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As the 2026-27 Broadway season kicks off this month with preview performances of Paranormal Activity, producers hope that the season ahead surpasses last year’s modest gross profit increase. Amid the Paddington influencer swag, one questionable theater marketing tactic continues to gain traction on Broadway and beyond: rehearsal footage. 

Don’t get me wrong. I’m ready for Rachel Zegler to blow the roof off the Winter Garden Theatre in Evita next spring. But do I need to see fast-cut rehearsal footage of Fabian Aloise’s foot-stomping choreography? I’m not so sure. 

One of the joys of live theater is the unexpected—the illusion of an imaginary world, temporal by nature. Dorothy’s face after pulling back the curtain on the Wizard says it all.

Just last night, I was late-night scrolling through Instagram and stumbled upon the glorious Maria Friedman—also stumbling— in a rehearsal of “This Time” from the European premiere of Kimberly Akimbo.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Db8jw0Vszpv/

The video captures the inherently messy process of putting on a show, offering fun insight for theatermakers and enthusiasts following our favorite performers and productions. But it also cracks the veneer of what makes the theatergoing “one moment in time” experience so unique.

Audiences are raving about the recent Hadestown release, which surpassed Hamilton as the highest-grossing pro-shot/live theater capture in box office history. “Pro” being the operative word. Yes, these are different viewing experiences. Hadestown is a product, not a process. Sound mixing, multi-camera editing, and the actors’ awareness that they’re playing for both a live and remote audience reimagines the source material for a new medium. 

Rehearsal footage, on the other hand, intended to lure audiences, can sometimes do the exact opposite. Some theater marketing folks are veering toward a happy medium, offering more intentional studio teasers, such as the incredible Alysha Umphress singing “With Every Breath I Take” from the rarely revived City of Angels (one of our top regional theater picks for August).

Where do you land on this? Charming behind-the-scenes access, or too much curtain pulled back too soon? Drop your take in the comments.

Did you know that In the Heights, Avenue Q, and Goddess were all developed at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center?

Each summer, the campus also hosts the National Critics Institute (NCI), led by Chicago Tribune chief theater critic Chris Jones and associate director Naveen Kumar, which welcomes a new cohort to sharpen their skills as culture critics. I participated in 2018 and returned this year to speak on a panel with critic Brittani Samuel about forging new paths in cultural criticism. 

NCI launched several years after the O’Neill’s founding, and has grown to be a fundamental part of its programming. In recent years, we’ve seen devastating layoffs of arts reporters at major publications, from the Washington Post to the Los Angeles Times.

This year's group spans music, TV, film, books, and food. So does their geographic locale, with participants representing markets from D.C. to Colorado and everywhere in between. The end goal remains steadfast:

In an era of AI and quick swipes, how do we stay connected to humanity? What stories are yearning to be told? And how do we share them in a way that is compelling enough to draw an audience? 

I think the arts are a fundamental part of our lived experiences. AI can never fully be, as Lin-Manuel Miranda writes, “in the room where it happens.” 

What are your thoughts on the role of theater critics in today's media landscape? Who are your favorites to read, and where do you discover them?

Death came for Death Becomes Her on June 28. And for once, the show didn’t have a trick up its sleeve to cheat it. After over 650 performances, the Lunt-Fontanne went dark on one of the most maximalist musical comedies Broadway has produced in years—and one that failed to recoup its $31.5 million price tag. Even immortality has overhead.

I caught the closing performance, and the show was still firing on every cylinder. Marco Pennette’s biting book and Julia Mattison and Noel Carey’s score know exactly what kind of musical it wants to be. And when Betsy Wolfe took over for Megan Hilty as Madeline Ashton in January, the show didn’t skip a beat. A musical that survives a lead replacement without losing its pulse is a musical built to travel.

The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is one of Broadway’s most cavernous, with a deep house that can often feel like you’re sitting across the street. Derek McLane’s scenic design and Paul Tazewell‘s Tony-winning costumes never had that problem. This is a show built at the scale the theatre demands with all the bells and whistles that need real square footage to land. Most touring houses are bigger than their Broadway counterparts. For once, a production isn’t shrinking to fit the road. It’s finally getting stages roomy enough to match its ego.

The math killed this run, not the show. The original production capitalized on a familiar title audiences were familiar with. But the Broadway ecosystem is brutal. The national tour launches in September at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, betting that recognition can do what good reviews and Tony nominations couldn’t.

Death Becomes Her isn’t dead. It’ll be reincarnated with a better budget and a bigger map. Drink up, America.

Who are the Tony Awards for, really? Regardless of who won, it’s a rare opportunity to bring Broadway into America’s living room. And if a production resonates with the millions of viewers through live broadcast, the better the chance of its continued success in New York and on the road. 

1 Minute Critic attended an exclusive viewing party in Cleveland, Ohio. The front-row seat on a sectional couch included commentary from a six-month-old puppy and VIP snacks, including Girl Scout cookies and hard seltzers. 

But the big takeaways were from a small sampling of Broadway’s core audience. The unofficial poll included three people: a 49-year-old female, a 58-year-old male, and a 17-year-old teenage girl. The dog declined to participate. 

Laugh though you may, Cleveland is a litmus test for the rest of the country. Its Broadway series is one of the largest in the country, drawing 44,000 subscribers and generating nearly $360 million in economic impact. 

So what did this captive audience think of this year’s Tony-nominated musicals? 

Here are a few samples:

Two Strangers Carry a Cake (Across New York)
“Is that Ed Sheeran?!”

“That was a 10 out of 10! I want to see it—it looks like so much fun.”

“It’s about a couple that’s visiting New York and the guy is obviously not from the U.S. Somehow they get an AmEx card, and they can put whatever they want on it for a day.”

“It looks super fun, modern, current day. I think there’s something about seeing it in New York because it’s about New York. Also, I really like that guy’s voice. I want to see him.”

Schmigadoon!
“It’s good dancing and looks fun, but I think you’d forget it right after you saw it.”

“It’s like that corn show.”

“Oh, right! What was that called—?”

“Shucked!”

“Is the idea that they wander into an altered reality?”

Ragtime
“I definitely want to see that. I want to know how it’s held up. I love a period piece.”

“It’s an old show, but it feels very relevant. I got goosebumps. The choreo and everyone intermingling, then separating—very cool.”

“If two people walked through with backpacks, it’d be just like the last one.”

I’m afraid my Tony predictions may have gone off the rails. Bad for me, good for you. 1 Minute Critic participated in Broadway Scorecard’s Beat the Critics content, where participants have a chance to win a $200 gift card from TodayTix. Pick the Tonys, beat a critic, win a prize — one winner will be drawn randomly from all entries that outscore at least one of our featured critics. (Full rules here.)

I have one of the best jobs in the world: seeing theater. I caught nearly every Broadway show of the season. I didn’t review them all, and I don’t believe in a “chief critic” position. 1 Minute Critic was founded on celebration rather than gatekeeping, and the more diverse voices, the better. There are certain kinds of work that resonate with me, personally, but the one constant I always keep in mind is “why?”

Why does a show resonate? What is it about a performance that makes my stomach all squeamish in a good way? What’s the point in investing millions of dollars to tell a story at a particular moment in time? 

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But here’s the hitch: I’m not a Tony voter—yet. Each May, the Broadway League hosts its Spring Road Conference, where producers schmooze over which productions will tour. Broadway is a for-profit business, and an 11 o’clock number only matters if it sells tickets in Cleveland.

After locking my votes for GALECA’s (the Society of LGBTQ+ Entertainment Critics) Dorian Theater Awards, I realized I had completely shut out one of the major contenders. And when I submitted my picks for Broadway Scorecard’s contest, I similarly followed my gut instinct. But as a theater patron, not as a producer. 

Now, I’m second-guessing my pick, but I hope I’m wrong. No discredit to any of the nominees, but The Lost Boys was the one new musical that made my blood pump. A score by The Rescues, a Broadway-caliber scenic design with all the bells and whistles you’d hope for given the ticket price, and Michael Arden’s direction, which creates a mesmerizing world filled with camp, heart, and suspense. 

But Schmigagoon!, based on the short-lived Apple TV series, is a confection, and easier to take out on the road. Will Tony voters cave in to their sweet tooth, or opt for a new musical with more meat on its bones? 

My heart says The Lost Boys. The Tony voters’ sweet tooth may say otherwise. I’ll be watching and dancing around my apartment either way.