New York: THEATER BUZZ – Spring 2026

By Jacquelin Carnegie

BROADWAY

CHESS 
(Imperial Theatre, 249 West 45th St; closed 6/21/26)
Music & Lyrics by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus; New book by Danny Strong; Directed by Michael Mayer; Staring Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, & Nicholas Christopher

It may be hard to imagine now, but in 1972 the World Chess Championship, between American Bobby Fischer and Russian Boris Spassky, captivated the world.
The musical CHESS captures that excitement by pitting two, top chess champions--a bad-boy American (“Freddy” Aaron Tveit) against a depressed Russian (“Anatoly” Nicholas Christopher)--at the height of the Cold War. They are both also vying for the love and attention of the same woman, a brilliant chess strategist (“Florence” Lea Michele).
CHESS began as a concept album in 1984, based on an idea that writer Tim Rice (Andrew Lloyd Webber’s frequent collaborator) brought to ABBA’s Benny & Björn, who loved the concept. The album's success led to theatrical productions, first in London’s West End, then a short-lived Broadway run. Over the years, with several book rewrites, there have been many tours and West End revivals, plus various cast albums. This fabulous, upbeat and exciting production--its’ first Broadway revival--just happens to be in the same theatre where the show first ran in 1988. Go now!! It’s only up until June 21st.
[If you can’t make it to New York in time to see this terrific revival, view the fabulous 2008 London CHESS in Concert version featuring Josh Groban, Idina Menzel & Adam Pascal on YouTube &/or enjoy the Cast Album from this show.] 

MOBY DICK (photo: Lucie Jansch)

OFF-BROADWAY

BAM and En Garde Arts are always presenting interesting work, so if you sadly miss these two shows, get on their mailing lists &/or follow their social media.
Friendly Reminder: Off-Broadway shows have limited runs, so get tickets right away.

MOBY DICK
(BAM, 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY; closed 5/3/26)
From the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus theater
Direction, Design & Lighting by Robert Wilson; Music by Anna Calvi. In German & English with supertitles.
Those who already love the work of avant-garde director Robert Wilson will be pleased, and the uninitiated are in for a treat. Once again, Wilson’s signature, striking visual style is on display in MOBY DICK, considered his last, realized production before his death in 2025.
Here, the essence of Herman Melville’s epic, 1851 novel Moby-Dick is revealed in a series of Wilson-style tableau vivant. The accompanying music and songs by British, singer-songwriter Anna Calvi beautifully express the melancholia of this human tragedy and whale tale.
That this piece is performed mostly in German is also oddly fitting as the late-18th-century German movement Sturm und Drang ("Storm and Stress"), characterized by dramatic, often tragic tales exploring inner turmoil, perfectly captures the fundamental nature of Moby-Dick. This combined with Wilson’s palette of haunting visual beauty, plus a new character “The Boy” adds some comic relief to the fate of the doomed whalers.
This production premiered at Germany’s Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, where Wilson created several other seminal works. It’s touching that that cast, including favorite performers Christopher Nell & Rosa Enskat, are part of this U.S. premiere of MOBY DICK here at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) which serves as a posthumous tribute.
Unfortunately, the show is up for just a few days – Run to Brooklyn, now!

73 SECONDS

73 SECONDS (photo: David Gray)

(The Lower Eastside Girls Club Planetarium, 402 E 8th St, NY; closed 5/18/26)
Presented by En Garde Arts; Directed & Co-Developed by Aya Ogawa; Created, Written & Performed by Jared Mezzocchi.
For years, En Garde Arts has been producing way-cool, site-specific work. This latest piece is no exception—staged in a little planetarium on the Lower East Side that who-knew-existed. The show is a sort of cosmic coming-of-age tale: a young man finds out his unassuming, math-teacher mom shoulda-coulda-woulda been an astronaut. He and we want to know more, but by the time he gets around to quizzing her about the time she spent at NASA, she’s already lost in space. 73 SECONDS proves it’s always interesting to explore the many mysteries of the cosmos and family life.

Beyond Broadway: 5 Great Cultural & Culinary Day Trips from NYC

By Jacquelin Carnegie
Catching a Broadway show should be at the top of your New York City “To Do” list. But, the surrounding, tri-state area--Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts--also offers great theater. At these venues, easily accessible by public transportation, you get wonderful entertainment at reasonable prices. Plus, the theaters are near nice restaurants and other interesting cultural activities for a perfect day trip. You might even be inspired to stay for the weekend or longer!

Connecticut

Westport Country Playhouse

25 Powers Ct., Westport, CT; Tel: 203/227-4177; www.westportplayhouse.org

Westport Country Playhouse, Stockard Channing & Jane Alexander,

 David Hare’s The Breath of Life (photo: Carol Rosegg)

Paul Neumann and Joanne Woodward were key to the revitalization of this historic theater. The red barn was originally built in 1835. Transformed into a theater in 1931, the Playhouse initially featured try-outs bound for Broadway, then became a stop on the “straw-hat,” summer stock circuit throughout the 20^th century. Today, the not-for-profit Westport Country Playhouse presents a selection of terrific plays with top-notch actors.

Westport Country Playhouse

 (photo: Robert Benson)

Nearby Eats: The theater recommends several nearby restaurants.
Other Cultural Activities: MoCA Westport - Formerly the Westport Arts Center, offers art exhibits, gallery talks, concerts, and films.

Stay the Night: The Inn at Longshore
Getting There: From New York (Grand Central Station), take Metro North train (New Haven line) to Westport. Then, a 10-minute taxi ride. (Westport Star Taxi: 203/227-5157) Travel time: About an hour and a half.

NEW JERSEY

McCarter, Daphne Rubin-Vega & Jimmy Smits,

Anna in the Tropics (photo: T. Charles Erickson)

McCarter Theatre Center

91 University Place, Princeton, NJ; Tel: 609/258-2787; www.mccarter.org

Begun in the 1930s as a venue for the Princeton University Triangle Club (who still perform here), the McCarter stage has been graced by some of the most illustrious actors of our time. (Joshua Logan and Jimmy Stewart were in the first production.) McCarter was a popular pre-Broadway and summer-stock stop, then developed into a place where noteworthy playwrights premiere new work (Thornton Wilder's Our Town, William Inge's Bus Stop). Today, the theater continues presenting premieres and nurturing new talent as well as showcasing re-imagined classics.

Nearby Eats: There’s a café at the theater and a wide selection of great restaurants nearby in downtown Princeton: Alchemist & Barrister, Triumph Brewing Company, Winberie’s Restaurant & Bar, Yankee Doodle Tap Room.
Other Cultural Activities: Princeton Tour Company - Great walking tours; Princeton University Art Museum - 72,000 works of art including Degas, Monet & Picasso and an extensive collection of Chinese artifacts; free.

McCarter Theater 

(photo: Peter C. Cook)

Stay the Night: Princeton Marriott & a few other nice choices.

Getting There: From New York (Penn Station), take NJ Transit train (Northeast Corridor line) to Princeton; get off at Princeton Junction, then take the "Dinky" train to Princeton, a 5-minute ride, stops across the street from the theatre. Travel time: About an hour.

Paper Mill Playhouse
22 Brookside Dr., Millburn, NJ; Tel: 973/376-4343; www.papermill.org

Paper Mill Playhouse, Oklahoma 

(photo: Gerry Goodstein)

In 1938, the Paper Mill Playhouse opened in a defunct paper mill. Begun as a repertory theater, operettas and musicals were soon added to its’ repertoire. Over the years, the Playhouse gained a reputation for offering a selection of great plays and fabulous productions of Broadway musicals. Today, in addition to reviving iconic shows, the Paper Mill Playhouse presents brand-new musicals.

Nearby Eats: There’s the Carriage House restaurant & café at the theater, but Millburn’s Main Street, just a few blocks away, is worth exploring--several ice cream parlors, coffee shops, and restaurants. (The Millburn Deli is famous for its’ Sloppy Joes.)

Other Cultural Activities: In nearby Short Hills, NJ: Greenwood Gardens, a 28-acre public garden on the National Register of Historic Places; Cora Hartshorn Arboretum & Bird Sanctuary, 16-acres of woodlands with nature trails.

Paper Mill Playhouse

Stay the Night: Short Hills Hilton

Getting There: From New York (Penn Station), take NJ Transit train (Midtown direct Dover) to Millburn. Short walk or taxi ride to the theater. Travel time: About an hour and a quarter.

State Theater

State Theater, musician Michael McDonald

(photo: Danny Clinch)

15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ; Tel: 732/246-7469; www.statetheatrenj.org

The State Theater is housed in an historic vaudeville and silent movie palace from the 1920s. Best known for its’ concert series featuring headliners at affordable prices--from Yo-Yo Ma to Bruce Springsteen, the theater also presents Broadway musicals, opera, jazz & blues festivals, comedy, and children’s theater.

Nearby Eats: Lots of nice restaurants near the theater. 
Other Cultural Activities: Zimmerli Art Museum - An excellent university museum with an impressive collection from ancient artifacts to contemporary art.

State Theater

Stay the Night: Book a Getaway Package at one of the nice local hotels.

Getting There: From New York (Penn Station), take NJ Transit train (Northeast Corridor line) to New Brunswick, just a few blocks walk to the theater. Travel time: About an hour and a quarter.

Massachusetts

Barrington Stage Company

30 Union St., Pittsfield, MA, Tel:
 413/236-8888; barringtonstageco.org

Barrington Stage, Debra Jo Rupp, Dr. Ruth

(photo: ©Barrington Stage)

Founded in 1995, the not-for-profit company, housed in a 1912 vaudeville theatre, produces award-winning plays and musicals, and finds innovative ways to attract new audiences and introduce young people to theatre. The new productions at Barrington Stage are so terrific they often transfer to Broadway (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, On the Town, American Son)–but you can see them first, right here!

Barrington Stage

Nearby Eats: There’s a huge selection of all kinds of restaurants, cafés and wine bars on North Street in the Upstreet Cultural District. 

Other Cultural Activities: Pittsfield is abuzz with artsy activities from 3^rd Thursdays street fair to 1st Fridays ArtsWalk. Berkshire Museum - Art & artifacts from every continent.  
Stay the Night: Holiday Inn & Suites

Getting There: From New York (Port Authority Bus Terminal) take a Peter Pan bus to Pittsfield. About four hours (but worth it!)

New York City Theater: BACK TO BROADWAY 2022

By Jacquelin Carnegie
"What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play." Nothing lifts one's sprits better than seeing a good show. As the pandemic continues, theaters on and off Broadway are hurting. These shows are a great incentive to get up off the couch and head out.
BROADWAY
COME FROM AWAY
Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th St); comefromaway.com
Book, Music & Lyrics by Irene Sankoff & David Hein; Directed by Christopher Ashley; Currently Starring: Jenn Collela, De’Lon Grant, Caesar Samayoa, Sharone Sayegh, James Seol, Q. Smith, Astrid Van Wieren, Emily Walton, Jim Walton, Gene Weygandt, Sharon Wheatley, Paul Whitty, Josh Breckenridge, John Jellison, Tony LePage, Monette Mckay, Happy McPartlin, Julie Reiber.

Perhaps you haven’t gone to see this absolutely, fabulous show yet because you heard it was about 9/11 and don’t want to be reminded or live through it again. Well, while it’s true that the events of 9/11 are the catalyst for the show, it’s really not what it’s about. It’s about random acts of kindness and “it takes a village.” That village happens to be Gander in Newfoundland where 38 planes were forced to land on that fateful day.

(photo: Matthew Murphy)

With no notice, the townspeople of Gander and the surrounding hamlets organized to provide food, shelter, and welcome to thousands of frightened, frenzied, international passengers who’d “come from away” (outsiders in Newfoundland speak). With open arms, the Newfoundlanders helped this group of distrustful, cranky, not-particularly-grateful strangers. But their unbridled kindness and generosity in the midst of tragedy taught those passengers a lesson in compassion. Over the course of that heart-rending week, their ingratitude turned into appreciation and enduring friendships. The terrific, ensemble cast of COME FROM AWAY takes you there. As Anne Frank once said: “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” This show is the embodiment of that thought. Do yourself a favor and go see it before it closes on Broadway (10/2/22). Get a glimpse: https://tinyurl.com/yuzuesnp

SIX
Brooks Atkinson Theater (256 West 47th St); sixonbroadway.com
Book, Music & Lyrics by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss; Directed by Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage; Currently Starring: Adrianna Hicks, Keirsten Nicole Hodgens, Andrea Macasaet, Brittney Mack, Mallory Maedke, Abby Mueller, Samantha Pauly, Joy Woods.

If you have teens &/or tweens, they’ll really enjoy this 80-minute song fest. One would be hard-pressed to call it theater; it’s more as if Madonna did one of her stadium shows in a theater. There’s no storyline per se just six terrific performers singing about the lives—mostly sad fate—of English King Henry the XIII’s six wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour; Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard & Catherine Parr. “Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived” – that’s the plot. Nonetheless, it’s a fun night out and Tony-award winning Gabriella Slade’s costumes are to die for! Get a glimpse: https://tinyurl.com/ms38mn96

OFF-BROADWAY
The Orchard
Baryshnikov Arts Center (450 West 37th St) – Closed 7/3/22; the-orchard
Conceived, Adapted, & Directed by Igor Golyak (based on Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard); Featuring: Jessica Hecht & Mikhail Baryshnikov, with Juliet Brett, Darya Denisova, Elise Kibler, John McGinty, Nael Nacer, Mark Nelson & Ilia Volok.

With a group of fantastic actors, you can stage a play any which way and it will still work. Here, Russia is an eerily-beautiful, surrealistic landscape where the servants and pets are robots, but the characters’ anguish is as real as ever.
Social upheaval is indeed a bitter pill—past, present, and future. Fortunately, in this production, a monumentally-talented cast guides us through the torment.
The aristocrats, clinging to the past, are cruisin’-for-a-bruisin’. The arrivistes—former peasants now middle-class with money—gleefully kick over the apple (cherry) cart and grab up the spoils. The old, faithful servants are left on the ash heap. The “Moscow Millennials” are stunned, but cautiously hopeful for the future. As for the orchard…But, take heart, any day you see Mikhail Baryshnikov on any kind of stage is a good day. Jessica Hecht is always magnificent and this merry band of accompanying players rises to the Chekhov occasion with gusto, especially Nael Nacer as the unctuous Lopakhin.

Editor’s Note: This post-modern production can be seen in-person, virtually, &/or a combo of the two. (Closed 7/3/22.) Get a glimpse: https://tinyurl.com/b66reejw

BAC is dancer/performer Mikhail Baryshnikov’s brainchild. Envisioned as a creative space to support international, multidisciplinary artists, BAC presents innovative works of dance, theater, and music at affordable prices. Check out upcoming presentations.

New York: THEATER BUZZ, 2020

OFF-BROADWAY

Friendly Reminder: Off- and Off-Off Broadway shows have limited runs, so get tickets right away. [COVID-19 shut down theaters which, thankfully, have reopened.]

MARCH 
CHICKEN AND BISCUITS
Queens Theatre
14 United Nations Ave. So., Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Queens, NY; queenstheatre.org (Until March 22, 2020)
Written by Douglas Lyons; Directed by Zhailon Levingston; Starring: Jennifer Fouche (Baneatta), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Beverly), Aigner Mizzelle (La'trice), Josh Adam Ramos (Kenny), Brendan Ellis (Logan), Alana Raquel Bowers (Simone), Ashanti J'Aria (Brianna), Robert G. McKay (Reginald).

It's definitely worth schelpping to Queens for this wonderful show. Douglas Lyons has written some fierce roles for this terrific ensemble of talented actors. Here, you are part of the church congregation as a family gathers for the funeral of their patriarch, Pastor Bernard. Feathers fly and emotions flail as secrets come out of the closet and family members throw shade, love, and prayer at their problems and each other. But there's nothing a little forgiveness and chicken & biscuits can't heal. You'll fall in love with each and every family/cast member.
[Note: It's easy to get to the Queens Theatre by public transportation. Take the #7 to Mets-Willets Point (or 111th St during subway construction), then the theater's van.]

FANDANGO FOR BUTTERFLIES (AND COYOTES)
En Garde Arts (Until March 28, 2020--get tks to see an online version)

Fandango, En Garde Arts (photo: Maria Baranova)

This heartfelt and heart-wrenching show dramatizes the story of several undocumented immigrants to the US whose only crime is the desire for a better life. (A fandango is a community celebration with music and dance.) Instead of doing the whole run in one theater, En Garde Arts is taking the show to every NYC borough: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx & Staten Island. Check when it's coming to your 'hood!

PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS TO DISCOVER
These venues, with affordable ticket prices and varied programming, give you the opportunity to take a chance on something new and interesting without breaking the bank.
Baryshnikov Arts Center
450 West 37th St; bacnyc.org

 Patricia Guerrero
  (photo: Courtesy BAC) 

BAC is the brainchild of the magnificent dancer/performer Mikhail Baryshnikov. Envisioned as a creative space to support multi-disciplinary artists from around the world, BAC presents contemporary, innovative work at affordable prices. Now celebrating its' 15th anniversary season with a compelling mix of international dance, theater, and music presentations. On tap is work from a Chilean theater collective, a Flamenco dancer, a Russian vocal ensemble, and a Cuban early-music group. Explore the world through this season's exciting programming.

Baruch Performing Arts Center
55 Lexington Avenue (at 25th St); www.baruch.cuny.edu/bpac

(photo: Courtesy BPAC)

During each season, BPAC presents over 30 innovative, cultural programs including classical music, opera, jazz, theater, dance, film, and discussion that reflect the diversity of American culture and the confluence of art and social justice. The aim is to showcase new work in an intimate setting and to engage the general public and Baruch students (who come from 130 different countries). BPAC is the New York home of: the Alexander String Quartet, the Aaron & Freda Silberman Concert Series, the Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives Concert Series, and the Joel Segall Great Works Reading Series. Check out all of this season's programming.

Theater for the New City
155 First Ave; http://www.theaterforthenewcity.net

TNC produces a plethora of new American plays, including several by emerging playwrights and minority writers from around the world. With affordable ticket prices, the goal is to develop theater audiences and inspire minority creatives by engaging the community in the theater and at its many free Festivals.

The Sheen Center
18 Bleecker St; https://www.sheencenter.org

Darcy James Argue jazz
(photo: Courtesy Sheen Ctr)

Each season, The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture presents more than 75 events including theatre, music, film, and discussion. The programming seeks to engage and challenge the audience intellectually, artistically, and spiritually.