Everything these days is debatable. Politics of course: Tuesday night the Presidential candidates are debating. But theater too. The Broadway Fall season begins two days after the debate, with the opening of “The Roommate.” In a new poll, Broadway theatergoers debate their top three go-to shows among the 16 opening between now and the end of December. So far, the results are 1: Gypsy, 2: Sunset Boulevard, 3: Death Becomes Her.
I weigh in as well — on Broadway and beyond:
Immersive theater seems to be making a post-pandemic comeback. Some might debate whether it ever left. Yes, Sleep No More is scheduled to close next month after thirteen years
But now there is a show just as ambitious:
Life and Trust. Review and Guide to an Immersive Paradise (and Hell)
And several site-specific theater pieces are opening in September
The Voices in Your Head from Egg & Spoon Theatre, Family (Hoi Polloi and Amanda + James, Speakeasy Die Softly from American Immersion Theater and The Murder Mystery Company, taking place at Carmine’s Restaurant in the theater district.
Third Rail Projects, producers of such memorable shows as Then She Fell, will also launch True Love Forever on November 21, which it describes as “where immersive theater and an indie rock concert collide.”
And, announced today, Broadway is getting in on the trend, sort of. When it begins previews next week, “Our Town” will offer 30 audience members the opportunity to sit on stage with the 28 actors — Jim Parsons, Zoey Deutch, Katie Holmes, and Ephraim Sykes among them. The producers are calling these “Immersive Stage Manager Seats” and are promising “you’ll be immersed in the world of Our Town, becoming part of the story.” The fifth Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder’s play, directed by Kenny Leon, opens at the Barrymore October 10.
The Week in New York Theater News
Pasek and Paul become EGOT winners. Their “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?: from Only Murders in the Building won an Emmy (See it sung below by Steve Martin). The songwriting team has previously won two Tony Awards- for Dear Evan Hanson and A Strange Loop. Their Grammy Award was also for Dear Evan Hanson, with their Oscar for the song “City of Stars” from La La Land.
Jeffrey Horowitz, who founded Theatre for a New Audience 45 years ago, has announced he will retired on August 31, 2025. (American Theatre)
