New York, New York is a musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a book by David Thompson and Sharon Washington. Inspired by and loosely based on the 1977 film of the same name by Martin Scorsese, the musical premiered on Broadway on April 26, 2023.
Despite receiving mixed to mostly dismal reviews and becoming a commercial disappointment, the Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, received nine nominations at the 76th Tony Awards, including Best Musical, winning one award for Best Scenic Design in a Musical.
Production history
Broadway (2023) The musical had its world premiere at the St. James Theatre on Broadway with the first preview occurring on March 24, 2023. The cast, which was announced on February 1 of the same year, included Clyde Alves, Emily Skinner, and Janet Dacal. It officially opened on April 26, 2023, and closed on July 30, 2023, having played 33 previews and 110 regular performances.
The production was nominated for nine Tony Awards at the 76th Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical, winning the award for Best Scenic Design in a Musical.
Cast and characters
+CharacterBroadway2023 Jimmy Doyle Colton Ryan Francine Evans Anna Uzele Tommy Caggiano Clyde Alves Jesse Webb John Clay III Sofia DiazJanet Dacal Gordon Kendrick Ben Davis Alex Mann Oliver Prose Mateo Diaz Angel Sigala Madame Constance Veltri Emily Skinner
Musical numbers
Act I "Morning in New York" – Orchestra "Cheering for Me Now" – Company "A Major Chord" – Jimmy and Tommy "New York in Summer" – Orchestra "Better Than Before" – Madame Veltri "One of the Smart Ones" – Francine "Gold" – Mateo and Sofia "Wine and Peaches" – Tommy, Jimmy, and Construction Workers "I Love Music" – Jimmy and Francine "My Own Music" – Jesse, Mateo, and Company "I'm What's Happening Now" – Francine and Waiters "New York in the Rain" – Orchestra "A Simple Thing Like That" – Madame Veltri and Alex "Can You Hear Me?" – Jimmy "Happy Endings/Let's Hear it for Me" – Francine and Company "New York in the Snow" – Orchestra "Marry Me" – Jimmy Act II "Along Comes Love" – Francine, Jimmy, and Radio Singers "San Juan Supper Club" – Jimmy, Mateo, Jesse, and Company "Quiet Thing" – Jimmy "A Simple Thing Like That" (Reprise) – Alex and Jimmy† "New York At Night" – Orchestra "Opera in New York" – Company‡ "Sorry I Asked" – Jimmy "But the World Goes 'Round" – Francine "New York Concierto" – Orchestra "Music, Money, Love" – Jimmy "Light" – Jesse and Company "New York, New York" – Francine Bows/"New York, New York" (Reprise) – Company≠Notes:
† - Not included on the cast recording
‡ - Titled "A Quell'Amor" on the cast recording
≠ - Not included on the cast recording but there is an included instrumental version as a bonus track
Cast Recording On May 8, it was announced that the production would release a cast recording, which was released on June 23, 2023. The recording also features five original demo recordings of "Can You Hear Me?" "Along Comes Love," "Wine and Peaches," and "New York, New York" by Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Kander, and Fred Ebb as well as an instrumental version of the title song.
Reception The Broadway production received mixed to negative reviews from critics. the theatre review aggregator Did They Like It? includes 14 reviews of the show, of which one is categorized as positive, six are categorized as mixed, and seven are categorized as negative.
Writing in The New York Times, Elisabeth Vincentelli called the show "sprawling, unwieldy, [and] surprisingly dull", and criticized the new songs written for the production, saying they "lack Kander and Ebb's serrated edge". Greg Evans of Deadline Hollywood praised the cast, particularly Ryan, but called the rest of the show "overstuffed" and criticized David Thompson and Sharon Washington's book as "predictable [and] cliché-loaded". At Time Out New York, Adam Feldman gave the production three stars out five, writing that a number featuring "a tap bonanza for workers balanced on the beams of an uncompleted skyscraper" was "as good a metaphor as any for the musical as a whole", concluding, "there's a lot to enjoy if you don't look down".
Robert Hofler of TheWrap was more positive, calling the first act "confused" but writing that the show "ultimately delivers its melting-pot message with intelligence, style and, yes, good old-fashioned razzle-dazzle".
Awards and nominations
2023 Broadway production Year Award Category Nominee Result2023Tony AwardsBest MusicalBest Book of a MusicalDavid Thompson & Sharon WashingtonBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalColton RyanBest Scenic Design of a MusicalBeowulf BorittBest Costume Design of a MusicalDonna ZakowskaBest Lighting Design of a MusicalKen BillingtonBest Sound Design of a MusicalKai HaradaBest ChoreographySusan StromanBest OrchestrationsDaryl Waters & Sam DavisDrama Desk AwardsOutstanding Lead Performance in a MusicalAnna UzeleOutstanding Scenic Design of a MusicalBeowulf BorittOutstanding Costume Design of a MusicalDonna ZakowskaOutstanding Lighting Design for a MusicalKen BillingtonOutstanding ChoreographySusan StromanOutstanding OrchestrationsDaryl Waters and Sam DavisDrama League AwardsDistinguished Performance AwardColton RyanAnna UzeleOutstanding Production of a MusicalOutstanding Direction of a MusicalSusan StromanOuter Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding New Broadway MusicalOutstanding New Score John Kander and Lin-Manuel MirandaOutstanding Director of a MusicalSusan StromanOutstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway MusicalColton RyanAnna UzeleOutstanding Scenic DesignBeowulf BorittOutstanding Costume DesignDonna ZakowskaOutstanding Lighting DesignKen BillingtonOutstanding Sound DesignKai HaradaOutstanding Projection DesignChristopher Ash and Beowulf BorittOutstanding OrchestrationsSam Davis and Daryl WatersOutstanding ChoreographySusan StromanChita Rivera AwardsOutstanding Choreography in a Broadway ShowSusan StromanOutstanding Ensemble in a Broadway ShowOutstanding Dancer in a Broadway ShowClyde Alves
References
External links