Ragtime (2026) (Broadway)

Ragtime may just be the best musical of the year. though it may not be the most enjoyable. Terrence McNally's adaptation is a staggering epic. It's quite the downer for 2 hours and 50 minutes. Made all the more depressing because it's realistic. It holds a mirror up to our society, like the end of Cabaret, forcing us to confront America in all its glory and mess, not just at the turn of the century but today. The show follows three families: a black community in Harlem, Jewish immigrants in the Lower East Side, and an upper-crust white family in New Rochelle. They weave in and out of each other's stories, representing the great melting pot that is America. There are real historical figures in the show, appealing to the history nerd in me. "Make Them Hear You" is sort of equivalent to "History Has Its Eyes On You" from Hamilton, making the show about the study of history itself. The melodies are lush if not exactly memorable. Joshua Henry's voice is like magic so full and deep when he sings "Sarah, come down to me" I felt goosebumps. He even has a soliloquy about his his son's future similar to Henry's rendition of Soliloquy in Carousel though I think this music suits his voice better. 

As You Like It (2017) (Public Works)

For the tenth anniversary of Public Works, Shakespeare in the Park re-staged the incredible musical-adaptation of As You Like It (which lends itself well to the musical genre) brought to life by Shaina Taub, who also plays Jaques. It's kind of incredible how perfect this play is for the mission of Public Works, to blur the line between community members and professional performers. Because "All the world's a stage, and the men and women merely players". It's about the power of theater as a unifying force. It's beautiful and just the show we need in the pandemic. It's a celebration of community and diversity. The ending is poignant with old Rosalind and Orlando, and young Jaques, who is actually a noticeably stronger singer than the composer who casts herself a la Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The plot is unbelievable and convoluted and honestly kind of irrelevant. It has a happy ending, naturally, relatively lightweight for Shakespeare. But it is hilarious and really quite clever. There is a wrestling scene that is staged as a fun luchador battle. "Let's go Bronco, let's go Frankie" reminded me of Bronco Henry haha. The set is gorgeous. With the Belvedere Castle in the background, there is a bridge and three beautiful trees representing the Arden. The band is beneath the bridge. The cast is easily a hundred strong, surely the biggest company they've had at the Delacorte and they're wonderful. They're a reflection of us and there's something very moving about that.