BROADWAY SEASON 2022-2023 – THE MUSICALS

Here you’ll find images from all the musicals, new ones and revivals, which opened on Broadway during the 2022-2023; plus the City Center Encores! series. Some became hits, others closed in a few weeks, but I believe all of them are worthy of celebration. 

PS.: To see larger images just click on them.

BROADWAY MUSICALS 2021-2022

CITY CENTER ENCORES! 2022

CITY CENTER GALA PRESENTATION - 2022

THE LITTLE MERMAID – Broadway 2009

Now that Disney gave us the live action remake of their animated classic THE LITTLE MERMIAD, it seems a good time to go back to my Broadway trip of 2009 when I saw their stage adaption of that movie. 

Yes, I saw it 14 years ago and, at the time, I wrote this little review, that now I share it with you, plus images of the Broadway show brochure:

"The most childish of Disney’s stage musicals, this corny musical is more suitable for a Disneyworld performance than for a Broadway stage. There are some good scenic ideas, the cast was convincing, the score sounds great, but that’s it. The choreography is appalling and the “Under the Sea” number resembles a Las Vegas show, the costumes are strikingly terrible and, after a while, the “roller tennis” gimmick stops working. The Ursula (a terrific Heidi Blickenstaff) numbers are the best thing about the show, but they don’t save it."

Cast: Sierra Boggess, Sean Palmer, Heidi Blickenstaff, Norm Lewis, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Eddie Korbich, Jonathan Freeman, Trevor Braun, Eric LaJuan Summer, Joe Abraham 

Creative Team: Music by Alan Menken • Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater • Book by Dough Wright • Choreography by Stephen Mear • Directed by Francesca Zambello

My Rate: 4 (from 1 to 10) / Photos: Joan Marcus

CAST RECORDINGS OF 2022: A PERSONAL LOOK

You know something? I’m a very conservative musical lover and I rarely care for pop, rock, country or rap scores. I believe they may work perfectly on stage, but not in my hears and heart. You see, I’m the guy who loves CHICAGO but hates HAMILTON.

So, with that in mind, I have to ask where were the new happy musical scores? It’s seems people forgot how to write them or maybe it’s the audiences that don’t care anymore for carefree musicals. Everything must be politically correct or about some serious subject. The new scores sound too much alike and rarely a new song comes to the spotlight. This year, on my humble opinion, the best scores were written for movies and not for stage musicals.

Well, here are my year choices among the 63 (more or less) new Musical recordings released in 2022. In order to get an idea of my Musical taste take a look at my 20 FAVORITE SCORES of all time.

First, the “Jorge’s Place Awards”; then my “Top Nine” new recordings of 2020, in preference order and not including reissues.

If you like this, take a look at my choices of 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

MY TOP NINE RECORDINGS OF 2021