They're Beautiful and They're Here! BWW Picks 2016's Most Fascinating People in Theatre
By: A.A. Cristi Dec. 30, 2016
The weeks leading up to the New Year are often a time of reflection and recognition of the preceding twelve months. In that spirit, BroadwayWorld is taking a moment to look back on the brightest lights in theatre this season.
In a year that has left many bereft, disappointed, and feeling just plain hopeless, Broadway has given us more than one reason to be grateful. From a young actor prepared to make his jump to the big leagues, to jaw-dropping performances from stars both new and old, to public bouts with the incoming presidential administration, 2016 has been a headline-making year for our industry; ushering in an era of brave new works, political awareness, and unadulterated awe at talents that continue to inspire, astound, and entertain us.
Below, in no particular order, are the handful of folks who we feel have made this year on Broadway shine infinitely more brightly, and who will no doubt go on to keep us captivated in 2017 and beyond!
After a tremendous spring, giving what critics called "a breakout performance full of self-effacing humor, raw feeling and endearingly awkward grace", that earned him an Obie Award, as well as Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Award nominations, Ben Platt's beloved Evan Hansen has made his way to Broadway. Replicating all the gentle charm and raw emotion that had audiences falling in love with him in 2016, Ben's star is just beginning to soar, but his acclaimed Broadway turn in his first starring role is quickly cementing his status as a name to watch in 2017 and beyond.
To many minds, 2016 has been a bust. A year whose numerical moniker will forever be associated with disappointment and division. In a twelve-month span where loss seemed to reign supreme, it is easy to overlook any of the good things that have come out of it. But those of us still in search of a silver lining would do well to remember that 2016 was the year that gave us Cynthia Erivo. With a voice that is equal parts, "YAASS KWEEN"/*fetal and sobbing*, Cynthia's arrival in 2016 has felt like the discovery of a rare and special treasure. The year has been both a figurative and literal marathon for Erivo. From a stunning, Tony-winning portrayal of Celie in John Doyle's vindicating revival of The Color Purple, to her role in a historic concert version of Jason Robert Brown's The Last 5 Years, to literal feats of athletic greatness, Cynthia Erivo has proven that while she may have been crowned queen of 2016, she has both the talent and stamina to reign for decades to come.
2016 has been a major year for songwriting duo Pasek & Paul. The two started off 2016 making their first foray into motion pictures, composing songs for the animated hit, Trolls. Staying busy throughout the spring, they then launched their latest stage offering, Dear Evan Hansen off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre. Opening to enthusiastic reviews and adoring audiences, the show quickly gained buzz and arranged for a Broadway transfer, making a star out of one of our earlier picks, Ben Platt. But it is the team's most high-profile project to date, the Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling musical vehicle, La La Land, that is making the biggest splash with audiences and gaining some major ground in the Oscar race. For all the great work they did in 2016, don't be surprised if you catch these two picking up more than a few statuettes in the New Year.
History has had its eyes on Brandon Victor Dixon since the outset of 2016. Beginning the year in the company of Shuffle Along, Brandon earned a Tony-nod for bringing composer Eubie Blake to elegant life in a show that remembers and reclaims an essential component of the black legacy on Broadway. A brief stopover on Ellis Island brought the actor to another musical that examines both past and present, with Brandon leading the cast of a site-specific production of Ragtime as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.. History's gaze would only grow stronger as the year went on, however, as Brandon joined company of Hamilton. Stepping into the role of sympathetic villain, Aaron Burr, Brandon's reenactment of the past would lead to his most history-making moment to date. Delivering a message for fair governance to Vice President-elect, Mike Pence, upon his visit to the hit musical, Brandon spoke to the hopes a diverse and progressive nation left bereft in the wake of a trying election. Exhibiting a persistent grace both in performance and the very public fallout from the address, Brandon has ensured that history will keep its eyes wide open where he is concerned for years to come.
Aside from having the most fun to say name of 2016, this Belgian-born artbiter of all things avant garde, had perhaps the biggest year of any name on this list. Beginning with a lauded (and multiple Tony Award-winning) production of Arthur Miller's, A View From the Bridge, Ivo has spent the last twelve months making his name as a singular interpreter of works both old and new. Continuing his march into Main Stem consciousness, Ivo astounded audiences both up and downtown with his haunting take on another Arthur Miller classic, The Crucible, as well as his staging of the brand-new musical, Lazarus by rock icon (and 2016 casualty *sob*), David Bowie. Ivo is already heading into the new year on a high note. With his critically acclaimed revival revival of Ibsen's, Hedda Gabler currently making moves toward London's West End, there is no telling what 2017 might hold for this renegade theatre-maker.
Embracing the glow of triumph as part of the gold-plated creative team of, Hamilton, Alex Lacamoire wasted little time storming 2016. Aside from taking home Tony and Grammy awards for his hand in bringing the sounds of the American Revolution to vivid life, the music director, orchestrator, and conductor quickly became one of the faces of the show, embracing his role as a public member of the HamFam. With his latest project, Dear Evan Hansen, making an acclaimed jump to Broadway and a new gig as music director for Carmen Jones, an upcoming Cuban adaptation of George Bizet's opera Carmen, the new year could bring a slew of new successes for the man who gifted us that swingin' banjo line in "The Room Where It Happens."
He spent the former part of the year bemoaning the pressures of being one of the biggest names in theatre. But while it may be "hard to be the Bard", there is no one better suited to making it look easy than Christian Borle. After leaving his Tony-winning role of Will Shakespeare in the hilarious original musical, Something Rotten!, Christian took the leap into more dramatic waters, delivering an acclaimed turn as Marvin in the star-studded revival of James Lapine and William Finn's Falsettos. With another banner year in an already flourishing career under his belt, the two-time Tony winner is already booked for 2017, preparing to step into the iconic tailcoat of mysterious chocolatier, Willy Wonka, in the Broadway transfer of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In other words, "The man is non-stop."
Having made her bones on London's West End portraying Fantine in Les Miserables and Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Carmen first made her way to the states touring as the leading lady of both Wicked and South Pacific. But her true arrival as a diva to watch came in 2016 with her first turn on on Broadway, portraying Alice Murphy in Bright Star. Giving a striking dual performance with a belt that could blow your barn doors in, Carmen captivated audiences and earned Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Drama Desk nominations for her turn in the under-appreciated bluegrass love letter. And while the musical itself may have been short lived, Carmen's star continued to burn bright as she appeared alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford in City Center's concert of Sunday in the Park with George and released her first album, If You Knew My Story.
And, if nothing else, 2016 was the year that finally gave us an answer to the question, "When is Josh Groban coming to Broadway?" In his long-awaited arrival to the Great White Way, the classical pop icon has taken up one of the title roles in the musicalized slice of War and Peace, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. After joining the Broadway community at long last, Groban has jumped in with both feet, extending his run in the show and participating in all manner of Broadway fun. From judging a door-decorating competition at Hamilton with another incoming star, Cate Blanchett, to joining Leslie Odom, Jr. on stage during his McKittrick Hotel residency, to surprising New Yorkers with impromptu Christmas carols, Josh is making the most of his first Broadway experience in a way that makes us hope he'll be a regular visitor from now on.
You know damn well why.
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