r/Broadway

They performed The Night that Goldman Spoke at Union Square (watching this performed AT Union Square was surreal!), Our Children, and Make Them Hear You.

Show is amazing but the flying seems to not have been worked out quite yet 😆 crowd is super supportive and having a blast anyway!

I caught The Lost Boys last night. It is still during its preview run, which means the show is still very much a living organism, figuring out exactly how sharp they want to be by opening night. Even so, walking in as someone who has never seen the original film, I found myself surprisingly engrossed and, at times, genuinely moved.

At its core, this musical plays less like a straight horror story and more like a family drama wearing a vampire’s leather jacket. Beneath the blood and bravado, it’s really about grief, belonging, and the fragile architecture of family. The biggest revelation of the evening was Shoshana Bean. I had already seen her electrifying work in Hell's Kitchen, and she brings that same emotional voltage here. As the boys’ mother, she radiates a vulnerable determination that anchors the entire story. In fact, her performance is so compelling that it almost distracts from some of the thinner material the character is given. When the writing wobbles, she simply muscles it upright.

Broadway newcomer LJ Benet was another pleasant surprise. This may be his Broadway debut, but he carries himself with a natural confidence that immediately reminded me of the presence Brody Grant had when he broke out in The Outsiders. There’s a similar electric tension in the air around the central relationships here as well. Whether intentional or not, the show hums with a faintly homoerotic undercurrent. In The Outsiders, that energy reads as brotherhood and chosen family. Here it feels a little darker, a little more dangerous, which actually suits the vampire mythology quite well.

Then there’s Benjamin Pajak, playing the nerdy younger brother. He emerges as the show’s unexpected comic relief, and the kid has undeniable stage presence. His storyline is a bit on the nose, sure, but there’s an argument to be made that this show benefits from that kind of earnest clarity. Musically, the score is uneven but promising. Some numbers soar while others feel like they’re still finding their rhythm. The recurring vampire hymn motif works beautifully, threading a sense of eerie ritual through the show, and several of the rock-driven ensemble pieces absolutely rip. The opening number, however, felt oddly soft for a show that should burst onto the stage. For a moment, I worried about the overall strength of the score. Thankfully, stronger songs appear as the evening progresses.

If anything needs tightening, it’s the pacing. A few numbers, particularly those involving the Frog brothers, feel more like filler than fuel for the story. And the ending arrives a bit too quickly, too cleanly...as if the show suddenly remembered it had a curfew.

What unquestionably works is the set design. In an era where many productions lean heavily on projections and digital trickery, this show chooses to build its world the old-fashioned way. The set is massive, tactile, and gorgeous. It feels alive. From the moment the curtain rises, the stage becomes an immersive environment rather than just a backdrop. That alone gives the production a muscular theatricality that’s increasingly rare.

Of course, previews exist for a reason. Cuts will be made. Songs will shift. Moments will sharpen. But even in this early state, the show delivered exactly what the packed house came for. The audience was loud, thrilled, and fully locked in. Sometimes that’s the whole point of theatre.A little chaos.A little blood. And a rowdy good time.

So if you get the chance, sink your teeth into it.

BECKY SHAW WAS SO GREAT 10/10 NO WORDS

oh and btw, Helen J Shen and Andrew Barth Feldman was also there at this show on 4/10 7 PM Show too!

saw Beaches tonight and went into it with mellowed expectations given some conversations here and wow, I enjoyed it a lot!

It’s FUNNY. Little Cee Cee is a hoot.

It’s giving classic theater but I honestly enjoyed all the music. They could cut/tighten some parts of Act I but Act II is in great shape from what I was reading here. Also the end of Act I is in a solid spot (compared to a review I read last night). It landed great tonight.

I say bias because Vosk is my world, but she was great. The other leads were great.

My only qualm as they sort out previews is tightening where they can. I do dislike the screens but I think they serve a purpose for the ending >!having the screens on and moving the whole time, but then just opening the set completely for the last 15 minutes while they’re taking in the beach while she’s sick/dying. It was a great pace break after chaos of their relationship and the screens and set imo!<

I cried, I laughed. The audience seemed to REALLY enjoy it tonight. Go see Beaches and support our queens

I recently had my very first Broadway experience after being a life long theatre fan and saw Gatsby, Death Becomes Her, Ragtime and Chess. I had to commemorate such a beautiful time by purchasing the OBC recordings on vinyl (aside from Chess which has yet to be released). I’ve been enjoying the Chess recording digitally as of today!

I can’t wait to return and I’m thinking of making it an annual journey around this time of year. I was extremely happy with my choice of shows. They were very special.

Sepideh stars alongside Hugh Jackman and Marianna Gailus.

Isa stars alongside Matthew Morrison/Jeremy Jordan.

Patrick stars alongside Alden Ehrenreich.

If you are fan — and who isn't, it's the the hottest show on TV — how can you lose?

It reminds me of when Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook concluded their runs on TV's most acclaimed show... and flocked to the theater, because it rules.

Play That Goes Wrong: A choice for my younger daughter who I thought would like it. She did. Most of the crowd laughed hard the whole way through. I didn’t care for a lot of the prop related humor but I enjoyed several of the actors and the more situation-related silliness. This seems like one that whether you think you’ll like it or not, you’re probably right.

Fallen Angels: the kids went to see Chess again. Wife and I liked Chess but not enough to see it again. Chose this over The Balusters based on familiarity with the cast. It started slowly, so slowly that we started to think we’d made a mistake, but once it got going thing really snowballed and by the end we’d had a ball. The actors all clearly had a great time, which I like to see. Fun and forgettable, but a lovely night at a show.

Every Brilliant Thing: All four of us loved Merrily and had to come see Daniel Radcliffe again. It was so very worth it. It was funny and sad and sweet in the right balance. Daniel brought a lot of subtlety and his audience interactions somewhat genuine even though they were obviously part of his work. He has become one of my favorite actors, and my daughter the singer commented that his singing had improved too. I feel like it’s like Just In Time - it’s a good little show but putting the right person in it, who connects with it, elevates it to art. It felt very intimate, like a truly shared experience.

Happily, no bad audience behavior so far. The EBT stagedoor was pretty terrible to watch though. I hope at some point in his life he gets free of Harry Potter fans.

That’s enough plays though, now it’s time for some musicals! Still to come this trip: Heathers, Ragtime and Two Strangers. Two Strangers is the one I’m most looking forward to, I like them small and quirky.