve. People don't often associate biblical stories with LGBT themes, but as our critic pointed out in a [five-star review](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/seven-sins-off-broadway-review), "What makes *Seven Sins* stand out, in particular, is its deliberate and gleeful queering of its source material."

"The show may end on a somber note, in keeping with the ancient story," our critic continues, "but the real takeaway from *Seven Sins* is that sometimes, what's considered sinful outside the theatre's four walls is actually worth indulging in — and unapologetically celebrating. Pleasure. Self-expression. Confidence. Beauty."

Get [*Seven Sins* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/20950-seven-sins-tickets) now.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/20950-seven-sins-tickets)

![cocktail magique-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/XRKCaiw85wKF2UycjfwKl/b2ea44f7ab7eb4610edbe1593eaf7704/cocktail_magique-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *Cocktail Magique*

For even more burlesque fun, go right across the street from *Seven Sins* to *Cocktail Magique*, a variety show that combines magic, mixology, and more. 
Performers of all genders serve up circus-like entertainment, intoxicating illusions, and plenty of libations. Yes, you get to drink along; every ticket type includes at least one cocktail distributed throughout the performance. Everyone gets a few snacks and access to plenty of water, too. 

Get [*Cocktail Magique* tickets](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26141-cocktail-magique-tickets) now.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26141-cocktail-magique-tickets)

![love science-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/6txNiE1twARoHv4nY2MKi6/f9a9c573422c3aecaf398709de806876/love_science-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *Love + Science*

Bring the tissues for this drama. *Love + Science* occurs at the onset of the AIDS crisis, when two gay medical students fall in love in the lab — and watch their community quickly succumb to the disease. The play makes the widespread epidemic searingly intimate and human, showing the possibilities for love and hope amid crisis.

*Love + Science* also reminds audiences that the history of Pride has a somber side, and just as important as celebrating LGBT people's lives is honoring the lives lost.

Get [*Love + Science*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/28528-love-science) tickets now.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/28528-love-science)

## *Moulin Rouge! The Musical*

"No matter your desire, you're welcome here, for this is more than a nightclub. The Moulin Rouge is a state of mind." These lines from this musical's opening number set the tone immediately: Everyone can escape the outside world when they enter the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, transformed into the iconic French hotspot, and be free to be their most authentic selves. Pleasure, glamour, and fabulosity are the name of the game at this 10-time Tony-winning Best Musical adapted from Baz Luhrmann's film.

See the timeless love story of the writer Christian and showgirl Satine in 1899 Paris, set to more than 40 pop hits by artists ranging from Elton John to Lady Gaga. There's no better time than Pride Month to see a story that celebrates true love persisting against all odds.

Get [*Moulin Rouge! The Musical*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/15911-moulin-rouge-the-musical-on-broadway-tickets) tickets now.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/15911-moulin-rouge-the-musical-on-broadway-tickets)

See these New York theatre shows for Pride month

& juliet pride-1200x600-NYTG

Many of these Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays feature LGBTQ+ stories and artists, and others simply celebrate inclusivity, acceptance, and joy.

This season, several shows premiered on the West End before coming to Broadway, including [*& Juliet*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets), the jukebox musical featuring hit songs from powerhouse music producer/songwriter [Max Martin](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/how-max-martin-shaped-and-juliet-on-its-road-to-broadway)’s catalog. . *& Juliet*, featuring a book by David West Read, flips the script on Shakespeare’s tragedy *Romeo & Juliet* and reimagines the classic tale for a modern audience. In this feminist version, Juliet drops the dagger and chooses to live. The eponymous heroine ventures from fair Verona to Paris with her girlfriends, confidently stepping into a new chapter post-Romeo. 

*& Juliet* opened at the Manchester Opera House in 2019 before transferring to the West End in 2020. Then, it went to Toronto and Broadway in 2022, receiving nine Tony Awards nominations, including for Best Musical. For the show’s transfer to Broadway, the creative team honed in on the narrative storytelling and the audience experience through design elements.

For Gareth Owen, the show’s Tony-nominated sound designer, the transfer across the pond allowed the sound team to fine-tune the design. “*& Juliet* Broadway is a more polished, refined version of the London production as far as sound is concerned,” said Owen. 

The team pushed boundaries in London and tried several techniques for sound design. The team scrapped the failures for the Broadway iteration and further improved the successes. “The result is a much more cohesive overall picture — a sonic landscape that threads through the show from one end to the other with a definite purpose, as opposed to London, where we were often trying to be clever simply for the sake of it,” conceded Owen.

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

Dominic Fallacaro and Bill Sherman, nominated for Best Orchestrations, tuned up the storytelling for the Broadway transfer. “There were some small musical tweaks and upgrades, from cutting a few bars here to changing a string line there,” said Fallacaro. “Ultimately, it's about serving the narrative the best and thinking about all the creative musical ways you can amp up the storytelling.”

The show features chart-toppers from the past few decades, including “...Baby One More Time,” “Since U Been Gone,” and “I Want It That Way,” which cleverly lend themselves to a new storyline of empowerment, self-acceptance, and love.

Sherman added, “The creative team definitely tightened some narrative screws before Broadway, including song cuts and character refinement. In addition, we continued to find new ways to bring Max Martin's music to life.”

One noticeable change was with the showstopping number “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” which closes the show. The entire creative team worked together to drive the show home. “Along with our choreographer, [Jennifer Weber](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/choreographer-jennifer-weber-proves-her-versatility-on-broadway), we workshopped hits and breaks into that number to maximize the explosive choreography and leave the show on an extra high note,” said Fallacaro. (Not just one, but two explosive confetti cannons extend that high note further.)

*& Juliet*’s lighting designer Howard Hudson also earned a Tony nomination. “Being able to work again on the show, having opened it in the West End, let us add another whole layer of detail,” said Hudson.

“Lighting-wise, when you leave a show, there’s always things with hindsight you think to yourself that you’d wish you’d done, and of course, we were able to make all those changes,” he said. “Broadway definitely feels more immersive as we tried to bring the piece into the auditorium more and really embrace the audience in the world of the show.” 

For the entire creative team, the experience of bringing some of the greatest pop songs to the stage, and bringing the audience into the fun, has been gratifying. “Working on this project has brought me to the West End in London, Abbey Road, Manchester, Toronto, and now to Broadway, with some of the most talented creatives and artists, and I've loved it,” effused Fallacaro.

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

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets)


How the ‘& Juliet’ creative team fine-tuned the Broadway design

& 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 creative team behind Broadway's *& Juliet* shares how the show transformed from London's West End with amped-up choreography, sound, and lighting design.

The [American Airlines Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/american-airlines-theatre) will be renamed for Todd Haimes, the late former artistic director and CEO of Roundabout Theatre Company.

Haimes joined Roundabout in 1983, and he led the charge to restore and rename the venue, originally called the Selwyn Theatre, in the 1990s. The American Airlines theatre is now the flagship venue of Roundabout, which operates two other Broadway houses — [Studio 54](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/studio-54) and the [Stephen Sondheim Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/stephen-sondheim-theatre) — and the Off-Broadway [Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/harold-and-miriam-steinberg-center-for-theatre).

Plans to rename the American Airlines were actually in the works before Haimes's death at 66, as American Airlines's sponsorship of the theatre is set to end in 2024.

The renaming will take place during the 2023-24 Broadway season at a date to be confirmed.

Through July 2, the theatre is currently showing [*Fat Ham*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27141-fat-ham-tickets), James Ijames's Pulitzer-winning and Tony-nominated play.

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

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27141-fat-ham-tickets)

*Photo credit: Todd Haimes. (Photo by Teddy Wolff)*

American Airlines Theatre to be renamed for Todd Haimes

haimes-1200x600-NYTG

Haimes, who died in April, was the longtime artistic director of Roundabout Theatre Company, the nonprofit organization that operates the Broadway venue.

It’s the summer of 76! 

Not [*Summer, 1976*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25993-summer-1976-tickets) — that’s the Tony-nominated David Auburn play — but the 76th annual Tony Awards on June 11. Tony host Ariana DeBose may not march on stage with 76 trombones in tow (*The Music Man* was last season, after all), but it does seem fitting that the 76th Tony Awards are taking place in the same season as Roundabout’s gender-flipped [*1776*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24270-1776-tickets) revival and Manhattan Theatre Club’s world premiere of *Summer, 1976*. 

Seventy-six isn’t the only notable number attached to this year’s ceremony, though. Read on to discover some of the exciting, historic firsts among the nominees and more fast facts on the 2023 Tony Awards by the numbers.

## 76 years of the Tonys

The very first Antoinette Perry Awards took place in 1947 in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. (It took another two decades until the ceremony was broadcast on national television in 1967.) Awards were given in eight categories: 

- Actor in a Play
- Actress in a Play
- Best Performer in a Musical
- Outstanding Newcomer
- Director
- Choreographer
- Costume Designer
- Composer

The winners, including director Elia Kazan (*All My Sons*), composer Kurt Weill (*Street Scene*), actress Ingrid Bergman (*Joan of Lorraine*), and choreographer Agnes DeMille (*Brigadoon*), received gendered prizes by today’s standards. The women got engraved jewelry or compacts, while the men got engraved money clips or cigarette lighters. Two years later, the Tonys began awarding medallions to the recipients instead. 

![united palace-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5fVs6gar9E47dbFcCw3mKX/e2cd678dea5fcb7dc10663a9a318f8e9/united_palace-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## 1 new venue

For the first time, the Tonys will take place at the United Palace theatre in Washington Heights. It is Manhattan’s fourth-largest theatre, with nearly 3,500 seats. In some ways, the Tony Awards are going back to their roots by happening there — Harold Rambusch, who designed the Waldorf Astoria, also designed the interior of the United Palace theatre.

Over the past 76 years, the Tonys have been held at 19 different venues, including other hotels like the Plaza, Broadway theatres like the [Winter Garden](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/winter-garden-theatre) and [Shubert](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/shubert-theatre), and iconic New York landmarks like the Rainbow Room and [Radio City Music Hall](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/radio-city-music-hall). Radio City has hosted the most Tony Award ceremonies of all time: 20.

## 3 modified ceremonies (in 3 years)

The pandemic shook up the past two Tony Awards ceremonies. The combined 2020 awards ceremony actually took place in 2021 after pandemic delays. And several of the 2022 Tony winning shows actually began performances just prior to the Broadway shutdown on March 12, 2020, and would have been considered among that year’s nominees had they not been shuttered as quickly as they opened.

The 2023 ceremony is also being modified, this time amid an ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America, which writes material for televised broadcasts like the Tonys. While the ceremony will still be broadcast as planned on June 11, it won’t contain any original scripted material. The ceremony will consist almost entirely of awards presentations and performances from the nominated shows.

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

## 38 eligible shows

There were 38 total shows in the 2022-2023 Broadway season, and all were considered eligible for nominations. Of those, 27, or 71% of the eligible shows, received at least one nomination.

## 26 competitive award categories

Having come a long way since 1947, the Tony Awards now award performers, directors, writers, choreographers, and designers, with most categories split by play or musical. There are also multiple special Tony honors, a different number each year, awarded to educators, regional theatres, administrators, and artists celebrating lifetime achievement.

![3 some like it hot-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2jrcIPZ0ssP6aFpBOPB9U4/af86078c84c12ef262d7289716e3b6f1/3_some_like_it_hot-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## 13 *Some Like It Hot* nominations

[*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets) is this year’s most nominated show, receiving 13 nominations in 12 categories. [Christian Borle](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/christian-borle) and [J. Harrison Ghee](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/j-harrison-ghee-contains-multitudes-in-some-like-it-hot-on-broadway) were nominated for their work on the new musical in the same category: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

There is a three-way tie for second place: The musicals [*& Juliet*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets), [*Shucked*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26987-shucked-tickets), and [*New York, New York*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26043-new-york-new-york-tickets) all received nine nods. [*Leopoldstadt*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26003-leopoldstadt-tickets), [*Ain’t No Mo’*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25907-aint-no-mo-tickets), and [*A Doll’s House*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26989-a-dolls-house-tickets) also tied three ways for the most play nominations with six each.

![jordan 1200 NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2ZIzHupXCcEaU9Rq9HsgzB/f16227aa0fa3b54816165487442fccf6/jordan_1200_NYTG.jpg)

## 8 double nominees

8 nominees were either nominated in the same category for two different shows they worked on this season, or they were nominated in two different categories for their work on the same show. Here are all the double nominees this year:

- Playwright/performer Jordan E. Cooper ([*Ain’t No Mo’*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25907-aint-no-mo-tickets))
- Choreographer [Jennifer Weber](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/choreographer-jennifer-weber-proves-her-versatility-on-broadway) ([*& Juliet*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25598-and-juliet-tickets) and [*KPOP*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24236-kpop-tickets))
- Costume designer Emilio Sosa ([*Ain’t No Mo’*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25907-aint-no-mo-tickets) and [*Good Night, Oscar*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26390-good-night-oscar-tickets)) 
- Director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw ([*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets))
- Bookwriter/lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire ([*Kimberly Akimbo*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25458-kimberly-akimbo-tickets))
- Set designer Scott Pask ([*Shucked*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26987-shucked-tickets) and [*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets))
- Sound designers Ben and Max Ringham ([*Prima Facie*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25983-prima-facie-tickets) and [*A Doll’s House*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26989-a-dolls-house-tickets))
- Lighting designer Natasha Katz ([*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets) and [*Sweeney Todd*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26216-sweeney-todd-on-broadway-tickets))

[Read our feature spotlighting this year's double Tony nominees.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/meet-the-broadway-artists-nominated-for-two-tonys-this-season)

## 60 first-time Tony nominees

Of note, Weber and Cooper, both among the double nominees above, made their Broadway debuts this season. Additionally, all the performers in the Best Featured Actress and Actor in a Musical categories, with the exception of Ruthie Ann Miles, are first-time nominees.

![4 shucked-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2A88TTJg0pds5UEOWzjQde/ef28d6d61e4aa6265901b3dfdae57a25/4_shucked-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## More historic firsts at the 2023 Tony Awards

The 76th Tony Awards already made history with this year’s nominees, and pivotal moments could happen when the winners are announced. 

[*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets)’s Ghee and [*Shucked*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26987-shucked-tickets)’s Alex Newell are the first openly non-binary performers to be nominated in their categories. Ghee plays a gender-expansive character, and Newell plays a cisgender woman, but both performers were able to choose whether they wanted to be considered eligible in the Actor or Actress category.

Katy Sullivan ([*Cost of Living*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25892-cost-of-living-tickets)) is the first female amputee to perform on Broadway and the first to be nominated for a Tony Award.

Although the current [*A Doll’s House*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26989-a-dolls-house-tickets) revival is the 14th Broadway production of the famous Ibsen play, 2023 Tony nominee [Amy Herzog](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/tony-nominee-amy-herzog-flips-the-script-with-a-dolls-house) is the first woman to adapt the work for Broadway. And since she newly adapted it, not just translated it, she’s eligible for the Best Revival of a Play award, which is usually reserved for producers.

Jordan E. Cooper became the youngest Black American playwright in Broadway history when his play [*Ain’t No Mo’*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25907-aint-no-mo-tickets) opened this past fall. And now, he’s the youngest Black American playwright ever nominated!

Helen Park is the first female Asian composer/lyricist on Broadway and the first to be nominated for a Tony. She is, in fact, the first female Asian writer to be nominated for a Tony in any of the writing categories. If Helen Park were to win Best Score for her work on [*KPOP*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24236-kpop-tickets), she would be the first woman of color to do so in her category. 

Similarly, if either Amber Ruffin (*Some Like It Hot*) or Sharon Washington ([*New York, New York*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26043-new-york-new-york-tickets)) wins Best Book of a Musical, they will be the first non-white woman to ever receive the award for writing or co-writing the book of a musical. In fact, no non-white woman has ever won a Tony Award in either writing category (Best Book or Best Score). The closest exception is Yasmina Reza, a playwright of half-Central Asian descent who has won two Tonys for Best Play.

![kimberly akimbo-1200x600-NYTG 4](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/O3Pvd2E5ymYHMwRNNCeBO/2b8326d3df40952dadec774a363299fe/kimberly_akimbo-1200x600-NYTG_4.jpg)

## 66-year age range of nominees

*Kimberly Akimbo*’s Justin Cooley is this year’s youngest nominee at 19 years old. He’s up for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for starring in Kimberly Akimbo. In a close second, the youngest nominated woman is 23-year-old Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee Julia Lester, who made her Broadway debut with [*Into the Woods*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25770-into-the-woods-tickets) last summer as Little Red Ridinghood.

At 85 years old, playwright Tom Stoppard is the oldest nominee at this year’s Tony Awards. His show [*Leopoldstadt*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26003-leopoldstadt-tickets) is up for Best Play.

![cost of living review-1200](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5vCMxlC40yg6rktYgluAhk/bf7cf191ea6fc694206328651906640a/cost_of_living_review-1200.jpg)

## 6 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays

No matter what happens, they’re already winners! Three of this year’s Best Play nominees have already won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama: [*Between Riverside and Crazy*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26311-between-riverside-and-crazy-tickets) by [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/the-real-life-friendship-that-led-to-between-riverside-and-crazy) (2015), [*Cost of Living*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25892-cost-of-living-tickets) by Martyna Majok (2018), and [*Fat Ham*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27141-fat-ham-tickets) by James Ijames (2022). 

Additionally, three plays that got revived this year won Pulitzers when they premiered: [*Death of a Salesman*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25459-death-of-a-salesman-tickets) (1949), [*The Piano Lesson*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24256-the-piano-lesson-tickets) (1990), and [*Topdog/Underdog*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25558-topdog-underdog-tickets) (2002). 

![8 sweeney-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5d6m9eAI4F4cba33znc9mk/90fae9ace6c029c58d525e5a2f124ca4/8_sweeney-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Which nominee has the most career Tony nominations?

Lighting designers are not often household names, but if you don’t know the name Natasha Katz, you should. Katz has received a whopping 17 Tony nominations for designing Broadway plays and musicals, including last year’s MJ. She has won the award seven times – four for musicals (*MJ*, *Aida*, *Once*, and *An American in Paris*) and three for plays (*The Coast of Utopia*, *The Glass Menagerie*, and *Long Day’s Journey into Night*).

This year, she is doubly nominated for her work on two musicals: [*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets) and [*Sweeney Todd*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26216-sweeney-todd-on-broadway-tickets).

![ohio state review-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/7LYP2CqsoFdBdjjLnIvDcd/8cf87c36cc284ed9ecba5618b3d717af/ohio_state_review-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## Which nominee has the most career Tony wins?

Audra McDonald holds that record. She is one of only five performers to have been nominated in all four acting categories and is the only person who’s won all four acting categories. She has won six competitive awards; Julie Harris is the only other person in history with that many wins, but one of hers is a special award.

This year’s nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Play for [*Ohio State Murders*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24218-ohio-state-murders-tickets) is her 10th to date, tying her with Harris and Chita Rivera as the most nominated performer ever. If McDonald wins in 2023, she will become the performer with the most awards ever: seven.

The 2023 Tony Awards by the numbers

Tony Awards

Read on to learn fun facts and stats about the nominees, venue, and historic firsts associated with the 76th annual theatre awards ceremony, hosted on June 11.

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.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets)

![3 some like it hot-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2jrcIPZ0ssP6aFpBOPB9U4/af86078c84c12ef262d7289716e3b6f1/3_some_like_it_hot-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## 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.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets)

*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. 

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

doubt-1200x600-NYTG

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.

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.

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

julie benko-1200x600-NYTG

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.

You didn't get the invite to the United Palace for the 2023 Tony Awards, but that doesn't mean you can't party like Broadway royalty. It's Tony season, so it's time to gather your bosom buddies and raise a glass of bubbly to the biggest night on Broadway. Cheer on your favorites as you watch the June 11 ceremony at 8 p.m. on CBS while enjoying themed snacks and drinks. And the award for Best Party Host goes to... you!

Learn more about the [2023 Tony nominees](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/2023-tony-award-nominees-announced) and [how to watch the 2023 Tony Awards](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/tony-awards-guide-how-to-watch-nominees-and-more).

<h2>Build a pre-show playlist.</h2>Jam to Tony-nominated scores as your guests arrive. We'd recommend a playlist of 11 o'clock numbers to kick off the night. Cue the <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/hadestown" target="_blank">Hadestown</a> swinging lamps!<h2>Put together a themed menu.</h2>Come up with a list of&nbsp;Tony nominee-inspired cocktails&nbsp;for your guests to sip on, like Tequila Mockingbirds or <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/actor-profile/adam-driver" target="_blank">Adam Screw-Drivers</a>. But make sure you don't drink on an empty stomach. We suggest putting together a cheese plate with the following cheeses: <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/what-the-constitution-means-to-me" target="_blank">What the Constitution Means to Brie</a>, <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/the-ferryman" target="_blank">Ferrymanchego</a>, <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/burn-this" target="_blank">Brandon Urano-Swiss</a>, and <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/tootsie" target="_blank">Santino Fontina</a>.<h2>Decorate.</h2>Theatre is one of the most delightfully over-the-top art forms, so don't be afraid to let your party camp it up. Put this season's playbills on prominent display on a cute clothesline and build your own step-and-repeat. Or even roll out a red carpet if you're feeling especially extra. Don't forget balloons and streamers. Think Beth Leavel and Brooks Ashmanskas <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/the-prom" target="_blank">building a prom</a> and going for the most over-the-top aesthetic possible.<h2>Prepare voting ballots.</h2>Some people like to do Fantasy Football drafts or March Madness brackets, but in our world, the only league we care about is the Broadway League. No Tony watch party is complete without some healthy competition, so make sure you have ballots for all your guests to fill out with their predictions. Make things a little interesting by pooling together some cash, which will go to the person with the most correct predictions at the end of the night.<h2>Play a drinking game (responsibly).</h2>We would say take a drink every time host James Corden makes a niche musical theatre joke, but you have a liver to preserve. Start with something simple, like a Hollywood actor introducing an award by talking about how much theatre means to them. Then again, that could get dangerous too... come up with your own rules, and play at your own risk.

How to plan the perfect Tony Awards party

You didn't get the invite to Radio City Music Hall, but that doesn't mean you can't party like Broadway royalty. It's Tony season, so it's time to gather your bosom buddies and raise a glass of bubbly to the biggest night on Broadway.

How to plan the perfect Tony Awards party | NewYorkTheatreGuide.com

Read our tips for getting together the best decorations, food, music, and more to have the best, most fun bash on the biggest night of the Broadway season.

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.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets)

__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.

Check out our exclusive interviews with Broadway stars, playwrights, directors, and more working in New York theatre. Glimpse behind the scenes into the life and work of the people who bring Broadway shows, Off-Broadway productions, and musical films to life. Find out more about Broadway plays and musicals.

Subscribe to the [New York Theatre Guide newsletter](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/info/newsletter) to make sure you don’t miss out on the latest New York theatre interviews.

Interviews List Index Editorial - New York Theatre Guide

Theatre Interviews with Top Broadway Stars

All Broadway shows - NYC

Explore the Broadway shows our fans love.

Most popular Broadway shows

Discover what's playing on Broadway. Find the best theatre ticket deals, explore exclusive Lottery and Rush tickets, & more on TodayTix.

Broadway Shows NYC | Book Tickets | TodayTix

New York All Shows

Get last-minute theatre tickets for New York Shows at the best prices, and get exclusive access to our Lottery and Rush tickets.

Last-Minute Broadway Tickets & Theatre in NYC | New York Shows | TodayTix

New York Shows

Get tickets to the best shows at the best prices on Broadway and beyond

New York Discover Page

Discover New York City

New York Header Image

Latest New York City Insider Posts

New York Theatre Guide is a trusted source for Off-Broadway and Broadway tickets, news, and reviews. Learn about the latest Broadway shows and Off-Broadway shows, and get New York theatre tickets today.

New York Theatre Guide Home Page (New York Theatre Guide)

New York Theatre Shows & Tickets

See what's on sale on Broadway, from classics to new hits. Get tickets today. Find tickets at New York Theatre Guide, a reliable source for Broadway.

New York Theatre Guide - New York Musicals & Plays

New York

New York Search Results

Search Results

New York Tile Image

NYC App Homes

New York Home Page (TT Home)

Get the best prices on theatre tickets today and this week in New York, London and more. Read reviews. Win exclusive lottery or rush tickets. Download our app.