BroadwayGPS staff member Kalena Makanui has been busy previewing shows! She’s compiled her most recent favorites and offered suggestions on what types of groups are the perfect fit for each!
KIMBERLY AKIMBO
Kimberly Akimbo won the 2023 Tony award for Best Musical for a reason! This quirky and heart-felt show follows a teenager with an incurable disease on the eve of her 16th birthday – the average life expectancy for her condition. Full of messy family dynamics and the optimism of first crushes, Kimberly Akimbo is a bittersweet must-see. The characters are all drawn out in extraordinary detail and acted incredibly well. The show features a Tony award-winning score of fun and heart-breaking songs.
Kimberly Akimbo is one of those unique shows that successfully challenges the audience to see things from a different point of view. And to hopefully live our lives better as a result.
Kimberly Akimbo for Groups: Great show for high school and college student groups who don’t mind strong language and a bit of petty crime. For fans of softer musicals like Dear Evan Hansen and anyone interested in a good-hearted musical.
THE SHARK IS BROKEN
The Shark is Broken is a humorous study of human connection and life. Tensions and egos flare as three big personalities struggle to connect amidst sharky technical difficulties. Based on the filming of Jaws, The Shark is Broken catalogs the time in-between takes as the actors are forced together waiting and waiting for an operational shark. The vignette-style scenes alternate between humorous and poignant and pull together for a heart-felt ending.
The three actors are the heart and soul of the production. Others more familiar with the film have said that the real-life portrayals are uncanny. Writer and actor Ian Shaw embodies his father Robert Shaw and brings a generational view of father-son relationships. The show features a simple, interesting set that enhances the actors’ performances.
The Shark is Broken is an unexpectedly funny and poignant experience that even a casual theater goer would enjoy.
The Shark is Broken for Groups: Great choice for retail tours and especially appealing for the older men demographic with its focus on fathers and sons. Good play for college age and older due to language and drug/alcohol abuse. Perfect pick for fans of Jaws or anyone interested in Hollywood and a glimpse at behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt.
HERE LIES LOVE
Put on your dancing shoes and disco on down to the club for a performance of Here Lies Love. The atmosphere at the Broadway theater is electric as the show follows former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos’ rise from small-town girl to powerful political dictator. Get your fix of disco pop with a choice of dance floor standing admission or mezzanine level seats. Here Lies Love is a whirlwind through 60 years of political history exploring greed, corruption, and love of country.
Here Lies Love for Groups: Good for anyone who loves a dance party with a powerful ending. High interest for college and select high school theater groups to experience the inventive staging and choreography (some language and violence). Good for retail adult groups wanting a fun night with a historical and political punch.
THE COTTAGE
The Cottage is a hilarious romp through a 1920’s picturesque cottage where nothing is what it seems. Join Sylvia as she exposes her affair to her husband – and her lover’s wife. This limited engagement had me laughing throughout at the over-the-top jokes and prop comedy. The comedic timing of the cast is impeccable when paired with Jason Alexander’s spot-on direction. Performances by Eric McCormack (Will and Grace), Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde), and Alex Moffat (SNL).
The Cottage is a light, silly, fun as heck farce about love, relationships, and loyalty.
The Cottage for Groups: Truly fabulous play for adult retail groups interested in a fun and sexy night out. Use of herbal cigarettes. Also wonderful for college age students and anyone who enjoys Noël Coward or silly humor.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Time to get in your DeLorean and race to Back to the Future on Broadway! This musical, based on the film, follows Marty McFly as he accidentally changes the course of history and rushes to fix the present. This non-stop thrill ride to the 80’s and 50’s is full of standout performances and breathtaking special effects. The choreography, staging, and comedic bits make this an extremely fun show that had this theater nerd smiling throughout.
Back to the Future is a big, splashy musical that’s a soup-ed up tribute to the well-loved film.
Back to the Future for Groups: Great show for all ages, especially those with nostalgia for the Back to the Future movies. For fans of big budget musicals interested in a fun time! Includes some instances of budding love.