Masquerade
Playing via Sunday, January 31, 2027.
I’m, decidedly, not a Phantom of the Opera fan. The musical is Andrew Lloyd Webber at his most maximal with its bigger than life rock opera numbers accompanied by a heavy pour of stage fog and burping pyrotechnics for good measure. But in yet one more occasion of ALW revisiting his biggest hits, Masquerade stunned me. An immersive theatrical expertise à la Sleep No More, being positioned proper within the coronary heart of Christine and the Phantom’s tortured dynamic reworked my skepticism into understanding. Somewhere between the masked ball gown code and conspiring with the musical’s comedian aid characters within the opera dressing room, I actually fell into the extravagance of all of it and the infectious appeal of the ensemble solid. Perhaps essentially the most spectacular side of the present is the stage administration between a number of flooring and units—they actually made an immaculately run, totally realized world from the sandbox of an deserted artwork provide retailer. I encourage all Phantom fanatics and any haters open to turning into converts alike to pay a go to (stage fog and pyrotechnics can be cool), although for these amongst us which can be a bit queasy, be forewarned that there’s a portion of the present with a human blockhead. —Kat Chen, editorial assistant, locations
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Matthew Murphy
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody
Playing via Sunday, November 1st.
Left feeling bereft by the truth that we can’t get a second season of Heated Rivalry till 2027? While it could not scratch the very same itch, this unauthorized musical parody is simply the hero the fandom wants in the course of the hiatus. I’ll confess—I didn’t watch Heated Rivalry, and it is a testomony to simply how good this musical is that data of the unique supply materials is not some unstated prerequisite for having fun with it. Framed as a retelling of the primary season via the aperture of three wound-up mothers all named “Susan,” the 75-minute musical velocity runs via Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s steamy decade’s lengthy affair with the assistance of ear worm numbers, a fair proportion of puppets, and an outdated household recipe for a concoction referred to as the “Ambien margarita.” The deep minimize, NSFW humor of the present thrives in its Off-Broadway format, and its smaller venue inside Chelsea’s Culture Club ensures that there is loads of nice seats. If you are a fan of homosexual hockey gamers with massive butts, this present was actually made for you. —Ok.C.
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Matthew Murphy