Broadway Wrap Up: October 2023

I saw 5 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in October! This is a lot less than my “normal” because I was traveling for 10 days this month, and then trying to recover after that! Where to you ask? Check out my Wrap Up post to find out!

The Great Gatsby at Paper Mill Playhouse in NJ was a real treat to see and I’m so glad I caught this limited run. Only time will tell if the show makes it across the river to Broadway. I also loved Here We Are, Sondheim’s final musical – it was a weird story but I loved the ride.

If you’re looking for the Bookish Wrap Up for October 2023, click here!

Check out my roundup of all the shows I attended:

All The Devils Are Here – October 5

When I learned Patrick Page would be doing a solo show, I was sold – say less, I would listen to this man read a phone book. But it’s better than that! All The Devils Are Here – How Shakespeare Invented The Villain is Patrick develing into all of the “villains” of Shakespeare’s works.

I’ll be honest in that I’m not a huge Shakespeare fan, but I am a fan of villains and morally gray characters. It was very interesting to hear Patrick Page, a well seasoned actor who has delved deep into the psyche of his characters, speak about Shakespeare villains and the act out some scenes. It was fascinating to see him switch characters and gears so quickly, which proves what a great actor he is.

This show is fast paced, only 90 minutes long with no intermission. Patrick also engages with the audience at various points, so it’s not like you aren’t there – it’s a show where the actor on stage knows there is an audience there which makes it different from most performances.

I’m really glad I was able to see Patrick Page in this role, worth the $38 rush tickets from TodayTix! I would recommend this if you’re a fan of Patrick Page or hearing & seeing an incredible actor do his thing in person.

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child – October 17

I was home for ~20 hours after traveling internationally and found myself at a Broadway show. Checks out.

I just can’t say no to a lotto win, especially to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and especially on a Tuesday. The entire month of October, Cursed Child is doing special events on Tuesdays!

For this week, if you arrived early you got to hear ~ghost stories~ told by theater historian Tim Dolan of Broadway Up Close about the Lyric Theater and participate in pre-show trivia hosted by Brittany Zeinstra, who plays Moaning Myrtle. Post show you’d receive a special pin!

The Great Gatsby (Paper Mill Playhouse) – October 22

The Great Gatsby Musical is now playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ and I was able to attend its opening night on October 22nd!

Overall, I enjoyed it. I had preconceived notions going into this so I already knew I would like it. Shows debut at the Paper Mill before a possible Broadway transfer, and I think this show would need some fine tuning before that, but for a first pass it’s pretty solid!

You can read my full review of The Great Gatsby here!

Here We Are – October 26

I pretty much had no idea what this show was about going into it, and after experiencing Here We Are, that’s how I recommend you go into it too! The only thing I knew was Act 1 was about getting dinner. Act 2 was set in a room. That’s it.

The little bit more you can know is that this is technically a musical and there is singing in Act 1, but Act 2 has no music. I didn’t even realize that until it was mentioned at stage door! So Act 2 felt like a play, which was also fine by me.

You can read my full review of Here We Are here!

Swing State – October 28

I ended up seeing a matinee performance before an evening concert, and saw Swing State for the second (and final) time! Swing State closed October 28th (after getting an extension!) so this was the second to last performance.

This is such an intense show and I’m always so impressed with actors and how they make a scene so believable! This play shows how real life is, and it isn’t always pretty. There are struggles with mental health and with the world as a whole. This isn’t a “happy” show but it is real and I’m glad I was able to see it one last time.

My main reason for seeing this show (and seeing it a second time lol) was Bubba Weiler, who played Ryan this Swing State, but was also in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child back in 2019-2020! I can’t wait to see what Bubba does next because he’s such a good actor.

Do you like musical theatre?
What’s your favorite musical or play?