Theater Update: Barry Manilow’s ‘Harmony’ to close

Christopher Abbott on crutches, a 'Gutenberg!' explainer

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 17, 2024 Dear Theater Fans, A knee injury, followed by a case of Covid and arthroscopic surgery: Despite those setbacks, Christopher Abbott managed to return to the stage — with crutches — for the rest of the Off Broadway run of "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea," which closed on Saturday. Why didn't he just end the run early? "We worked really hard on this thing, and there's an ownership I feel and we all feel," he told Michael Paulson in an exit interview. "You'd have to pry it out of my hands." Over a hot cup of tea, Eric Berryman talked to Reggie Ugwu about how his latest show, "Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me," came to be. Based on a 1970s album of Black American folk poetry, the Off Broadway show for the Wooster Group is built around a series of "toasts," rhyming narrative poems that were traditionally recited at Black social gatherings and helped form the basis of hip-hop. Even before it opened, the mere existence of "Gutenberg! The Musical!" on Broadway sent book and library nerds vibrating with anticipation and a bit of disbelief, Jennifer Schuessler writes in her fun explainer about the sort-of subject of that show, Johannes Gutenberg, the father of the printing press. Was Gutenberg really in love with a wench named Helvetica, like in the show? You'll have to read the piece to find out! Have you been keeping up with all the Broadway news this week? Michael had these reports on the comings and goings: Charlotte St. Martin is stepping down from her post as president of the Broadway League, which promotes Broadway, handles labor negotiations, and collects and distributes data about Broadway's economic health and the demographics of its audience. "Harmony," Barry Manilow's long-in-the-works musical about an early-20th-century German sextet that ran afoul of the Nazi regime, will end its Broadway run on Feb. 4. Two shows have been added to the spring Broadway lineup: "Stereophonic," which ran Off Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in the fall and will open on April 19, and "The Great Gatsby," a musical starring Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada that had a pre-Broadway run last fall at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, N.J. "Harmony" will live on through its cast album, which was released in November. Here's one of the song's from the production, "And What Do You See?" (sung by Sierra Boggess), which Jesse Green described as "gorgeous" in his review of the show. Please reach out to me at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with the shows and performances you're most looking forward to seeing this year. I'll make note of them in an upcoming newsletter. And urge your friends to subscribe to this newsletter by clicking here. Have a wonderful week, Nicole Herrington Theater Editor (@nikkih04) Lanna Apisukh for The New York Times exit interview Covid, Crutches, Surgery: For Christopher Abbott the Show Somehow Went On "I thought this could be my swan song, in terms of the angry-young-man thing," said the actor of his rocky run of "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea." By Michael Paulson Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 'Gutenberg!': A Guide to the Inventor Behind the Broadway Musical Jokes aside: Here's what we really know about the 15th-century figure currently appearing (sort of) on Broadway in "Gutenberg! The Musical!," starring Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells. By Jennifer Schuessler Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS Sarah Blesener for The New York Times Charlotte St. Martin to Step Down as President of Broadway League No reason was given for her unexpected retirement after 18 years in the pivotal role. By Michael Paulson Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 'Stereophonic,' a New Play About Making Music, to Open on Broadway Written by David Adjmi and featuring songs by Will Butler, the drama follows five musicians making an album in the 1970s. By Michael Paulson Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 'Harmony,' Barry Manilow's Passion Project, to Close on Broadway The musical, which Manilow wrote with Bruce Sussman, is about a German singing ensemble that collided with the rising Nazi regime. By Michael Paulson Jeremy Daniel A 'Great Gatsby' Musical Is Coming to Broadway in March The latest adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel will feature Jeremy Jordan ("Newsies") as Jay Gatsby and Eva Noblezada ("Hadestown") as Daisy Buchanan. By Michael Paulson FEATURES Elias Williams for The New York Times An Actor Channeling the Folklore of His Ancestors In his theater work, Eric Berryman injects forgotten voices from the past into the present moment. By Reggie Ugwu Amir Hamja/The New York Times Beverly Johnson, 'the Model With the Big Mouth' In her new one-woman show, she details her 50-year modeling career, her tumultuous relationships — and an unsettling encounter with Bill Cosby. By Ruth La Ferla Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times At Home With When Nate Berkus Decorates Your Home, It's Best Not to Change a Thing Just ask the actors Patrick Page and Paige Davis, whose Upper West Side apartment has remained virtually untouched for two decades. By Joanne Kaufman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT 'MEAN GIRLS' Jojo Whilden/Paramount Pictures Reporter's Notebook When Trailers Hit Mute on the Musical With "Mean Girls," "Wonka" and "The Color Purple," why have studios spent much of their marketing budget downplaying and disguising their movie musicals? By Alexis Soloski Paramount Pictures 'Mean Girls' Review: 'Get in, Loser,' Regina George Is Back Still puffily padded but no longer particularly tart, this shape-shifting classic about the girls you love to hate retains its ingratiating charms. By Manohla Dargis Jojo Whilden/Paramount Is the New 'Mean Girls' Movie as 'Fetch' as the Original? A musical remake arrives in theaters two decades after the release of the beloved teen comedy. By Alex Barron, Lynn Levy and Daniel Ramirez Paramount Pictures Critic's Notebook 'Mean Girls' and the New (Home-Schooled) Kid in Class As our critic knows, missing out on the shared experience of school is deeply strange. It's something Hollywood rarely acknowledges, except in these films. By Alissa Wilkinson FROM THE CRITICS Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Critic's Notebook Opera Greets the Morning at the Prototype Festival The offerings at this annual presentation of new opera and music theater tend to be politically charged, scrappy and stirring. By Zachary Woolfe The Andy Warhol Museum Critic's Notebook Did This Couple Inspire Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'? A newly preserved Andy Warhol film documents a combative artist couple the playwright knew. The movie is premiering in MoMA's To Save and Project. By Ben Kenigsberg Lawrence Sumulong Theater Reviews Three Festival Shows Explore Toxic Society "Queens of Sheba" and "Volcano" at Under the Radar, and "Bacon," at International Fringe Encore Series, expound on identity, captivity and violence. By Laura Collins-Hughes, Naveen Kumar and Juan A. Ramírez Lawrence Sumulong Theater Reviews Four Festival Shows Offering Soul-Enriching Experiments in Theater Buckle up for "Open Mic Night" and "Search Party" at Under the Radar and two wildly adventurous works at the Exponential Festival. By Laura Collins-Hughes and Elisabeth Vincentelli Simon Gosselin 'The Emigrants' Review: A Troubled Show Finally Debuts Krystian Lupa's latest work had its premiere in Paris after an earlier attempt collapsed. The delay would have been a good time to rethink the four-and-a-half-hour show. By Laura Cappelle Jean-Louis Fernandez Review: In 'Cosmos,' Female Astronauts Dance Toward the Stars A new show in Paris by Maëlle Poésy tells the story of the Mercury 13 space program, with choreographed movement and acrobatic sequences. By Laura Cappelle 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. 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