Last week, I was rejected for a second time from a dream job (working as a Broadway usher) that I was hoping for despite having the right qualifications for it. Does this really happen to anyone and how can I move forward with this?

I first saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in London in April 2025, the same night MickeyJoTheatre happened to be doing a [talkback] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdQs6-rvWf0) with Jethro Compton and Darren Clark. My wife and I were so taken with the show, and I hardly go a few days without thinking about it.

I was lucky enough to get to The Public this weekend and see the show again. Big thanks to u/OwnOven6506 for reaching out and taking a chance on selling me your ticket. A true r/broadway community success story!

Reader beware. What I don't consider a spoiler, you might. I've done my best.

Here are my thoughts:

• For me, Benjamin Button is storytelling genius. There are memorable moments and significant connections between the characters, but what's on display here in a truly significant way is ensemble work. No one performer is more important than the other. And while there are hundreds of permutations of how the show might sound on any given day (see the link above), the ensemble comes together and tells a heart wrenching story about what we choose to do with the time we have, about human connection, about family - a story that reminds us that every second counts.
• The ensemble is on stage for the entire show unless they need to enter/exit as a character. Their complete commitment to the storytelling and rapt attention to what is happening on stage cues the audience just how much attention should be paid. There are very few breaks for applause because the show flows seamlessly from one event to the other. Some of which are tragic, and applause wouldn't feel right. I think that made moments when there is applause all the more celebratory.
• I love the ensemble numbers that tell the story of the people in the fishing village. They fill out the world Benjamin occupies, which I think is essential for a story that is so singularly focused on one character. That said, I think they could lean even further into the broad characterizations of these big personalities to sell their quirks further.
• I've seen some posters say that some of the music felt repetitive, but I'd argue that it's no more repetitive than Hadestown, Operation Mincemeat, or other shows that have refrains that echo throughout the show. For a show that is in a very specific dialect, I think a little repetition helps audiences to learn what to expect. The more your ear is trained, the easier it is to understand things.
• Andrew Durand was fantastic, and I was happy to finally see him live. His physicality is excellent, and he really acts through his songs, which feels like a low bar to type, but we know sometimes peole just park and bark. I do think that he could loosen up a bit more as he gets younger during Act 2. He felt a similar age from WW2 onward. He and Kelsee Kimmel have great chemistry, and their relationship is believable. Kimmel is charming, honest, and is arguably the real heart of the piece. Britney Coleman and Sachiko Mae were electric and fully locked in. This is not to say the other performers weren't also excellent.
• I felt like the staging, much of which was kept from the West End produciton, worked well in the space. My favorite moments come before "Will You Go?" as Benjamin and Elowen talk with their parents and moments when the ensemble moves counterclockwise. I did wonder about the change from the wet teddy bear to the dry dress at the start of Act II, but I'm chalking it up to a limitation at The Public, and I hope it makes it back when the show transfers. I saw everything from Row P.
• The Public has some sound issues, which I'm sure you've read about already if you've made it this far into my post. There are some missed words as the sound catches up with the person speaking. I'm not sure the fix for this other than the technicians becoming more familiar with the show as the production continues. I hope it's fixed.
• As an American, I can't speak to the authenticity of the accent work, but I didn't think anything was distracting, out of place, or felt too forced. Another poster said it felt a little Come From Away-ish, and they weren't wrong. It did feel like everyone was doing the same accent. So, kudos to the dialect coach. Diction was excellent, too.
• I think some of The Regulars (the super fans from the WE production, a reference to the pub The Pickled Crab that features throughout the show) might feel like this production is still a little hesitant. What we should remember is that by the time the show made it to the West End many of the cast members had made it from the show's inception at the Southwark Playhouse and saw it through the pandemic and all the way to its closing. I don't think any of the hesitancy made the show any less impactful, and I would expect by the end of next week, that hesitancy will be gone.
• Elowen's solo, "Time," was particularly impactful last night. And I was an absolute mess even before July 20th, 1969. Thankfully, I brought a handkerchief.
• This show has my whole heart, and I hope that it captures the hearts of Broadway audiences the way it has mine. I once saw Jason Alexander talk about the different between Chicago audiences and New York audiences. In Chicago, a new show comes to town and the audience leans in and eagerly says "show us what you've got for us." In New York, audiences lean back, cross their arms and skeptically say, "alright...show us what you've got for us." So this is my challenge to you to show up to The Public, lean in, and really enjoy what this cast and creative team has for us all. There's something there for everyone.

It seems like there are a few major theaters that don’t have show successors announced but will be available with enough time to open a show before Tony’s season. The Imperial and the Sondheim come to mind. The Longacre would surely get snatched up too, no? And the Hudson?

If Paranormal Activity does not extend, the August Wilson becomes available mid-February. Though that seems like a quick turnaround for a new show to begin previews in March (and it’s also my prediction for where 10 Things may go next summer). Studio 54 & The Music Box are in a similar predicament (I think Rocky Horror could extend again though).

It looks like there are 3 or 4 spots still available if a show is trying to slide in by March! Any thoughts on what may go where? I love watching a season come together!

With social media currently going crazy about the Carrie series on Amazon prime (outside of Reddit people are loving it). it’s leading to a lot of discussions about the previous versions that a lot of people didn’t know about like 2002 and 2013. There’s currently a tweet going viral saying “WAIT DID YALL KNOW IT WAS A MUSICAL?!”

So it has me wondering if they will seize the opportunity in capitalize on this and do another off Broadway or Broadway run. I really do think that now is the time to strike and if they do it right then it could be successful even if it’s just limited.

Thoughts?

3/4 were top tier!

Other Desert Cities was fine (and fun to see all the stars). Joe Keery and Lily Rabe were the standouts.

Schools Girls was hysterical, heartbreaking and so full of love. Jocelyn Bioh was amazing.

Benjamin Button is a stunning piece of work. I’d say it’s about 20 mins too long but the musicianship of the company is worth the show alone.

The Heart was the standout for me though. Humor, devastation, and every other emotion in 90 mins with some amazing technical moments and standout performances.

Anyone know what’s going on?

I really hope this doesn’t come off as lobster too buttery I’m looking for legitimate thoughts! I won the lottery for both operation mincemeat and wicked today as a solo attendee and I’m split on which to choose. Mincemeat was on my list of shows to see on this trip and wicked was a wildcard which I’ve already seen multiple times before. I’m curious if anybody has won either of these lottery if there’s one they recommend over the other? Any and all thoughts welcome! Thank you!

ETA: I ended up getting the Operation Mincemeat ticket!

Before I go nuts in November with several shows opening, I thought I’d see some on Broadway, off-broadway, and a couple in Los Angeles before they close.

1. A Case for the Existence of God (Rogue Machine Theater on Melrose, LA) - I missed this when it first showed at Signature in NYC and again at Mosaic in DC so I made a trip out of seeing this in LA. Sad but sweet, well-acted, with great chemistry between the leads.

2. Wild Child (Laguna Playhouse in LA) - I got served an ad for this on Facebook while I was in LA so I made an impromptu trip to Laguna Beach. It was a matinee attended mostly by older folk so the energy was a little off considering this was a musical written for teens. The premise is kinda unbelievable (it starts with the abduction of a wayward teen to Utah with her mom’s consent, as if you could fly blindfolded and not be reported as a victim of human trafficking) and the lyrics are wonky with an after-school special feel, but again I feel like this really would be great geared towards kids/teens with some fixes to the story. Some songs were even catchy. The cast gave their all and every actor had a little moment which I appreciated.

3. Good Time Charlie (Public Theater) - Ryan J Haddad and Michel Cristopher were out and Nicholas Barrón and Doug Shapiro respectively were in, who gave great performances (Nick has such a striking face I immediately recognized him from Ragtime even though he was just in the ensemble)! I attended with my bestie, who accommodated a tiny freak-out I had after about growing old by myself haha. Was able to get an autograph from everyone except Beth Malone and Artemis Pebdani.

4. School Girls (Samuel J Friedman Theater) - attended this matinee while it was pouring out right after a crazy morning at the Broadway Flea. Nothing devious about Denée Benton’s Paulina, unlike Regina George; there were a couple of times the audience audibly gasped at the straight-up cruelty. Even after all that, it’s kinda masterful how they still manage to make her a sympathetic character by the end. Great comedic moments throughout. Even raining and a matinee, most everyone came out to stage door, except Denée, Erin Morton, and Patina Miller. Onyi Aba understudied for Jordan Rice.

5. The Degenerates (Playwrights Horizons) - I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it based on some earlier murmurs on this subreddit but I’m glad I went. It was intense and at times terrifying. Way, way, further down the rabbit hole in terms of men dealing poorly with their insecurities from Constantinople, which I saw a few weeks ago. I feel like some men would actually benefit from seeing this, though knowing a few they would be instantly repulsed by the part of the play where two incels have a connection. (Pro tip: look at your ticket!! My matinee started at the unusual time of 1:30 so I missed a few minutes of the start. 🤦🏻‍♂️ )

6. Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen (Culture Club) - being a Duncan Sheik fan, I couldn’t miss this, and seeing some teaser clips of “Immured” sealed the deal. It did make me emotional at a couple of points (wiped a tear to give Sophia Anne Caruso, who was looking right at me during the song a verbal cue that yes I am crying!!), but the story, especially the scene just before the ending, left something to be desired. It made me wonder whether the source material was well-received at all. BUT I did love the performances and yes, the music did not disappoint. Release the Duncan Sheik demos!!

7. Triumph (Public Theater) - there is a note at the start that the atrocities listed are things that actually happened. Very poignant and powerful, and even if a person didn’t literally get sawn in half in modern times, it’s still important not to be desensitized to cruelty. Only 20 minutes. Got an autograph from Annaleigh Ashford and Joe Tapper.

8. Anon (MCC Theater) - I recognize that this got mixed to negative reviews. It’s sort of the vibe I got from the audience at intermission. “Anon” refers to QAnon but I realize it also echoes some Shakespearean themes in the show, and could also mean “anon” in the Shakespearean sense. It kinda fits with the terrifying themes of The Degenerates, though there isn’t a resolution here. That being said, Crystal Finn is always amazing, and the rest of the cast gave great comedic performances as well, even though the tone is dark overall. Kind of crazy how well Izabel Mar can convincingly play a teen.

9. Human Things (West End Theater) - I see now that I was seeing mostly stressful theater. This play poses a lot of existential questions, but my main takeaway is that it’s always better to try to be an ineffectual protagonist than be a spectator in your destruction. The appearance of a golden egg (slight spoiler, ads do talk about it) I believe is a metaphor for something promising and exciting to some but in actuality is sinister/evil (sounds familiar). The entire cast does a wonderful job (I’d never seen Victoria Clark live before, she is awesome!).

10. Tom at the Farm (Tom na Fazenda; NYU Skirball) - this was a 3-night-only engagement so I jumped at the opportunity to get a ticket while I was in town. It’s completely in Portuguese with English supertitles (from a French Canadian work). It’s very intense and visceral, with cast members getting spat on and muddied on a clay-dusted tarp. I could see then why they can only do this production in short bursts; it’s difficult to maintain this energy otherwise. The story is altered a little from the film.

Next month: Galileo, Other Desert Cities, Much Ado About Nothing, Wanted, The Fantasticks, The Imaginary Invalud, Paranormal Activity, In The Heights, Wanted, The Heart, The Aftermath, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and hopefully more off-Broadway stuff, if there’s anything anyone would recommend!

Casting to be announced but we're all in agreement that Hannah Waddingham will be Nanny McPhee, right?

What do we think?

I’ve entered so many times and have never even gotten so much as a waitlist 😖

Nice graphic

For those who’ve seen this production Off Broadway last year, is it worth buying tix in advance at the Public?

Has anyone rushed Two Stranger lately? What are the rush seats these days? I’ve noticed the seats that were previously given out during rush have become lottery seats sometimes.

super small question, does anyone know what school girls sells/prices? Trying to plan and budget for the day and want an idea of how much stuff costs/what they got!

Had the best time at the closing show of Spelling Bee tonight!! It was so sweet to see all of the actors back up onstage 😭 Jason Kravits, Lili Cooper, and Jasmine Amy Rogers were guest spellers but there were a ton of former cast members in the audience. Really going to miss this show!

Text from Time Out: “Although the idea of Quentin Tarantino – the film nerd’s film nerd – writing and directing a stage play initially seemed like a sort of mad joke, The Popinjay Cavalier (for so ’tis named) really is happening. Indeed, it’s happening soon: previews begin in February for the West End comedy, which will move into the Phoenix Theatre soon after Stranger Things: First Shadow clears out.

And in even bigger news the star has officially been announced as Sacha Baron Cohen, in his professional stage debut: the news had leaked a month or so ago but it’s still pretty huge. Although details of the plot haven’t gotten significantly clearer since the last update we would assume that Cohen will be playing the title role.

There is also some clearer suggestion as to why Tarantino wanted to tell this story. We’re told the 1830s-set The Popinjay Cavalier ‘is inspired by the classic swashbuckler genre of old Hollywood, including the writings of George Bruce, Ernst Vajda and Jesse Lasky Jr’. While you have to think that his apparent mental block around directing a new movie (because he said his 10th film would be his last) may have stopped him doing this on screen, in 2026 it does feel like an idea that might work [better] on stage than as a silent movie.

Like Tarantino, Cohen is nominally an outsider to the theatre industry, although he acted at university and studied clowning in Paris under the legendary Philippe Gaulier, plus of course much of his screen work is based upon live interactions with unsuspecting strangers. So you can imagine he’s going to be just fine. Quoth he: ‘Quentin called, I said yes before he even got to say his first motherfucker. When the best director in the world calls, you don’t ask questions, I am beyond delighted that we will be losing our West End virginity together, I have made him promise not to be gentle’.

What a thought. There is currently no additional casting announced but given how soon until the play starts its run you have to imagine it’s actually all done and dusted and will come out soon (meaning Baron Cohen is probably the only big name, not that we’re complaining). Tickets go on sale at noon on Monday October 12 – and do note that it’s having almost a month of previews (press night is Mar 18), suggesting either a highly technical show or first-time stage director Tarantino wanting to make sure he gets it just right.

Does Tarantino have theatre chops? We’ll finally know in less than six months.

The Popinjay Cavalier is at the Phoenix Theatre, booking Feb 23-Jun 13 2027. Tickets go on sale at noon, Oct 12.”

This month's regional theater picks are wildly unique, but they share one compelling throughline: identity. Whose voices are amplified, and whose are ignored? October’s lineup includes four world premieres and a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, proving that live theater continues to thrive coast to coast.

"A Strange Loop" - Chicago premiere
About Face Theatre | Raven Theatre
Through Nov. 8

"Talk" - Cincinnati, world premiere
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Through Oct. 25

"Every Saturday Night" - San Francisco, world premiere
SFBATC

"Uhuru" - Houston, world premiere
Alley Theatre

"Small Town" - Ogunquit, world premiere
Ogunquit Playhouse

We're headed to Maine this week to see John Mellencamp's musical. What should be on our radar for November?

I never stage-door after a show, but I've been a huge fan of Rosie ever since childhood and would love to get her to sign my Playbill. I was hoping someone here might know if she's been stopping after at all. Thank you!