A brand-new musical bringing Broadway legends back together, New York, New York is a glittering love letter to the greatest city in the world. It is 1946, the war is over, and a resurgent New York is beginning to rebuild. As steel beams swing overhead, a collection of artists has dreams as big and diverse as the city itself. But do these singers, dancers, musicians and makers have what it takes to survive this place, let alone to succeed? If they can make it here, they can make it anywhere. New York, New York is a spectacular show for a singular city.
If the show's love for its city is fervent and shared by many in the audience, the dramatization of it is muddier and filled with stereotypes and story echoes of other New York stories. Very little feels original in New York, New York; instead, this musical, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, feels like a reheated casserole of so many other New York romanticized narratives, stereotypes, and well-worn signifiers. The big numbers don’t feel that big, the joints linking story and music—by Kander and Ebb, with additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda—are creaky.
The new show’s rah-rah tone eventually becomes numbing. This is all the more frustrating because ambivalence is baked into the title song, which alludes to the city’s mercurial temperament. “If I can make it there/I’d make it anywhere” - we’re in a tough town — is followed by “It’s up to you/New York, New York,” which deprives the singer of agency. But the show follows the triumphant template set by Frank Sinatra rather than the more ambiguous one imparted by Minnelli. In this rose-colored vision, trials are temporary, everybody gets along, and nobody runs up against New York’s bad side.
General Rush
Price: $30
Where: St. James box office
When: Tickets are available every day when the box office opens on a first-come, first-served basis.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Determined at the discretion of the box office. Subject to daily availability.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $30, plus a $5 service charge per ticket
Where: https://www.luckyseat.com/shows/newyorknewyork-newyork-2023Mar
When: Digital lotteries are accepted until 10:30 AM ET the day prior to the performance. Winners will be notified at approximately 11 AM ET the day prior to the performance via email and SMS.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Tickets are subject to availability.
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