Best of the Week: From Smash to Sondheim and a (Dead) Singing Outlaw
Broadway this week offers a tribute to a musical titan, a stage debut for a cult-favorite TV show, and a genre-bending Western about a corpse with staying power. From a cast of theater royalty celebrating Sondheim, to a reimagined Smash (with plenty of jazz hands and sharp jabs), to a true-crime saga set to twang and tumbleweeds, this is one of the season’s most eclectic—and exciting—lineups. Here are the top events making Broadway buzz this week.
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
ISN’T IT RICH? A NIGHT OF SONDHEIM
The maestro may be gone, but his music is very much alive. Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends opens tonight, celebrating the work—and the world—of Broadway’s most revered composer. After a celebrated run in London, this American premiere brings together a stacked cast of Sondheim devotees, including Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga and an ensemble of vocal powerhouses ready to bring down the house on “Being Alive,” “Ladies Who Lunch,” “Broadway Baby,” and beyond. Devised by Cameron Mackintosh and staged by Matthew Bourne and Julia McKenzie, this revue feels less like a concert and more like a love letter—from performers, for fans, to Steve.
INFO: Open run at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Get Tickets
THURSDAY, APRIL 10
SMASH HITS BROADWAY—FOR REAL THIS TIME
After years of inside jokes, endless memes and that one song you still belt in the shower, Smash finally lands on Broadway. Based on the cult NBC series about the making of a musical about Marilyn Monroe, this stage version leans into comedy, cranks up the outrageous, and twists its TV characters into even juicier theatrical shapes. Susan Stroman directs a new book by Bob Martin and Rick Elice, and the cast? A+ Broadway pros: Robyn Hurder as Ivy Lynn, Krysta Rodriguez, Brooks Ashmanskas, John Behlmann and more. And yes, “Let Me Be Your Star” is in it. You can exhale now.
INFO: Performances at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street). Get Tickets
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
THE DEAD OUTLAW RIDES AGAIN
Dead Outlaw, the much-buzzed musical from the Public, begins previews tonight at the Longacre. With a book by Itamar Moses and a folk-noir score by Tony winner David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, it tells the strange true story of Elmer McCurdy, a failed outlaw whose mummified body traveled the country long after his death. Directed by David Cromer, this offbeat, genre-blurring piece has earned raves downtown and now makes its move to Broadway, promising something darker, weirder and unexpectedly moving.
INFO: Previews begin April 12 at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). Opening night is April 27. Get Tickets
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
MCC Theater’s starriest night returns as Miscast25 hits the Hammerstein Ballroom. Broadway faves sing roles they’d never be cast in—and this year’s honorees are Sheryl Lee Ralph and Travis Raeburn. | Hammerstein Ballroom | More Info
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
Obie winner Ryan J. Haddad stars in Hold Me in the Water, his latest autobiographical play premiering off-Broadway. Directed by Danny Sharron, it explores intimacy, identity, and vulnerability with humor and heart. | Playwrights Horizons | Get Tickets
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
Heléne Yorke and Michael Zegen star in Strategic Love Play, now available as an Audible Original. Miriam Battye’s two-hander about a messy first date was a London hit and an Off-Broadway favorite. | Audible | Listen Here
THURSDAY, APRIL 11
Norm Lewis leads Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, Lonne Elder III’s Harlem-set family drama, in a rare off-Broadway revival from Peccadillo Theater Company. Directed by Clinton Turner Davis. | Theatre at St. Clement’s | Get Tickets
