Here we go. Fall is basically here. I am firmly #teamforeversummer, so send support my way. One nice(?) thing is that theater is coming back in full force to NYC. Unclear if I’ll make it to December alive though. I showed my October schedule to a few friends recently and I hope that they are now all as stressed out as I am about it. I have another post coming soon about what I’ve been up to recently besides buying tickets to plays, but I decided to first send out my fall theater “guide” along with some recommendations for shows that will close soon.
Shows I’ve Seen Already
Table 17
If you’re in the mood for a great rom com, please head west to MCC Theater to see Table 17. The show is funny and sweet, like a great 90s movie. The 3 stars (the amazing tony winner Kara Young, Biko Eisen-Martin and Michael Rishawn) are so incredibly charming, which is the most important part of being in a rom com if you ask me. It closes on September 29th so not much time left, but it’s just a sweet and well done show. I got a $43 rush ticket on TodayTix which is probably your best bet at this point for cheaper tickets, since there aren’t many tickets left.
Counting and Cracking
This show closes this weekend and it’s 3.5 hours long. I know this is a tough sell but you should consider making an effort to see it. Counting and Cracking is a play that came to NYC from Sydney for about 20 performances with a cast from multiple countries. It follows a Sri Lankan Tamil family who immigrated to Australia in the 80s at the beginning of the civil war. This show is long because it’s doing so much, and all of it is worth your time and attention. It’s a historical and political play, it’s a story about family and identity and immigration, it’s romantic and funny. I thought it was a really great primer if you’re not too familiar with the history of Sri Lanka (and I really wasn’t, beyond reading a couple of wikipedia articles before seeing the show). 3.5 hours is usually hard to sit through, even with 2 intermissions. But the performance I saw started over 30 minutes late due to an actor not feeling well and I still never lost focus at any point. It was really special.
Counting and Cracking is playing at NYU Skirball in partnership with The Public Theater. All remaining performances are on TDF for $38.
The Roommate
Mia Farrow and Patti Lupone together in a Broadway comedy. I think that’s enough to convince most people to go see a show? It was for me. The play itself is pretty good. Has some funny jokes, the story is fun (about a woman renting out a room in her Iowa house to a stranger) and the length (100 minutes, no intermission) is perfect. But obviously what makes it work is the actresses. Two legends with great chemistry. Actually, I knew Patti is the best. But I have never seen Mia Farrow live and haven’t seen her in many movies either. And she’s just so good in this. Her character is surprising and delightful. Farrow takes you on a wild journey that still feels real and plausible. What a treat.
The Roommate is playing at the Booth theater until 12/15. It has lottery and rush on Telecharge and it’s been on TKTS for under $90 consistently.
Our Class
Our Class is about a school class in Poland starting in the 1930s and it follows the group of students, half of which is Polish, and the other half Jewish, since they were children playing together until the last one of them dies in 2003. It sounds like it could be interesting, but it’s actually a Holocaust play that has nothing new or interesting to say, so you just sit through 3 hours of really terrible events and horrific actions without any real examination of any of the characters or their motivation. It’s just a series of triggers and no warnings. It was like an unintentional parody of itself. I had to watch the same character kill himself more than once within 20 minutes. Why. It’s playing at Classic Stage Company (but it’s not a CSC production) and you can get tickets on TDF and maybe other places but why would you?
Stop Kiss
Stop Kiss is a really great play by Diana Son which ran at The Public Theater in 1998 with Jessica Hecht and Sandra Oh as two women who are assaulted in a NYC park after their first kiss. I got to see a 25 years reunion reading of it with the original cast with my friend Jenna and it was incredible. Afterwards Jenna said she really wants to do this play. And because she’s amazing and talented and a badass- she produced it. Unfortunately the run has finished but luckily I got to see one of the performances and it was so good to see a full production of this play. Jenna also played Callie (the main role originated by Hecht) and I couldn’t be prouder! Everyone was really great and you could tell that this group loves the play.
And What’s Coming Up?
OK so I usually don’t write about things I haven’t seen yet, but since the season is starting and I have so much I’m looking forward to, I thought I would list all the shows I’m planning to see in the next couple of months. I did all the research and got all the targeted ads so you don’t have to. I should also mention that I miss good things every season, so if you know about a show that isn’t on this list, please tell me about it. Maybe I haven’t heard about it, maybe I dismissed it and should reconsider going.
What I have tickets for
I’m Almost There- this new musical had a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and I’m very excited to see it! I heard Todd Almond’s music is great. It’s directed by David Cromer (The Band’s Visit, Prayer for the French Republic). It’s a very short run in NYC (9/26-10/5) so plan accordingly. I’m seeing the first show so if it’s great I can tell you to go.
Magnificent Bird/Book of Travelers- two song cycles/solo musicals written and performed by Gabriel Kahane. Each of the two shows has different dates in the next couple of weeks and Playwrights Horizons. I’m intrigued, even though I don’t know Kahane’s work.
The Hills of California- written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes. I loved The Ferryman so I’m looking forward to this one.
Yellow Face- starring Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim. It’s not based on the book Yellowface. Although the premise of both isn’t too different?
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee- one of my all time favorite musicals, at the Kennedy Center in DC with a wild cast. Worth the trip!
The Counter- I see most shows at Roundabout theater because tickets are $30 with HipTix so I didn’t even read what it’s about. Also directed by David Cromer.
BAD KREYÒL- I usually really like Dominique Morisseau’s plays. Kelly McCreary from Grey’s Anatomy is in this one. I have a membership for Signature Theater. So I’m going.
Safety Not Guaranteed- a musical based on the movie based on that ad that went viral before things really went viral online.
In The Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot- it sounds so interesting. I’m just excited for my first Playwrights Horizons season as a member of their Generation PH program.
Our Town- I’ve never seen this play and the cast is fun. I also read Tom Lake and it’s all about productions of Our Town so finally I’ll understand it better.
SHIT. MEET. FAN- look at that cast. It's sold out so fast but I grabbed a ticket, yay for me.
We Live in Cairo- another play I booked because I have a subscription and was told to book. This one is at New York Theater Workshop.
Hold On To Me Darling- Adam Driver, off-Broadway, I spent too much money.
GATZ- 8 hours play that is basically someone reading all of The Great Gatsby on stage. Seems too weird to skip.
McNeal- Robert Downey Jr, yes. But also- Andrea Martin.
Ragtime- I’ve never seen this show and City Center put together a truly great cast.
Romeo+Juliet- Jack Antonoff wrote a R&J musical? Cool.
Babe- Marisa Tomei in a small off-Broadway theater? Yes please. As we come to the end of this insane list I will also tell you that I decided to get a membership to The New Group because of this play and another one with Christian Slater later in the season. But it wouldn’t let me buy the membership! Why? I already had one and forgot. Oh no.
What I want to see but haven’t booked yet
Let’s make plans see any of these together, friends in NYC!
Left on Tenth (Julianna Margulies, Peter Gallagher)
Sunset Boulevard (people loved this Jamie Lloyd production in London)
Death Becomes Her (with Megan Hilty, based on the movie)
Maybe Happy Ending (Darren Criss, musical about robots?)
Vladimir (Norbert Leo Butz in a play about a journalist covering Putin)
King Lear (Kenneth Branagh)
Othello (the prices for this production with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal is very expensive, I’ll see it if I can get a cheap ticket somehow)
See What I Wanna See (it looks interesting, I don’t remember who told me about it…)
Good Bones (I see most shows at The Public)
The Beacon (Kate Mulgrew!)