Laugh, cry and dance on Broadway [but not necessarily in that order]

"I'm going to New York... gonna catch a show or two."


The Great White Way is so entrenched in New York culture that a trip to the island of Manhattan is hardly complete without attending at least one broadway performance... and there is a whole fresh crop of shows, both new and revival, that make an evening of live theater a requisite part of your next visit.

Here are a few of my top picks:

• A View from the Bridge. This Arthur Miller masterpiece is set in Red Hook, Brooklyn in the 1950s and is brimming with sexual tension. The performances turned in from Liev Schreiber [Eddie Carbone], Jessica Hecht [Beatrice Carbone], and Scarlett Johanssen [Catherine, their 17 year old niece] as directed by Gregory Mosher are so perfectly balanced [which is unusual given Schreiber's usual stage-tilting performances], that the audience can sense the emotions of the characters almost before the characters do. Contemporary tragedy plays out on stage as immigrant cousin houseguests crowd and already crowded living situation and brings 'what lies beneath' to an uncomfortable surface. A View from the Bridge is running at the Cort Theater on West 48th Street for only a few more weeks, so get your tickets before the actors take their final bow.



• Promises, Promises. This revival of the stage production derived from the Billy Wilder film farce 'The Apartment' takes on new relevance as it questions the hipocracy of some heterosexual marriages in the face of post-milennial marriage inequality. This show is a hot ticket that is sure to be a hit. Brought to you by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron [the guys responsible for the film adaptaptions of Chicago and Hairspray], this production features Sean Hayes and the effusive Kristen Chenoweth [fresh off her Emmy win]. With a storyline from Neil Simon and music by Burt Bacharach, think of it a as stepping into a time machine to a much simpler time...or was it? Previews begin Saturday, March 27th with general audience production coming April 25th. Promises, Promises is at The Broadway Theater at 53rd Street and Broadway.



• Fela. This show is an interesting one as it can be viewed on several different levels depending on the audience member's level of understanding and interest in the subject matter. Fela is loosely the story of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nigerian musician and activist, set to music from and inspired by his life. Though somewhat disjointed in storyline, the audience will get a basic understanding of the bio... but that's just one level. Another level [and reason enough to see this show alone] is the music. Fela is a show that moves you to move. In many ways it's a shame that the show has to be set in a traditional theater in that it would be better to lose the seats alltogether. You could categorize this show as a 'jukebox musical', but I think it would be wrong to pidgeonhole it. Whatever you call it, call for tickets as this show produced by Jay Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith. It's worth the price of admission and then some. This show also offers special package rates with overnight accommodations included at the neighboring hotel 'The Time' and Serafina Italian] offers a 20% discount to Fela ticket holders around showtime. Fela is playing at the Eugene O'Neill theater on 49th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenues.