Under the lights of Radio City Music Hall on June 8th, the Tony Awards returned with the glitz and theatrics that you would expect from a room filled with a few thousand Broadway superstars. From the moment Hugh Jackman hopped onstage, everyone could tell that it would be a ceremony to remember (although we would like to forget Wolverine’s attempt to rap). When all the awards had shaken out, a few shows had clearly risen to the top of the pack. Keeping with last year’s trend, the comedy shows were the talk of the night, with A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Hedwig and the Angry Inch walking away with quite the collection of silver trophies. But, those of you who would prefer shedding a bucket of tears at your shows, have no fear! Emotional dramas like Beautiful, The Carol King Musical and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill held their own in the big categories.
So, before you go waste a few hours of your New York trip waiting on line only to be highly disappointed (here’s looking at you Bridges of Madison County), here are THE shows to see according to the Tonys. Because, let’s be honest, their opinions are probably more credible than your crazy next-door neighbor’s.
If you liked Avenue Q:
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
10 Nominations
Won:
Best Musical
Best Book of a Musical, Robert L. Freedman
Best Costume Design of a Musical, Linda Cho
Best Direction of a Musical, Darko Tresnjak
Nabbing the Best Musical award, this riot of a show follows Monty Navarro, an English commoner who discovers he is distant heir to the Earldom of Highhurst. In an effort to secure this highfalutin title and its accompanying fortune, Monty, portrayed by the dashing Bryce Pinkham, hatches a plan to bump off the eight preceding heirs, all played by the undisputed comic genius, Jefferson Mays. In the midst of the craziness, Monty attempts to keep a mistress named Lisa O’Hare while courting the young Phoebe D’Ysquith. Fortunately for the audience, this love triangle produces one of the best musical numbers of the show, highlighting the talents of actresses Sibella Hallward and Lauren Warsham. With a star-studded cast and a killer story line (pun intended), this musical is by far the most well-executed goofy comedy on Broadway this year.
Walter Kerr Theater
218 W. 48th St.
212-239-6200
Running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission.
www.agentlemansguidebroadway.com
If you like Rocky Horror Picture Show:
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
8 Nominations
Won:
Best Leading Actor in a Musical, Neil Patrick Harris
Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Lena Hall
Best Revival of a Musical
Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Kevin Adams
While A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is more of a slapstick comedy, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is an edgier, grittier comedy. The musical follows Hedwig, an East German transgender singer, and her band. Hedwig, portrayed by the charismatic and ever-versatile Neil Patrick Harris, tells the story of her tumultuous life while her largely unsuccessful glam-rock band attempts to rise to fame on the coattails of rock-star Tommy Gnosis. As if watching Neil Patrick Harris strut around in fishnet tights and glam makeup isn’t enough reason to see the show, Lena Hall dons a beard and some macho garb as Yitzhak, Hedwig’s gender-ambiguous partner and bandmate. While undeniably funny, Hedwig and the Angry Inch tackles the very serious topics of gender non-conformity and dysfunctional relationships, making it a must see for those who like alternative comedies with a side of social consciousness.
*Neil Patrick Harris will be leaving the show on Aug. 17 and Tony Nominee, Andre Rannells from The Book of Mormon, will be taking over as Hedwig.
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
800-276-2392
Running time is 1 hour and 35 minutes with no intermission.
If you liked Jersey Boys:
Beautiful, The Carol King Musical
7 nominations
Won:
Best leading Actress, Jerri Mueller
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Rounding out the musicals, Beautiful tells the story of Carol King when she was Carol Klein, a Brooklyn teen with a passion for music and the gumption to match. The show follows her rise to fame in the 1960’s, a time when women singer-songwriters were practically unheard of. Jerri Mueller perfectly executes the mix of emotions that accompanies the crumbling of Carol’s personal life and her subsequent development as an artist. This inspiring drama pairs award winning acting with some of King’s most famous hits, including “A Natural Woman,” “One Fine Day,” and, of course, “Beautiful.”
Stephen Sondheim Theatre
124 W. 43rd St
800-432-7250
Running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.
If you liked Dreamgirls:
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
2 Nominations
Won:
Best Leading Actress in a Play, Audra McDonald
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill tells the life story of another iconic female artist—Billie Holiday. The play is set in 1959 in South Philly at what turned out to be one of the last performances before her death. In between iconic songs like “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child,” Holiday, played by Audra McDonald in a one-woman show, tells harrowing anecdotes about the drug and alcohol addictions that she struggled with for the majority of her life. McDonald won her 6th Tony (that’s right, SIXTH) for her ability to juxtapose Holiday’s fragile emotional state with her powerful music.
*Closing August 31st
Circle in the Square Theatre
235 W. 50th St
212-239-6200
Running time is 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.
www.ladydayonbroadway.com
If you liked Richard III:
All the Way
2 Nominations
Won:
Best Play
Best Leading Actor in a Play, Brian Cranston
Brian Cranston proves he’s come a long way from sneaking into the second act of Broadway shows in the ‘70s. The Breaking Bad star plays Lyndon Bain Johnson, who inherited the presidency at a tumultuous time in American history. In the midst of issues like Civil Rights and the impending war in Vietnam, LBJ does whatever it takes to build the “Great Society.” The accidental president wheels and deals with historic figures like J. Edgar Hoover and Martin Luther King Jr., all while dealing with his relationships with his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, and long time aide, Walter Jenkins. Don’t expect to leave this show with uplifted spirits, but hey, that’s politics.
*Closing June 29th
Neil Simon Theatre
250 W. 52nd St
877-250-2929;
Running time is 2 hours and 50 minutes with one intermission.