With Rachel Sussman, producer of the ACLU/NYCLU benefit concert My Body My Business.

Dear Friends and Family,

I cannot believe it’s November! In the past few weeks, I got to enjoy some truly “inside Broadway” experiences—the kind that both make me do a double-take of “I can’t believe I’m a part of this community” and beam “I’m a part of this community.” In fact, I’ve been contemplating the idea of community lately—its importance, its necessity, but also what being part of a community means. For me, I feel belonging when a group's ideals interlock with mine, like a zipper holding together fabric.

     Last month, I scored an invite to The Lion King’s annual Haunted House. The cast started the tradition 12 years ago so they could celebrate Halloween with their kids, and has expanded to include Broadway kids and families across Broadway who miss trick-or-treating because of their show schedule. You have to see the photos; but I loved watching everyone pitch in to create a moment of play and joy and family. On a very different note, a week later I attended the ACLU/NYCLU benefit concert My Body My Business. That night made me so proud to call people who produced the night, performers on that stage, even one of the award recipients friends. Year-round, they stand up for women, LGBTQ+ folk, immigrants, farmers, anyone in need. Part of the reason they are dear friends is because we all want to serve the greater good. We want to fight for equality and kindness and compassion, and we want to fight with pens and performances. 

     Then Ilana Levine made me feel like part of the community when she asked me to guest on her long-running podcast Little Known Facts. She has interviewed 480 theatre professionals and the mere invitation felt like an embrace. Find out how to listen below. Nate Patten also invited me on his podcast, Booked It, for some healthy theatrical debate; his trust and desire to hear my opinions on serious issues in the theatre felt like a member of the club endorsed my membership. 

     I also expanded my community recently, when I had the privilege of meeting Manuel and Patricia Oliver. A beautiful couple originally from Venezuela, they moved to the United States 17 years ago with their two children, Andréa and Joaquín. Joaquín, better known as Guac, was one of the 17 killed at Parkland. People process grief in innumerable ways. Manuel is an artist, so he painted. Portraits of his son dot the U.S. But that wasn’t enough. Manuel wants gun violence to end. He wants no other parents to endure what he and Patricia have; he wants no child to go to school anxious about returning home. He wants school communities to be safe; he wants to protect our communities from grief. GUAC: My Son, My Hero is Manuel’s solo show, mixing live painting, video, an theatre, which led Manny to my office, and I’m lucky he trusted me with his story and his family’s story. He brings the show to the 92Y November 22 and I hope you’ll join me in what is sure to be a powerful evening.

     Also coming to the 92Y? Me! I'll be on the stage with Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers), Charlie Cox (Daredevil), and Zawe Ashton to talk about their play Betrayal on Broadway. Details below.

     If you’re looking for more opportunities for a powerful experience, a fun experience (some can be both!), my recommendations for this month are below. Plus, details to come see me with the cast of Betrayal November 23, ways to listen to podcast interviews, ticket-buying pointers, know-before-you-go resources, and more. Thank you for being a part of my community.

LAST CHANCE (from previous recommendations): The Wrong Man closes November 24. Betrayal closes December 8. Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof closes January 5 (of all the things on all the lists, don’t miss this). Oklahoma! closes January 19.

Recommendations: 

1. Harriet. Two words: Cynthia Erivo. If you missed her Tony-winning performance in The Color Purple, now's your chance to understand the fuss. (And if you caught it, this is the closest we’ve gotten to a reprise.) The movie truly is her. She is a force of nature—and she had to be to capture the ferocious Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman. The movie also stars Leslie Odom, Jr. (with whom I spoke about his role) and Janelle Monáe. Brilliantly written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, the biopic illuminates the most known section of Harriet’s life with all the details we never knew.

2. Little Shop of Horrors. A classic returns! The comedy horror is back and leaning into all of the gory glory of its kitsch. This is a production of the Alan Menken-Howard Ashman collaboration at its finest. (It’s not doing anything new, but who needs experimental when you can deliver the apex?) Jonathan Groff as Seymour reminds you why we coveted his voice in the first place (we take it for granted too often); Tammy Blanchard as Audrey offers a fresh take (her voice is not quite at the level I wish, but her acting choices are there); Christian Borle as The Dentist et al showcases his gobs of talent and comedic chops. The choreo is on point. Back in a quaint Off-Broadway theatre (the way the show started in 1982), this is how Little Shop is meant to be seen.

3. Soft Power. This is daring theatre. Playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), composer-lyricist Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Thoroughly Modern Millie), choreographer Sam Pinkleton (The Great Comet), and Leigh Silverman (Violet, The Lifespan of  Fact) invent a completely new form: a musical within a play. The Public Theater production is an examination of: the relationship between Eastern and Western cultures, what democracy is and if it’s worth fighting for, the tradition/genre of American musical theatre—to name a few. It’s highly ambitious, and it is still figuring itself out. To prime you if you go, the premise is: What if China made an American-style musical about the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election? If you are politically inclined, go see this show. If you are not, go see this show; it’s actually made for you because didn’t School House Rock prove that it’s easier to follow anything in song? This is unconventional theatre, but with the trappings of tradition—big dance numbers and a lush 32-piece orchestra. I’d love to hear what you think. Only through November 17.

4. for colored girls… Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks wrote in her program note (though she is unaffiliated with this production) that you have not experienced the theatrical canon if you have not seen for colored girls…. Ntozake Shange’s “choreopoem” (vignettes of stories and poems spoken and danced) is a seminal work. (Deep theatrelovers will draw parallels from this production to the works of Lynn Nottage, Tony Kusher, Parks herself.) This is a show about all of the different ways to be a woman in the world, to be a black woman in the world. I URGE you to go—women and men and NBGNC. It’s like a beautiful moving painting. This is poetic theatre. Only through December 8.

5. American Utopia. In the spirit of Broadway’s “Season of Fun,” go enjoy yourself at this concert experience from David Byrne backed by a full dancing band. The show is directed by Alex Timbers, who—full disclosure—I would follow to the ends of the earth because his art is so dependably fantastic. The music is joyful and fresh. The sounds are eclectic—the instrumentation is wild. The movement feels tribal. You can listen to the album ahead of time. Have a blast.

6. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. There’s Ethel Merman as Mama Rose. There’s Patti LuPone as Eva Peron. There’s Chita Rivera as Anita. There’s Gwen Verdon as Charity. There’s Sutton Foster as Millie. And now there is Adrienne Warren as Tina Turner. This is a canon-defining performance. What she achieves on that stage is unimagineable. This is the exemplar of the triple threat. You simply cannot take your eyes off her. (Catch this glimpse of her on GMA.) But it’s not only a star performance of massive hits. The book by Katori Hall and directed by Phyllida Lloyd is deep and affecting, joyous and painful, rich and real. Welcome to the next level of bio-musicals, a.k.a. just a damn good show. Watch Playbill's Live From the Red Carpet on Tina's Opening night. 

7. The Inheritance. This is the next seminal work of the theatrical canon. Unfolding more like a living book onstage, Matthew Lopez's two-part marathon (yes it takes a full day and it's worth it) examines the lives of gay men in America in a fresh, relevant, no-holds-barred way. I believe gay men today may see a portrayal of themselves that they recognize, and anyone who wants to better understand a few versions of what it's like to be gay in America today (and not "what it's like to be oppressed" but what it's like to love, what it's like to celebrate, what it's like to form friendships within your community, what it's like to learn about your legacy) will. The writing is beautiful, the acting visceral, the staging witty. 

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. 

As always, if you need show recommendations or if you have theatre questions, please get in touch! I LOVE to answer. Keep tabs on Playbill.com and RuthieFierberg.com, and thank you for your enduring support.