Ginger on Broadway

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a prequel to the Netflix series Stranger Things, but draws heavily upon the lore of the 4th season. I'm going to try and avoid spoilers for both the play and the series as best as I can in case you plan to start watching it. However, there are plot points I cannot tiptoe around that are relevant for this review! If you're not a fan of the Netflix show, or you haven't seen season 4, this play isn't for you and it won't be easy to follow. It's not mandatory viewing or anything, but it does answer some lingering questions; the script purportedly went through several rewrites to avoid spoiling season 5 plot points. I would imagine that Netflix’s writers will address these in their next season, since not everyone can afford to attend a Broadway or West End show. I love Stranger Things, so when the transfer of this West End show was announced, I knew that I had to take my best friend Rachel with me. She introduced me to the show ...

  Just In Time was unquestionably my most anticipated show of 2025. When I say I went all out for this show, I'm not kidding. I bought a 50s era period dress, fully accessorized, got hair and makeup done. The whole nine yards. Similar to the August Wilson Theatre, albeit not to the same extreme, the Circle In The Square has been transformed into a Copacabana style nightclub. In its new guise, the theatre features two stages on each side, which the actors weave between around a set of cabaret tables.  Going in, I knew little to nothing about Bobby Darin. I knew what Jonathan Groff had revealed about Bobby's life in interviews, and who doesn't know the song Beyond The Sea?  Given that jukebox musicals are past their peak in popularity, and a lot of young people (who are a large portion of Jonathan Groff’s fans) don't know who Bobby Darin is, I was expecting this to bomb simply because of genre fatigue. Imagine my surprise when the initial reviews on my Facebook group and ...

  Disclaimer: I have not seen all the nominated shows, so i can not speak to the ones i haven’t seen :)  Best Musical Will win: Maybe Happy Ending Should win: Maybe Happy Ending In a very packed season with so many wonderful shows, many of which were not nominated (looking at you Just in Time), this was an absolute no-brainer, and it seems many agree with me. Maybe Happy Ending is unique, quirky, and original. Originally i was rooting for Operation Mincemeat, and i think it was a lovely show, it actually tied with Maybe Happy Ending as my favorite of the season (so far at least), but having given it more thought, Maybe Happy Ending was the superior one I also think the critics and voters tend to lean towards musicals like Maybe Happy Ending that have deeper, thought provoking messages and meditations that leave you shaken and talking long after the curtain falls, vs fast paced laughs for the sake of making the crowd laugh, with one or two applause bait moments. Maybe Happy End...