Winter is a popular time for NYC. Many families from across the country come to visit wishing to have that quintessential New York holiday vacation.
What could be more typically-Big Apple than seeing a show on Broadway? While musicals remain the big draw, and what most people imagine when they think of a Broadway show, the plays that have their run on theater's preeminent setting are just as culturally relevant and emotionally impactful. Unlike musicals, however, Broadway plays usually see a limited engagement so tickets are at a premium. Book yours soon, or you'll miss your chance to see these 2018 plays before they end their runs.
1. Burn This
This revival of a 1987 play from Pulitzer Prize-winner Lanford Wilson stars Keri Russell and Adam Driver in the lead roles. The play focuses on the friends and relationships of a young dancer who has recently died as they reexamine their own relationships and come to terms with Robbie's death. While the show received mixed to positive reviews, Driver has been receiving particularly critical acclaim in his role of Pale.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
Aaron Sorkin (of The West Wing fame) teams up again with fellow The Newsroom actor Jeff Daniels to bring Harper Lee's masterpiece to the Broadway stage. Opening to rave reviews for both the production and particularly for Daniels, the play has already set a new record for the highest grossing non-musical in American history. Surely, you don't need a refresher on the plot of this seminal work that is required reading for all middle schoolers. And that's where this new show shines! It breathes new life into a story we all know and love.
3. Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Frankie and Johnny is also a revival of a play that was previously on Broadway in 2002-03 and starred Edie Falco and Stanley Tucci. This time around Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon take over the roles. Critics have adored the revival and called out their performances as standouts of their respective careers. The plot follows the two mismatched middle-aged couple after their first date leads to a night in together. A word of warning for more prudish viewers: there are extended moments of nudity throughout the first part of the play.
4. What the Constitution Means to Me
What the Constitution Means to Me is rather unique in this list of plays. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, it concerns Heidi Schreck (the writer) contemplating the speeches she previously gave about the Constitution in her youth. She portrays her 15-year-old self and her current adult self to examine and critique the U.S. Constitution and explore themes of race and gender. It's a thought-provoking work that also has some mild audience participation.
5. Sea Wall / A Life
Here, you get two for the price of one. This is actually two one-act monologues separated by an intermission and performed by two actors. The first is Sea Wall, as performed by Tom Sturridge. Then comes A Life, as performed by Jake Gyllenhaal. Both actors have received acclaim in their respective roles, and the double-billing of the performance serves to highlight the important, though sometimes depressing, themes of pain, suffering, loss, and death.
