Which Way to the Stage

Last updated
Which Way to the Stage
Written byAna Nogueira
Date premiered10 May 2022
Place premieredMCC Theater
Original languageEnglish
GenreComedy

Which Way to the Stage is a 2022 play by Ana Nogueira. The play follows Jeff and Judy and their experiences of waiting outside the stage door for Idina Menzel in the original Broadway production of If/Then . It was originally titled Here She Is, Boys. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

At the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City, Judy and Jeff wait outside the stage door during a performance of If/Then, hoping to meet Idina Menzel; she didn't come out the day they saw the show, and its closing has been announced. Both are aspiring actors; Judy has recently begun auditioning again after establishing a career in real estate, while Jeff works as a drag queen. Jeff admonishes Judy for using the word "faggot" to insult Jeff's ex-boyfriend, and Judy is surprised that he has taken offense given her allyship bona fides. It starts to rain and they assume Menzel will not come out.

Judy attends a callback for the roles of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in a production of Avenue Q to be staged in Maine. An actor, Mark, flirts with Judy and another actress, giving them both his phone number. Judy is intimidated by the other actress, who is voluptuous and conventionally beautiful, but that actress hears Judy sing and is likewise intimidated.

At the stage door that night, Judy tells Jeff she didn't get the part, and is offended when Jeff offers advice about femininity. Mark arrives, Judy having told him where she'd be. He booked the role of Princeton in Avenue Q. Mark, who has an Ivy League business degree, describes how he left his job in finance to pursue acting. Jeff has developed a new drag act based on Menzel, and Judy and Mark decide to attend as their first date. They learn that Menzel's understudy is performing in her place that night.

At the drag club, Judy and Mark enjoy each other's company. They nearly kiss, but Judy pulls away as Jeff's performance starts. A drunken bachelorette interrupts the show, and Judy is troubled when Jeff shuts down the heckler by insulting her vagina. The performance continues, but Judy soon leaves, telling Mark she doesn't feel well. After the show, Mark stays to talk to Jeff after the patrons have all left. Jeff tells Mark that Judy's voice is incredible, but she always restrains herself to her detriment. Mark kisses Jeff, who physically pushes Mark away out of respect for Judy.

At a callback for Spamalot, Judy sees the same actress again and smiles privately on learning that Mark never called her back. The actress is surprised Judy didn't book Avenue Q, but reveals the director sexually harassed her when they worked together before. She praises Judy's voice and encourages her to perform enthusiastically.

At the stage door, the tension between Judy and Jeff comes to a head. She tells him that his performance was misogynistic and appropriative of femininity, and would have offended Menzel. He argues that none of the great musical theatre roles are for men; rather, they were written by gay men who created female characters because they couldn't express their authentic selves. He tells her that Mark kissed him, and she admits that she felt too insecure to let Mark kiss her. Judy storms off and Jeff leaves in tears.

Jeff and Mark see each other at a callback. Jeff has been ignoring Mark's texts, but after Jeff reveals he and Judy are no longer friends and Mark unreservedly expresses his romantic interest in Jeff, they kiss passionately and agree to date. But on learning that Mark dropped out of Avenue Q because he didn't want to leave the comfort of his life in New York and thinks he can get other roles easily, Jeff decides that Mark is unserious in pursuing theatre and does not authentically share his values. Jeff tells Mark not to come back to the stage door.

Some time later, Judy has reached out to Jeff after a period of noncontact, to ask for a slot in his show. She gives a bravura drag performance of "Rose's Turn."

Productions

Which Way to the Stage had its premiere at Newman Mills Theater in The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space on May 10 2022, following previews from April 14. [2] The play was initially scheduled to play a limited run to May 22, but extended to June 5 due to Covid-19 related cancellations. [3] Directed by Mike Donahue, the cast included Sas Goldberg, Max Jenkins, Evan Todd, and Michelle Veintimilla. [2]

The play ran at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, from December 6, 2022 to January 22, 2023. [4]

Cast and characters

CharacterOff-Broadway (2022)Arlington, VA (2022-23)
JudySas GoldbergDani Stoller
Jeff Max Jenkins Mike Millan
Mark Evan Todd Michael Tacconi
Actress/Bachelorette/Casting Director Michelle Veintimilla Nina-Sophia Pacheco

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Holliday</span> American actress, singer (1921–1965)

Judy Holliday was an American actress, comedian and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idina Menzel</span> American actress and singer (born 1971)

Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress and singer. Particularly recognized for her work in musicals on Broadway, she has been nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway" for her commanding stage presence, powerful mezzo-soprano, and reputation as one of the most influential stage actors of her generation. Having achieved mainstream success across stage, screen, and music, her accolades include an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award, three Drama League Awards, and four Drama Desk Awards. In 2019, Menzel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was named a Disney Legend in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoshana Bean</span> American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1977)

Shoshana E. Bean is an American singer, songwriter, YouTuber, and stage actress. She has released three records and has appeared on many theater cast recordings and film soundtracks. In 2022, Bean received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Susan Young in Mr. Saturday Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Laura Thompson</span> American actor-singer (born 1969)

Jennifer Laura Thompson is an American actress and singer, best known for her theatrical performances. She originated the role of Cynthia Murphy in the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. She is also known for being the first replacement for Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway.

<i>Wicked</i> (musical) 2003 musical by Stephen Schwartz

Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, in turn based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film adaptation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie J. Block</span> American actress and singer (born 1972)

Stephanie Janette Block is an American actress and singer, best known for her work on the Broadway stage.

Aaron Lohr is an American actor and singer.

Ann Harada is an American actress and singer who was first known for the musical Avenue Q, in which she originated the role of Christmas Eve, the heavily accented Japanese therapist.

Amanda Green is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. In 2021, she was elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America, the first woman to hold the role in the Guild's 100-year history.

<i>The Wild Party</i> (Lippa musical) Musical by Andrew Lippa

The Wild Party is a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willemijn Verkaik</span> Dutch singer and actress

Willemijn Verkaik is a Dutch singer and actress. She is best known for her stage roles in Wicked and Elisabeth, and for providing the singing voice for Elsa in both the German and Dutch versions of Disney's Frozen. She was the longest running Elphaba in the musical Wicked, having played the role over 2,000 times, and is the only person to have played the role in three languages. Her first performance as Elphaba was on 31 October 2007, in Stuttgart, Germany, and her final performance was on 22 July 2017 in the West End of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby Corcoran</span> Fictional character from the Fox series Glee

Shelby Corcoran is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Idina Menzel, Shelby was introduced in the fourteenth episode of the show as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, a rival show choir to New Directions, the show's primary musical group. Fans had lobbied for Menzel to be cast as Rachel Berry's biological mother, due to the strong physical resemblance between Menzel and Michele. After it is revealed that Shelby is, in fact, Rachel's biological mother, Shelby discloses that she had signed a contract that stated that she could not seek out her daughter until she was eighteen. She tells Rachel that instead of trying to act like mother and daughter, they should just be grateful that they have met, and maintain a distance.

Jackie Burns is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theatre.

<i>If/Then</i> Musical by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt

If/Then is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start.

<i>Here</i> (Idina Menzel album) 2004 studio album by Idina Menzel

Here is the second album from American singer-actress Idina Menzel. Unable to find acting gigs, Menzel began recording the album in 1999, but was dropped by Hollywood Records after her previous album Still I Can't Be Still didn't sell a lot. In 2004, Menzel self-released Here, despite it being incomplete. While Menzel was performing in Wicked which earned her a big rise to fame, she sold copies of the album at the Gershwin Theatre. The album has sold around 2,000 copies.

Janet Krupin is an American actress, singer, writer, and producer. She is best known as a Broadway performer and the original host of the popular web-series "The Click Clique." On Broadway, she originated the role of Kylar in Bring It On: The Musical, and was a swing in the musical If/Then on Broadway. As a musician, released her debut EP, Aurora EP, as part of the musical duo Trillium, and is currently performing as a founding member of The Jackson Massive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idina Menzel: Live at Radio City</span>

Idina Menzel: Live at Radio City was a concert by American singer-songwriter and actress Idina Menzel at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York on June 16, 2014. In the wake of the success of Disney's popular animated film Frozen (2013), in which Menzel starred as Elsa, Menzel announced in April 2014 that she will be headlining a one-night-only concert at Radio City Music Hall on her break from her eight shows a week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idina Menzel: World Tour</span> 2015 concert tour by Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel: World Tour was a concert tour by actress and singer Idina Menzel.

Michelle Veintimilla is an Ecuadorian American film, television, and theater actress. She played the role of villain Firefly in the second and fourth seasons of the Fox television series Gotham. Recently, she portrayed Carmen Guerra on FOX's The Gifted and Marie Joblanski on the Netflix crime drama series Seven Seconds. Recently, she starred as Hayden on the Netflix science fiction miniseries, The I-Land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Vosk</span> American singer and actress (born 1983)

Jessica Vosk is an American singer and actress, known for her work in musical theater.

References

  1. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "World Premiere of WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE to Open at MCC Theater This April". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  2. 1 2 Brunner, Raven (8 March 2022). "Michelle Veintimilla, Sas Goldberg, Max Jenkins, Evan Todd Cast in MCC World Premiere of Which Way to the Stage". Playbill. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  3. ↑ Brunner, Raven (25 May 2022). "MCC Theater's Which Way to the Stage Resumes Performances Off-Broadway May 25". Playbill. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  4. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Arlington's Signature Theatre Announces 2022/2023 Season Featuring Three Sondheim Productions". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.