Best Of 2024: Theater
The panelists of the Great Pop Culture Debate have nominated their favorite Broadway shows of 2024. Check out their recommendations below. (Unlike previous years, we did not do an actual episode devoted to Best Of 2024; we’re just doing listicles on the website.) Shows discussed include Death Becomes Her, Oh Mary, Ragtime, Stereophonic, and Sunset Boulevard.
Want to drop your own favorite theatrical experiences from the past year? Feel free to share them in the comments.
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Death Becomes Her (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
Death Becomes Her is a new musical, with a book by Marco Pennette and music and lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey. The show is based on the 1992 film starring Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep, and in this production they are played by Broadway legends Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard. This show is the lavish Broadway musical we need; it’s incredibly staged with great production and costumes, and choreography. The show also is able to weave in some of the great stunts from the film, which are spectacular. This is an incredibly fun time at the theatre! (Kevin Dillon)
Oh, Mary! (Lyceum Theater)
Oh, Mary! is the show of the year on and off Broadway. I saw Oh, Mary! twice at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and then once during its Broadway run. Cole Escola is a genius, and their portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln leading up to the death of Abraham Lincoln is hands down one of the funniest things I have ever experienced. Escola has not researched anything, but rather set up a story where Mary is a boozy wannabe cabaret star - it’s wild. Go see this if you can, it’s incredible! (Kevin Dillon)
Ragtime (City Center)
I wanted to point out the revival of Ragtime at City Center Encores this year, which we got to see before it closed in October. Anybody who has been to City Center knows that these are generally one- to two-week runs off-Broadway, but the cast and the timing for Ragtime was impeccable. Not only is Ragtime a story that speaks to us in these times, but also the casting that they put together for this was peerless. We had Joshua Henry, Joy Woods, Shaina Taub, and a lot of other fantastic actors that brought this entire show to life. I was crying my way all through the second act. If you have never seen anything at City Center during its Encore presentations, I highly recommend it. And in 2025, they are doing a revival of Urinetown, which should be fantastically funny. (Michael Schwarz)
Stereophonic (Golden Theatre)
This Tony-winning play from playwright David Adjmi, with music by Will Butler, follows the behind-the-scenes drama of a Fleetwood Mac-like musical group. It’s a fantastic look at how things unravel for this group over time, as the members navigate their friendships, relationships, and other aspects of their lives while trying to record an album. The ensemble of this show is terrific, the show received five Tony nominations; Will Brill won Best Featured Actor. One of the cool fun facts about this show is that none of the actors were trained singers before this, but boy, can they sing. This has one of the best scores of the year. (Kevin Dillon)
Sunset Boulevard (St. James Theater)
I have never liked this show, and am I not an Andrew Lloyd Webber fan. But this Jamie Lloyd-directed, bare-bones production starring Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis really won me over. Scherzinger is absolutely incredible as Norma Desmond; she owns this show, and her powerful voice is captivating. I also think Tom Francis is exellent as Joe Gillis, and his number walking outside the theater is an awesome thing to experience! (Kevin Dillon)
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