Name: Encores! Once Upon a Mattress
Start: 2024-01-24
End: 2024-02-04
Location: New York City Center

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Encores! Once Upon a Mattress - NYC

Genre: Musical (US and AUS)

NYC Once Upon a Mattress Key Art Asset

Encores! Once Upon a Mattress

Mattress 480x720

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Encores! Once Upon a Mattress - Hero

Encores! Once Upon a Mattress - NYC Product Media

NYC One Upon a Mattress Cast Asset 1

NYC One Upon a Mattress Cast Asset 2

Sutton Foster stars in&nbsp;<a href="/show/the-music-man">The Music Man</a>&nbsp;at the&nbsp;<a href="/theatres/winter-garden-theatre">Winter Garden Theatre</a>&nbsp;on Broadway.

Sutton Lenore Foster was born on March 18, 1975 in Statesboro, Georgia. She is a two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway actor, also known for her television role as Liza Miller on TV Land’s Younger.

Raised in Troy, Michigan, Foster attended Troy High School but left before graduating to join the National Tour of The Will Rogers Follies&nbsp;under the direction of Tommy Tune. She would also go on to study at Carnegie Mellon University for one year&nbsp;before departing to pursue a full-time career on the stage.

Foster’s most notable early stage credits include the leading role of Sandy Dumbrowski in the National Tour of Grease in 1995, which led to her Broadway debut, assuming the role at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in 1996. She would also appear in the 1997 Broadway revival of Annie and 1997 Broadway premiere of The Scarlet Pimpernel. In 1999, she took over the coveted role of Éponine in the national tour of Les Misérables, later transferring to the musical’s Broadway production in 2000.

Her big break came later in 2000 after finally landing the starring role of Millie Dilmount in the La Jolla Playhouse production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Following her turns in regional productions of The Three Musketeers in San Jose&nbsp;and South Pacific in Pittsburgh&nbsp;in 2001, Thoroughly Modern Millie would ultimately premiere on Broadway in 2002 to great acclaim, earning Foster her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Thanks to her new leading lady status, she became a regular on the Broadway stage and starred as Jo in Little Women (2005 Tony nomination), as Janet Van De Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony nomination), as Inga in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (2007-08), and as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical (2009 Tony nomination). She won her second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical&nbsp;for her turn as Reno Sweeney in the 2011 Broadway revival of Anything Goes,&nbsp;which also led to her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album&nbsp;in 2012. She earned yet another Tony nomination in 2014 for her portrayal of the titular character in&nbsp;the Broadway premiere of <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/violet">Violet</a>.

Foster’s Off-Broadway credits include the 2010 Second Stage Theater production of Trust and a Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award-nominated performance as Charity Hope Valentine in The New Group’s 2016 revival of Sweet Charity. She has also performed in a plethora of benefit concert productions on Broadway as well as Encores! productions at New York City Center. She also starred as The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods at The Hollywood Bowl in 2019.

On television, she is best known for her starring role as Liza Miller on Younger,&nbsp;which aired from 2015 to 2021 on TV Land. Her earlier screen credits include the leading role of Michelle Simms on&nbsp;Bunheads&nbsp;(2012-13) and guest roles on the likes of Instinct,&nbsp;The Good Wife,&nbsp;Elementary,&nbsp;Psych,&nbsp;Royal Pains,&nbsp;Law &amp; Order: Special Victims Unit,&nbsp;and Flight of the Conchords,&nbsp;among others.

As a recording artist, Foster has also released two studio albums: Wish&nbsp;in 2009 and Take Me to the World&nbsp;in 2018, along with one live album, 2011’s An Evening with Sutton Foster: Live at the Café Carlyle.

Sutton Foster - NY

Children under 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

The Music Man on Broadway [18717]

The Music Man on Broadway

The Music Man on Broadway [18717] Product Media

When <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/actor-profile/hugh-jackman" target="_blank">Hugh Jackman</a>'s Harold Hill whispers into the impressionable ears of River City whippersnappers, their minds and feet alight. <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/the-music-man" target="_blank">The Music Man</a>, which arrives on Broadway following a two-year delay, likewise hopes to entice an especially receptive crowd, still sating pent-up appetite for seduction, spectacle, and bodies in motion.The big-ticket production from director Jerry Zaks heaps its wagon with comely and persuasive wares: Marquee stars Jackman and <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/actor-profile/sutton-foster" target="_blank">Sutton Foster</a>, whose individual magnetism is so strong, any conflict between their characters seems to defy physics. Meredith Willson's score of nostalgia triggers so Pavlovian, even Proust would trash his madeleines. And, of course, a wormhole to the core of American ideologies — self-invention, groupthink, the manifest destiny of a man's libido — with proven staying power.Whether you'll pony up for the ride (which ain't cheap) and gladly tap your feet may depend on how liable you are to be convinced. Are there soothing and satisfying pleasures in familiarity, high voltage, and expert execution? By golly, yes. Will this Music Man's sweet nothings reveal anything previously unknown about the nature of life, love, or the pursuit of happiness right here in 2022? Egads! No.The traveling-salesman fable of deception and redemption has been updated so as not to appear out of step — a "shipoopi" is no longer a "hussy" who kisses on the first date, but a man who's tough to pin down (additional lyrics are by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman). But The Music Man doesn't attempt an argument for contemporary resonance, reinvent the wagon wheel, or entirely iron out the logic of its Febreze'd gender politics.&nbsp;And maybe that's just as well. After all, the boys in Harold's band, which he pledges to whip up while lining his pockets with townspeople's cash, can't play a note. But their parents are just as pleased with the diversion.&nbsp;In another way, the production is exquisitely timed, to the heights of its above-the-title talent. Jackman is a charm attack in suspendered slacks, nimble-footed, smooth but not slick, with suave vocals and a smile as assured as a railroad. His Harold makes quick and delectable work of small-town marks, with the exception of one, whose front is harder to crack until it shatters in a heap of impossible dramaturgy.Foster's Marian is wry but not cynical, sharp but still tender, a tough shell with a golden, runny heart like an egg. The Anything Goes star brings a precise wit to the role that is relentlessly delightful, attention to detail that buoys Marian's tenuous modernization here into a woman with some measure more agency (if a soft will). The pair's chemistry obviates the plot, though it goes a long way toward filling the vacuum of dramatic tension.Choreography from Warren Carlyle is smartly portioned into knockout numbers — "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Marian the Librarian" — that meet the weight of their anticipation with a vocabulary of movement that's refined and sensual, playful and fresh. Any effort to resist the virtuosic children in this production, particularly Benjamin Pajak as Marian's brother Winthrop, would prove a fool's errand.&nbsp;The storybook aesthetic of Zaks' production is appropriate for one that's been cracked open many times, flipping from one scene to the next with mollifying ease. Designer Santo Loquasto's set, which toys with flatness and dimension, likewise feels fitting for characters like paper dolls only selectively rendered palpable. Beautifully painted backdrops, which borrow heavily from "American Gothic" artist Grant Wood, depict rural Iowa's rolling hills and sprawling farms. Laborers are often pictured close at hand.&nbsp;But Zaks' production also makes plain (with help from Loquasto's luxe, embellished costumes) that money doesn't mean much to the residents of River City, until after it has leapt from their wallets and into Harold Hill's. Given that The Music Man is a grift, the stakes never get off the ground. It's another way the production's lavish attention to surface belies a blithe and curious hollowness.If American stories are fundamentally about enterprise, the most vivid one on display at the <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/winter-garden-theatre" target="_blank">Winter Garden Theatre</a> may be the cost of admission.<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/the-music-man" target="_blank">The Music Man is at the Winter Garden Theatre. Get The Music Man tickets on New York Theatre Guide.</a>Photo credit: Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster, and the company of The Music Man. (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)

'The Music Man' review — Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster lead a mollifying nostalgia trip

William Kissam Vanderbilt originally built the Winter Garden Theatre in 1896 as the American Horse Exchange. However, William Albert Swasey redesigned it for the Shuberts as a theatre, which officially opened on March 10, 1911.

The inaugural production was the Jerome Kern musical *La Belle Paree*. Architect Herbert J. Krapp remodeled the building in 1922. Over its lifespan, the venue has also served as a cinema for Warner Bros. and United Artists and has hosted the famous Ziegfeld Follies vaudeville show.

From 2002 to 2007, the venue was called the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre due to a sponsorship agreement between the Shubert Organization and General Motors.

The Winter Garden Theatre is one of only a couple Broadway houses actually located on the street called Broadway. The venue's interior is a designated New York City landmark.

## How to get to the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway

The Winter Garden Theatre is nearest to the 50th Street subway stop on the 1 line. The nearest bus stop is 7th Ave/W 50th St. on the M7, M20, M104, or M50 lines.

## Restaurants near the Winter Garden Theatre

The Winter Garden Theatre is adjacent to Ellen's Stardust Diner, a famed New York City tourist spot known for its singing waitstaff. Other popular restaurants nearby include Junior's (American), Haswell Green's (American), Saar (Indian), Natsumi (Japanese), Lillie's Victorian Establishment (British/pub fare), and Gallagher's Steakhouse.

Winter Garden Theatre - NY

Winter Garden Theatre

Architect Harry P. Knowles designed New York City Center, which was built by Clinton and Russell in 1923 for the Shriners under the name of The Mecca Temple. Amid the financial crash of 1929, the building became city property after the Shriners were unable to keep up with tax payments.

Former Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and New York City Council President Newbold Morris decided to convert the temple into Manhattan’s first performing arts center. The building opened as a theatre in December 1943.

New York City Center is known for its annual Encores! productions since 1994, which restage seldom revived American musicals in concert or semi-staged incarnations. The venue received a Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre in 2000.

Since its launch, New York City Center has become one of the city’s prime venues for dance.

In addition to the 2,557-seat mainstage, the facility houses two smaller theatres — Stage I and Stage II, where Manhattan Theatre Club has hosted its Off-Broadway productions since 1984 — and four studios.

## How to get to New York City Center

New York City Center is closest to the 57th Street station on the N, Q, R, and W lines and the 7th Avenue station on the E, B, and D lines. The nearest bus stops are 6 Av./W 55 St. on the Q2, Q3, Q4, and Q20 lines; and 6 Av./56 St. on the Q10, Q12, and Q24 lines.

## Restaurants near New York City Center

Popular restaurants near New York City Center include Redeye Grill (American), Pazza Notte (Italian), Estiatorio Milos (Greek), Rue 57 (French), and Benihana (Japanese).

New York City Center - NY

New York City Center

Ages 12+. Guests under 5 are not permitted in the theatre.

Sweeney Todd on Broadway - NYC [26216]

Sweeney Todd on Broadway

Sweeney Todd on Broadway - NYC Product Media

[*Sweeney Todd*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26216-sweeney-todd-on-broadway-tickets) is back on Broadway, and there’s much to savor in this musical revival starring [Josh Groban](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/josh-groban) and [Annaleigh Ashford](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/annaleigh-ashford). Stephen Sondheim’s sublime score sounds deliciously lush as played by the 26-piece orchestra, the singing is uniformly excellent, and Hugh Wheeler’s morbidly gripping story unfolds in crisp fashion. 

However, there’s an ingredient missing in [*Hamilton*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/384-hamilton-tickets) director Thomas Kail’s star-studded but standard take on the 1979 musical: its essential dark edge. Subtitled *The Demon Barber of Fleet Street*, the show motors on Sweeney’s monstrous dimensions. Absent that, or even a faint whiff of borderline madness from what he’s been dealt, the production comes off as a bit too tame. 

Gorgeous music threads throughout this grisly thriller. Sweeney (Groban) returns to London after being wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years. Mourning the loss of his family because of a corrupt judge and his henchman, the barber swears revenge on the duo. He’ll use his straight razors for payback. Pie shop proprietor Mrs. Lovett (Ashford), who has a thing for Sweeney, becomes his accomplice. When Sweeney’s throat-slitting escalates, she grinds his victims into makings for meat pies. Business booms. But there’s no way this tale can have a happy ending. 

Mimi Lien’s two-tiered set makes use of the stage and a bridge above it. A counter pushed into place is the pie shop, and a crane contraption doubles as a madhouse. The bridge is used in a striking moment for a silhouetted dance. Elsewhere, Steven Hoggett’s choreography recalls awkward aerobics, particularly when all hell breaks loose near the end. Natasha Katz’s dramatic lighting is the star of the physical production.

Both leads deliver exactly what they’re best at. Groban, a Tony nominee for *Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812*, has a nice-guy persona and lacks the sinister side to convince as a man "even rats fear," according to the title song. He also blends into the crowd in group scenes. But when he sings, Groban commands focus 100 percent. He taps directly into the mournful tones of “The Barber and His Wife,” in which he recalls his past, and the despair of “Epiphany,” as he faces his future.

Last seen on Broadway as Dot in Sondheim’s *Sunday in the Park With George*, Ashford is a very fine singer, but her comic chops set her apart. She won a Tony for *You Can’t Take It With You*, a play in which she bounced off the walls. She is clearly in her comfort zone here. 

Sporting a messy hairdo a la Angela Lansbury, the original Mrs. Lovett, Ashford throws herself into the part – and onto the stage. She bump-bump-bumps down a staircase on her fanny. She channels the Three Stooges and spins while on her side on the floor. She’s a riot, and she also oozes vulnerability. As funny as she is, Mrs. Lovett is a villain because she keeps a life-and-death secret from Sweeney.

Gaten Matarazzo of *Stranger Things* plays Tobias, who becomes Mrs. Lovett’s helper. He makes the most of the famous song “Not While I’m Around.” Jordan Fisher and Maria Bilbao ably fill out the romantic subplot as the thwarted young lovebirds Anthony and Johanna. 

The beggar woman, played by Ruthie Ann Miles, looms extra large in this version. In a provocative stroke, when she enters the barber shop, she points here and there as if remembering something. Is her mind really gone? That question makes her fate all the more tragic – and Sweeney’s words more resonant.

“We all deserve to die,” Sweeney sings. He means himself and Mrs. Lovett. In this revival, the barber and the baker go hand in hand to hell.

[*Sweeney Todd* is at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Get *Sweeney Todd* tickets on New York Theatre Guide. ](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26216-sweeney-todd-on-broadway-tickets)

*Photo credit: Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban in Sweeney Todd on Broadway. (Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)*

'Sweeney Todd' review — Josh Groban-led revival doesn't frighten, but still thrills

Read our four-star review of Stephen Sondheim's *Sweeney Todd* on Broadway, starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre opened on January 10, 1910 and was originally named the Globe Theatre. The venue was named after the famous Shakespearean theatre in London.

The first production at the venue was the musical *The Old Town*, which opened in 1919. In the 1930s, the space became a cinema operated by the Brandt chain until it was purchased by City Playhouses Inc. in 1957. The venue reopened as a theatre on May 5, 1958, and it was renamed in honor of theatrical couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. The pair starred in the first production under the new ownership: Friedrich Dürrenmatt's *The Visit*. 

Producers Cy Feuer and Ernest H. Martin bought the theatre in 1960 and sold it to developer Stanley Stahl in 1965. The Nederlander Organization currently co-owns the venue with the Stahl estate.

## How to get to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway

The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, located on 46th Street and Broadway, is nearly equidistant from the 42nd Street - Times Square subway stop on the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and S lines, and the 50th Street stop on the 1 line.

The nearest bus stop is 8th Ave/W 46th St. on the M20 and M104 lines.

## Restaurants near the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is one block directly east of Restaurant Row, a hub for all types of restaurants located on 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Some popular restaurants there include Le Rivage (French), Becco (Italian), Lattanzi (Italian), Joe Allen (American), and Frankie and Johnnie's Steakhouse.

[Learn more about popular pre- and post-show restaurants in the Theatre District.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/where-to-eat-before-and-after-a-broadway-show)

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre - NY

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

Sutton-Foster

Michael Lorenzo Urie&nbsp;was born on August 8, 1980 in Houston, Texas&nbsp;and is best known for his recurring TV role as Marc St. James on ABC's hit series Ugly Betty,&nbsp;as well as his Drama Desk&nbsp;and Lucille Lortel Award-winning career on the New York stage.

Urie was raised in Plano, Texas, and graduated Plano Senior High School in 1998. He studied at the Collin County Community College before being accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 2003.

His first break as an actor was in the role of Eric in the play&nbsp;WTC View, and Urie also starred in its 2005 film adaptation. He shot to stardom just one year later after being cast as Marc St. James in ABC's&nbsp;series Ugly Betty,&nbsp;opposite Vanessa Williams. He appeared in a total of 85 episodes up to 2010 (as well as 12 episodes of the spin-off Mode After Hours&nbsp;in 2008 and 2009). Following the show's cancellation, Urie was able to devote more time to his theatre career.

He made his Off-Broadway debut as&nbsp;Rudi Gernreich in The Temperamentals at New World Stages February 2010, receiving a Theatre World Award and a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor. He then assumed the leading role of Prior Walter in the 2010 Off-Broadway revival of Tony Kushner's&nbsp;Angels in America&nbsp;and was cast as&nbsp;Yepikhodov in Classic Stage Company's 2011 revival of Chekhov's&nbsp;The Cherry Orchard. He would make his Broadway debut in&nbsp;the role of Bud Frump in the revival of&nbsp;How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, playing the role from January to May 2012. He garnered great acclaim for his performance as Alex More in the solo show Buyer &amp; Cellar&nbsp;at Barrow Street Theatre in 2013, which won him his first Drama Desk Award and a second Lucille Lortel Award; the show later made&nbsp;a London transfer to the Menier Chocolate Factory. He starred alongside <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/actor-profile/patti-lupone">Patti LuPone</a> (who had also played his mother on Ugly Betty) in Lincoln Center Theater's 2015 production of&nbsp;Shows for Days&nbsp;and, most recently, as&nbsp;Hlestakov in Red Bull Theater's revival of&nbsp;The Government Inspector&nbsp;and Second Stage Theater's acclaimed revival of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/torch-song">Torch Song</a>&nbsp;in 2017. In the latter, he played Arnold Beckoff and received another Lucille Lortel Award nomination. The production transfered&nbsp;with Mr. Urie to Broadway's Hayes Theater from October 9, 2018 under the new title of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/torch-song-broadway">Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song</a>, in honor of the playwright, and closed on January 6, 2019.

Urie has also worked as a producer, casting director, and theatre director over the course of his career. His&nbsp;résumé as a director&nbsp;includes&nbsp;high school productions, regional productions, and two Off-Broadway credits for&nbsp;Bright Colors and Bold Patterns in 2016 and 2018. He has also hosted&nbsp;the Drama League Awards ceremony since 2016.

On screen, his most notable credits since Ugly Betty&nbsp;include The Decoy Bride&nbsp;(2011), Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life&nbsp;(2011), Petunia&nbsp;(2012), Partners&nbsp;(2012-13), Such Good People&nbsp;(2014), Modern Family&nbsp;(2014-15), The Good Wife&nbsp;(2014-16), Younger&nbsp;(2016-17), and Diverted Eden&nbsp;(2018).

Michael Urie - NY

The Government Inspector [4656]

The Government Inspector

The Government Inspector [4656] Product Media

Located beneath the Worldwide Plaza between Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen, New World Stages is a modern performing arts complex with five theatres for Off-Broadway productions.

The building was constructed in 1994 on the site of the third Madison Square Garden. It first opened as a Loews Cineplex Entertainment multiplex cinema, which closed in 2001.

For the next three years, the building underwent substantial renovations and finally reopened as Dodger Stages in 2004, designed by architects Beyer, Blinder, and Belle. The theatre complex was renamed New World Stages on March 16, 2006, and Stage Entertainment assumed sole ownership of the property. The Shubert Organization took over ownership and operation on November 17, 2017.

All five spaces have between 100 and 500 seats, officially deeming New World Stages an Off-Broadway venue. Stage 1 and Stage 3 are the largest theatres in the complex with 499 seats. Stages 2 and 4 offer a 350-seat capacity. Stage 5 is the smallest venue with 199 seats. The Green Room is the official bar and lounge for New World Stages, but it can also be a performance space.

## How to get to New World Stages off Broadway

New World Stages is closest to the 50th St. subway stop on the C and E lines. The nearest bus stop is 9 Av./W 50 St. on the M11 line.

## Where is *The Play That Goes Wrong* playing?

*The Play That Goes Wrong* is at New World Stages' Stage 4. The comedy play made its Broadway debut in 2017, and after running there for two years, it transferred off Broadway.

Previous productions that enjoyed long Off-Broadway runs at New World Stages after closing on Broadway are *Jersey Boys* and *Avenue Q*.

New World Stages - NYC

New World Stages

Torch Song [7331]

Torch Song

Torch Song [7331] Product Media

The nonprofit company Second Stage Theater was founded in 1979 to produce “second stagings” of contemporary American plays by living playwrights. Second Stage Theater now also presents world premieres, musicals, and solo performances.

The 296-seat Tony Kiser Theater is Second Stage’s main Off-Broadway venue. The company also presents Off-Broadway shows in the [McGinn/Cazale Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/mcginncazale-theater) during the summer, and it owns and operates the [Hayes Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/hayes-theater) on Broadway.

## How to get to the Tony Kiser Theater off Broadway

The Tony Kiser Theater is closest to the 42nd St. - Port Authority Bus Terminal subway stop on the A, C, and E lines. The closest bus stop is 8 Av./W 43 St. on the M20 and M104 lines.

## Restaurants near the Tony Kiser Theater

Popular restaurants near the Tony Kiser Theater include Peachy Keen (American), Nizza (Italian), Marseille (French), and Five Napkin Burger (American).

Second Stage Theater - Tony Kiser Theater - NY

Tony Kiser Theater

A new raucous family comedy so full of laughter and love, it’ll leave you begging for seconds.

Broadway COVID Protocol

Chicken & Biscuits on Broadway - NYC

Chicken & Biscuits on Broadway

Chicken & Biscuits on Broadway - NYC Product Media

All families have their secrets, but few handle them as entertainingly as the Mabry family in Douglas Lyon's <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/chicken-and-biscuits">Chicken &amp; Biscuits</a>. The crew have ostensibly gathered at <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/circle-in-the-square-theatre">Circle in the Square Theatre</a> on Broadway to send off their beloved patriarch. Despite that dour premise, over the course of this life-affirming play, they rehash old beefs and put to rest long-simmering prejudices.Confronting differences in response to death is nothing new in theatre. Refreshingly, in this laughter-rich script, and under Zhailon Levington's sparkling direction, the experience eschews the pitfalls of typical media portrayals of Black tragedy in favor of Black joy. For many traditional Broadway audience members, this play will be the first time that they observe the wit and merriment that Black-American families have long used to counteract grief.Though there is much that is serious onstage in this two-hour-long comedy, Lyons has wisely embraced the authentic Black tradition of call-and-response humor to detangle the pain. And rather than take the longheld maxim that comedy must be "louder-faster-funnier," Levingston ― who at the age of 27 is the youngest Black director in Broadway history ― unfurls the story at a relaxed and multi-rhythmic pace.At the top of the show, we are introduced to a frazzled Black mother Baneatta (Cleo King) preparing for her father's funeral as her pastor-husband Reginald (<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/actor-profile/norm-lewis">Norm Lewis</a>) attempts to calm her nerves. The action jumps to a ne'er do well, single mother Beverly (Ebony Marshall-Oliver) seeking assurance from her teenage daughter La'Trice (Aigner Mizzelle) that her church outfit is sexy. Meanwhile, the bonny grandson of the family Kenny (Devere Rogers) assures his white boyfriend Logan (<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/actor-profile/michael-urie">Michael Urie</a>) that he will not be ostracized this time around. The oldest granddaughter of the family (Alana Raquel Bowers) rounds out the action with the same withering gaze as her judgmental mother.What brings this family together also traumatizes them: oppressive church values that stifle who they are. We see this, most hilariously, as Baneatta exhorts Beverly to cover her titties up with the same relish that she deploys to dismiss the existence of the Kenny-Logan relationship. As in real life, that disapproval against anything out-of-the-box evaporates as soon as the Baptist sermon begins. In Lewis's performance, ripped from many a Black-scripture-readings, we see that even the most-reserved prudes let their hair down to dance when it's time to celebrate their god.As the proxy for unfamiliar audience members, Urie works every delectable angle of his Jewish "what-am-I-doing-here?" cipher as Logan to gut-busting effect. Rather than look down on Black life with these moments, Lyons and Levingston use them to lovingly comment on the over-the-top theatricality of the Black church. Lewis, as Reginald, and his amazing colleagues playfully dance back and forth between Biblical points before shimmying into the audience with gospel riffs, but without fear of reproval. So why can't they acknowledge the love of their gay son with that same openness? Or embrace that their departed loved one was a philanderer?Kenny reveals he didn't fall in love with a white man because he rejects Black men, but because Logan was the first man to lovingly insist that he push through the closet to celebrate who he is, without shame. Similarly, Marshall-Oliver as Beverly pierces Baneatta's stiff veneer as her congregation's first lady by showing her how to release her pains with a series of breaths and repeated hallelujahs.Initially, Baneatta is hesitant, but after observing her sister's cycle through the gestures ― in what Levingston has knowingly constructed to approximate the release of an African dance's contract and release ― she joins and breaks through the wall that has held her back for so long.All is not perfect by the play's end, but as the family digs into their meal of chicken and biscuits, audiences are reminded that trauma does not have to define how we move through the world ― rather, we see that it is an invitation to work through our differences between the people we love most. It's the perfect take home message as we continue to navigate the viral pandemics that are tearing our nation apart.<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/chicken-and-biscuits">Chicken &amp; Biscuits is playing at Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway. Get Chicken &amp; Biscuits tickets on New York Theatre Guide.&nbsp;</a>

‘Chicken & Biscuits’ review – a funny, familial feast of a show

Designed by Alan Sayles, the Circle in the Square Theatre (along with its much larger sibling, the [Gershwin Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/gershwin-theatre)) is inside the confines of the Paramount Plaza office tower. The Circle in the Square Theatre was built in 1970 as the Uris Brothers tore down the former Capitol Theatre in order to construct the tower.

The current Broadway theatre is the successor of a same-named Off-Broadway theatre, which operated from 1950 to 1995 at multiple locations in Greenwich Village. The Circle in the Square repertory company staged its first Broadway production — a revival of *Mourning Becomes Electra* — at its current venue on November 15, 1972.

The venue is one of the smallest and most intimate spaces on Broadway. Productions are generally staged in the round, as audiences are seated on three sides of the stage. The theatre is also associated with the Circle in the Square Theatre School, the only accredited drama school attached to a Broadway house.

## How to get to the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway

The Circle in the Square Theatre is accessible by subway, with the closest stop being 50th St. on the C or E line. The 50th St. stop on the 1 line is also nearby. The closest bus stop to the theatre is 8th Ave/W 50th St. on the M50 line.

Circle in the Square Theatre - NY

Circle in the Square Theatre

Ages 9+. Children under 4 years old will not be admitted.

Spamalot on Broadway - NYC [33129]

Spamalot on Broadway

Spamalot on Broadway - NYC Product Media

*The Phantom of the Opera* is not dead yet! The show may have closed at the [Majestic Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/majestic-theatre) earlier this year, but for five hilarious minutes across the street at [*Spamalot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/33129-spamalot-tickets), during "The Song That Goes Like This," its vestiges float in on a gondola shrouded in smoke, under the light of a video-projected chandelier. And that's far from the only other musical that makes a cameo.

*Spamalot* being a tasting flight of Broadway's past and present hits is one of the best reasons to recommend it. On a budget or a time crunch? For one price of admission, you'll get bits of the can-can dancing of [*Moulin Rouge!*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/15911-moulin-rouge-the-musical-on-broadway-tickets), the jazzy scatting of [*Some Like It Hot*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/24262-some-like-it-hot-tickets), the iconic French flag wave from *Les Mis*, the slinky Fosse-esque moves of [*Chicago*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/22-chicago-tickets) (and a direct nod to his iconic ["Mein Herr" chair-ography](https://youtu.be/lxmz3RcNNBE?feature=shared) from [*Cabaret*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/32847-cabaret-tickets)), and more.

Not to mention the rest of *Spamalot*, adapted by Monty Python founding member Eric Idle and John Du Prez from [*Monty Python and the Holy Grail*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/watch-for-these-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-moments-in-spamalot). The irrevent account of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table cemented itself as a modern classic upon clinching the holy grail of theatre honors — the Best Musical Tony Award — in 2005.

This Broadway revival, *Spamalot*'s first, feels like a proclamation that the musical's heyday is not dead yet, either. Director/choreographer Josh Rhodes's production, in particular Paul Tate dePoo III's set and Jen Caprio's costumes, are plainly inspired by the original's, and Monty Python's trademark, silly sketch comedy is all but entirely intact. That is for better or for worse: Brief bits of man-in-dress humor from 2005 haven't aged well, but the few script updates are similarly hit and miss. New references to the NYC subway and Lea Michele feel fresher than a now-passé nod to the viral ["Angela Bassett did the thing"](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QFztBrUZIrU) video.

The most iconic bits — fisch schlapping, coconuts as horseshoes — are timeless, though your laughter will simply be proportional to how much you enjoy Monty Python's silly sketch-comedy style in general. My personal favorites are the "so bad they're good" puns, like when Arthur ([James Monroe Iglehart](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/james-monroe-iglehart)) describes the Holy Grail as a "symbol," cueing the cymbalist.

The other strength of *Spamalot* is that it gives every one of its principal cast members a chance to shine. And shine they do. [Ethan Slater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/ethan-slater) proves himself one of the best physical comedians on Broadway right now in a variety of bit parts, making each one feel larger than life. [Michael Urie](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/michael-urie) makes a meal of the showstopping "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" as Sir Robin, and [Christopher Fitzgerald](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/christopher-fitzgerald) does the same with "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" as Patsy, though his best moment is his silent comedic acting in the background of Arthur's "I'm All Alone."

And [Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/leslie-rodriguez-kritzer) channels no less than half a dozen pop and Broadway divas — Cher, Mariah Carey, and [Idina Menzel](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/idina-menzel) among them — in her glittering turn as the Lady of the Lake. Nevermind the Act 2 sequence in which the gang actually completes their quest (with some audience help, in one of *Spamalot*'s best scenes) — the high note Kritzer finds at the end of "Diva's Lament" is the true holy grail.

[*Spamalot* is at the St. James Theatre. Get *Spamalot* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/33129-spamalot-tickets)

*Photo credit: Michael Urie, Nik Walker, James Monroe Iglehart, Christopher Fitzgerald, Jimmy Smagula, and Taran Killam in Spamalot. (Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)*

'Spamalot' review — Monty Python musical succeeds on Broadway, again

Read our four-star review of the first revival of *Spamalot* on Broadway, the musical adaptation of *Monty Python and the Holy Grail*, at the St. James Theatre.

Designed by Warren and Wetmore, the St. James Theatre was built by producer Abraham L. Erlanger on the site of the original Sardi's restaurant (which is now located down the block). The theatre opened in 1927 as The Erlanger with the inaugural production *Merry Malones*.

The Astor family took over the venue in 1930 after Erlanger's death and renamed it the St. James Theatre in 1932.

The Shubert Organization took control in 1941 before relinquishing the building to William L. McKnight in 1957. In 1970, he passed it on to his daughter Virginia and her husband James H. Binger, the founders of theatre-ownership company Jujamcyn Theaters. The organization still operates the St. James today.

## How to get to the St. James Theatre on Broadway

The St. James Theatre is nearest to the 42nd Street - Port Authority subway stop on the A, C, and E lines. The nearest bus stops are 7th Ave/W 44th St. on the M4, M20, and M014 line; and W 43rd St./8th Ave on the M20, M104, and M34A-SBS line.

## Restaurants near the St. James Theatre

Popular restaurants that share a block with the St. James Theatre include Sardi's (American), John's (pizza/Italian), and Carmine's (Italian). Other nearby American diners and restaurants include Peachy Keen, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Hard Rock Cafe.

St. James Theatre - NY

St. James Theatre

Michael-Urie-124x124px

Harriet Sansom Harris stars as Queen Aggravain in the [Encores!](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/your-guide-to-encores-at-new-york-city-center) revival of [*Once Upon a Mattress*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/31936-encores-once-upon-a-mattress) at [New York City Center](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/new-york-city-center) from January 24 to February 4, 2024.

Harris has a prolific theatre career, with her Broadway credits including *It Shoulda Been You*, *Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella*, and *Present Laughter*. Her most famous stage role, however, is as Mrs. Meers in *Thoroughly Modern Millie*, for which she won a Tony Award. *Once Upon a Mattress* reunites Harris with her co-star [Sutton Foster](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/sutton-foster), who also won a Tony for playing *Millie*'s title role.

On TV, Harris has played Bebe Glazer on *Frasier* and Felicia Tilman on *Desperate Housewives*, among other roles.

Encores! Once Upon a Mattress Tickets

About Encores! Once Upon a Mattress

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Sutton Foster

Michael Urie

Harriet Sansom Harris

Encores! Once Upon a Mattress cast and creative team

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New York City Center

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