ON BROADWAY
A guide to current Broadway shows by Daily News theater critic Chris Jones:
& Juliet: A savvy jukebox musical from London offering a feminist reworking of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” with added bits and songs made famous by Pink, Britney and Kesha, e t al. This nonstop party-empowerment show stole revisionist British history from “Six,” Elizabethan humor from “Something Rotten,” nonbinary savvy from “Head Over Heels,” and spectacle from “Moulin Rouge.” It’s derivative, over-confident and fun. Have a cocktail first. Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 W. 43rd St.
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical: Wanna be transported back to when you swayed to “Song Sung Blue,” seduced to “Red, Red Wine,” sniffled to “Love On the Rocks” or were stirred by “Play Me,” before you actually got played in life? Then this biographical jukebox tribute to the gravel-voiced singer-songwriter is your show. But if the idea of a “Sweet Caroline” audience singalong sounds hellish, move on down the list. Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St.
Aladdin: Disney’s “Aladdin” is a bit too frenetic, gag-heavy and overly anxious to please—but it has settled in as an entertaining family attraction featuring a diverse cast, a fun genie whose antics will always remain a tribute to Robin Williams, and the requisite magic carpet ride against a backdrop of the glittering (and wire-hiding) lights of a utopian Arabian night. New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 W. 42nd St.
The Book of Mormon: A relic of an era when satirists had more guts, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s “The Book of Mormon” lampoons the LDS religion with the same sharp edge familiar from South Park. Go enjoy a wicked musical from before America lost so much of its sense of humor. Eugene O’Neill Theatre, 230 W. 49th St.
Chicago: This long-lived show celebrating the real-life killers of prohibition-era Chicago has been pulling in Broadway suckers since 1996. Nothing lasts that long on Broadway without quality... and some stunt star casting. But the real stars here are John Kander and Fred Ebb, who penned a score that drips with melodic aspiration and lyrical cynicism, and, Bob Fosse whose erotically muscular choreography is the perfect match. Ambassador Theatre, 219 W. 49th St.
Funny Girl: Original star Beanie Feldstein is but a distant memory now that Lea Michele has taken over as Fanny Brice in a classic, retro, backstage musical famous for such Jule Styne/Bob Merrill songs as “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” Part of the fun here is enjoying Harvey
Fierstein’s lovingly revised book, for sure, but also how much the (typically loud) audience loves a star who has invigorated a revival that looked set to close.Be aware Michele does not perform on Thursdays. August Wilson Theatre, 245 W. 52nd St.
Hadestown: This dystopian 2019 musical is rooted in the 2010 concept album by Anaïs Mitchell and updates and retells the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice via a compellingly theatrical blend of steampunk, “Westworld” and self-aware Bourbon Street sensuality. It’s a thrillingly alarmist show, albeit potentially jarring to those who prefer warmer or more traditional musicals. Mitchell’s music, with its pounding beat and obsession with notes lower and higher than God, variously evokes gospel, blues, blue collar work-song and the ravings of a rabid cult. Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 W. 48th St.
Hamilton: Still a tough and expensive ticket, this Lin-Manuel Miranda global cultural phenomenon employs a young, diverse cast to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father with the long-term berth on the ten-spot, but also a scrappy immigrant who wrote like he was running out of time and, deep inside, feared he was just another Icarus, flying too close to the sun. The music is eclectic and often gorgeous, the cast chosen from countless aspirants and the emotional intensity still capable of blowing all else away. Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: An epic commitment requiring two tickets and and six hours has now been in reduced to a more manageable single show. We purists lament the change, which cut much of the subtlety and fun in the text but left all the spectacular theatrical effects, which is what most people remember anyway. Even in this version, though, Harry Potter fans leave fully satiated. Lyric Theatre, 214 W. 43rd St.
Kimberly Akimbo: Due to a rare genetic disorder, 16-year-old Kimberly of New Jersey has the outward appearance of a 62-yearold woman. This quirky and fascinating new musical proceeds from there, with a Jeanine Tesori score filled with songs about the agony of how the world only spins forward, and usually far too fast for our sanity. The deep-diving star, Victoria Clark, is a Tony Award front-runner. Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St.
Leopoldstadt: The most successful play since the start of the pandemic, at least, Tom Stoppard’s late in life, autobiographical masterwork explores both questions of this great writers’ identity and the fate of Middle European
Jews destroyed amid the anti-Semitic tumult of the 20th century. It’s complicated, prismatic and breathtakingly fine. Longacre Theatre, 200 W. 48th St.
The Lion King: Julie Taymor’s masterful work is 25 years old but still as fresh as a Serengeti morning. This Disney family attraction features stunning puppets, visual tableaux, Elton John songs, African music. It’s deservedly the most successful musical of its era. Minskoff Theatre, 200 W. 45th St.
MJ The Musical: This homage to the King of Pop is set during the creative process for Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” world tour. Although there is little mention of the MJ controversies (the estate prefers it that way), “MJ” offers the chance to hear a slew of iconic MJ hits and experience his choreographic soul through the simpatico-but-original ideas of Christopher Wheeldon. Neil
Simon Theatre, 250 W. 52nd St.
Moulin Rouge the Musical!: A decadent live translation of Baz Luhrmann’s widely beloved 2001 movie musical and an intense, anachronistic extravaganza that stuffs cuts of pop anthems (70 songs! 161 composers!) inside a letter-box of gorgeous retro-red velour. This is date-night pastiche with a unifying communal play list, and an omnisexual dip into a sensual ocean with nervous fellow travelers. Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 W. 45th St.
The Phantom of the Opera: Time is running out for the famous gothic musical with its crashing chandelier, a big night out since 1988 but now scheduled to fall on Broadway for the last time on April 16. “Phantom” is a grandiose, crowd-pleasing relic of the pre-digital era we’re unlikely to see the like (or the expense) again. Majestic Theatre, 245 W. 44th St.
The Piano Lesson: While alive, August Wilson struggled to get Broadway funding. But his star has risen in death and this generally successful revival of this Pulitzer Prize-winning play about Black life in the 1930s stars Samuel L. Jackson. It’s stronger in the first act but still worth seeing. Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St.
Pictures From Home: Sharr White’s haunting Broadway play, starring Nathan Lane, Zoë Wanamaker and Danny Burstein, is the story of how a photographer uses his parents in his art. It’s based on the work of Larry Sultan, who in the 1980s embarked on a project to photograph and interview his aging parents going about their normal lives. What emerges from Bartlett Sher’s moving, funny, warm-centered show is partly an exploration of the tension between work and family ties but mostly a son realizing he wants his parents to live forever. Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St.
SIX: The Musical: Just 90 minutes, this small-cast original pop musical is centered on the six wives of Henry VIII who bond in a post-death sisterhood and compete for who actually had the worst time with their bearded pig. The wives are reimagined with performative personas close to such divas as Beyoncé, Adele, and Rihanna. Audiences generally ignore the relatively thin gruel and have an empowering blast. Lena Horne Theatre, 256 W. 47th St.
Wicked: Now 20 years old, “Wicked” is one of Broadway’s best loved attractions. It’s a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” and focused on the intense friendship between two witches, one good, one maybe better. The Winnie Holzman book is a witty tour de force and Steven Schwartz came up with a bevy of emotional numbers, including “Defying Gravity,” one of the great Act One closers.