5 Celebrity-Led Shows to See in New York City This July 4 Weekend
Insider Info 5 Celebrity-Led Shows to See in New York City This July 4 Weekend
From stars of the screen, to popular recording artists, New York stages are jam-packed with celebrity.
If the last Broadway season has taught us anything, it's that audiences love shows led by big stars! Some of those high profile A-listers have packed up and headed back to the West Coast, but that doesn't mean New York theatre is devoid of stars. Quite the contrary, in fact.
You may love celebrities on screen, but seeing them in a play or musical puts them live in the room with you, and with no do-overs! Live theatre has no editors and no re-takes, which means there's really no better way to see what people are really capable of. We've picked five celeb-driven shows that are truly great examples of thoughtful star casting, which is to say big-time celebs absolutely killing it in parts that they were made for.
Use this list to add some star power to your July 4th weekend—fireworks of a different sort! (And by the way, this is just five of your current chances to see celebs on stage in NYC. For a more exhaustive list that also includes which A-listers are coming to in the weeks and months ahead, head here.)
When it comes to long—and excellent—careers, it doesn't get much better than Jean Smart. Since playing the sweet Charlene Frazier on Designing Women, Smart has since won three Emmys for playing comedian Debra Vance in Hacks. Smart's first love is the stage, she told us, but she hasn't trod the boards here since a 2000 revival of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner—a performance that earned her a Tony nomination. She is now making a triumphant return in Jamie Wax's new solo play Call Me Izzy. Smart sheds Debra's urbane sophistication and fabulous wealth for the more humble Isabelle, a woman stuck in an abusive marriage while living in a rural Louisiana trailer park, who finds escape through writing poetry. Smart's performance has been pretty universally lauded by critics, and when you watch it, you'll know why. This latest role lets Smart give us one more example of what a shapeshifter she can be; she is always excellent in the great diversity of characters in the show, including Isabelle's fearsome husband. This latest vehicle is quite timely, too. If you're looking to catch a Broadway show, you're probably someone who has been greatly affected by art; Call Me Izzy is a beautiful tribute to the power of art, and how access to it can be impactful to the point of lifesaving.
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READ: Jean Smart on Why Call Me Izzy Is a Timely Reminder of the Importance of Art
She's come hooommmeee at last! And we couldn't be happier. Nicole Scherzinger may be known as a pop star and singer of The Pussycat Dolls, but she actually got her artistic start at Actors Theatre of Louisville in her home state of Kentucky. And her Broadway debut playing Norma Desmond in Jamie Lloyd's Tony Award-winning revival of Sunset Blvd has cemented her as a Broadway star, earning her a Tony in the process. We promise you, Scherzinger's portrayal of a manic, blood-soaked, camera-seducing Norma Desmond is not to be missed. See what all the fuss is about before the show ends its run July 20.
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READ: To Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd. Is the Perfect Musical for Her Broadway Debut
Stranger Things (the Netflix series, not the Broadway play) star Sadie Sink leads John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Bellflower. The performance is not actually Sink's Broadway debut—before becoming a household name, she played little orphan Annie on Broadway. But it is her first time back on the boards as a young adult, and this piece seems to have been tailor made for that. Set in a southern high school, the work centers on a group of teenagers studying Arthur Miller's The Crucible in English class. In the wakes of the #MeToo movement, they start to question the classic play's most common interpretations. The play is definitely aimed at Gen Z, which makes it an excellent choice if you've got some of those in your party this weekend. And because everyone has had to read The Crucible, they will no doubt be engaged with what John Proctor is the Villain has to say, whether you agree with its characters or not!
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WATCH: Sadie Sink Is Welcoming Younger Audiences to Broadway in John Proctor is The Villain
Fancy a visit Off-Broadway? A hit revival of cult hit Little Shop of Horrors is continuing its now six-year run at Off-Broadway's Westside Theatre, where the Howard Ashman-Alan Menken musical has welcomed star after star to its stage. Right now is no exception, with The Good Wife's Graham Phillips and Elizabeth Gillies (Victorious and Dynasty) starring as Seymour and Audrey, respectively, in the hilarious musical about a man-eating plant hellbent on world domination. The pairing is extra poignant, too, because Phillips and Gillies both co-starred in Broadway's 13 as kids before they were famous, so this Little Shop is actually a reunion! If you loved them on TV, you won't want to miss them singing songs like "Skid Row," "Somewhere That's Green," and "Suddenly Seymour." But remember—don't feed the plants!
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WATCH: Elizabeth Gillies Sings 'Somewhere That's Green' in Little Shop of Horrors
Guess what, '90s and early aughts kids: they're making jukebox musicals for us now. & Juliet uses the songs of Max Martin—who wrote bangers for basically every turn-of-the-21st-century pop star imaginable—to tell an original story that imagines a sequel to Romeo and Juliet in which the latter hadn't died. The show is funny, thought-provoking, and filled with spectacle and fabulous musical numbers, with the score including songs like “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “I Want It That Way,” and “Confident.” And right now, you get a bonafide pop star, too. NSYNC member Joey Fatone—already a Broadway veteran!—is currently in the cast, even though his character ironically has him singing songs made famous by rival boy band the Backstreet Boys. And if you've got any TikTok dance fans going along with you, they'll be jazzed to know that viral internet dancer Charli D'Amelio is currently the featured start of the musical's ensemble, too!
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READ: 'I Am That Age!'; Joey Fatone on Going From Boy Band Member to Father Figure in & Juliet
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