Which Tony-nominated shows should you see?
The Frank Guide to Broadway Shows
Every so often, I get a DM from someone who’s visiting New York and wants to know which shows they should see. There’s a myriad of shows on Broadway AND Off-Broadway (which has much better theatre, but that’s a post for another day), but I’ve gotten a new influx of messages now that the Tony nominations have been announced1. As you plan your spring pilgrimages to New York for theatre, here’s the handy Frank Guide to Broadway Shows.
Below you’ll find a list of every show that’s nominated and whether or not it’s worth seeing. I haven’t seen all of them yet, so I’ll be updating this list as I see them (I have a four-show weekend coming up!).
If you’d like a more in-depth conversation on the Tony nominations and shows currently playing on Broadway, tune in next Wednesday to Keep It, where Louis and I will be joined by my friend and Theatrely chief theatre critic, Juan A. Ramírez.
Boop! The Musical
Nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Costume Design in a Musical
Should you see it: Fuck yes. I love this show. Betty Boop has been my Gran’s favorite cartoon for ages, and I used to get her memorabilia for birthdays and Christmas. The obsession passed on to me, and I quite literally have vintage Betty Boop figurines in my apartment. Jasmine Amy Rogers (nominated for the role of Betty Boop) brings the house ALL the way down in this show, and though she won’t get it, she’s the one who truly deserves the Tony.
Buena Vista Social Club
Nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design in a Musical, Best Costume Design in a Musical, Best Lighting Design in a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical
Haven’t seen it yet.
Dead Outlaw
Nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Original Score
Should you see it: This is a puzzling musical. The first half, which tells the “true” story of outlaw Elmer McCurdy, feels like watching Forrest Gump and has a bunch of things happening… but no interesting plot, compelling songs, or emotional hook. The second half, the part of the story you’ve probably heard about, where Elmer dies and his mummified body is carted across the United States as a sideshow is weird and often funny. There’s a better show that’s entirely focused on the events of the second half, but the show is more interested in being slick and showing off than it is at telling a real story. I’m not mad I saw it, but I really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Death Becomes Her
Nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design in a Musical, Best Costume Design in a Musical, Best Lighting Design in a Musical
Should you see it: Abso-fucking-lutely. This is my most recommended show of the Broadway season. I’ve seen it twice, I’d see it again if it meant making sure another friends see it. The songs are great, the show is hysterical, and the fight choreography BLEW ME AWAY. This is just a really, really fun show. Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, and Christopher Sieber are brilliant. And Michelle Williams is a really great singer.
English
Nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play, Best Direction of a Play, Best Scenic Design in a Play
Closed March 2.
Eureka Day
Nominations: Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Closed February 15.
Floyd Collins
Nominations: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Lighting Design in a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical
Haven’t seen it yet.
Good Night, and Good Luck
Nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Best Scenic Design in a Play, Best Costume Design in a Play, Best Lighting Design in a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play
Should you see it: If you have a hard-on for George Clooney, I guess. But with that hair dye, even Amal doesn’t want him! I did not enjoy this play at all, if you can even call it a play, since it’s utterly devoid of conflict. If you’re a liberal who enjoys clapping at jokes that make you go “ohhhh, that’s just like what’s happening in America right now!” then this is the show for you.
Gypsy
Nominations: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Choreography
Haven’t seen it yet.
The Hills of California
Nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Best Direction of a Play, Best Scenic Design in a Play, Best Costume Design in a Play, Best Lighting Design in a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play
Closed December 22.
John Proctor Is the Villain
Nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play, Best Direction of a Play, Best Lighting Design in a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play
Should you see it: Sadie Sink STARS in… 20 minutes of this play. That scam aside, this play is really phenomenal. It’s a funny, moving, and incisive cultural critique of The Crucible and the Me Too movement. Also, points for writing teenagers who sound like teenagers who make references that don’t sound weird and antiquated. Molly Griggs and Fina Straza eat DOWN in their performances, and Kimberly Belflower not only wrote my favorite play of the year, but also makes the case for Lorde being the most important pop star of the past decade. I’m stanning.
Just in Time
Nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design in a Musical, Best Costume Design in a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical
Haven’t seen it yet.
Maybe Happy Ending
Nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design in a Musical, Best Costume Design in a Musical, Best Lighting Design in a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical
Should you see it: HELL YEAH. This is the musical I’ve most recommended to friends who say they don’t like musicals. The story, about robots falling in love in the future in Korea, is wildly original and moving. I cried several times when I saw this show. Both times I saw this show. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen on Broadway.
Oh, Mary!
Nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, Best Direction of a Play, Best Costume Design in a Play
Should you see it: Yes! Cole Escola is one of the funniest humans alive. I can’t even describe how much this show made me laugh when I first saw it Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel. I sadly have not seen it on Broadway yet, but the raves are in. I can’t imagine traveling to New York to see a show and not wanting to see Oh, Mary!
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score
Should you see it: Maaaaybe. The musical clocks in at nearly three hours which is entirely too fucking long. There are some hilarious moments and some truly amazing work from Jak Malone, who won the Olivier for the same role. Jak sings the only real song in the show, which is mostly full of numbers that explain plot points we’ve already covered. I honestly wanted to leave after the first act, but I’m glad I didn’t because the second act is fantastic. This isn’t a show I’d recommend if you can only see a handful of shows in one weekend, but if you’re hanging around New York for an extended period and love British farce… sure!
Romeo + Juliet
Nominations: Best Revival of a Play
Closed February 16.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Best Direction of a Play, Best Scenic Design in a Play, Best Costume Design in a Play, Best Lighting Design in a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play
Haven’t seen it yet.
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Nominations: Best Revival of a Musical
Haven’t seen it yet.
Purpose
Nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Should you see it: Yes. Yes. YES. This show is brilliant. Brandon Jacob-Jenkins is a fantastic playwright who dissects American history and the theatrical form with such ease in all of his work. Purpose is no different. Much like Stereophonic last year, it’s a three hour play that doesn’t feel any longer than an hour to me. The characters are just so strong, the message is so clear, and it’s funny as hell. This exploration of Black excellence, mental health, and family legacy belongs with the work of Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill.
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Nominations: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Haven’t seen it yet.
The Roommate
Nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Closed December 15.
SMASH
Nominations: Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Choreography
Should you see it: If you, like me, loved the absolutely awful television show Smash that somehow has brilliant music from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, then you’ll love this equally awful musical. The theme of this show is what didn’t work the first time, keep doing it a different way until it does. Ultimately, I don’t think Smash will ever fully work. But I commend everyone involved for continuing to try! This production gets the closest. The songs are great (they’re the same songs you’ve heard before), the performances are fantastic, and there’s some genuine laughs. At its best, it’s a scathing critique of Broadway capitalism. It doesn’t go hard enough, but this show also needs to make money too! So it can’t be that scathing. I unfortunately cannot be objective about this show, because I will always be obsessed with anything Smash related, but I can’t wait to see this again.
Stranger Things, The First Shadow
Nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Best Scenic Design in a Play, Best Costume Design in a Play, Best Lighting Design in a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play
Haven’t seen it yet.
Sunset Blvd.
Nominations: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Lighting Design in a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical
Should you see it: Absolutely. I absolutely loved Nicole Scherzinger in this production. I’d recommend it based on her performance alone! The show itself, I didn’t love as much, but it has continued to stay with me for months after I’ve seen it. If that’s not the sign of compelling art, then I don’t know what is? Sunset Blvd. is a MUST.
Swept Away
Nominations: Best Scenic Design in a Musical
Closed December 29.2
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town
Nominations: Best Revival of a Play
Closed January 19.
A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
Nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Closed February 23.
Yellow Face
Nominations: Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Closed November 24.
And none for Othello! With their expensive ass tickets. I shouldn’t have to pay that much to see SHAKESPEARE. I’m glad the Tonys didn’t reward a show that’s symptomatic of everything currently wrong with Broadway.
I had never heard of this show until today, chile.
we all read the "theatre" in your parenthetical in the classic ira british accent, right? because i sure did!!
I'm the quintessential "not a musical" person (...i know) and I LOVED "maybe happy ending" and i'm thrilled it's getting recognized!! if "the picture of dorian gray" is on the docket for you, looking forward to hearing/reading your thoughts--sarah snook was INCREDIBLE and it was quite a different theatre experience than the norm.
p.s. thanks for saving me money on seeing Clooney in that show!!
I just saw Buena Vista Social Club this week and really loved it. I highly recommend it.