Theater Update: Barry Manilow’s ‘Harmony’ on Broadway

'Sleep No More' to end its run

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 8, 2023 Dear Theater Fans, Alexis Soloski just delivered the news that "Sleep No More," the long-running immersive, Hitchcockian riff on Shakespeare's "Macbeth," will play its final performance on Jan. 28. "None of us ever imagined we'd be here talking about the show in 2023 — it was only on sale for six weeks at first," Felix Barrett, a co-creator of "Sleep No More," told Alexis on Wednesday. (Read Alexis's excellent piece about how the pandemic reshaped the production.) A show that's been in the works for decades is finally getting its shot on Broadway: "Harmony." Jesse McKinley spoke to Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman about their musical — which follows the stars of the Comedian Harmonists, a musical group torn apart by the rise of Nazism — and the many challenges they faced before the show arrived at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, where it opens on Monday. "I put it in the drawer many times," Manilow told Jesse. I think I can say this with confidence: Sopan Deb was thoroughly entertained while reporting on the Broadway revival of "Spamalot." He writes that "the giggles were contagious" at the rehearsal he attended last month for that Monty Python-inspired show, which opens Nov. 16. Sarah Bahr delivers a delightful dispatch from the kitchen of Geoff Sobelle (with playful photos by Dolly Faibyshev), who cooked up dinner (with entertainment courtesy of his toddlers) and talked about his solo show, "Food," at the Brooklyn Academy of Music through Nov. 18; Alexandra Jacobs has a sharp review of Barbra Streisand's memoir, "a 970-page victory lap past all who ever doubted, diminished or dissed her"; and Wesley Morris, well, does what Wesley always does, and here that means beautifully capturing a moment with and the essence of Streisand, whom he interviewed over lunch (and some serious dessert) at her home in Malibu. It's not often that you get to livestream a Broadway show. But from Nov. 14-19, for the final week of its run, "Jaja's African Hair Braiding" will offer that option. Read Jesse Green's review here, and learn more about how to watch here. And it's also not all that often that a show gets to celebrate its 20th anniversary on Broadway as "Wicked" just did. Michael Paulson was there, and reflected on the show's continued popularity. Please reach out to me at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with suggestions for stories or to offer your thoughts on what you've read. And urge your friends to subscribe to this newsletter by clicking here. Have a wonderful week, Nicole Herrington Theater Editor (@nikkih04) Evelyn Freja for The New York Times Barry Manilow Finally Gets His Wish: a Broadway Show "Harmony," about a singing group undone by Nazism, has been a decades-in-the-making labor of love for the singer and his longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman. By Jesse McKinley Gregg Delman for The New York Times It Is Not Dead Yet! 'Spamalot' Returns to Broadway. (Cue the Coconuts.) The Monty Python-inspired show wants to give audiences a reason "to laugh and enjoy and be taken away by this lunacy, in the best way possible." By Sopan Deb Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. NEWS AND FEATURES Vincent Tullo for The New York Times 'Sleep No More' to Close in January The Off Broadway production opened at the McKittrick Hotel in 2011, and helped to alter and expand the landscape of immersive theater. By Alexis Soloski Dolly Faibyshev for The New York Times In 'Food,' Geoff Sobelle Explores the Extremes of Eating "I don't want to tell people what to think," the performance artist said of his latest show. "I just hope it tickles them and their curiosity." By Sarah Bahr Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images, via Getty Images Poland's Art World Awaits a Culture War Counteroffensive The Law and Justice party tried to reshape the country via the arts. Now that it appears set to lose office, its critics are split over how to move on. By Alex Marshall Ye Fan for The New York Times 'I'm Still Alive': Sean Young Takes the Stage in 'Ode to the Wasp Woman' "I walk into a show and everybody's kind of a little afraid. Then I hear, 'Oh, but you're so nice,'" the actress said of her Hollywood baggage. By Alexis Soloski Simon Dawson/Reuters Boy George Will Join 'Moulin Rouge!' on Broadway in 2024 The British pop star will take over the role of the club owner Harold Zidler from Feb. 6 to May 12. By Christopher Kuo Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT BARBRA STREISAND'S MEMOIR: 'MY NAME IS BARBRA' John Orris/The New York Times Barbra Streisand Is Ready to Tell All. Pull Up a Seat. At home in California, Streisand talks about her new memoir, exploring the movies and men of her life, and her determination to control her own art. By Wesley Morris Kobal/Shutterstock Nonfiction Her Name Is Barbra, but It Wasn't Always In a chatty and candid new memoir, Barbra Streisand talks about her early determination to be famous and tallies the hurdles and helpers she met along the way. By Alexandra Jacobs WHAT TO SEE ONSTAGE THIS FALL Golden Cosmos Broadway Shows to See in November The new musical "How to Dance in Ohio" takes the stage, and "Jaja's African Hair Braiding" will play its final performance on Nov. 19. By Laura Collins-Hughes Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Fall Preview Musicals, Plays and Festivals to Take In This Fall and Spring A starry Sondheim revival on Broadway, Alicia Keys's new musical and John Turturro in a Philip Roth adaptation: a guide to this season's theater. By Steven McElroy FROM THE CRITICS Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 'I Need That' Review: It's Always Messy in New Jersey Danny DeVito returns to Broadway in a Theresa Rebeck comedy about a lonely old man lost in a houseful of junk. By Jesse Green Richard Termine Critic's Notebook Tales That Crackle With Vitality, With or Without a Puppeteer La MaMa Puppet Festival and other stage works this fall highlight the power of storytelling through puppetry. By Laura Collins-Hughes Richard Termine for The New York Times Critic's Pick 'Poor Yella Rednecks' Review: A Writer's Origin Story Remixes Conventions Qui Nguyen's crowd-tickling comedy about a Vietnamese family in Arkansas mixes hip-hop and martial arts with soapy twists and turns. By Naveen Kumar Jeenah Moon for The New York Times 'Sabbath's Theater' Review: John Turturro Embodies a Life and a Libido Though a tour de force for its actors, an Off Broadway adaptation of Philip Roth's willfully obscene 1995 novel is too faithful to its source. By Alexis Soloski Julieta Cervantes 'Snatch Adams' Review: Gross-Out Humor for Not-So-Easily-Shocked Liberals Becca Blackwell and Amanda Duarte's amorphous variety show aims to be a queer spectacle but is mostly improv strung together with non sequiturs. By Naveen Kumar Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 'Pal Joey' Review: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildering Joey is still a heel in this major revision of the 1940 antihero musical, but he's now a Black artist trying to find his true voice. By Jesse Green Dominique Houcmant Review: In This '120 Days of Sodom,' Sadism Stands in the Way The provocations in Milo Rau's stage adaptation, featuring actors with Down syndrome, confuse the production as it grapples with weighty issues. By Laura Cappelle Danny Kaan 'Treason,' the Musical Where the Fans Came First The producers cultivated online followers for three years before mounting a full production, bringing them along on the show's journey to the stage. By Holly Williams Continue reading the main story ADVERTISMENT Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Theater Update from The New York Times. To stop receiving Theater Update, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018