New York City theatergoers have a packed few weeks ahead, with a diverse lineup of productions opening and running for limited engagements—but don’t wait to get tickets.
A Weekend of Avant-Garde Opera and Provocative Drama
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Several highly anticipated shows, including a new opera with St. Vincent and a revival of a politically charged debate, are hitting stages with short runs.
- Richard Foreman and Michael Gordon’s opera, What to wear, returns to New York with singer St. Vincent.
- Kramer/Fauci, a recreation of a 1993 debate, opens next month at NYU Skirball.
- Erica Schmidt’s The Disappear offers a darkly comedic look at marriage and desire.
- Tracy Letts’s Bug, starring Carrie Coon, returns to Broadway with a chilling exploration of paranoia.
- Leo McGann’s The Honey Trap, a gripping play set during the Troubles, is back for an encore engagement.
What makes a compelling story truly stick with you? The productions hitting New York stages this winter aren’t shying away from difficult questions, and they’re doing so with a level of artistry that demands attention.
A Return to Foreman’s Singular Vision
Composer Michael Gordon and the late Richard Foreman, known for his strikingly geometric stage designs, are bringing What to wear to New York audiences. Originally produced at the CalArts Center for New Performance in 2006, this opera features a visual style characterized by clusters of lightbulbs and otherworldly performers. A clip from the original 2006 production is available here. The production, lovingly recreated by Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar of Big Dance Theater, will run this weekend at BAM, and features singer-songwriter St. Vincent in the cast.
(© Stephanie Berger)
Revisiting a Heated Debate: Kramer/Fauci
Opening next month at NYU Skirball, Daniel Fish’s Kramer/Fauci will also have a limited two-week run. Tony winner Will Brill (Stereophonic) portrays Dr. Anthony Fauci, while Thomas Jay Ryan embodies dramatist and activist Larry Kramer in a recreation of their 1993 televised debate concerning AIDS policy. The production promises a bracing look at Fauci’s often-polarized reputation, long before the Covid-19 pandemic and the Trump administration reshaped the political landscape. Fish, who previously directed the revival of Oklahoma!, has a knack for revealing hidden truths in familiar narratives.
(© Tricia Baron/David Gordon/Christopher Michel)
Marriage Under the Microscope
Both Erica Schmidt’s The Disappear and Tracy Letts’s Bug offer unsettling explorations of marriage, albeit through very different lenses. The Disappear, starring Hamish Linklater and Miriam Silverman, presents a seemingly idyllic couple whose lives are disrupted by a husband’s desire for an affair. The play dissects the collision between consumer expectations and the enduring institution of marriage, offering a darkly humorous and painfully relatable portrayal of modern relationships.
(© Jeremy Daniel)
Meanwhile, Tracy Letts’s Bug, starring Carrie Coon, delves into the darker side of relationships, exploring themes of paranoia and obsession. Set in Oklahoma City, the play follows a woman hiding from her ex-husband who becomes entangled with a military veteran, leading to a descent into delusion and conspiracy.
(© Matthew Murphy)
A Haunting Tale from the Troubles
Finally, Leo McGann’s The Honey Trap, currently enjoying an encore engagement at the Irish Rep, is a must-see. Set in Belfast in 1979, the play follows two British soldiers who encounter two Irish women at a pub, with tragic consequences. Told through the lens of an American student conducting oral histories, the play explores the complexities of truth and narrative during the Troubles.
(© Carol Rosegg)
With limited runs across the board, these productions are sure to spark conversation—and sell out quickly.
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