Platt, Porgy and a Rich Inheritance! 5 Must-Do Events for the Week of September 23 to 29
From buzzy new plays and the Met Opera’s glittering opening night to a Netflix-and-chill date with Ben Platt, there’s plenty to see and do this week. Get the scoop below on five must-do events for the week of September 23 through 29.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
PORGY AT THE MET
The gorgeous tale of Porgy and Bess will fill the stage at the Metropolitan Opera for the first time in nearly 30 years, beginning with the coveted season opening performance on September 23. Charismatic soprano Angel Blue co-stars with bass baritone Eric Owens in the beloved folk opera by George and Ira Gershwin and DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. Tony-winning Broadway designers Catherine Zuber, Michael Yeargan and Donald Holder help bring director James Robinson’s acclaimed production to life, with Tony nominee Camille A. Brown (Choir Boy) on board as choreographer. If you miss the premiere, you can catch Porgy, Bess, Sportin’ Life and the rest of the residents of Catfish Row at 13 additional performances through February 1, 2020.
INFO: 6PM on September 23 at the Metropolitan Opera (132 West 65th Street). Tickets start at $53.50.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
POWER PLAY
"Brilliant," "bold" and "spectacularly unique" are just a few of the critical valentines that greeted Soft Power during its 2018 debut in Los Angeles. This musical-within-a-play by Tony winners David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) and Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home) tackles big themes—gun violence, America’s place in global politics, the emerging power of the Chinese—with arresting images including a pre-election Hillary Clinton dancing on top of a Big Mac. The Public Theater has already extended the show’s limited run, reflecting intense interest in Hwang and Tesori’s exciting collaboration, choreographed by Sam Pinkleton (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) and directed by Leigh Silverman (Violet).
INFO: Limited run through November 10 at the Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street). Tickets start at $97.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
HEY, OLD FRIENDS
Possibly the best thing to come out of the short-lived 1996 Broadway mounting of State Fair was the enduring friendship of Andrea McArdle and Donna McKechnie. Two decades later, the stars of Annie and A Chorus Line threw their resumes into a blender and came up with a crowd-pleasing cabaret show celebrating the music of Stephen Sondheim and Marvin Hamlisch. Taking the stage at 54 Below on September 26 for the first of a three-night return engagement, the classy divas will perform favorites like "Send in the Clowns" and "What I Did for Love," as well as their sassy take on "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid." We’ll drink to them!
INFO: 7PM on September 26, 27 and 28 at 54 Below (254 West 54th Street). Tickets start at $50, plus $25 food and beverage minimum. Click for more info.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
GLORIOUS INHERITANCE
The word "epic" gets thrown around way too much, but there’s no better description for The Inheritance, Matthew Lopez’s seven-hour, two-part, three-generation drama of gay life in New York City. Inspired by E.M. Forster’s Howard's End (a coveted country house figures into the plot, as does Forster himself), the play is a moving portrait of love, betrayal and tragedy, with a cast led by Olivier Award winner Kyle Soller and Tony winner John Benjamin Hickey. The Inheritance amassed four major Best Play awards for its London premiere and tackles big themes, including the AIDS crisis, in a riveting production (directed by Tony winner Stephen Daldry) packed with humor and heart.
INFO: Open run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street). Tickets for Part 1 and Part 2 start at $59.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
PLATT FOR PRESIDENT
Diehard Dear Evan Hansen fans are in for a jolt when Tony winner Ben Platt unveils his latest creation, the uber-ambitious title character in Ryan Murphy’s devious TV satire The Politician. Platt ditches Evan’s striped polo for a devil red three-piece suit as preppy Payton Hobart, who envisions a high school student government election paving his way to Harvard—and eventually the White House. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Payton’s glamorous mom alongside Jessica Lange, Lucy Boynton, Zoey Deutch and DEH original cast member Laura Dreyfuss as a campaign operative. The Politician wrapped months before the real-life college admissions scandal made headlines, adding an extra level of timeliness to the show. The eight-episode first season drops on September 27, just in time for weekend binging.
INFO: Debuts September 27 on Netflix. For more details, click here.
Illustrations by Tug Rice for Broadway.com
