BROADWAY BOUND: Mezer’s Modest Proposals

This piece comes to you compliments of ACREL Fellow Steve Mezer of Becker & Poliakoff who has a front row view of Broadway for several reasons. He is on the Board of the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa that invests in and presents Broadway shows. He is also a theater aficionado who spends his free time in NYC with his wife Karen bingeing on Broadway and Off Broadway musicals.

Broadway theater is a unique American cultural experience. Other cities have vibrant theater scenes, but no other American venue offers Broadway’s range of options. I recommend that you come a day early and stay a date later for our Fall meeting in New York and take in a couple of Broadway shows. I grew up 90 miles outside of New York City; Broadway was and remains a family staple. I can neither sing nor dance, but I have a great appreciation for musical theater. So here are my recommendations:

Musicals:

2016 was one of Broadway’s most successful years as it presented many original works and attracted unprecedented attention with Hamilton and its record breaking (secondary market) ticket prices.

October is a transition month, an exciting time to see a new Broadway show. Holiday Inn, an Irving Berlin musical, begins previews September 1, and opens on October 6 at Studio 54. Jim (played by Bryce Pinkham) leaves his farm in Connecticut and meets Linda (Laura Lee Gayer) a school teacher brimming with talent. Together they turn a farmhouse into an inn with dazzling performances to celebrate each holiday. Enter Ted (Corbin Blew) who tries to lure Linda to dance with him in Hollywood. Is this Jim’s last chance at love? This show has a cast of 27 and promises to be a hit.

This year features some outstanding revivals: Cats (opens July 31, 2016), and Motown The Musical (opens July 12). These classics have been reworked with updated scenery, choreography, sets, lighting, costumes, and, of course, new casting. The revival of The Color of Purple opened December 10, 2015. It won the Tony for Best Musical Revival. If you go, be sure that Cynthia Erivo and Heather Headley are in the cast. Ervio won the Best Actress (2016) among strong competition. Hello Dolly, Ms. Saigon and Falsettos are revivals set to open later this year.

No list of Broadway 2016 recommendations would be complete without a mention of Hamilton. Hamilton is certainly one of the best musicals currently on Broadway. It is beautifully written and staged; however, tickets after departure of five original cast members (including Lin-Manuel Miranda) remain pricey. Hint: Hamilton, like many of the Broadway shows, has a lottery, and 21 lottery winners get two tickets for $10.00 each.

If a new show is out of your comfort zone, seeing a long running show, such as Jersey Boys or The Lion King, in New York is still a unique experience. The Broadway casts often include

standout performers -- well worth the price of the ticket. The most popular long running shows currently on Broadway are all musicals: The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Chicago and Aladdin. All are solid theatrical experiences, and all except Aladdin and Chicago are currently touring. Hint: Most of these shows have online lotteries and you can enter more than one lottery.

Plays:

Plays tend to have limited runs. Three of the four plays nominated for a 2016 Tony for best play have closed. If you can see only one play, see The Humans by Stephen Karam about a middle class family that gathers at Thanksgiving for angst, anguish and amity. This 2016 Tony award winner features Jayne Houdyshell in a cast of six.

My other picks will be in previews during our meeting in NYC. Do not hesitate to see a production in “previews” before it “opens.” Seeing a show in previews offers an opportunity to see the show as it is fine tuned.

Heisenberg by Simon Stephens will star Denis Arndt and Mary-Louise Parker. The story takes place in a crowded London train station where Georgie approaches Alex, an older man, and kisses him on the neck. That encounter between two strangers begins a fascinating and life changing game. This is a Broadway transfer of a 2015 Off Broadway production. Heisenberg begins its previews September 20 but does not open until October 13.

The Chekhov classic The Cherry Orchard will feature Diane Lane in a production by the Roundabout Theatre Company, known for its exceptional productions. The Cherry Orchard begins previews September 15 and opens on October 16.