What's the Broadway Buzz? "Maybe Happy Ending" for the WIN!

 

It’s been a minute (or TEN) since I blogged about “What’s the Broadway Buzz,”  and put a spotlight on musicals that are currently playing on Broadway (or on Broadway Tours) and haven’t been presented by Broadway Theatre League of Huntsville… YET! In the past, I would dedicate a whole blog post about each one. But there are so many shows to catch up on that I asked Mr. Boss Man, Andrew Willmon, to help me divide and conquer.

Here’s just a quick recap and lasting/lingering thoughts that we had on SIX of the new Broadway musicals that we recently saw from the 2025-2025 Season:

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING

The sleeper HIT of the 2024-2025 Broadway Season, MAYBE HAPPY ENDING, tells the story of Oliver, a HelperBot 3 robot, that has long been retired and considered obsolete, and his fellow HelperBot neighbor, Claire, who asks to borrow his charger. What starts as an awkward encounter leads to a unique friendship, a surprising adventure, and maybe even...love?

I found this musical to fall into my favorite category of “Happy/Sad.” I was left with feelings of warmth, melancholy, love & loss, the overwhelming power of a memory and ultimately with the feeling of hope. This little engine that could definitely left its handprint on my heart and is well-deserving of its SIX Tony Award wins, including Best Musical and Best Actor for Darren Criss.

 

SMASH

In my opinion, SMASH will be this season’s “the one that got away.” It is the first casualty of the post-Tony Awards 2024-2025 Season when shows start posting their closing notice, and in this case, it is sadly just days from now, on Sunday, June 22. Inspired by the cult TV show, SMASH is a hilarious behind-the-scenes rollercoaster ride about the making of a Marilyn Monroe musical called Bombshell. The cast is full of stunningly talented triple-threats (with the magnificent Robyn Hurder leading the way), the songs are both clever and thrilling (Let Me Be Your Star), the choreography fits the piece like one of Marilyn’s pink satin gloves and Brooks Ashmanskas’ portrayal of Nigel will literally make you LOL every time he’s onstage.

SMASH held the coveted spot of NYT Critic’s Pick and received a love letter review from Jesse Green at The New York Times (which doesn’t happen too often): “SMASH…. It’s the great musical comedy no one saw coming!”

Sadly, it’s closing on Sunday. But hey, that’s showbiz!

 

DEAD OUTLAW

This is a truly quirky and inventive new musical that tells the tale about a very strange but odd true story surrounding an outlaw that is dead for most of the production. The folksy soundtrack and cross-country rail car that takes us across the country in this unbelievably TRUE story of Elmer McCurdy (played by the terrific Andrew Durand) and the many lives he lives from beyond the grave.

DEAD OUTLAW is a dark comedy that keeps audiences wondering what in “tarnation!” will happen next. My favorite lyric from the show was “Your Momma’s dead, Your Daddy’s dead, and so are you!”

 

FLOYD COLLINS

A great star vehicle for Mr. Jeremy Jordan, FLOYD COLLINS, which is a revival, takes us to the hills of Kentucky and the discovery of Mammoth Caves. Set in the 1920’s Floyd is on the hunt for a new cave and boy did he find it. Mr. Jordan spends much of the show stuck underground with a cavernous set and the towns folk above ground trying to get him out.

Based on a true story, the ending is inevitable, but it is the adventure and hope that moves the musical forward. I truly wish I had felt like I was in the hills of Kentucky though. But it wasn’t until the word Kentucky was spoken that I realized it was the setting for this show.

 

BOOP! THE MUSICAL

Jasmine Amy Rogers made her Broadway debut and turned it into a STAR turn in  BOOP! THE MUSICAL. Mr. Jerry Mitchell has done it again with his storytelling and choreography. What happens when you take a classic character like Betty Boop in the 1920’s and transport her to the colorful world of 2025 in New York City? You get a high energy, fun-filled and exuberant experience that leaves the audience laughing and singing along with Ms. BOOP!

The sets, costumes and lighting are outstanding. See it in NY or on the road. A good time will be had by all.

 

DEATH BECOMES HER

Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton) and Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp) are the comedy hit duo of this Broadway season, starring in DEATH BECOMES HER. Two powerhouse divas that bring the house down, night after night, with big bold and beautiful performances. Both Tony nominations for Hilty and Simard were well deserved.

And what an amazing ensemble cast featuring Christopher Sieber and Michelle Williams. Visual decadence, inventive special effects, and double entendre abound! It’s a musical comedy fantasy that you didn’t know you needed. Drink the potion, if you dare!

 

The 2024-2025 Broadway season is being hailed as a major success, particularly in terms of box office revenue, with some sources calling it the best-grossing season ever. Attendance was also strong, ranking second-best in recorded history. Beyond the numbers, this season is noted for its wide diversity of new shows (as seen in the six shows above) and an unexpected Broadway transfer like OH, MARY! that has become a colossal hit, both critically and financially.

BUT WAIT, there’s more …

This month and next we will be back in NYC and seeing the following shows:

• Just In Time (with Jonathan Groff)

• Operation Mincemeat

• Hadestown

• Stranger Things: The First Shadow

• Sunset Boulevard (with Nicole Scherzinger)

• Old Friends (with Bernadette Peters & Lea Salonga)

• Cabaret (with former Jimmy Awards finalist, Eva Noblezada)

 

Stay tuned for the next “What’s the Broadway Buzz” on Kip's Korner, where I will spill the T on the renowned shows above!