Five Shows That Can’t Be Missed
They say the best moments in our lives are fleeting – our high school prom, college, the butterflies we get when we first fall in love with a person – and that if we blink, we just might miss them completely. The same saying is true for plays on and off Broadway. We read the rave reviews and make a mental note to buy a ticket but before we know it, the show has closed, another marquee has gone up in its place and we’re left with the regret of having missed yet another great piece of theatre. Don’t be that guy! Some truly must-see theatrical gems are closing in the next few weeks and we’re here to break them down for you so you don’t miss out!
The Revival That’s Still Relevant. When The Normal Heart first debuted Off-Broadway in 1985, the AIDS crisis in the United States was at its height and New Yorkers gay and straight alike could relate to and find catharsis in its outrage at how little was being done to resolve it. More than 25 years later, the play’s words still ring true and serve as a reminder that the fight against AIDS (and countless other human rights issues) is far from over. Closing July 10.
The Laugh-Out-Loud L.A. Transplant. As New Yorkers, we’re practically pre-destined to poke fun at Los Angelites and their crazy ways, which is why everyone will love Desperate Writers. After all, we all deserve a fun night out! This hilarious, star-studded comedy, featuring Next Fall’sMaddie Corman and Pauletta Washington (aka Mrs. Denzel Washington herself) just to name a few, is ending its run at The Union Square Theatre on June 25 and tells the story of what happens when two frantic writers resort to truly desperate measures to get their script read. If you find yourself hungry after the show, indulge in one of the many Union Square restaurants offering discounts to Desperate Writers ticketholders.
The Play With the Shocking, Profane Name. If the vulgar title and Chris Rock aren’t reason enough to get you in to see The Motherf*cker with the Hat, the poignant script should be. Playwright Stephen Adley Guirgis, notorious for his profanity-laced Off-Broadway plays depicted the marginalized members of society, has written a piece of theatre that is about so much more than four-letter words. Closing July 17.
The Play That’s Not Just Another Play About Iraq. Sure, there are those who argue that without Robin Williams, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo would have never made it to Broadway but, regardless of the reason, thank goodness it did. This profoundly moving play by Rajiv Joseph puts a spin on the typical war play by portraying the victim as an animal rather than a human but the message remains the same – war and political unrest wreak havoc on all those involved, whether victim, perpetrator or bystander. Closing July 3.
The Blast from the Past Play. Nearly a century after it was written, A Little Journey still manages to pull on the heartstrings of its contemporary audiences. Tucked away on the third floor of a building on 43rd Street, The Mint Theater Company’s latest production explores the varying lives of a group of passengers aboard a cross-country Pullman sleeping car and the bond they develop when tragedy strikes. If you’re into revivals, Mint Theater Company reigns supreme – according to the New York Times, it “does for forgotten drama what the Encores! series does for musicals!” Closing July 10.