On Broadway: Five We've Liked Recently

Time to Catch Up with some Broadway shows. Here are five that we've enjoyed recently:

Purlie Victorious. This is unquestionably one of the funniest shows on Broadway right now and Leslie Odom, Jr's performance is an absolute tour de force. 

And while the show may be billed as a comedy (subtitled "a non confederate romp through the cotton patch") it's also poignant, instructive, heartfelt and insightful. Directed by Kenny Leon, it's a revival of a 1961 Ossie Davis play about Purlie Victorious Judson, a Black self-made traveling preacher. Purlie decides to return to his segregated Georgia hometown with a mission to buy and rehab its derelict church, Big Bethel. And that's where all the action begins because this is a tall order as the church, like the town, is in the grip of racist tyrant Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee.

This is a fast-paced show superbly directed with first-rate actors whose timing alone will leave you breathless. You'll have to listen closely (until your ears become attuned to it) as Purlie is performed mostly in Black southern dialect and runs 100 minutes with no intermission. But it's all worth it as you'll be enjoying a true diamond in the rough and a rare gem of the American theater. Look for this one to cop a lot of awards at Tony time including best revival of a play.

Here We Are. This is about as different from the four others we're spotlighting as you can possibly imagine. In fact, it's not like any show on Broadway right now and, technically it's not on Broadway proper as it's being performed at The Shed at Hudson Yards. This is Stephen Sondheim's final musical inspired by the films of the noted French director Luis Bunuel.

Starring Bobby Cannvale, Steven Pasquale, Tracie Bennett, David Hyde Pierce, Jin Ha, Amber Gray and others, this is truly an ensemble effort directed by Joe Mantello with orchestrations by Sondheim vet Jonathan Tunick and music supervision by Alexander Gemignani, son of the great Sondheim conductor Paul Genignani. Clearly, this whole show is done in homage to The Master himself, the great composer/lyricist whose career spanned eight decades.

Here We Are is an existential musical. In fact, parts of it may as well have been written by the father of existentialism, the French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre because the show touches upon the very meaning of life itself, or lack thereof. But, the show is also about where one should dine on a given afternoon or evening, the pageantry of Catholicism, the wasteful indulgence of the bourgeoisie, capitalist greed, the drug culture, the seemingly ominous times we live in and the irrepressible optimism of youth. 

And since this is a Sondheim show (with a book by David Ives) it's provocative, topical, piercingly funny and often conflicted. Some of it will remind you of Company; some of it will remind you of A Little Night Music and some of it may even remind you of Merrily We Roll Along (now playing on Broadway to packed houses). But, in the end it's all new (if still somewhat unfinished) and worth seeing simply for itself.

Harmony. - If ever a musical was relevant to the here and now it's the new show Harmony, with music by the great Barry Manilow and book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman. (Video above)

And isn't it a shame that this musical reverberates today more than ever, since it's about the antisemitic persecution of the Comedian Harmonists, an ensemble of six young men in 1920s Germany. This is the true story of a group that took the world by storm with their blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics. It's something that Manilow says he's been wanting to bring to the stage for decades. Standouts in the cast include the amazing Chip Zien who is bound to cop a Tony nomination as the star/narrator of the whole production and two women who become involved with the Hamonists, Julie Benko and Sierra Boggess. 

This is a Big Story to tell set against epic, historic events but the show must also focus on the real, everyday human struggles of these six guys. As you might expect, the tale is harrowing at times but it helps that the book is full of heart (coupled with regret and reflection) as the story is told in remembered flashbacks. Though the show can be boisterous and preachy in parts it is often redeemed by beautiful music and lyrics in songs such as Where You Go and Every Single Day, one of the finest ballads you'll hear on a Broadway stage right now. The singing in this show (both individual and ensemble) will blow you away!

Ain't Too Proud. - Here's another show about a singing group -- and one that also encountered discrimination. Ain't Too Proud concerns itself with the life and times of the legendary Temptations, the R&B sensations who helped put Motown on the map. In this show you'll meet not just The Temptations but also The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Tammi Terrell and the mastermind behind the Motown Sound, Berry Gordy. 

As in Harmony, the story is narrated via reminiscences by the singing group's founder, in this case Otis Williams, portrayed by Michael Andreaus in the performance we attended. Again, the voices here are all first rate even in the touring company which is journeying throughout the country. And, oh those synchronized, carefully calibrated movements that accompanied the singing! The Temptations (and many other Motown groups) didn't so much dance as they moved in unison and always impeccably attired. It's explained that this became their calling card so that Black people could take pride in and emulate them while white folk could be reassured by their clean cut appearance and precise performance. In this manner, they shattered racial barriers and gave rise to "crossover" success on the Billboard charts and beyond.

In Ain't Too Proud you'll be treated to more than 30 tunes by The Temptations and other groups and learn the anguished story of a group that struggled but endured. In fact, from 1960 to the present day, more than 25 guys have composed the five members of The Temptations. It's an epic story that's not always easy to squeeze into two plus stage hours but it's guaranteed first-rate entertainment. (Video below)

Shucked. It isn't often these days that a show comes to Broadway with an original story and original music and lyrics -- not the musicalization of a book or a movie or a previously produced play. No, we're talking something completely original. And that's exactly what Shucked is -- a show which was in development for many years and was finally brought to Broadway where it was always meant to be.

We saw a recent performance and absolutely loved it! Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy Award-winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical says it's "sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater." And it must be doing something right because it's enjoying a successful run at the Nederlander Theater (through January 21) and will soon be touring throughout the country.

Shucked is about a small town that depends totally on its vibrant corn crop -- until the crop, mysteriously, stops producing the town's lifeblood. What happened and why? And how does Shucked get it mojo back? Well, that's what this corn huskin' tale is all about. 

Yeah, Shucked is corny. But it's also clever, surprising, timely and laugh out loud funny. You'll have to listen closely because the one-liners (even in the songs) come at you faster that a road runner. If you saw the scene from Shucked on the recently televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade you know what we're talking about. And Alex Newell totally brings the house down when she sings the defiant, tuneful "Independently Owned." In fact, all of the members of the young, exuberant Shucked cast are wonderful.

And here's the thing we loved most about this show -- Shucked is not overly impressed with itself. It doesn't pretend to be delving into the meaning of life. It doesn't try to be slick or sophisticated. It aims for down home authenticity, and it succeeds. But please don't get the idea that Shucked is dim witted -- far from it! The production values are first rate and this show provides a good dose of social commentary while managing to nonetheless serve it all up with a plenty of heart. 

Be sure to get tickets when it some to a city near you!