It’s a booming week on Broadway.
Sunday brought “Funny Girl” and last night “A Strange Loop” made for cutting edge material.
Tonight, Billy Crystal debuts his charming and very sweet, and funny “Mr. Saturday Night.” Who doesn’t love Billy Crystal? All his warmth and humor come out in this highly enjoyable musical. No, there is nothing “Strange” about it. Audiences are packing the Nederlander Theater to feel good and see someone they “get.” I’ll have more on this terrific show this evening.
Meantime, tomorrow night Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga open in “Macbeth.” This is a hot ticket– James Bond on stage! Plus the great Negga (already an award winning actress) is making her Broadway debut. She’s the first Black actress to play Lady Macbeth since Orson Welles’s landmark all=Black production in 1936. (Welles was always so far ahead of his time, it’s not funny.)
I’m told that it was critically important to Daniel Craig when coming back to Broadway that tickets are accessible and available to introduce theater to a new generation. So, lead producer (and Daniel’s frequent collaborator on film and theater) Barbara Broccoli and Craig worked together to create a ticket initiative called Macbeth 2022. The ticket access initiative provides opportunity for students from underserved communities in the New York area. For some of these young people, Macbeth will be their first Broadway show.
Is that all? No. “Girl from the North Country” is about to re-open for Tony consideration. This is a stunningly beautiful play with music by Bob Dylan starring Mare Winningham and Jay O. Sanders and should not be missed. I hope the Tony voters appreciate that this should have been the Best Musical of 2020.
Curtain up!
