Hey, you, lounging on a blanket in Central Park—you have five more months to drink wine and eat crackers outside. Besides, there’s way too much fun stuff to do on Broadway and beyond this week, including two high-profile Broadway opening nights, a stage and screen star on TV and real-life royalty at 54 Below. Here are this week’s picks!
Survey the Stars with JRB
April 20 at SubCulture
It must be nice to be composer-lyricist-director Jason Robert Brown, with Broadway’s best and brightest are right on your smartphone.”Hey, Kelli can you come over for a Bridges of Madison County reunion? Awesome, bring Steve!” In the latest installment of his concert residency at SubCulture, Brown welcomes Tom Kitt, Kyle Dean Massey, and Lindsay Mendez. What will they do? We’re not sure. Will it be awesome? Definitely. Click for tickets!
Savor Something Rotten!
Opens April 22 at the St. James Theatre
The creation of the first musical probably involved a caveman, sticks, and a boulder. That ain’t good theater. Thankfully, Something Rotten! presents a more enjoyable theory: the Bottom Brothers (Brian d’Arcy James and John Carlini) set out to create a song-and-dance show based on the advice of a soothsayer and to emerge from douchey William Shakespeare’s (Christian Borle) shadow. And yup, the show is as hilarious and entertaining as it sounds. Click for tickets!
Pay Chita Rivera a Visit
Opens April 23 at the Lyceum Theatre
Broadway treasure Chita Rivera returns in the first Broadway mounting of Kander and Ebb’s final musical The Visit. The two-time Tony winner plays a tycoon who returns to her poverty-stricken hometown, a heart-warming scenario that turns complex. Rivera is not the only reason to attend. The brilliant Roger Rees is her co-star and the one-and-only Terrence McNally has tackled the book. Click for tickets!
Brush Up on Your Grammer
April 23, check local listings
Live with Kelly and Michael is a great place to see Broadway stars chat it up. Today is no exception, as Finding Neverland’s Kelsey Grammer stops by the pleasant morning gabfest. Please watch responsibly. Don’t call in sick (again) or sneak a peek while working on that Excel spreadsheet. Either DVR the episode or take your lunch break as soon as you get to work! Your boss will appreciate your creativity.
Bow Down to Lesli Margherita
April 25 and 26 at 54 Below
Anyone who enjoyed Matilda star’s Lesli Margherita’s vlogs for Broadway.com—where we learned all sorts of tricks of the musical trade, including “cooter slams”—knows she’s the cat's maggot's meow. So you must catch her solo show All Hail the Queen at 54 Below. This 70-minute extravaganza of sassy showmanship features feathers and sparkles and songs and stories—just like Saturday night at Buckingham Palace! OK, probably not. Click for tickets!