2023-2024 Broadway Season
Who Decides if a Broadway Show is a hit?
The 2023-2024 Broadway season has been more robust than any we’ve seen in recent years. To think that just four years ago Broadway closed down during the pandemic, it appears we’re making up for lost time now. The reason we can get so many shows in is because shows are not staying open as long. The “long running Broadway show” are few and far between when it comes to the past several years. Producers seem to bring them in for ‘limited runs” and get them right out on the road. This allows the Broadway houses to be open to bring in another creative team’s show to make dreams come true.
As a writer, director, producer…I always remind myself there are so many people behind everything that comes in with really high hopes of a hit. They are employing a lot of people and feeding the economy so I do applaud them all. That said, it doesn’t mean I always like everything that is being put up on the stage. BUT that’s what is so great about Broadway right now: there is something for EVERYONE. You can read past substacks of mine to see where I do a deep dive into the jukebox musical which continues to thrive on Broadway with this year being no exception. We also had several musicals with original scores as well. As a former writer of the BMI Musical Theater Workshop, its always been difficult for me to listen to Broadway shows where composers and lyricists throw out the “rules” taught to us, but once again…it’s all part of the changing landscape. I’m really happy that we even have original scores. So with that said, I went into this year with an open mind and open ears.
According to this article from the NY Theatre Guide, there were 38 Broadway shows that opened in this season with 35 being eligible for the Tony Awards (with nominations being announced on April 30th). In the next few weeks, I will have seen 27 of those so naturally I have my own opinions on each of them. I’m forever grateful to discount tickets that allows me to see so many shows and if you haven’t looked into joining TDF…you should.
I think back to last summer with shows that came and went and hope that Grey House is remembered by the Tony Awards for that amazing sound and set in that very eerie play. I had a wonderful time at Once Upon a One More Time (which should never have been billed as a Britney Spears musical as it was so much more). I was so glad Justin Guarini was remembered by the Outer Critics Circle with a nomination for his delicious take on Prince Charming. Sadly shows that open and close earlier in the season are often forgotten by the Tony Committee especially in a year like now when so many shows opened in the past two months to get in right before the Tony nominations deadline.
I’ve luckily seen almost every new musical that came out this year. There is a shared modern sound running through much of our new Broadway composers. You don’t necessarily walk out humming any of the songs, but you do feel touched by them while hearing them in the moment. Last season, I said that Harmony had my favorite new score of the season (when it was off-Broadway) and it would be nice for them to show up on the nomination list this year even though the show had a limited run on Broadway. I also enjoyed the score of Suffs and Lempicka. I find many new musicals have issues with the book (story/script) even if based on something existing like a film or novel. There were a few new musicals this year that had confusing books that didn’t spend enough time on their main characters.
I kept waiting for a musical to jump off the stage and smack me like some of the long running current musicals…but it wasn’t happening. And then I saw Illinoise. All I knew about it was that it was a hit at The Armory in the spring and made a quick leap to Broadway to make it in under the wire for Tony noms. I decided to grab a TDF ticket and see it alone the second day it was on Broadway. WOW. We use the phrase blown away too often…but this was more than that as it reached out and grabbed my soul. A beautiful, lush, exquisite, ethereal, haunting experience full of unbridled joy & devastating anguish. All with no spoken word. There truly is no category for the Tonys to justify what I saw on that stage, so I would definitely put it as my Best Musical of the season.
I also saw several of the plays on Broadway this year. I had already seen Prayer for the French Republic off-Broadway, but returned to see it again…that’s how much I enjoyed it. Also love the writing of Peter Morgan so that alone made me sit through a story of Putin in Patriots. Mother Play is worth it for Jessica Lange (though I feel we’ve seen this story told in other ways before). At this writing, I’ve yet to see Stereophonic, but that is changing soon. I’m curious if that will push to the top of my play list for the season.
I don’t want to forget revivals as there are plenty of those as well. I didn’t go see them all simply because there were so many new shows to take in and I’m not a rich man. But I had to get to Merrily We Roll Along and the production hit me deeply and brought me to tears. I thought back to my early days in New York City, trying to write the next American musical, and the nostalgia of all of that washed over me. I do hope it takes home some awards this year.
I’ve tried to keep this article light and here’s why: art is subjective. There is so much on Broadway that I’m sure there is something anyone could find and enjoy. From reliving the catalog of Alicia Keys set to a wonderful mother/daughter story in Hell’s Kitchen to a new adaption of a classic like An Enemy of the People…it’s all so vastly different. What I like you might hate or vice versa. It’s a reason why I notice my views don’t always line up with reviewers. Audiences are what keeps a show going, not reviews. I thought of that after seeing The Notebook (which I really liked while many reviewers didn’t). I walked down the street chatting with composer Stephen Schwartz who had just seen it too. I remembered back to a certain show of his that critics didn’t like, but 20 years later and Wicked is still going strong. So if you enjoy a Broadway show…shout it from the rooftops no matter what the critics say.
I envy you this season! I did see MERRILY and was gutted and gobsmacked and all the words for moved like only musicals can move a person. Thank you for this post.