@showsiveseen The #Museum of #Broadway in New York City's #Manhattan#Theatre District. Offered a surprising amount to see, with plenty of photo-worthy spots perfect for selfies! Review: showsiveseen.com/11337 Executive Producers, Creative Directors, Conceived By: Julie Boardman & Diane Nicoletti General Manager: Elie Landau Curators: Ben West, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, John Kenrick, Michael McDonald, & Lisa Zinni #nyc#newYorkCity#newYork#musicals#plays @The Museum of Broadway ♬ #BrooklynBloodPop! – SyKo
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Museum of Broadway in New York City’s Manhattan Theatre District. Offered a surprising amount to see, with plenty of photo-worthy spots perfect for selfies and Instagram!
Recommendation: See it, especially if you enjoy plays and musicals. Bonus points if you also like reading the dramaturgical articles in playbill programs.
Was This the First Time I Visited this Museum? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Yes, if their exhibits changed by more than 50%, so I could see something new.
Mainstream Appeal: Medium to high
My Synopsis: The experience begins with Broadway’s theatrical roots and the Ziegfeld Follies. It continues through each era, highlighting iconic musicals such as Oklahoma!, Company, West Side Story, Hair, and Rent. Special exhibits also delve into the creation of a musical, exploring behind-the-scenes roles like stage management, and a focus on Disney musicals.
Synopsis from Company: Walk through Broadway’s history, starting in 1732 with the first documented performance in NYC, and go backstage with your favorite Broadway stars to learn how a show is made. As you walk the timeline, you’ll come upon exhibits dedicated to groundbreaking moments in Broadway’s history – those that pushed creative boundaries, challenged social norms, and paved the way for those who would follow. The Museum of Broadway was designed by internationally renowned artists, designers, and theatre historians.
Type: Museum
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’ll obviously appreciate this experience more if you know a little about musical theatre.
Length: It’s whatever length you make it. I spent around 1.5 hours there.
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
Photo Opportunities: The museum did a great job in ensuring there were plenty of Instagram-able moments. For example, the museum allows you to sit in the letter “C” (from the musical Company) and take a selfie. I’ve always wondered where the below iconic picture came from that I see everywhere on Instagram.
Lockers: Complimentary lockers were available to store belongings so you wouldn’t need to haul them around the museum.
Content Quantity: For a venue with such a tiny footprint, there was unexpectedly an almost overwhelmingly number of exhibits to see! I was originally anticipating much less at the Museum of Broadway since I visited the Museum of Sex earlier (a 25-minute walk away), which was surprisingly sparse.
Unsung Heros: Some exhibits towards the end focused on roles in live theatre that don’t get much spotlight like stage management, stagehands, and sound board operators.
Venue: The Museum of Broadway
Venue Physical Address: 145 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
Price Range: Around $40-50
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Photo by Emilio Madrid.Ziegfeld Follies Exhibit. Photo by Darren Cox.Exhibit on Jukebox Musicals. Photo by Darren Cox.The Phantom of the Opera Costumes. Photo by Monique Carboni.Exhibits on Rent and Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk. Photo by Monique Carboni.The Making of a Broadway Show Exhibit. Photo by Darren Cox.The Making of a Broadway Show Exhibit. Photo by Darren Cox.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway. Starring Adam Lambert, Calvin Leon Smith, & Auliʻi Cravalho. Novel immersive food/bar/club experience of a musical revival.
Recommendation: See it!
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I’ve probably seen this musical in around 5 different past productions (including the national tour).
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? I don’t know … 5 times is already an awful lot of times to see a musical. Maybe I would if the next show has an even more unique gimmick than this production.
Mainstream Appeal: Medium to high
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): An American writer relocates to pre-WWII Berlin and witnesses German society’s gradual fall to the Nazis through the eyes of a cabaret at the notoriously risqué Kit Kat Club.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: The denizens of the Kit Kat Club have created a decadent sanctuary inside Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre, where artists and performers, misfits and outsiders rule the night. Step inside their world. This is Berlin. Relax. Loosen up. Be yourself.
Type: Immersive Musical
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static and austere
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should have a very general knowledge of Nazi Germany
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Union Actors: All
Total Actors: Too many to count
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? Yes
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
Immersive Experience: Other than the celebrity casting, the main draw of this revival was the unique immersive experience.
Alley and Basement: One hour before the main show began (7PM on an 8PM ticket), the doors opened, and ticket scanners ushered us in. They led us down a dimly lit, green-tinged alley, evoking the feeling of entering a hip, secret underground club. Soon, we found ourselves packed like sardines in a cramped basement, standing room only, with a small stage and two dance platforms. Performers mingled among the crowd while dancing, miming, and playing Yiddish-inspired music on a clarinet, violin, accordion, and bass. All of this unfolded beneath the watchful gaze of a mesmerizing, rotating eye overhead.
First Floor Lobby: Patrons could wander up the stairs to the orchestra-level lobby, where actors performed at a naked upright piano. With so much happening in this freestyle scattered atmosphere, I felt a feel a bit of FOMO, unsure of where to focus as performers roamed across two of the venue’s three floors. But thankfully, none of the pre-show immersion activities were consequential to the main performance of the musical. Eventually, an overhead announcement encouraged guests who wanted to order food (nothing too substantial) to head to their seats. Later, another announcement invited patrons who wanted a drink to do the same. However, drinks were already available at any lobby bars in the basement, first floor, or second floor.
Main Theatre Performance Space: The immersive performing troupe eventually made their way to the main theater, which had been transformed from its traditional front-facing seat configuration into a theater-in-the-round. On the ground level, tables with waiter service surrounded the stage, offering a more intimate setting, while more traditional theater seating was arranged behind them, each with a drink bench in front and ample leg room. The second level featured the orchestra positioned on either side of the stage, with mezzanine and balcony seating facing both the front and back of the stage. For a better understanding of the complex lay of the land, refer to the seat maps at the end of this article. The immersive actors occasionally weaved through the tables, engaging with the audience closest to the stage, before culminating in a final performance on the stage. At this point, the main cast took over as the lights retracted to the ceiling. The immersive performers were a distinct group, separate from the main cast. Once the musical began, their immersive role appeared to have concluded for the evening.
Second Floor: The mezzanine/balcony area was devoid of any novelty found in the basement and first floor. The seating was ordinary, there was no table service, and no interactive performers appeared on that level.
Verdict: After about 30 minutes of the 60-minute pre-show immersive experience, I was over it and headed to my seat, especially since I attended alone. The immersive experience would be more enjoyable with friends, as you’d have the chance to chat together *and* be entertained during the pre-show, which is opposite from a traditional musical experience where you can’t talk during the show. Regardless of whether you go solo or with companions, make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes before the main performance starts to fully experience the novelty and to milk the most bang for your buck. That said, the pre-show isn’t essential for enjoying the main performance.
Stage: While I’m inherently not a fan of theatre-in-the-round configurations (since the actors sometimes face away from you), it worked well for the show’s theme on novelty. The tiny central stage was sadly austere with no set design, but it featured a trap door and rotating mechanisms. Additionally, the tiered, wedding cake-like pedestal mechanism was a perfect for the theatre-in-the-round setup.
Costumes: Tom Scutt (who was also the scenic/theatre designer) created memorable costumes for the show’s stars, including a bejeweled, skeleton-inspired outfit and a creepy, old-timey clown mime costume for Adam Lambert (who played the emcee). Auli’i Cravalho’s (who played Sally Bowles) baby doll dress was also a standout.
“Don’t Tell Mama” Song: Auli’i Cravalho wore her baby doll dress during “Don’t Tell Mama,” while her supporting performers donned baby bonnets. The baby theme was a perfect choice for the scene, and it even incorporated the viral Gen-Z TikTok meme “I’m just a baby!”
Prairie Oyster: Did Auli’i really drink a whole raw egg on stage? If so, bless her. If not, that was good stage magic!
Showstopper: The audience was captivated by Auli’i’s emotional rendition of “Cabaret,” delivering the song with such feeling that it earned her an extended ovation.
Pineapple Innuendo: Steven Skybell (who played Herr Schultz) cleverly added a touch of sexual innuendo by licking his fingers and placing his pineapple in a brown bag. It was a playful nod to more mature themes!
Shattered Glass: Transitioning from the joyful Jewish tradition of breaking the glass at a wedding to the violent, Kristallnacht-inspired Nazi vandalism was a powerful artistic choice. It effectively shattered the sense of hope for the protagonists, symbolizing the stark contrast between celebration and the looming threat of destruction.
Nazi Portrayal: The eerie, identical blonde Nazi dolls were another effective artistic choice. Initially introduced during the song “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” where they appear as unsettling figures rotating on stage, the dolls serve as a haunting foreshadowing. In the final scene, this imagery is echoed when most of the cast appears blonde dressed in identical Nazi uniforms, stripped of their vibrant Kit Kat Club personas, silently rotating on the stage. This stark transformation emphasizes the loss of individuality and the regime’s oppressive conformity.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Guidance and Direction: Throughout the pre-show immersive experience, I often felt uncertain about where to go. For instance, the audience (myself included) was packed tightly together like sardines in the basement for a while and unaware that we could explore upstairs for more. The audience relied heavily on ushers to direct us, which, while helpful, diminished the hip underground free-spirited club vibe.
Phones: After initially passing through the green alley corridor and before entering the building’s maze, ushers placed stickers over our phone camera lenses as a reminder not to take photos or videos, even before or after the actual performance. It’s unfortunate that capturing the ambiance wasn’t allowed, especially since it’s difficult to conceptualize or verbally describe. However, I understand that this is done to preserve the copyright and regulations of the pre-show immersive performance. That said, it might have been reasonable to allow photos during intermission, when there were far fewer immersive performers present. Allowing patrons to capture the unique atmosphere for social media would encourage more ticket sales.
Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.
Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho. Photo by Gina Manning.Michelle Aravena as Fritzie Kost. Photo by Julieta CervantesCalvin Leon Smith as Clifford Bradshaw. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.Adam Lambert (center in black) as Emcee. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.Adam Lambert (center) as Emcee. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho. Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz and Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider. Photo by Marc Brenner.Screenshot from First Floor Layout from SeatGeek.Screenshot of Second Floor Layout from SeatGeek.Production Credits from Playbill.Production Credits from Playbill.Production Credits from Playbill.Production Credits from Playbill.Production Credits from Playbill.`Production Credits from Playbill.Production Credits from Playbill.Production Credits from Playbill.
@showsiveseen "Left on Tenth" #play at #Broadway's James Earl Jones #Theatre. Starring celebrities Peter Gallagher & Julianna Margulies. Elegant scenic design from Beowulf Boritt. Hope for the middle aged! Review: showsiveseen.com/11163 Production Video: Courtesy of @Left on Tenth Director: Susan Stroman Playwright: Delia Ephron Stage Mgmt: Michelle Bosch, Noam Lautman, Robbie Young #showsiveseen#startingOver#romCom#secondChances♬ Akon's Beautiful Day – Akon
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Delia Ephron’s Left on Tenth play at Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theatre. Starring celebrities Peter Gallagher & Julianna Margulies. Elegant scenic design from Beowulf Boritt. Hope for the middle aged! #startingOver #cancer #leukemia #romCom #secondChances
Recommendation: See it if either 1) you’re a woman of a certain age 2) you’re worried about aging 3) you’ve experienced a “starting over” milestone 4) or you’ve dated via email/letters.
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Mainstream Appeal: Medium
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): After losing both her husband and sister to cancer, Delia finds herself grappling with the potential for a second chance at love, while also confronting the possibility of facing cancer herself. This script is based on Delia’s book Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: When she least expects it, Delia, beloved novelist and screenwriter of You’ve Got Mail, reconnects with a man from her past and falls into her own romantic comedy. What starts with an unlikely spark blossoms into a love story that seems to defy all odds in the face of life’s challenges. Left on Tenth tells the messy, beautiful true story of a woman “navigating the miraculous life stream of the Beshert” and discovering how to embrace the unpredictable and open her heart again.
Type: Play
World Premiere: Yes
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Mostly static but the stage transformed during the hospital scenes
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but I imagine you might appreciate this more if you read the book
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes, but it started out with a lot of passive dialogue and introspection until the script finally gained some momentum
Union Actors: 4
Total Actors: 4
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? No
Length (Including Any Intermission): 110 minutes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
Unique Demographic: I feel that many live theatre productions often overlook romance in middle age or later years. Romantic comedies focused on older adults are relatively rare on stage and romance is seemingly a young person’s game. It was refreshing to see older characters in this play fantasizing about love and experiencing vulnerability/butterflies in this slow-burn romance. However, I was surprised that the play didn’t explore the awkwardness that can come with sexual intimacy, especially on the first night. This play reminded me of Michael Mott & Gretchen Suárez-Peña’s musical in development And Sometimes … Love, which also covers similar themes of romance later in life.
Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt’s set design was timeless, elegant, and mature, which perfectly complemented Delia’s vibe. The scenic design also seamlessly harmonized with the theatre’s inherent classic French aesthetic. The accent lighting on the bookcase shelves added a subtle warm glow, and the rotating bookcases were a clever/effective transition element for the hospital scenes.
Projections:
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew created beautiful watercolor-style impressions of iconic NYC locations. I personally find these much more appealing than the artificial-looking CGI projections often used by many other theater companies like in Anastasia. Unfortunately, in this production, the images often clashed against the bookcases filled with books. It was much easier to see the projections when shown against a plain white background without the interference from the books.
Favorite Line: “Every man in Northern California has a backpack [with him at all times].”
Cast Doubling: Peter Francis James and Kate MacCluggage impressively portrayed a range of supporting characters, including a British friend, two doctors, a gay neighbor, an urban orderly, and a Gen-Z influencer among others. This hustle showcased their versatility and skill.
Dogs: I was surprised to see a real dogs in the show, especially since they weren’t even integral to the story. This production must have quite the budget to afford non-essential dogs and a trainer … not to mention the celebrity casting!
Rant(s)
Transitions and Scene Cohesion: The transitions between scenes felt stilted and unnatural. Some scenes appeared randomly placed, lacking cohesion and failing to advance the plot. It’s as if the playwright couldn’t decide between a linear structure verses a series of vignettes. This resulted in a disjointed and awkwardly constructed narrative.
Healthcare Inaccuracies: As someone with a background in hospital oncology, I can’t help but notice inaccuracies in shows that touch on healthcare. For instance, the scene with the unconscious patient struggling with low oxygen saturation while a loved one frantically pleaded for them to fight while practically jumping on the inpatient bed felt gratuitously melodramatic to the point of absurdity. Someone call hospital security! Additionally, intravenous nutrition solutions are typically clear yellow or opaque milky white, which was not accurately portrayed. Lastly, only healthcare students wear white coats that end at the waist. Doctors wear white coats that end at the knees or calves. It was surprising to see such a basic costume detail wrong in a Broadway play. I recently noticed a similar oversight in How to Write a New Book for the Bible as well.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP): Whenever I review shows that touch on blood cancers, I make a point to remind my readers to think about joining the National Marrow Donor Program’s “Be the Match” registry. This vital program connects patients (like the characters in the play) in need of a stem cell or bone marrow transplant with potential donors. They recruit donors, manage the matching process, and coordinate donations to ensure patients receive life-saving transplants from compatible donors, often across the globe. This program is especially crucial for people of color, who are underrepresented in the donor registry. I wish more theatre companies would spotlight “Be the Match” in the same way Broadway Across America national tours previously paused for a moment after every performance to talk about Broadway Cares. While Left on Tenth did include the “NMDP” initials on the press wall photo backdrop, many people likely don’t know what that acronym means. Unfortunately, I also didn’t see any mention of the National Marrow Donor Program in the playbill either.
Venue: James Earl Jones Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 138 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036
Venue Classification: Broadway
Price Range: $74-291
Ticket Affordability Options: You can likely buy discount tickets at the TKTS booth.
Dates: First preview was 9/26/24 and opening night was 10/23/24. As of 1/11/25, the closing date is 2/2/25.
Seating: Assigned Seating
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Pictures: See production pictures below by Joan Marcus.
Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.
Julianna Margulies and Peter Francis James. Photo by Joan Marcus. Peter Francis James, Peter Gallagher, Julianna Margulies, and Kate MacCluggage. Photo by Joan Marcus.Julianna Margulies and Kate MacCluggage. Photo by Joan Marcus.Peter Gallagher and Julianna Margulies. Photo by Joan Marcus.Peter Gallagher and Julianna Margulies. Photo by Joan Marcus.Credits from Playbill. Credits from Playbill. Credits from Playbill. Credits from Playbill.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day play by the Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Funny poignant looking glass of woke social justice liberals. Delicious awkward drama between protective school parents.
Recommendation: See it, especially if either 1) you’ve lived in a liberal oasis like Seattle 2) you’re okay with plays that are more dialogue than action 3) or you liked The Thanksgiving Play.
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Probably not, but it was good.
Mainstream Appeal: Medium
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Probably
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): The play takes place during several board meetings at Eureka Day, a progressive California school where the culture is so idealistically woke that students “cheer when the other team scores.” This peaceful consensus is disrupted when a measles outbreak reminiscent of COVID-19 forces parents into a fierce conflict over how to best handle the situation. It’s parents acting like children!
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Wildly relevant and bitingly funny, Jonathan Spector’s play comes to MTC in an all-new production following an acclaimed London run. Eureka Day is a private California elementary school with a Board of Directors that values inclusion above all else—that is, until an outbreak of the mumps forces everyone in the community to reconsider the school’s liberal vaccine policy. As cases rise, the board realizes with horror that they’ve got to do what they swore they never would: make a choice that won’t please absolutely everybody.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Just a school library and a hospital hallway
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’ll probably appreciate this more if you’ve lived in a liberal oasis like Seattle
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes-ish, but it was more dialogue than action
Union Actors: 6
Total Actors: 6
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? No
Length (Including Any Intermission): 100 minutes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
Zoom Call: The audience ate up the hilariously unhinged chaotic Zoom call between the school board, anti-vaxxers, Karens, crunchy granola “woo-woo” parents, and rational-yet-protective parents. It was so chaotic that I struggled to follow both the actors and the Zoom chat simultaneously. I ended up paying more attention to the Zoom chat, feeling a bit of FOMO for missing what the actors were saying. Perhaps that was the intention, as it’s something that often happens in video conference calls at work. Additionally, considering that many modern Broadway productions like Sunset Blvd and Tammy Faye incorporate live video, it would have been nice to see an actual Zoom call window with live video to make the experience even more realistic.
Script: As a native Texan now living in Seattle, I think this would be a perfect piece to stage in the Pacific Northwest. It was a mirror poking fun at what overly progressive culture appears to outsiders what with our aimless navel gazing, social justice warriors, the bewildering concept of “holding space”, our obsession with knitting, or the shaming of using disposable products. Additionally, the annoyingly confusing West coast expressions “yeah, no” and “no, yeah” were spot on! Much like the Pacific Northwest, the characters in this play constantly slyly “out-woke” each other, all while attempting not to offend anyone. It was a tightrope act of good writing. The audience seemed to agree since I even overheard a patron purchasing the script (something I’ve never witnessed before) as I was leaving the theatre.
Suzanne: I absolutely loved Jessica Hecht’s portrayal of Suzanne, especially her expertly delivered awkward audible non-verbal expressions. It reminded me of the subtle, yet charged, dynamics between WASP-y PTA alpha moms.
Scenic Design: Todd Rosenthal designed a highly realistic set that captured the authentic look and feel of a school library.
Anti-vaxxer’s Story: One of the characters delivered a compelling, monologue-like story explaining their opposition to vaccines. As a healthcare professional who is unapologetically pro-medication and pro-Western medicine, I don’t pretend to fully understand the anti-vaccine perspective. However, the thought-provoking storytelling provided a moment of empathy, allowing me to pause and consider the emotions and concerns that drive their stance.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Sixth Actor: It’s always a bit strange when an actor is introduced to the audience late in a musical or play, which also happened in Edgar and Annabelle. In both cases, the late introudction was completely integral to the plot, but I can’t help but imagine how frustrating it must be for the actor to wait throughout the entire production to deliver their scanty lines. The experience reminded me of “Diva’s Lament (What Ever Happened to My Part?)” from Spamalot. How much are these actors with less than 5 minutes of airtime paid per performance compared to those with a full range of lines to deliver?
Real School Administrators: Can I just say kudos to the school administrators/teachers tasked with “herding cats” in addressing the demands of concerned parents who are ultimately never completely satisfied? It sounds awful.
Theatre Company: Manhattan Theatre Club
Venue: Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 261 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036
Venue Classification: Broadway
Price Range: $74-321
Ticket Affordability Options: Download the TodayTix app for digital rush tickets. You can only purchase the digital rush tickets on the app and not the website. You can also likely buy discount tickets at the TKTS booth.
Dates: First preview was 11/25/24 and opening night was 12/16/24. As of 1/11/25, the closing date is 2/16/25.
Seating: Assigned Seating
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