Summer will soon be here before you know it. With it comes many things such as Mets and Yankees baseball, the Stanley Cup and NBA finals, big blockbuster movies, hanging out at the parks and the pools and especially, going out to see a musical or play at the theater. This summer is filled with lots of shows worth going to throughout the city and the metropolitan NY/NJ area, whether if you're going by yourself or with someone you know (a family member or friend to be exact). Here are some choices that could make your summer theater viewing worthwhile.
-The 53rd season of Public Theater's annual summer nighttime tradition, Shakespeare in the Park will have two works by the namesake of the event. The first work, The Tempest, will star Sam Waterston (TV's Law and Order and The Newsroom) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) and will be shown from May 27 through July 5th. The second production, Cymbeline, will feature Lily Rabe (the daughter of playwright David Rabe and the late actress Jill Clayburgh) and will play from July 23rd through August 23rd. The two shows will both be playing at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. The tickets will be available free both at the theater's box office and through a ticket lottery via the theater's website on the day of the show. Tip: I advise going to the ticket line as very early in the morning (about 5am or 6am) because the line gets very long by the time the tickets are distributed at 1pm. Bring food, books and your tablet to help occupy the time. For more information, go to publictheater.org.
-New York City Center will have its third annual Encores Off-Center series, which showcases revised versions of underrated Off-Broadway musicals. The first of these three productions will be William Finn's A New Brain starring Jonathan Groff (from Frozen, Spring Awakening and TV's Glee) and playing from June 24th through the 27th. The second will be a concert version of the hit classic musical, Little Shop of Horrors, which will play on July 1st and 2nd. It will be starring Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Nightcrawler). The last production (which I think is going to be the series' high point this year) will be one of my most favorite and addicted musicals, Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party. It will star two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster (who's currently starring in TV Land new comedy, Younger) and will play from July 15th through the 18th. Special Note: At the time of this writing, the three performances for Little Shop on July 1st and 2nd were sold out. Tickets are still available on sale for A New Brain and The Wild Party both at the theater's box office and website. The City Center is located on 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. For more information, go to nycitycenter.org.
-Big Apple Circus moves its one-ring tent from Manhattan's Lincoln Center to Queens' Cunningham Park for the summer with its new and magical show, Metamorphosis. When I saw it in November, I was amazed and as noted in my review from back then, "it delivers big top fun on a high equivalent to being on a hot air balloon flight." I think that kids of all ages will enjoy it in the summer as much as they did back in the fall and winter. The show runs at the park from May 17th through June 14th. The big top will be located on 196th Street and Union Turnpike. Tickets are now available on sale at bigapplecircus.org. Special Note: There will two autism-friendly performances on Tuesday June 2nd at 11:00am and 6:30pm.
-Remember that 1998 film Ever After, starring Drew Barrymore? Well, over in New Jersey, The Paper Mill Playhouse will put a world premiere musical adaption of the movie. This could lead to a transfer over the Hudson River onto Broadway (the playhouse was the launching spot for the hit Disney musical, Newsies). Among those in the cast will be Charles Shaughnessy, who you may know as Mr. Sheffield from the 90's sitcom, The Nanny. It will play from May 21st through June 21st. The Paper Mill Playhouse is located on 22 Brookside Drive in Milburn, NJ. Go by car or the NJ Transit Morris-Essex Line to Milburn. Tickets are available on sale at papermill.org
-Finally, the most-talked about and sold out musical of the moment, Hamilton, will make its long awaited move from the Public Theater downtown to uptown on Broadway. Ever since it opened at the Public in February, it has been the talk of the town thanks to rave reviews and record-breaking box office. I haven't seen a musical getting this much big hype since The Book of Mormon. The book and the modern-day hip-hop score is by Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (best known for In The Heights). Miranda also stars as the title character, Alexander Hamilton, who's one of our nation's founding father and is shown on our ten-dollar bills. Ever since the transfer announcement, the advance tickets for the Broadway run has been through the roof selling $6.5 million in its first eleven days. We'll see if this show becomes a bigger smash on the Great White Way this summer and stays open hopefully to be eligible for next year's Tony Awards. The show will play at the Richard Rodgers Theater on West 46th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. It begins previews on July 13th and opens August 6th. Tickets are available on sale at the theater's box office and through ticketmaster.com and on the phone (800-745-3000. 877-250-2929). For more information, go to hamiltonbroadway.com.
Please, use this list to show and ask your family members before making plans to go out. These various and useful choices will help you and your family have a good time out at the theater this summer.
-The 53rd season of Public Theater's annual summer nighttime tradition, Shakespeare in the Park will have two works by the namesake of the event. The first work, The Tempest, will star Sam Waterston (TV's Law and Order and The Newsroom) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) and will be shown from May 27 through July 5th. The second production, Cymbeline, will feature Lily Rabe (the daughter of playwright David Rabe and the late actress Jill Clayburgh) and will play from July 23rd through August 23rd. The two shows will both be playing at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. The tickets will be available free both at the theater's box office and through a ticket lottery via the theater's website on the day of the show. Tip: I advise going to the ticket line as very early in the morning (about 5am or 6am) because the line gets very long by the time the tickets are distributed at 1pm. Bring food, books and your tablet to help occupy the time. For more information, go to publictheater.org.
-New York City Center will have its third annual Encores Off-Center series, which showcases revised versions of underrated Off-Broadway musicals. The first of these three productions will be William Finn's A New Brain starring Jonathan Groff (from Frozen, Spring Awakening and TV's Glee) and playing from June 24th through the 27th. The second will be a concert version of the hit classic musical, Little Shop of Horrors, which will play on July 1st and 2nd. It will be starring Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Nightcrawler). The last production (which I think is going to be the series' high point this year) will be one of my most favorite and addicted musicals, Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party. It will star two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster (who's currently starring in TV Land new comedy, Younger) and will play from July 15th through the 18th. Special Note: At the time of this writing, the three performances for Little Shop on July 1st and 2nd were sold out. Tickets are still available on sale for A New Brain and The Wild Party both at the theater's box office and website. The City Center is located on 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. For more information, go to nycitycenter.org.
-Big Apple Circus moves its one-ring tent from Manhattan's Lincoln Center to Queens' Cunningham Park for the summer with its new and magical show, Metamorphosis. When I saw it in November, I was amazed and as noted in my review from back then, "it delivers big top fun on a high equivalent to being on a hot air balloon flight." I think that kids of all ages will enjoy it in the summer as much as they did back in the fall and winter. The show runs at the park from May 17th through June 14th. The big top will be located on 196th Street and Union Turnpike. Tickets are now available on sale at bigapplecircus.org. Special Note: There will two autism-friendly performances on Tuesday June 2nd at 11:00am and 6:30pm.
-Remember that 1998 film Ever After, starring Drew Barrymore? Well, over in New Jersey, The Paper Mill Playhouse will put a world premiere musical adaption of the movie. This could lead to a transfer over the Hudson River onto Broadway (the playhouse was the launching spot for the hit Disney musical, Newsies). Among those in the cast will be Charles Shaughnessy, who you may know as Mr. Sheffield from the 90's sitcom, The Nanny. It will play from May 21st through June 21st. The Paper Mill Playhouse is located on 22 Brookside Drive in Milburn, NJ. Go by car or the NJ Transit Morris-Essex Line to Milburn. Tickets are available on sale at papermill.org
-Finally, the most-talked about and sold out musical of the moment, Hamilton, will make its long awaited move from the Public Theater downtown to uptown on Broadway. Ever since it opened at the Public in February, it has been the talk of the town thanks to rave reviews and record-breaking box office. I haven't seen a musical getting this much big hype since The Book of Mormon. The book and the modern-day hip-hop score is by Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (best known for In The Heights). Miranda also stars as the title character, Alexander Hamilton, who's one of our nation's founding father and is shown on our ten-dollar bills. Ever since the transfer announcement, the advance tickets for the Broadway run has been through the roof selling $6.5 million in its first eleven days. We'll see if this show becomes a bigger smash on the Great White Way this summer and stays open hopefully to be eligible for next year's Tony Awards. The show will play at the Richard Rodgers Theater on West 46th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. It begins previews on July 13th and opens August 6th. Tickets are available on sale at the theater's box office and through ticketmaster.com and on the phone (800-745-3000. 877-250-2929). For more information, go to hamiltonbroadway.com.
Please, use this list to show and ask your family members before making plans to go out. These various and useful choices will help you and your family have a good time out at the theater this summer.
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