NYC News

By Brian Scott Lipton

If you’re in New York over the next two weeks, whether on vacation for staycation, it’s the perfect opportunity to go experience the best of what the Big Apple has to offer – namely, live theater. And in the spirit of recommending something for everyone, here are 10 current shows that you may wish to check out.

Photo: Joan Marcus

CHER AND CHER ALIKE
Fans of that eternally fabulous one-named diva, Cher, will be in heaven during The Cher Show, a glitzy and glamorous bio-musical that traces the star’s life over five decades, complete with a generous helping of her big hits. Plus, you probably won’t see a better musical performance this season than the one being given by Stephanie J. Block as “Star,” one of the three talented ladies who embody the title role.

Photo: Monique Carboni

WINGS OF A DOVE
In one of those strange coincidences, there’s yet another Cher on stage: that beloved 1990s teen heroine, Cher Horowitz, in Clueless: The Musical. Not only is Amy Heckerling’s quasi-jukebox adaptation of her beloved film sure to excite tweens and teens, but even adults should be in awe of the triple-threat talent of Disney Channel star Dove Cameron, who is a true superstar-in-the-making

Photo: Matthew Murphy

CARRYING THE TORCH
Now in its final weeks on Broadway, Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song is far from your typical feel-good holiday show, but it has a lot to say to everyone – gays and straights alike – about the true meaning of family. Plus, stellar performances such as the ones being given by Michael Urie as strong-yet-sensitive drag performer Arnold Beckmann and Mercedes Ruehl as his judgmental mother don’t come along every day.

Photo: Joan Marcus

YOU CAN’T BEAT IT
One of the most unusual shows to hit the Great White Way in recent years, Head Over Heels (also set to close next month) smartly mixes a gender-bending plot loosely based on a 16th-century prose poem with the infectious music of pop legends The Go-Gos. Newcomer Bonnie Milligan, who is nothing short of remarkable, leads a pitch-perfect cast in this fun, fun, fun outing.

Photo: Joan Marcus

GET YOUR IRISH UP
Full disclosure: Jez Butterworth’s truly incredible The Ferryman is not for anyone seeking an easy, breezy time. This three-hour plus play packs in dozens of characters, a few plots, some Irish political history – and even a live baby on stage. But its rewards are beyond numerous, so if you have the time and patience to sit through this exquisitely acted and written drama, grab a ticket!

Photo: The Illusionists

MAGIC TO DO
Back on Broadway for the fourth time, The Illussionists is perfect family-friendly entertainment, dazzling young and old with “how did they do that” feats of magic. This year’s standout performers are Shim Lim, the amazing sleight-of-hand master who just won NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” and the very funny mentalist Colin Cloud, who may literally blow your mind.

Photo: Joan Marcus

OH, BABY
If you think paying Broadway prices for what sounds like a stand-up comedy act is nuts, think again. As Mike Birbiglia proves in The New One, he’s a master storyteller who can make you laugh louder than you ever thought, but also one who can make you really think about the complexities of modern life --- all in under 90 minutes! It’s one for the books!

Photo: Joan Marcus

NO TIME FOR WAITING
Sadly, director Michael Arden’s ultra-inventive, Tony Award-winning revival of Once On This Island is also about to shut down. So if you haven’t experienced this wondrous musical about a poor island girl (played by the stunning Hailey Kilgore) who fights the forces of death – and society – all in the name of true love, you’ve got one last chance!

Photo: Dan van Meer

DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER
Oddly, musicals about high school seem to be all the rage right now, but none is quite as funny or touching as The Prom. Here, a pair of over-the-top and possibly over-the-hill Broadway performers (the absolutely brilliant Beth Leavel and Brooks Ashmanskas), for their own selfish reasons, try to help a small-town lesbian (the superb Caitlin Kinnunen) who wants nothing more than to take her sweet if closeted girlfriend Alyssa (a lovely Isabella McCalla) to their Indiana high school prom. You’ll be dancing on air by the time the show is over.

Photo: Joan Marcus

NO ROOM FOR DEBATE
Heidi Schreck isn’t wearing a skintight costume, but she proves to be a true superwoman as star and writer of What The Constitution Means To Me. This often hilarious, consistently thought-provoking and unbelievably timely theatrical memoir focuses on Schreck’s youthful days competing in debates about the Constitution and concludes as she takes on a real-life teenager in an on-stage debate about America’s most important document. There’s no point in arguing: this is an absolutely extraordinary show!