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The Color Purple

One of Broadway’s more somber productions in its beauty, John Doyle’s revival of The Color Purple musical is just as classic as the original. Full of awe-inspiring moments of strength and sisterhood, the show never ceases to amaze: the subtlety of the acting is complemented perfectly by the heavy, yet unique musical themes. The work of the set creators, the costume designers, and cast of The Color Purple all blend together to make for a powerful, heart wrenching, yet fully great performances every night.

School of Rock Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber

The School of Rock musical adaptation of the hit 2003 movie onto the stage, executed by the iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber, is easily enjoyable and one of the most effortlessly entertaining Broadway shows on right now. The lovable adult delinquent leading a band of goody two-shoes kids on a rock-filled adventure is played wonderfully by Alex Brightman, who holds the show together almost with his presence alone. Nevertheless, the School of Rock Broadway cast of mostly children still glows in their innocent, vibrant brilliance: the reveals of the inner music stars within the academically oriented kids do not seem empty or excessive. As a matter of fact, the surprisingly complex performances of the cast are as genuine as the emotions they elicit in the audience – the people on both sides of the stage immensely enjoy their respective experiences.

The Humans (of Broadway)

Rarely does a small, personal drama survive for long enough on Broadway to be considered worthy of joining its already impressive list of classics, but Stephen Karam’s The Humans shows promise of doing exactly that only three months after premiering in the world of New York theater. While some epic productions with masked phantoms and royal lions have built their legacy on largely grandeur, The Humans, running in the literal smallest Broadway theater, the Helen Hayes, lends emotional weight to its every line of dialogue and minute action on stage. The intricate direction of Joe Montello allows the ultimately unsettling family drama to breathe with moments of humor and kindness. The family in question, the three-generational Blakes, are unique in their shortcomings, frustrations, and relationships with each other. The play continues the ever-present theme of addressing the truth and essence of the “American family,” and successfully manages to be original with it, while doing so in the face of decades of dysfunctional families created in the art world.

Something Rotten

Shakespeare and time travel together is a curious enough mix on its own. Couple that with “music, dance, and sweet romance” – and you get the smashingly hilarious, Tony Award-winning “Something Rotten”. Full of slick references to classic Broadway musicals and famous Shakespeare plays, it resonates with any and all theatergoers.

American Psycho: The Musical

Do you like Huey Lewis and The News?

The iconic scene in Paul Owen’s apartment from the famous 1991 Brett Easton Ellis novel, featuring the 80’s hit, will excite whether you read it, watch it on a television screen, or experience it in a theater. The American Psycho Broadway musical places its emotional and thematic peak in the scene, and electrifies with it. The first act ends just after the hype of Patrick Bateman’s dancing, drinking, lip-syncing, and psychoanalytical music reviews culminates in the murder of his colleague, Paul.

No Sleepwalking Through Sleep No More

A traditional theater performance features a story delivered to an audience in a singular way, with limited details up to a viewer’s interpretation. The immersive theater experience of Punchdrunk Company’s “Sleep No More,” however, blows convention out of the water, and expects the viewer to watch and understand merely what they truly wish to.

Fun Home on Broadway

Based on the autobiographical, graphic novel memoir of the same name by Alison Bechdel, the Fun Home musical on Broadway sheds light on the complicated, hauntingly beautiful journey of her family life, and the unique relationship with her father, Bruce. Trying to understand her parents as a comic book writer and artist, she brings to life images her from early childhood and early college days, thus giving the show three different actresses playing Alison herself, as well as providing three interwoven stories as all part of a larger meta-narrative to help her make sense of everything she’s been through so far.

The Hit Broadway Musical - Hamilton on Broadway

The hit Broadway musical Hamilton tells an epic story of the life and accomplishments of one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. Featuring a dynamic, revolutionarily diverse cast, and a unique scope of wide-ranging musical styles, the show is, without any exaggeration or embellishment, one of a kind. No other show on Broadway has incorporated rap and hip-hop so widely and so successfully - making Hamilton refreshingly modern, a truly 21st century musical (one that, funnily enough, tells an 18th century story). Nor has any other musical about American history (itself a strictly limited category) has been as wildly successful: the production at Richard Rodgers Theater is already sold-out until 2017. Hamilton is, undoubtedly, the current crown jewel of theater in New York.

The Robber Bridegroom on Broadway

The Robber Bridegroom is a Broadway musical about love, adventure, and a classically hilarious case of mistaken identity set in the American south of the 19th century. One of the newest gems to see in New York theater, this raucous production sets up a series of robbers to vie for the affections of the beautiful Rosamund and her family’s riches. It is a show that colorfully combines many musical and visual styles to make it one of the most entertaining things to see in New York City and its theater scene. It is fairly easy to get tickets for, and the Roundabout Theater Company provides an unforgettable experience worth the price.