Happy end of summer and start of fall! I was lucky enough to see tons of shows over my summer break including many tours, West End, and Broadway productions! Here is how I rank them!
1. Parade
Location: The Bernard Jacobs Theatre, Broadway
I am so thankful to have seen this show 2 more times over the summer. It is probably one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen. Everything Michael Arden did with this piece is so intentional and I’m so happy that he won for Best Direction at the Tonys this year! If you want to know more about my thoughts on Parade click here
Curtain call from Parade 5/18/23.
2. Oklahoma
Location: Wyndham’s Theatre, West End
I saw this twice on my trip to London because I instantly fell in love with it. I had wanted to see it on Broadway, but I never got the chance. Fish provides such a clever new take on Oklahoma and the cast was phenomenal. I will forever miss this show. Read more about it here
3. Groundhog Day
Location: The Old Vic Theatre, West End
This is also a show I had originally wanted to see when it was on Broadway, but never got the chance. I’m so happy that it was revived on the West End with Andy Karl. Tim Minchin is such a masterful composer and I absolutely love the rock score he’s created for this movie to musical adaptation. Despite the repetitive nature of the show, I was never bored. Truly one
of the most magical theatre experiences I have ever had was getting to see Phil Connors (Andy Karl) suddenly reappear in his bed every morning after doing crazy things like jumping off a building. It was also one of the most beautiful theatre experiences I got to have because this show reminds me to be grateful everyday and to spend my time doing what I love, with the people I love.
4. Tick, Tick… Boom!
Location: Bucks County Playhouse, PA
If you know me, you know I’m the biggest Jonathan Larson fan, so finally getting to see this show live was an experience. And I got to see it with such an amazing cast, Andy Mientus as Jon, Krystina Alabado as Susan, and Noah J. Ricketts as Michael. Mientus truly embodied Jon and he really honored Larson through his portrayal. I also just love the writing of this show. It's so seamless and flows perfectly from scene to scene, so thank you Jonathan Larson.
Meeting Andy Mientus after the show!
5. 1776 Tour
Location: The Kennedy Center, DC
I got to see the non-man production of 1776 again, but this time on tour at the Kennedy Center! One of my favorite things about this show is the way it’s reimagined to highlight the flaws of the United States. If you want to know more about my thoughts on this production click here
6. Back To The Future
Location: The Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway & West End, Adelphi Theatre
I got to see this 3 times this summer! Twice on Broadway (in previews and I got to go to opening night!) and once on the West End. The effects in this show amazed me and were probably some of the best effects I’ve ever experienced in a show! If you want to know more about my thoughts on the Broadway version click here
7. Rent In Concert
Location: The Kennedy Center, DC
This was staged at the Kennedy Center and the cast sung through the score with a brief intermission. The cast consisted of Andrew B. Feldman (Mark), Alex Boniello (Roger), Ali Stroker (Maureen), Awa Sal Secka (Joanne), Jimmie Harrod (Angel), Terrence Johnson (Collins), Myles Frost (Benny), and Lorna Courtney (Mimi). It was so beautiful to sit at the very top of the concert hall. I looked over and saw the huge crowd of people and thought “wow, this is Larson’s legacy”.
8. Brokeback Mountain
Location: Soho Place, West End
I finally got to see Mike Faist perform live after being a fan for years. I thought Mike’s and Luke’s chemistry was strong and realistic. You could tell they had grown pretty close through this show and I thought that was beautiful. I wish the show had shown Jack’s home life like it does in the movie, but I understand it was likely cut for time. I also felt that having Ennis in the future constantly on stage drew me out of the show a bit. I don’t think it was needed to keep the big reveal at the end of the show. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the music. It complimented the emotions of the show so perfectly.
9. The Book Of Mormon
Location: Prince of Wales Theatre, West End
It was my 3rd time seeing this show! The actor who played Elder Cunningham was Connor Peirson and it was really cool getting to see him now that he’s grown into the role because I had seen him a few years ago on the U.S. tour. I also absolutely loved Steven Webb’s portrayal of Elder McKinely; he was hilarious. On top of this, it was great to share this show with my sisters and friends as they have been interested in seeing it for some time now. I think they loved it just as much as me!
10. To Kill A Mockingbird on Tour
Location: The Kennedy Center, DC
I rushed this show with a friend. I had wanted to see it on Broadway, but it never returned post covid like I had expected. Thankfully, I got to see it on tour. The actors were amazing and it was almost unnoticeable that they were adults portraying children. Gem, Scout, and Dill are such lovable characters and the stage really brings this out. Though I somewhat questioned Atticus’s morals by the end, I enjoyed that the show left me thinking. I still think the story has a good message: what is deemed moral by the law, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right thing.
11. Kimberly Akimbo
Location: Booth Theatre, Broadway
It was my second time seeing this lovely show and this time I brought my dad because we had made a bet on what was going to win Best Musical at the Tony’s. Since he correctly guessed Kimberly Akimbo , I owed him tickets to the show. Kimberly Akimbo is adorable and goofy and heartwarming. This time I got to stage door and meet most of the cast, who were so incredibly sweet and I even got to collect Fernell’s pin! I could go on and on about this show, so if you want to know more of my thoughts click here
12. Beetlejuice on Tour
Location: The National Theatre, DC
I have now seen this show 7 times and it’s been cool to see it in all its iterations, from pre-broadway to Broadway to Broadway’s re-opening, and now finally on tour! I got to see it back where it all started, at The National Theatre where it held its out of town tryouts. I think my favorite thing about this show is the fact that it sheds light on death and grief, something we all struggle to deal with as humans. But the thing about this show is it's not overtly sad. It’s fun, it’s crazy, it’s unpredictable and most of all it is uplifting.
13. Moulin Rouge on Tour
Location: The Kennedy Center, DC
Don’t get me started on John Cardoza’s portrayal of Christian, he was so fantastic and he made Christian so charming and lovable. I also loved Andrew Brewer’s duke because he actually made me empathize with him a bit. I could feel his anger and desperation.
If you want to know more about my thoughts on the show, you can read my Broadway review here
14. Frozen on Tour
Location: The Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore
I got free tickets to this show (thanks to my friend). As I expected the effects were super cool and this is a great family musical. It was nice to be encapsulated in a world full of magic for a night.
15. Horrible Histories
Location: Garrick Theatre, West End
Going in I knew this show was going to be targeted towards children, but I couldn’t help myself since I’m such a big fan of the television show. I wish this had incorporated music from The Six Idiots’ Horrible Histories, but I am aware the stage shows are written by a different team. The show was still a fun way to learn about history and I got to sit in the front row! There is a bit of audience interaction and the show's runtime is a bit over an hour, which I think works well for younger kids.
16. Agatha Christie’s Witness For The Prosecution
Location: London County Hall
A lovely friend from the U.K. recommended this show to me and I thought it was cool that the show was set in London’s County Hall. Because the show was set in such an unconventional, but historic venue I was expecting the show to have some sort of groundbreaking political statement. Unfortunately, it did not. It was your typical Agatha Christie murder mystery. If you’ve never experienced an Agatha Christie story then perhaps this show is for you. I wish I wasn’t so disappointed with this show because it had so much potential and the actors were great. I will say it was cool that some of the actors sat among the theatergoers, while interacting with other actors on stage. In this way it was an immersive experience.
I loved almost all of these shows, so it was difficult to rank them. I am so grateful to have spent much of my summer enjoying so many different productions. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know some of the shows you saw over the summer!
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