Broadway Bound

Broadway feels like it’s turning over a new leaf. Lots of shows are opening in March and April, and the first murmurs of reviews are starting to trickle out. (I, for one, am just itching to see A Behanding in Spokane, but that’s mostly because I love In Bruges and Sam Rockwell.) Of course, being situated in Broadway’s backyard, we always see our neighbors turning up on the Great White Way. If you find yourself on the TKTS line and are looking for something with a local connection, you might consider one of these shows:

Sondheim on Sondheim
This musical celebrates one of its own legends — Stephen Sondheim — through his own words and music. Chappaqua’s Vanessa Williams is one of eight cast members, along with Tom Wopat and Barbara Cook. It’s fitting that Williams numbers among them, since she played the witch in Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

Lend Me a Tenor
No, you won’t see him on stage, but Northern Westchester’s Stanley Tucci directs this Ken Ludwig revival. The musical follows an unlucky opera producer who is missing his leading man, and the cast includes Anthony LaPaglia, Tony Shaloub, and Justin Bartha. 

Next to Normal
Since the beginning, young White Plains grad Jennifer Damiano has been dazzling audiences with her powerful performance of a teen trying to cope with her mom’s mental illness. She even received a Tony nomination for her performances — which are still going strong.  

American Idiot
In another behind-the-scenes role, Armonk native Tom Kitt arranged and orchestrated the music for this spirited production, which is actually a stage adaptation of a Green Day album. Perfect to bring your pop-punk kids to.

A Little Night Music
Veteran Broadway producers — and White Plains natives — Steven Baruch and Thomas Viertel are attached to this musical, which stars Catherine Zeta-Jones. It’s another Sondheim musical, so the moral here is that this area loves Sondheim. Then again, who doesn’t?