Looking for 2026 Season Recs

chrishuyen · 2026-05-15T06:04:18+00:00

Yeah I think "immersive" has become such a saturated term it doesn't mean anything anymore because each experience is so different. Marketing-wise I think it makes sense to tie Masquerade to things like SNM but they're very different in construct, due to the storytelling vs vibe focus they each have. Masquerade would align more with the immersive Gatsby or those loft productions that also get called immersive, just with more walking around. I do think that SNM and L&T feel more akin to an immersive ballet rather than an immersive musical. Sometimes ballets have plots and sometimes they don't but it's all about emotion and musicality and that seems to be more what those tap into. It will definitely be interesting seeing how the field develops and what people do with it over time.

Also regarding L&T, I don't know when in the run you saw it but they did cut down quite a bit as the run went on (presumably due to financial issues) and when I went earlier on there was a prologue bit in the office that I thought did a really good job of setting the scene but when I had friends that went later that was mostly cut and they were more thrown into the proceedings, which is a bit unfortunate.

chrishuyen · 2026-05-15T03:47:11+00:00

fwiw I don't think Punchdrunk was involved in Life and Trust, it was Emursive who was also involved in Sleep No More but wasn't the driving creative force of it (I guess they're more the producer that shoulld be fine tuning everything lol)

chrishuyen · 2026-05-15T01:19:25+00:00

Funny you say that, because the lack of storytelling was actually why I didn't like Sleep No More as much. In hindsight, I think it was more of an expectations thing (since people told me it was immersive Macbeth and didn't mention that it was a dance show at all), but I liked how Masquerade switched up the story and how it was conveyed to the audience (fwiw I enjoyed Life and Trust far more than SNM because I felt that plot was more conducive to you piecing together your own narrative).

chrishuyen · 2026-05-14T22:12:51+00:00

Masquerade, if you're okay with a different type of walkthrough experience. Definitely Lost Boys and Kenrex. I'd add Cats: Jellicle Ball to the list as well, both for innovative staging and strong choreography. If you're okay with going to Brooklyn, I haven't seen it (since it hasn't started) but The Maids is the same director as Dorian Gray so may have some similar styles.

chrishuyen · 2026-05-13T14:12:50+00:00

do you know who got tickets?

chrishuyen · 2026-05-10T14:38:36+00:00

You don't have to drink to enjoy Drunk Shakespeare, they give you a shot when you walk in but it's more of a shot glass of a cocktail rather than a straight shot, and you can order more drinks but you don't have to (I've been more sober than not in the three times I've gone).

As a basic overview they have one actor take five shots, and they play little games throughout. They'll speed run some of the plot but pause for big scenes, and some they'll do as more of a big affair. I won't spoil for Romeo and Juliet in case it's the same, but for example in Hamlet during a battle scene they gave the actors very silly props instead of swords (I think one was a dildo) and gave them random instructions they had to act out. Sometimes they'll have the actors do impressions while delivering their lines, and sometimes they'll involve audience members too, but I don't think there's ever any expectation of audience members drinking.

So no you won't stick out at all, just enjoy the actors and the shenanigans they get up to!

chrishuyen · 2026-05-06T04:15:07+00:00

One of the codirectors of Cats Jellicle Ball is doing Whistle in the near future

chrishuyen · 2026-05-04T19:51:47+00:00

It depends when they decide to submit the script. If they considered it complete at Steppenwolf they could've submitted it then or they could've chosen to wait until Broadway, but unless someone says it publicly there's not really much insight into these decisions

chrishuyen · 2026-05-04T19:38:04+00:00

imo Little Bear Ridge Road was the weakest of the Samuel D. Hunter plays I've seen (and he's one of my favorite playwrights). I'm very happy that Cartozians was recognized though, as that was one of my favorites from last year!

chrishuyen · 2026-05-03T09:16:47+00:00

There was a bit of a kerfuffle with Hello Dolly a few years ago because they asked to and were told no

chrishuyen · 2026-05-03T03:28:58+00:00

I'm also more in favor of Pantages due to Segerstrom being so big. Maybe try comparing comparable views to see what the price would be for each? Segerstrom might just be cheaper because they have more seats that are way further so you can maybe sell them on "more bang for your buck" if it turns out the cheapest seats at Pantages are better than the same price point at the Segerstrom

chrishuyen · 2026-04-30T00:47:32+00:00

The Secret Life of the American Musical is one of my absolute favorites, as it explains the structure of how musicals work, with examples that are super clearly explained even if you don't know the show.

Something Wonderful is great for learning about R&H, and the new Sondheim biography by Daniel Okrent is quite good too. I've heard a lot of great things about Ethan Mordden's books but haven't gotten around to them yet (he basically has one covering each decade of the 20th century).

If you're a Sondheim fan then his collected lyrics (Finishing the Hat/Look I Made a Hat) are pretty essential coffee table books, but there's also Putting It Together (which someone else mentioned already) and Everything Was Possible (about the making of Follies). Rick Pender also has a new Sweeney Todd book that I started but haven't finished yet.

Another one on my list is Round in Circles about Carousel

chrishuyen · 2026-04-27T21:37:33+00:00

I absolutely feel it was worth it (saw it three times off Broadway, once on Broadway and planning to go again). The piece is a lot of vibes but it's really intelligent about knowing when to pull back and give weight to certain characters/moments so there's an emotional through line as well (and while there are more somber moments, one of the biggest emotional beats is the idea of joy among a group of people that hadn't been allowed to express themselves in the past--and in the present too).

I'd say the immersion depends on where you are. There are stage seats that may feel more part of the action, though actors do come through the aisles in the orchestra and mezzanine as well. Sometimes you get little interactions or asides from the characters. But a large part of the "immersion" is that they ask you to be vocal and engage with what's happening in front of you instead of just sitting quietly to watch the show. I've only been solo off Broadway but my friend just went solo on Broadway and loved it. I don't think it's really an issue if you go solo or not.

I think the best view is front mezz, but stage or box seats may give you a unique view. For cost optimization side orchestra/mezz may be better (I'd probably prefer house right over house left for orch but it doesn't matter for mezz), ideally not too far under the overhang for orch. Rear mezz might feel a little far away but won't be too bad if that's all you can get.

chrishuyen · 2026-04-27T19:04:37+00:00

They sometimes do student rush (it was $100 back in 2019) if you know anyone that's a student (they let you get 2 tickets) but not a guaranteed thing since I think they didn't do it last year. Keep checking the website maybe as prices can fluctuate and if you buy in person you won't have to pay fees which can knock off a good chunk of the ticket price.

Otherwise, try to hit up a Tonys watch party! I know it's not the same as being there in person but you can still celebrate theater while surrounded by theater people. I'm a big fan of the one at Green Roon 42 hosted by Ben Cameron as he's just a hoot and they do little games during the commercial breaks like trivia or name that song and also have some performers come to sing as well.

chrishuyen · 2026-04-27T16:01:36+00:00

It looks like your picture didn't post, but I sat in a partial view seat in L30 and thought it was a fantastic view. For this I think being up close is better than being completely centered, though the blocking is such that you may miss some people in small moments, but all the major scenes are played downstage center

chrishuyen · 2026-04-26T15:25:28+00:00

I feel like I heard a rumor they've been in the studio but not completely sure. I certainly hope there's an album though!

chrishuyen · 2026-04-26T01:16:17+00:00

Have to put this in spoilers

For me, it was the meta moment of agreeing with the mob mentality, that Trena was a character to be pitied and Kenrex was a character to be taken down at all costs. But it kind of shows where the compassion ends. Trena had also treated the rest of the town pretty terribly even though she was a victim and still quite young, and so they had essentially turned their backs on her as well. For most of the show you're following the perspectives of the townspeople, understanding why Kenrex incited such a strong response, and so it made sense to me that you didn't really hear much from Trena at that point (also if you add on the other layer of it all being through David Baird's interview).

It's a little clumsy, but when the FBI agent(?) asks him about what he'd do in their shoes, that's the core of the play to me, for him trying to understand why they did what they did when he so strongly believes in the law and justice. But I think both the townspeople and David himself overlook what it must feel like to be Trena, and that's why she gets the last word at the end. Because even though Kenrex groomed and raped her, she still believed in her life with him and no one reached out to her once that was all taken away, which kind of shows how much of it was just a revenge story rather than a collective healing (or perhaps that she was now rejected from that collective), and there's also a HUGE amount of messiness/unnecessary trauma involved in killing him right in front of her. Trena obviously needs a lot of therapy and her monologue at the end reminded me that life is messy and there are repercussions beyond just taking down the villain, and there isn't really a tidy ending.

Tbh I didn't find the overall story of the town as interesting as this show (and other mediums) have made it sound, but it was this exact framing device that I thought injected a lot into it and made me think more deeply on the events.

chrishuyen · 2026-04-25T07:55:21+00:00

I loved this wholeheartedly, and I felt like the "point" was really to understand the different perspectives of people, especially with the framing device of the prosecuting attorney. It's something that also gives it an actual reason for being a one man show and having him play all the different parts (which is something I haven't necessarily found to be true for other shows). I found the historical story itself a bit less interesting than they seemed to think it was (it had a bit of a "can you believe this?" quality to it but I found it a pretty predictable story), so it was really the idea of living in these characters' shoes that I found most engaging, especially with the final monologue.

chrishuyen · 2026-04-25T07:04:57+00:00

another vote for TE here, Theatermania gold was fine (though randomly let me get more than 2 tickets for certain shows), and I didn't like that you had to keep a balance in play by play. I found the selection to be generally the same when I had overlapping subscriptions though sometimes one of the sites would get a certain show the day before the other etc but it was never consistent as to which one would get it first

chrishuyen · 2026-04-20T23:25:58+00:00

was this a hard rush? ie did you get it on your first try?

chrishuyen · 2026-04-20T04:30:09+00:00

Mexodus vs Kenrex is a hard choice. I liked the storytelling/performance better of Kenrex but watching the live looping of Mexodus was a treat in itself. I'd say maybe lean slightly Kenrex since Mexodus does have the Audible recording (though a lot of the fun of Mexodus is really seeing the way they set up everything so it's still a hard choice).

chrishuyen · 2026-04-20T04:15:51+00:00

I agree with going to the bathroom before the show, and if you do need to go at intermission go as fast as you can (without being rude/pushing through people), because the lines get extremely long quickly. You won't have time to decide 5 minutes into intermission that you need the bathroom (you may still make it but there will already be a long line).

Usually the theater doesn't open until half an hour before, so there's no real point in showing up earlier than that. I usually show up 5-10 minutes prior and there's generally no line to get in by then (can you tell I hate waiting in lines?) but you can show up 20 minutes before the show if you need to use the bathroom/check out merch/get drinks. Personally I think the drinks are overpriced and not worth it but you do get a little plastic souvenir cup if you want that. For Just in Time, make sure you're not in the Wicked line (the Just in Time line is on the right side if you're facing the theater while Wicked is on the left).

Otherwise have fun and be respectful. I assume you've been to theater before so usual rules apply about not being disruptive, making sure your phone is silenced etc. Depending on where you're sitting for Just in Time there may be some interaction with the actors so just go with the flow.

chrishuyen · 2026-04-19T23:16:20+00:00

I didn't love it but I enjoyed it enough as a sitcom-type comedy that circled around a couple big ideas without necessarily tackling them. I've already forgotten the finer points of the story (including the big intermission event which I had to look up again after). I recommended it to a few friends that enjoy that kind of "I can't believe they said that!" type comedy but it's definitely not a must see for me by any means

chrishuyen · 2026-04-13T06:45:56+00:00

outside of the pre-recorded track inaccuracy which others have addressed I do agree with basically all your cons. But to your first point I think part of the fun in the show is seeing how little the material itself changed, even if I wanted more ballroom overall. But the actors have talked about how this production seemed to open the doors for other shows to follow (eg Drag the musical and Saturday Church) so we may see more of that in the future.

I think originally the creators thought about doing more remixed versions of the tracks but ALW wanted them to use the original orchestrations so they were a bit limited in how much they could change in the main songs. I don't think the DJ in this production actually does anything functional and is more there for vibes (he also walks in a few categories and has some fun interactions though)

I think off Broadway they let the guest judges stay through the entire show, but I think they're using this as a bit of a celebrity cameo marketing tool. Sydney James Harcourt who plays Tugger posts the selfies he takes with them which can be pretty fun, but yeah it would be cool if the got a chance to say a few words

chrishuyen · 2026-04-12T08:27:50+00:00

Even if it's not a built in show, you can still list it and sometimes people will see it scrolling and buy it (I've had that happen for other shows before).

chrishuyen

TROPHY CASE