Discovery of the Week: The Best Shows to See Off-Broadway
Walking through the streets of Manhattan, we see billboards on train platforms, subways, and buses advertising the latest hits on Broadway. But there’s a whole world of off-Broadway productions, and it isn’t just where shows are tested before they move up to Broadway. Here are some of the shows, old and new, running off-Broadway from now until the fall.
Curvy Widow
Starring Nancy Opel, this musical tells the story of a newly-widowed woman in her 50s as she explores online dating and relationships in New York. Bobby Goldman, writing with Drew Brody, based the musical on her own experiences after her husband, James Goldman, passed away in 1998. The running time is 80 minutes without intermission, and you can buy tickets until October 15.
More information:
Spamilton
True to its origins, the parody of Hamilton features a diverse cast and has enjoyed extended runs in Chicago and New York. The musical, written by Gerard Alessandrini, includes the characters Lin-Manuel Miranda playing Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. playing Burr, and Daveed Diggs playing Jefferson and Lafayette. Paying homage to Hamilton’s cultural context, the cast also includes Steven Sondheim playing Ben Franklin and icons from the Obamas to Beyoncé. The running time is 80 minutes without intermission, and though it’s advertised as an open run, tickets are on sale until October 1st.
More information:
Hamlet
Sam Gold’s production of Hamlet features unique twists, such as the same actor (Ritchie Coster) playing Claudius and Hamlet’s father, and syringes as weapons. Oscar Isaac stars as Hamlet and Keegan-Michael Key plays his best friend, Horatio. The running time is four hours, including two intermissions, and tickets are on sale until September 3rd.
More information:
The Red Letter Plays: F*cking A and In the Blood
In Suzan-Lori Parks’ interpretations of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is reimagined two ways: as a single mother of five and a town’s abortionist. The plays, In the Blood and F*cking A, premiered in 1999 and 2000 respectively, and Parks became the first African-American woman to with the Pulitzer the next year for Topdog/Underdog. F*cking A opens August 22nd and tickets are on sale until October 1st, and In the Blood will book from August 29th to October 8th.
More information:
New York City Theater (F*cking A, In the Blood)
Today Tix (F*cking A, In the Blood)
Avenue Q
Avenue Q won Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book at the 2004 Tony Awards, and it’s been running off-Broadway since 2009. The musical’s cast, portrayed by hand puppets, includes an English Literature graduate, a former child star, a kindergarten teacher, and a porn addict. The running time is two hours and fifteen minutes, including one intermission, and tickets are booking for an open run.
More information:
In & Of Itself
Magician Derek DelGaudio has created a show that is far more than a series of tricks. In & of Itself features DelGaudio’s stories and asks the audience to question themselves as much as they question the illusion before them. Originally a limited run ending September 3rd, the show has been extended by popular demand to December 30th.
More information:
What's Your Reaction?
