On Broadway, April is a time for the 20-something metropolis blocks it covers to placed on as a lot mega-watt glamor because it sometimes reserves for its phases. The rationale? Cutoff for Tony Award eligibility comes close to the top of the month; this 12 months being April 25. Consider it as a parallel to the way in which “Oscar films” come out across the holidays, in order that they’re contemporary in voters’ minds in time for the ceremony.
The distinction right here is that the theater world has no Tellurides, no Cannes, no Torontos. There’s no globetrotting competition circuit for exhibits to rack up goodwill on their strategy to the massive premiere. A couple of weeks of previews, an out-of-town tryout, possibly—however issues can nonetheless change earlier than they’re “frozen” into the completed work that’s supplied up for consideration.
In brief, audiences (and the darling critics amongst them) are gifted—or cursed, relying on the way you have a look at it—with a maelstrom of latest exhibits each April, and this 12 months is especially frenzied: there are 12 openings in a nine-day ultimate stretch starting April 17. This implies 12 units of pink carpets, curtain name speeches, after-parties, and heaps of publicity in a little bit over every week.
I’ve been masking New York theater for 4 seasons (plus, after all, being spiritually attuned to those that got here earlier than) and had by no means seen one thing like this. The ups: a lot consideration paid to Broadway. The downs: every present should battle for particular person love; sufficient to attract crowds, earn good evaluations, and hope the flurry of latest productions doesn’t put on out audiences who might want to keep engaged lengthy after the Tonys if they’re to outlive.
The business’s nonetheless shaken up from the pandemic, making an attempt to get well its pre-lockdown audiences and hold them coming. Because of this, for its company, Opening Season will probably be glitzier, stuntier, and extra celebratory than ever.
For me, it means I’ll be operating round Midtown Manhattan, darting from carpet to curtain to cocktail—not at all times in that order, or for a similar present—attempting to seize a number of the magic that’s spilling off the phases this season. (On high of my dedication to overview a handful of those productions, and juggle an unrelated day job, thoughts you). Armed with a cellphone, pocket book, and rotating set of press passes, I’ll present a way of what Broadway is like for its casts, crews, devoted followers, and drop-in celebs throughout this magical, maniacal time.
Wednesday, April 17
Phillip Johnson Richardson, Nichelle Lewis, Avery Wilson and Kyle Ramar FreemanJamie McCarthy/Getty Pictures
