Not my new office. A very cool restaurant in Palm Springs.

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been quite some time since I have written to all of you. Some of you received word from me in October (and a portion of this letter will be a repeat for you); but I wasn't officially allowed to share my "big update" with the world until November — and then things got so wild I missed a month of writing to you! All to say: I hope this email finds you in good health and feeling loved. This season can be a stressful time, but I hope you'll take a pause, experience the joy, breathe deeply and connect with yourself over the next fortnight. I know that I need to do each and every one of those things in that order because the past couple of months have been a whirlwind....

Back in September, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I was offered a new job at the digital publication Broadway News. The time between these two Jewish holidays is known as the Days of Awe. We reflect on our past year and contemplate what we want our next year to look like. Timing, right? I weighed this career opportunity; I needed to pause and consider it. These past two years, freelancing was not simply a holdover while searching for a full-time job. I was freelancing to build something of my own, and that has been incredibly rewarding. I love the projects I’ve worked on and the variety of subjects within them — from public health for the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Magazine (see p.38) to history to dance. Still, I knew this role could create possibilities.

I respect Broadway News and the people who founded and run it. They are collaborative, smart, and decent individuals. The publication itself is excellent. I sat with this choice; I had honest conversations with important and wise people in my life (an unending thank-you, if you were one of them). I confronted my fear of this change. Then, I leapt.

I am now the Executive Editor of Broadway News!! Read the official announcement here. My first day was the day after Simchat Torah (back in mid-October). Simchat Torah is the holiday we restart the chapter of Bereshit, the story of the creation of the universe. Timing again. B’shert. 

Some of you may recognize the Broadway News name; it was the home of my Tony season coverage from this past spring. I wrote six features in six weeks back then, and it was the most joyful work I’ve ever done. Remembering that gave me the courage and enthusiasm to jump into this role. 

Broadway News lives under the umbrella of Broadway Brands, which includes the Broadway Briefing and Broadway Business. The Broadway Briefing is a daily morning newsletter that compiles theatre coverage from across publications to give you the one-stop snapshot of global theater. You absolutely must subscribe.

Broadway News is the editorial offshoot of the Briefing, and I lead it! I am so excited to be in this new position and have the opportunity to make a big impact at a place that has quickly become the authority in theatre news. I have contributing staff that reports to me. I have been writing and assigning loads of articles. I've done some on-the-ground reporting about the recent and crucial contract negotiations between The Broadway League (aka producers) and Actors' Equity Association (actors and stage managers). I've been brainstorming content and attending events as a representative of the brand. I've been editing news by staff writer Caitlin Hornik and reviews by award-winning critic Brittani Samuel and interviewing artists to bring feature content to Broadway News for the first time. I've been theorizing ethical guidelines and writing our style guide. The editorial buck stops with me. This is a massive and worthwhile challenge. I feel so proud. I hope you'll subscribe to the Briefing, visit our homepage, follow Broadway News on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and keep reading our work!

Writing to you as my candles flicker low on my menorah, I realize that this Chanukah feels different from others. Chanukah isn't technically a "holy day" (or days); it's actually much more casual. Chanukah is a festival, a period of remembrance. Whenever people try to make a big deal of it, I always hammer home that the only reason Chanukah is such a big deal is because it's the holiday that occurs near Christmas. I've resented people's attention to Chanukah in the past. But I feel differently this year. Rather than diminish the Festival of Lights — like I usually do — I have wanted to make it feel more special. If the world wants to honor more of my traditions, who am I to object? No doubt my change of heart has also been spurred by a deep need to live out the joyous pieces of my religion and faith in light of the charged public discourse on Jews and anti-Semitism.

Anti-semitism in America isn’t new; in fact, it’s constant. You need no better proof than Dave Chappelle's response to Kanye West, in which he jokingly admonished West — not for what he said, but for saying it out loud. Still, the vocal and visible outcry against speech like this offers a glimmer of hope. This past fall my feeds blew up with non-Jews speaking out against anti-Semitism and pledging support to Jewish communities, as well as posts by Jewish celebrities proudly declaring their identities.

These events inspired me to post about my own expression of my Jewish identity, through the star I wear around my neck every day. Yes, I want people to speak out against anti-Semitism because it is wrong, but I also want them to speak out because they have an understanding of Jewish life. I don’t want victimhood to be the only part of my Jewish story. My Judaism includes a deep faith that it is our duty, as humans, to make the world better, to spread love and joy, to be compassionate. Read my full post here.

Speaking of making the world better, I made it through my fifth annual Covenant House Sleep Out! Faithful readers may have been wondering this past summer, “What about her Sleep Out?” Covenant House moved the Sleep Out from August to November to coincide with National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. The numbers say it all: 4.2 million young people will face homelessness in America this year; 7 young people in America become homeless each minute; 1 in 5 young people facing homelessness experience human trafficking; LGBTQ+ youth are at 120 percent higher risk of homelessness; Black and African-American youth are 83 percent more likely to experience homelessness. But, you can help. Please donate what you are able. Any amount. Here's how your dollars can help: $10 buys a hygiene kit; $30 buys clean, new bedding; $50 buys one day of medical supplies, like life-saving prescriptions; $80 buys one week of meals; the list goes on. Donate here! I've raised my goal this year and I only have a week to get there! Thank you for your support.

In addition to another donation link and Sleep Out photo (!) below, you’ll find videos from my recent series of interviews with the design team of the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Some Like It Hot! Through a partnership between the show and Stellar, a streaming platform, you can watch free! Below, you’ll also find my bylines on Broadway News, my usual recommendations, and the calendar of upcoming closings so you know what you need to see before it's too late. If you want to learn more about Chanukah in a super fun way, follow this Chanukah Instavideo series by my dear friend Al Silber. She cracks me up. More joy! More play! More fun!

Finally, I must thank you for ALL the support you have given me over the course of yet another year. The number of you who tell me that you love reading my newsletter or that you really do use my recommendations astounds me. Thank you so much for valuing my words and my voice. I truly value each of you. You make everything possible. Wishing you and all your loved ones a wonderful end to 2022 and start to 2023. Please, stay safe and healthy and kind out there. Spread the love, find the joy, give a hug, speak out. Love and all that jazz, Ruthie

P.S. For those of you in New York, mark your calendars for January 30 when I'll be leading a panel on Feminism and Judaism at B'nai Jeshurun. Woot!

SOME LIKE IT HOT SPEAKEASY

My panel with the music team of Broadway's Some Like It Hot (clockwise from TL): Me, Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Music Supervisor), Darryl Archibald (Music Director/Conductor), Scott Wittman (lyricist), Marc Shaiman (Composer-Lyricist)

CORRECTION: In September, I misstated that the James Earl Jones Theatre was the first Broadway theatre named for a Black artist. It is the first Shubert theatre to do so, but the second overall. The August Wilson Theatre on 52nd Street was the first.

Recommendations: 

*If these recommendations inspire you to check out something new, I’d love to know! Tag your post about it with #ruthierecommends. (To know the full breadth of what I have already seen, check out my Instagram.)

1. Downstate. A challenging and worthy piece of theater. This athletic play by Bruce Norris is harder to think about and sit with after than it is to watch in the present moment. This is a play for people who like to wrestle with their theater. Who want to be challenged and pushed outside comfort. And who also want to see VIGOROUS performances. Who want to understand seemingly incomprehensible perspectives. Who want to see light but careful direction. Who want to hear natural writing. This is the epitome of what drama can (and maybe should) do. And it is a tragedy with a capital T. (Be advised, it is a play that discusses sexual violence a lot and depicts self-harm. I am going to reveal some plot, so feel free to skip to the next entry.) "At a registered address in downstate Illinois, four men convicted of sex crimes share a group home where they live out their days post-incarceration. When a man shows up to confront his childhood abuser, it becomes hard to locate the line between justice and retribution." I think this play creates compassion for the people whom many have decided do not deserve any. And that — your (my) own thought, your (my) own reaction — is what you (I) grapple with once you’ve (I) left.Do certain actions render a human permanently punishable? Is punishment what we (society) want? Is punishment getting us closer to the world we want? Does it work? If not, what does? This play is a hard thing. This issue is a hard thing. I honestly think about incarceration, “rehabilitation,” offenders, survivors, retribution, healing a lot. What punishment is for. What collective forgiveness might look like. How hard it is to be anyone and everyone in this world. There’s a lot of pain. But I’ll never regret feeling more compassion. Never. Tickets available her for the Off-Broadway production at Playwrights Horizons.

2. The Old Man and the Pool. Pitch perfect. My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much. Mike Birbiglia’s latest solo show is exactly what we all need. Everyone could use a dose of his hilarity. Mike makes us laugh at the inevitability of illness (our own or someone we love) and mortality. And while that sounds dark, his show is anything but. For those who may have seen his last Broadway outing, "The New One," this one far exceeds its predecessor. Go. Tickets here.

3. Some Like It Hot. I grinned through this whole show. This is the musical comedy we all needed (and expected) post-pandemic. The book by Matthew López (Tony winner The Inheritance) and Amber Ruffin is smart, quick, refreshing, exciting and meaningful. Every character and bit part felt so whole — like I know exactly who they are. Then place that material in the hands of these STALLIONS of acting. They know how to mold it to themselves, how to perform it, how to make a joke land, how to make an intentional mumble go from a throwaway to a punchline, how to clutch our attention. Christian Borle serves up a master class in musical comedy, character and timing. Adrianna Hicks is radiant and her voice trumpets. Kevin Del Aguila is so perfectly offbeat, goofy with a touch of suave. NaTasha Yvette Williams commands. And J. Harrison Ghee in absolute star wielding grace, power and capital T talent The score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray) is sublime. The person seated behind me called it a “muscular score.” It’s rich and meaty and layered — lyrically and sonically. It’s jazzy and brassy and HOT. The design is stunning. You may think I’m biased because I did interviews with the designers but I did not experience anyone’s vision until tonight. And guess what? When you hire the A team, you get A work. Glittering and sleek from corner to corner and we could hear it properly!! Casey Nicholaw deftly directs this piece. Plus there's a chase scene you'll never forget. Obviously go see it.

4. The Piano Lesson. August Wilson just knew how to write dialogue. There’s such rhythm and musicality in his writing of this play — another from his Pittsburgh Cycle. His words draw you in and give the actors so much to work with — and they WORK with it. I laud the performances of John David Washington, Danielle Brooks and Samuel L. Jackson. The latter is a heck of a stage actor, shedding his shiny star quality and disappearing into the nonchalance of his character. You'll also fall in love with Ray Fisher as Lymon. This is a victory of a Broadway directorial debut for LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who, the more I think about it, should now be at the top of every producer's list to direct. Tickets here.

5. Kimberly Akimbo. If charming had a mascot, this this new musical (with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire and a score by Jeanine Tesori) would be it. I saw this Off-Broadway and liked it but did not understand the way many of my peers went gaga for it. But with its transfer, the team connected dots and deepened this story. That’s the process working. The story is gentle and beautiful and quirky. The musical follows a teen girl with an illness and a dysfunctional family, which sounds sad, but I is actually a joyful experience. Don’t get me wrong, it’s poignant, but it’s goofy and funny and sweet. (Shout out to New Jersey for taking the brunt of all our jokes — truly, what would we do without you?) Victoria Clark is a legend as illness-stricken Kimberly. She makes the entire vehicle run. Justin Cooley, her love interest, is a revelation. I fell in love with him Off-Broadway and my love for him (and that character) has only grown. Director Jessica Stone creates a cohesive production that makes for a delightful night out. Tickets here.

6. Matilda the Musical on Netflix. As it turns out, when you keep the entire creative team of a fantastic stage musical intact for the film adaptation, the resulting movie musical is also fantastic. It's faithful to the Broadway show yet even more appropriate for kids. The musical returned to the dark roots of the Roald Dahl novel; this movie balances out the sinister with the cartoon-ish, which makes it more palatable and fun. Director Matthew Warchus masterfully crafted the final product to feel like a musical. There are breaths after musical numbers so we can applaud or just take in the moment. He maintains the heightened nature of a musical. This is saturated colors and outlandish characters, so when they break into song it *works*. As ever, Tim Minchin’s score reads with complexity and raucous fun. Screenwriter Dennis Kelly knew what to cut and what to save from his original book. Ellen Kane is are a mad dance scientist with this choreography. It contains all the sharpness, quirk and jerk and architecture to match this story. Alisha Weir (who plays Matilda) shows such maturity in her acting. The full company of kids is excellent; they rise to the challenge. See it in theaters now or watch it on Netflix beginning December 25.

7. Spirited on Apple TV+. Will Ferrell knows how to make a Christmas movie. And, apparently, he also knows how to make a movie musical. I've been singing the opening number, "Christmas Morning Feeling," in my head since I watched this two weeks ago. Featuring songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land), Spirited is a riff on A Christmas Carol. It imagines a world in which the Ghosts of Past, Present and Yet to Come spend all year readying themselves to haunt and improve a chosen perp (each year's Scrooge). Ferrell plays one of the ghosts (you'll have to watch to see which) and Ryan Reynolds is his mark. I truly love the music and the full-out 80-person ensemble dancing throughout. (There is tap dancing!) Spirited is another movie that understands how to make the device of a musical work in its favor. A perfect watch over your holiday break. Now available.

DON'T FORGET

Titanique. The show has moved theaters and extended to May 2023!! I don’t consider myself a parody-musical person. Perhaps I should reconsider because Titanique is simply fantastique. It is a sendup of the movie Titanic and Celine Dion, set to the music of Celine Dion. Now, I’ve seen Titanic once — maybe twice — all the way through. But I lived through Titanic fever. Chances are you did, too, which means you need to see this. Comedic GENIUS Marla Mindelle (see: iconique “Colors of the Wind” video) and Constantine Rousouli co-wrote and star in the musical and Marla conjures a perfect caricature of Celine onstage. The premise: A group tours the Titanic Museum when Celine enters and exclaims in her French accent: “Stop! This is not the story. I was ON the ‘Titan-ique’! I will tell you the real story.” Hilarity ensues. Every comedic beat lands. The voices in this cast are stellar — Celine is hard to sing and they nail. The show transfers theaters in November, and tickets are on sale through February. You should venture aboard. Get tickets here.

Last Chance: Calendar of Closings

BROADWAY (in order of closing date)

Ain't No Mo (Closes December 23)

Belasco Theatre

Jordan E. Cooper's play debuted Off-Broadway at The Public Theater. It posits a world in which all Black Americans are offered a one-way ticket to Africa. Satire + avant-garde + drag

A Christmas Carol (Closes January 1)

King of the solo show Jefferson Mays (I Am My Own Wife, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder) returns to Broadway with this one-man Christmas Carol, directed by Michael Arden. I watched a gorgeous capture of the regional run of the production and it is WILD to witness him do this.

1776 (Closes January 8)

The revival of the musical about the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. This production, co-directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus and Jeffrey L. Page features a company of all non-male actors playing the men of Congress.

Almost Famous (Closes January 8)

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

Cameron Crowe writes the book to the musical adaptation of his beloved film. With music by Tony winner Tom Kitt and lyrics by Kitt and Crowe, the cast stars Solea Pfeiffer (City Center Evita and Drew Gehling (Waitress).

Beetlejuice (Closes January 8; Now on national tour)

The Tony-nominated musical based on the movie of the same name is irreverent and a little raunchy and a whole lot of fun. It's got some of the best production value on Broadway. Catch it before it's gone, gone, gone.

Into the Woods (Closes January 8; Begins national tour in February)

It's been a challenge to keep track of just exactly which Broadway megastar is on at each performance of this revival of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's legendary work that weaves fairy tale threads into one moral tapestry. Right now, Stephanie J. Block plays the Baker's Wife. Recent Tony winner Joaquina Kalukango is the Witch. Gavin Creel is the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince. Joshuah Henry is Rapunzel's Prince. That should be enough.

Death of a Salesman (Closes January 15)

This marks the first major production of the Arthur Miller drama that features the Lomans as a Black family — and it changes everything. Starring Wendell Pierce (The Wire).

Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool (Closes January 15)

One of my favorites from this Broadway season. Brilliant storytelling. Constant laughter. My face hurt from smiling.

The Music Man (Closes January 15)

Last chance to see Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman make magic in this classically extravagant revival.

Topdog/Underdog (Closes January 15)

Corey Hawkins. That man deserves a Tony for this performance. His partner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is no slouch either in Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning two-hander.

The Collaboration (Closes January 29)

Paul Bettany (Wandavision) and Jeremy Pope (Netflix's Hollywood, Choir Boy) star as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat in this dramatization of the process behind their artistic collaboration.

The Piano Lesson (Closes January 29)

Honestly, my favorite of the revivals. August Wilson makes music with his dialogue. Directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson, the production stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Brooks and features Michael Potts and one hell of a piano.

Take Me out (Closes February 5)

A re-mounting of last season's stellar play, starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jesse Williams. You won't see the twist coming. And all baseball fans should go. Written by Richard Greenberg and directed by Scott Ellis.

Between Riverside and Crazy (Closes February 12)

Stephen Adly Guirgis' play premiered Off-Broadway and won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize. Now it makes its Broadway debut starring Stephen McKinley Henderson and Common — yes, that Common. Directed by Austin Pendleton.

Ohio State Murders (Closes February 12)

Audra McDonald plays a famous writer who returns to her alma mater to finally reveal the truth of what happened when she was a student there. Written by Adrienne Kennedy (who makes her Broadway debut in her 90s!) and directed by Kenny Leon, the show also stars Bryce Pinkham, Mister Fitzgerald, Lizan Mitchell, and Abigail Stephenson.

OFF-BROADWAY

Fidler Afn Dakh — aka Yiddish Fiddler (Closes January 1)

New World Stages

Steven Skybell. He is the definitive Tevye. (That's from me AND many older people who have seen alllll the Tevyes, Mostel included.) He's the most significant reason to see this version of Fiddler. It is also profound to see the play performed in Yiddish — the language Tevye, his family, and his village would have spoken at the time. It's a revival of the production I fell in LOVE with years ago. You can read my interview with Steven and my interview with the artistic director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. You can also hear from both of them and director Joel Grey in the in-person and virtual 92NY Talk on October 30, led by Tovah Feldshuh.

Downstate (Closes January 7)

Written by Bruce Norris, this intense piece is the kind of theater you wrestle with. It's the epitome of what drama can do. It stars a superb company, many Steppenwolf members. Read my full recommendation below before seeing it.

Merrily We Roll Along (Closes January 22; Transfers to Broadway fall 2023)

Directed by Maria Friedman, the revival at New York Theatre Workshop stars Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. It's sold out, but you can try cancellation tickets or the TodayTix lottery.

As always, if you need show recommendations or if you have theatre questions, please get in touch! I LOVE to answer. Keep tabs on RuthieFierberg.com. 

Thank you for your enduring support.

My Philosophy

I believe in art's power to create change. Art—particularly theatre—can help us reflect, determine, and, sometimes, change our beliefs. I hope that you all continue to engage with the storytelling and art around you—wherever you are and whatever level—and that you entertain different points of view. Advocate for your principles while always leaving room to hear others and evolve. Let's stay engaged, thoughtful, and active.