Best Musicals for 2017
Come From Away
Come from Away is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It is set in the town of Gander, Newfoundland in the week following the September 11 attacks, when 38 planes had to unexpectedly land in the small town as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. The townspeople of Gander housed and fed the thousands of stranded passengers, who nearly doubled the population of the town. Many of the characters in the musical are based on, and share the names of, real Gander residents or stranded passengers. Following successful runs at the La Jolla Playhouse and the Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2015, the show played in 2016 at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC and the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto.
Now Playing on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Cast
Geno Carr – Oz & others
Jenn Colella – Beverly & others
Joel Hatch – Claude & others
Rodney Hicks – Bob & others
Kendra Kassebaum – Janice & others
Chad Kimball – Kevin 1 & others
Lee MacDougall – Nick & others
Caesar Samayoa – Kevin 2 & others
Q. Smith – Hannah & others
Astrid Van Wieren – Beulah & others
Sharon Wheatley – Diane & others
Understudies: Josh Breckenridge, Susan Dunstan, Tamika Lawrence and Tony LePage
Reviews – New York Times – amNY – Time out NY – Newsday – Entertainment Weekly – The Wrap – NY Daily News
Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen is the original new musical making its New York premiere this spring at Second Stage Theatre, following a sold-out run in Washington, D.C., where The New York Times hailed it as “entertainingly smart and radiating charm, wit and humour.” The musical unites the award-winning creators behind some of Second Stage’s most celebrated productions. A brand new score features the talents of the Tony-nominated composing team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (A Christmas Story, Dogfight and NBC’s “Smash”). Directed by three-time Tony nominee Michael Greif(Rent, Next to Normal, Grey Gardens) and written by Steven Levenson (Showtime’s “Masters of Sex”).
Now Playing on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre NYC
Cast
| Ben Platt | Evan Hansen | |
| Laura Dreyfuss | Zoe | |
| Mike Faist | Connor | |
| Rachel Bay Jones | Heidi | |
| Kristolyn Lloyd Broadway debut |
Alana | |
| Michael Park | Larry | |
| Will Roland Broadway debut |
Jared | |
| Jennifer Laura Thompson | Cynthia |
Reviews – New York Times – amNY – Newsday – Entertainment Weekly – NY Daily News
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and a book by Danny Rubin. Based on the 1993 film of the same name written by Rubin and Harold Ramis, the musical made its world premiere at The Old Vic in London in 2016 and will transfer to the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway from 17 April 2017. The plot centres around Phil Connors, an arrogant Pittsburgh TV weatherman who, during an assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, finds himself in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again.
Now Playing on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre NYC
Cast
Andy Karl – Phil Connors
Barrett Doss – Rita Hanson
Heather Ayers – Mrs. Lancaster
Kevin Bernard – Hot Dog Vendor
Andrew Call – Gus
Gerard Canonico – Fred
Rheaume Crenshaw – Doris
Reviews – New York Times – The Wrap – Newsday – Entertainment Weekly – NY Daily News
The Great Comet
Now Playing on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre NYC
Cast
Denée Benton – Natasha
Broadway debut
Josh Groban – Pierre
Broadway debut
Brittain Ashford – Sonya
Broadway debut
Gelsey Bell – Princess Mary
Broadway debut
Nicholas Belton – Bolkonsky/Andrey
Nick Choksi – Dolokhov
Broadway debut
Amber Gray – Helene
Broadway debut
Grace McLean – Marya D
Broadway debut
Paul Pinto – Balaga
Broadway debut
Lucas Steele – Anatole
Reviews – New York Times – The Guardian – Newsday – Entertainment Weekly – NY Daily News
