Snook! Sink! Boop! & More Now on Broadway
Reverend’s Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter
Hello, dear readers! It’s been a while since I last posted and I apologize for the delay. Numerous issues intervened: extended illness, resignation of the previous blog administrator, northeast US winter, church duties, evil presidential administrations, etc. At any rate, I’m happy to be back AND in the immediate wake of the 2025 Tony Award nominations!
Reverend has been “bingeing” Broadway’s latest offerings over the past month or so, since I live in NYC-adjacent Connecticut and am a member of the GALECA Theatre Wing (galeca.com). Grrrrlls, we’ve got a lot to write/talk about!
Let’s start with two of this season’s most illustrious yet challenging talents for the alliteration-adverse like myself: Sarah Snook vs. Sadie Sink. These TV/streaming darlings are currently headlining fantastic Broadway plays, and both the actresses and their productions are newly-anointed Tony nominees in multiple categories. But adding to any potential alliterative confusion between the pair is the fact that their respective theaters are directly across 45th Street from each other!
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Now playing at the Music Box through June 29th)
Sarah Snook’s one-woman
tour de force interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s classic morality tale. I was not
very familiar with Snook (which I learned is pronounced like boo or new, not like look or book) but I became an instant fan after
witnessing her Tony-nominated performance. She delectably plays 26 different
characters, some of them in the same scene thanks to quick costume changes
and/or pre-recorded projections. It is a stunning production, brilliantly
conceived by Kip Williams and beautifully designed by Marg Horwell. Catch it
while you can!
Reverend’s Rating: A+
John Proctor is the Villain (Now playing at the Booth Theatre)
A live and in person
chance to shine for Sadie Sink, Stranger
Things’ breakout star. This potent new play by Kimberly Belflower serves as
both a critique and modern day translation of Arthur Miller’s theatrical
classic, The Crucible. There are no
witches to be found here, only a “coven” of high school girls learning to stand
up against their male abusers. Sink and her castmates, under the direction of
last season’s Tony-winning director Danya Taymor (The Outsiders), are uniformly excellent. Teens and young adults
will respond especially well to this.
Reverend’s Rating: A
Boop! The Musical (Now playing at the Broadhurst Theatre)
The most visually
inventive and purely enjoyable musical of this season. One doesn’t have to be
particularly familiar with Betty Boop, the early-20th century
cartoon character, to be wowed by this show’s immense charms. When Betty is
transported from her black & white world to ultra-colorful, modern-day NYC,
comedic chaos ensues thanks to Bob Martin’s very funny book. Things may get a
little too silly at times but kids will eat it up (especially Betty’s adorable
dog, Pudgy, who is frequently on stage). A star is born in 25-year old Jasmine
Amy Rogers, making her Broadway debut in the title role. She is a charismatic
triple-threat and now a deserved Tony Award nominee. The scenery, special
effects, costumes and choreography are consistently amazing, and the pop-leaning
songs by David Foster and Susan Birkenhead range from serviceable to terrific.
I’m surprised Boop! isn’t doing
better in terms of attendance although its award nominations may give it a
bump. No matter what, I’m hoping it will get a national tour so everyone can
check it out.
Reverend’s Rating: A-
Floyd Collins (Now playing at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre through June 22nd)
Speaking of early-20th
century Americana, Adam Guettel’s and Tina Landau’s 1995 musical inspired by a
real-life incident in 1925 is finally making its Broadway debut. It is a unique
work that tells the tragic tale of a young man trapped in a Kentucky cavern and
the early “media circus” resulting from his plight. The always likable Jeremy
Jordan stars as Floyd, and he was in fine voice during the performance I
attended. Jordan is also newly Tony-nominated as is this production in the Best
Revival of a Musical category. After a strong start, I found some of the
staging odd and the show itself overwrought, with a few too many central
characters. Still, Guettel’s songs often soar and the finale packs an emotional
punch.
Reverend’s Rating: B
Operation Mincemeat (Now playing at the Golden Theatre through February 2026)
This British import is
definitely one of the more unusual shows currently running. The musical is
based on a true story but considerably infused with a Monty Python-esque
sensibility. A crack team of government operatives (including James Bond
creator Ian Fleming) develops and executes a plan to oust Hitler’s troops from
Sicily during World War II. While most of the story is played for laughs, it
features some touching, resonant moments. The strongest is “Dear Bill,” a
lovely soliloquy beautifully performed by Tony nominee Jak Malone (he
previously won the Olivier for his turn). Operation
Mincemeat’s first act is stronger than the second, both dramatically and
musically, but it definitely makes for an entertaining afternoon or evening at
the theatre!
Reverend’s Rating: B+
Real Women Have Curves (Now playing at the James Earl Jones Theatre)
The newest of this season’s
musicals just opened April 27th.
Adapted from Josefina Lopez’s play and 2002 movie of the same name, it
depicts a group of Latina immigrant coworkers in a dressmaking shop in Boyle
Heights, California circa 1987. One of their daughters is about to graduate
from high school and is intent on attending Columbia University in NYC, much to
her parents’ disapproval. Though set nearly 30 years ago and developed prior to
the current presidential administration, the show is powerfully timely in dealing
with immigration issues. While very serious in spots, this is primarily a
musical comedy with many funny moments and a vibrant score by Joy Huerta and
Benjamin Velez. They were both surprise nominees last week for this year’s Best
Score Tony. Real Women Have Curves also
boasts a delightful, mostly Latina cast. It is a true crowd pleaser, and Latina/Latino
theatregoers will no doubt especially appreciate it.
Reverend’s Rating: A-
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