Three decades after it first opened in London, I think it is fair to say that the legacy of Phantom as one of the most popular and commercially successful shows in the history of musical theatre is secure. We can debate for as long as we want over whether or not it is overrated. For me, personally, it is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and it deserves much of its popularity, even though I know some may disagree. However, there is no denying that it is one of the most popular and commercially successful Broadway shows of all time, and that it may be a long time before we see a show top its 30 year run on Broadway.

That’s why I’m ready for the show to close.

It was the end of my freshman year at college and, as a Stephen King fan, I was prepared for a bit of a drought in his schedule. He had just published five novels in a row over the course of just over a year (well, six or seven if you count It twice, since the book is the size of a grand piano). Luckily, I had the musical version of Carrie to look forward to upon returning home from school for the summer. The show opened on Thursday, May 12, 1988 during my last week of classes and I had tickets to see the show with some friends for Saturday, May 21. Unfortunately, the show closed on Sunday, May 15 after five performances (there were sixteen previews before that and a four week run in Stratford-upon-Avon, England before that).

The question on everyone’s mind tends to be: “Why would anyone make THAT into a musical?”

Don't get me wrong, it's not just theatre.

In day to day life, we use words as a means to an end. We communicate functionally; we go from A to B, and we give remarkably little thought to which words we should use to get there. And then there are some people who use words as a continuous, hollow barricade against silence – but let's not go into that; we could be here for days.

Often diversity onstage doesn't mean Inclusion. Diversity usually entails having more than one "token" person of color in the ensemble. That is usually good enough for producers. This is hardly "good enough" and clearly doesn't represent what the world looks like. Where's the inclusion? I'm talking about people with disabilities. Why the hell aren't they represented in shows? Oh and here's the ridiculous part, if there is a "disabled" character, that role usually goes to an "able-bodied" actor. Seriously stupidest thing ever.

I’m tired of sitting in the dark. 

Today’s theater community faces big questions about our relationship to the general public—how to attract (and hold onto) new audiences, how to handle the omnipresence of cell phones, how to make people feel more welcome, etc. In short, how can artists best connect with their audiences? I don’t claim to have a silver bullet answer, but I find myself returning to a single, simple idea that could have a significant impact. 

Light the people in the seats. 

I get it. Theaters need to make money. And ticket sales don’t always cover the bills. So what else do you do, what else can you do, except ask your actors to pay. Some theaters charge a participation fee, others ask their actors to sell a minimum number of tickets, sell ads or collect items to be raffled off to raise money. Each way has pluses and minuses. Let’s discuss.

Bandstand, a new musical directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbeuhler (of Hamilton fame) plays at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre.   It holds the distinction of winning this year’s Tony for “Best Choreography” despite a curious inability to receive Tony nods in any other categories, including Best Actor/Actress for its talented leading duo of Corey Cott and Laura Osnes.

Opening this weekend at Club Café is Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s production of ‘Waiting for Waiting for Godot’ by Dave Hanson. Directed by Paula Plum, the production runs Friday, July 14 through Saturday, July 29 at Club Café, 209 Columbus Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. All performances are Pay-What-You-Can and donations of non-perishable food items will be collected at all performances for local charities. For tickets and more information visit www.hubtheatreboston.org.  

Tech week is meant to bring everything together, from the light and sound cues to all the small details. Those details depending on who you ask are either considered adventures or headaches.

For me, it depends on the time of day you ask. If I am up at two in the morning after a 6-hour rehearsal because that’s the only free time I have, I would probably call it a headache. But if its tech Sunday and I can have cast members or others help me complete that task, it might be a fun little adventure in getting things done.

While musicals certainly seem to dominate Broadway box offices, we've seen some incredible plays that will certainly go down as some of the best works of our time. 

These plays serve as the very best examples of what drama should be. Their creativity, depth, and characters have set a new standard for playwrights for generations to come. With comments by those who reviewed their productions, here are our updated picks for the Best Plays of the 21st Century...so far.