Since we’re just over halfway through the 2022-2023 season, we’re taking a look at the top performing shows today on Show-Score to get a sense of what shows might just take home the Tony awards on Broadway’s biggest day if the ceremony were held today.
Best New Musical
CURRENT WINNER:
Kimberly Akimbo (87)
Victoria Clark in Kimberly Akimbo. Photo by Joan Marcus.
This quirky new Broadway musical tells the story of a bubbly teen who happens to look 72 thanks to a condition she has that causes her to rapidly age. Dealing with high school crushes, a dysfunctional family, and potential arrest, the titular Kimberly is put in situations where she has to literally grow up fast. Based on David Lindsay Abaire’s play of the same name, the show features an original score by Tony-winner Jeanine Tesori (the composer of Fun Home, Caroline, or Change, & more!), and was awarded every major Off-Broadway award for its downtown run last season. Our members are saying the show is notable for its intimate feel even on a grand stage, its big heart, and a delightful sense of humor. All that combined with it being the highest scored new musical on Show-Score so far bodes well for this charming new show.
RUNNER UPS:
Some Like It Hot (86) , & Juliet (85)
Best Musical Revival
CURRENT WINNER:
Into the Woods (91)
The cast of Into the Woods. Photo by Sara Krulwich.
Directed by Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet, this star-studded production of Sondheim’s classic musical about fairy tale characters was a transfer of the critically acclaimed, sold-out New York City Center Encores! Production. With a cast that included Broadway heavy hitters like Patina Miller, Brian D’arcy James, Sara Bareilles, Gavin Creel, Philippa Soo, Joshua Henry (and more), this once in a lifetime production garnered raves throughout the theatre world, and had our members singing praises about not just its all-star talent, but for its orchestrations and stripped down directorial approach.
RUNNER UP:
1776 (74)
Roundabout’s revolutionary revival of the musical classic about America’s founding fathers made waves this season by featuring a diverse cast entirely of women, trans, and non-binary performers to embody roles that have typically been played by cisgender, white men. In doing so, directors Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus were able to reframe how we look at, not just our country's founding, but the current state of our nation today. Our members called the production ambitious, and praised the performances of the cast, as well as the vision behind the show.
Best New Play
CURRENT WINNER:
Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man & The Pool (88)
Mike Birbiglia in The Old Man and the Pool. Photo by Emilio Madrid.
Award-winning comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia made his much anticipated return to Broadway, with an all new show about life, death, and a highly chlorinated pool at the YMCA. Birbiglia stood center stage to share his coming-of-middle-age tale and ponder life's biggest questions: Why are we on this earth? What’s after this? And what happens when we find out what the things at the doctor’s office that we thought were decorations are really for? The limited run show opened to rave reviews, both by critics and audience members alike, with our members calling it hilarious, endearing, and sharply observant.
RUNNER UPS:
Cost of Living (86) , Leopoldstadt (85)
Martyna Majok’s prescient, powerful, and Pulitzer-winning play, Cost of Living , explores the circumstances that bring people together and the complexity of caring and being cared for through the story of two disabled individuals and the people who take care of them. Our members hailed the play as profound, moving, and a gripping watch. On the other side of Broadway, Tom Stoppard made his long-awaited return in the form of his newest heart-wrenching (and Olivier Award-winning) play, Leopoldstadt. Set in the Jewish quarter of Vienna, this passionate story of heart and bravery follows an extended family from the late 1800s into the middle of the 20th century, and explores fifty years of history across just two hours, in a production that out members noted for its sweeping grandeur, its intimate storytelling, and its stirring script.
Best Play Revival
CURRENT WINNER:
Topdog/Underdog (86)
Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Topdog/Underdog. Photo by Marc J Franklin.
The honor of the top scored play revival of the season (so far) goes to the 25th anniversary revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play about two brothers, Lincoln and Booth, both given their names as a joke by their father and their fixation on three-card monte. Troubled by their past, the brothers soon begin to unravel the true nature of their history. This limited run production starred Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and was lauded for its performances, as well as its direction (courtesy of Kenny Leon), and was Audience Acclaimed here on Show-Score, with members specifically shouting out the acting, the energetic dialog, and the powerful staging.
RUNNER UPS:
Death of a Salesman (85), The Piano Lesson (84)
This revival of Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer-winning Death of a Salesman made history for being told from the point of view of an African American family. Olivier Award nominee Wendell Pierce and Olivier Award winner and 2022 Tony-nominee Sharon D Clarke reprised their roles as Willy and Linda Loman from the show's acclaimed London run. Our members heralded the new take on the show as deeply profound and all too relevant. August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Piano Lesson, about family, history, and survival returned to Broadway this season in a new production that starred Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks, and John David Washington. A part of Wilson's 10-play Century Cycle, the drama follows the Charles family who can't agree on what to do with an old piano. Our members agreed, however, that the play was absorbing, with great acting, and filled with humor and heart.
Do you think these shows are going to be the most awarded? Let us know what you think of each of these shows by scoring them right here on Show-Score!