By my count, I’ve attended 234 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2019. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten (ok, eleven) favorite shows I saw in 2019.
All tagged Jeremy O. Harris
REVIEW: Confronting Race, Gender, Sex, and History in “Slave Play” on Broadway
Following a sold-out run downtown, Jeremy O. Harris’ “Slave Play” is now on Broadway. At once hysterical and alarming, this trenchant satire of white fragility, identity politics, racism, psychotherapy, and a certain brand of its crunchy practitioners is a conversation piece to top them all. Thoughtfully written, constructed, and executed; thought-provoking, relevant, and a herald of what can be, “Slave Play” is a must-see of the season.
"Beetlejuice" plans events for every day of October; "Sea Wall/A Life" to be audio-recorded for Audible; Jason Robert Brown and Robert Horn's "13" musical will be made into a film; "Saturday Night Fever" 20th anniversary reunion event CSC’s "Assassins" casting announced; "Between the Lines" musical to play Off-Broadway; transgender actor Alexandra Billings will join the Broadway company of "Wicked" in January; Caissie Levy and Patti Murin will leave “Frozen” in February; MCC Theater announces a new musical development initiative
FEATURE: 2019 Fall Season Preview
The city that never sleeps also boasts a theatre scene that never sleeps. With the summer now behind us, this is an overview of all that’s coming to New York stages this fall (spoiler alert: it’s a lot).
"Frankie and Johnny" closing a month early; "Beautiful" will close on October 27th and "Waitress" will close on January 5th; Jeremy O. Harris' "Slave Play" will play a 17 week run at the Golden Theatre; Robert Schenkkan's "The Great Society" will play a 12 week run at Broadway's Vivian Beaumont Theatre; starry productions of "Little Shop of Horrors" slated for Off-Broadway and Pasadena Playhouse; cast announced for Ivo van Hove's upcoming "West Side Story"; "Fairview" extends to August 11th; "What the Constitution Means to Me" recoups; Jack Viertel will retire as artistic director of the annual Encores! at City Center; Paul McCartney has written a musical adaptation of "It's a Wonderful Life"; RIPHugh Southern, former executive director of TDF and co-conceiver of the TKTS booth in 1973
New Tony nominators announced; "Hillary and Clinton" closes a month early; “The Prom” and “Be More Chill” to close August 11th; Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Freestyle Love Supreme" books the Booth, "Deren Brown: Secret" books the Cort, "Girl from the North Country" books the Belasco, Tracy Letts' "The Minutes" will arrive on Broadway in February, and Jeremy O. Harris’ “Slave Play” rumored for Broadway; Netflix film adaptation of August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" to star Viola Davis; Richard Kind joins “Kiss Me, Kate”; check out Joel Grey’s latest book of photography; Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford to bring their "Sunday in the Park with George" to the West End