New York, New York – 07 May 2023

New York, New York brings to life the history and culture of New York city in a unique and special way by providing a cross section of unconnected voices and ideas sharing a moment and holding space for each other. While in some respects tethered to the golden age musical style that put Broadway on the map, these voices and ideas are equally relevant now.

The show is visually stunning in every design element, not just Beowulf Boritt’s Tony Award winning scenic design. The lights and stage pictures created by ensemble members appearing upstage of the action and on the fire escapes subtly echoed historic photographs familiar to anyone who has studied the history of NYC, or simply visited the Museum of the City of New York. Susan Stroman’s impressive choreography supported several genres of traditional musical theatre, including an unforgettable tap number on a construction site. The projection/video design was subtle and exceptionally well integrated into the Gestalt of the show. And, of course, slight nods to other Broadway shows artfully slipped into the score.

One common criticism of New York, New York is the different vocal styles of the characters not meshing well with each other. Like the city itself, New York, New York juggles diverse voices and music traditions: the jazz crooner, the Latin immigrant, the diaspora Jew, the aspiring performer with big dreams belting for all she’s worth. It makes for an interesting show, and also an interesting lifestyle in which people of different races, religions, and sexualities must coexist and find a way to be a community. A city where our hope exceeds our circumstances, where situations are constantly in flux—we’re here for today and don’t always know where we’re headed. In the words of the show, “today it’s my city. Tomorrow, who knows?” People come to stand out, people come to blend in, people come to find themselves, people come to escape their pasts, people come wanting so much, people come wanting so little. It’s an amalgamation, united only by the ground we stand on.

On closing so soon—tourists make up 60-70% of Broadway ticket sales in recent years. Knowing the stereotypes about New Yorkers was not enough for the tourists in the audience to connect with the truth and beauty of this show. Advertised as “a love letter to New York”, the show was exactly that. It is hard to connect with a love letter that is written to someone else, even when written by beloved, familiar names like John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. This show had a very limited appeal; it struck “a major chord” in the hearts of those who have lived this journey. As a New Yorker, I found New York, New York dazzling and enchanting. I found myself in the little moments created by the ensemble, in the snapshot of diverse lifestyles and challenges that have nothing to do with each other yet coexist. Although the tagline of the titular song is “if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”, I walked out with the surety that a show like this can only make it here, in New York.

I did not attend this performance on a press pass.