Curious what to see on a crowded Broadway slate? Frank DiLella, longtime host of the Spectrum News NY1 show On Stage, has you covered.
We asked DiLella, a 2006 Fordham graduate who’s also an adjunct professor at the University, for his top summer Broadway picks. He threw in an off-Broadway recommendation and even gave us an insider’s peek at what’s coming this fall.
Merrily We Roll Along
Photo by Matthew Murphy
The critically acclaimed Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along—once an infamous flop—is now the winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. Merrily centers around the turbulent journey of three friends: Franklin, Charley, and Mary—played by Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez. Groff and Radcliffe took home the Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical and Best Featured Actor in a Musical, respectively, for their performances.
Hell’s Kitchen
Photo by Chelcie Pary
The Alicia Keys musical Hell’s Kitchen is loosely based on her experience of growing up in Manhattan, and features her famous tunes like “Empire State of Mind” and “If I Ain’t Got You.” The show stars Broadway regulars Brandon Victor Dixon and Shoshana Bean, alongside newcomer Maleah Joi Moon. Moon is making her professional debut as the Keys-inspired character, Ali, and recently took home the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.
Oh, Mary!
Photo by Emilio Madrid
Comic genius Cole Escola, widely known for playing characters in television shows like Search Party and Big Mouth, is now tackling Mary Todd Lincoln in the new play Oh, Mary! It’s opening on Broadway in July after a sold-out off-Broadway run. In the show, written by Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, Mary Todd Lincoln will do anything to fulfill her one big dream. The production features an ensemble cast, including Fordham Theatre grad Tony Macht, FCLC ’17.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Photo by Evan Zimmerman
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is now playing off-Broadway at the Perelman Performing Arts Center like you’ve never seen it before. In this new, immersive restaging of the 1982 Broadway mega-musical, audiences are welcomed into the Jellicle Ball, which is inspired by the ballroom culture that burst onto the queer, gay, and trans scene in New York City more than five decades ago. Cats: The Jellicle Ball stars Tony Award-winner André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy; ballroom icon Chasity Moore, who goes by “Tempress,” as Grizabella; and Hamilton alum Sydney James Harcourt as Rum Tum Tugger.
A Look Ahead at Broadway’s Fall Lineup
Sunset Boulevard
Photo by Marc Brenner
Nicole Sherzinger’s acclaimed performance as film diva Norma Desmond is making its way across the pond from London’s West End. Sunset Boulevard arrives on Broadway this October in a stripped-down, minimalistic version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. The show features direction by British sensation Jamie Lloyd, known for his radical reimaginings.
Gypsy
Photo by Allison Michael Orenstein
One of Broadway’s greatest works and greatest performers join forces this fall when Audra McDonald stars in Gypsy at the historic Majestic Theatre. Widely considered one of the best musicals of all time, Gypsy is the story of how far a determined stage mom will go to turn her daughter into a star. The show features a legendary creative team with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by the late Stephen Sondheim.
