Upcoming broadway season overview
2018 promises an exciting season with several new shows that are already generating buzz. Today, we’re going to talk about a few of the front runners for a high gross.
This season has 3 highly anticipated shows on the horizon: “Spongebob Squarepants: the Musical”, a revival of “Once on this Island” (Starring Merle Dandridge, who taught a masterclass for the cast of OLu’s “Tarzan” a few years ago), and, coming from the West End, “King Kong”. In addition to this, a play starring Chris Evans and Michael Cera has announced, as well as another play with another star-studded cast featuring Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannels, and Jim Parsons, as well as “Angels in America” starring Andrew Garfield.
Easily the biggest blockbuster out of these is “Spongebob Squarepants”, combining a nostalgiac property with a list of famous songwriters. Broadway.com says “The new show based on Nickelodeon's celebrated cartoon saw big numbers in its first week. In just seven performances, the musical featuring original music by Cyndi Lauper, Sara Bareilles, The Flaming Lips and Panic at the Disco took in a gross of $615,879.00 and filled the Palace Theatre to 85.81% capacity.”
Love it or hate it, Spongebob is going to be on broadway for a while, and could potentially be a front runner for the Tony Awards this year.
There’s something very exciting about every show coming in the new season, and it looks to be a monetarily promising season for the great white way.
Why Bandstand was a gem
Recently, the short-lived Bandstand left broadway to much sadness. The show, while it didn’t make enough money to stay on broadway, was very well-received and beloved by many fans.
Starting fan favorites Laura Osnes (Cinderella, Bonnie and Clyde) and Corey Cott (Newsies), and directed and choreographed by the tony winning director and choreographer of Hamilton, the show wasn’t the biggest critical hit, and was a bit of a box office bomb.
“Bandstand offers plenty to entertain in the moment, but despite its weighty theme, little lingers.” says Entertainment Weekly.
I got to see the show myself when I went to Manhattan back in June, and I was able to get regular-priced orchestra tickets on the day. The show itself was fantastic, while nothing necessarily special or revolutionary. I would’ve absolutely recommended it if it had continued its run.
I wouldn’t say that this is anywhere near one of my favorite shows, but it does a great job at tackling an important subject, and it’s a very entertaining and heartfelt 2 hours, including the ability to see two broadway legends live.
Why is Amy Schumer on Broadway right now?
It was recently announced that Amy Schumer will be starring in Steve Martin’s “Meteor Shower” on Broadway alongside broadway legend Laura Benanti and television favorite Keegan Michael Key. It sounds like a recipe for success, except for one ingredient: Amy Schumer.