A.A. Cristi - Page 2

A.A. Cristi is a Managing Editor and Features Writer for BroadwayWorld. For more than a decade, she has covered theater news from coast to coast, attended major industry events including the Tony Awards, and contributed extensive special features ranging from in-depth interviews and original exclusives to long-form historical research projects.

She is a graduate of the College of Staten Island, where she earned a degree in Communications/Journalism. Her performance and production experience includes work both onstage and behind the scenes with La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Theater for the New City, Midtown International Theatre Festival, Richard Frankel Productions, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Scorpio Entertainment, Commercial Theater Institute, FringeNYC, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, and CAGE Theatre Company.

Outside of her work in theater journalism, Cristi is an award-winning children’s author. Her debut book, Bruce the Spruce: A New York City Fairytale About the True Meaning of Christmas Trees, is published by Mascot Books.

LEARN MORE ABOUT A.A. Cristi

First Show:

Thoroughly Modern Millie

Favorite Show:

West Side Story

Favorite Stories:

BWW Exclusive: Bringing Back Broadway, Part 3- Curtain Up! Light the Lights! - This article is the third installment in a three-part series examining Broadway’s return after the pandemic. While the first two pieces focused on tourism, economics, and the broader industry, this final entry went behind the scenes—into costume shops, rehearsal rooms, wings, and dressing rooms—to show fans what it actually took to bring Broadway back after a year-and-a-half shutdown. It was especially meaningful to spotlight the labor and dedication of the people working out of the spotlight.
SWEENEY TODD, A History- Part 2: The Demon Barber Slashes His Way From Page To Stage And Beyond - In-depth historical research has become a major part of my work at BroadwayWorld, and this two-part history of Sweeney Todd is the most extensive project I’ve ever undertaken. The first part traced the story’s Victorian-era origins, while the second explored its journey to the stage and beyond. Diving into the creative worlds of figures like Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Tim Burton, John Doyle, and the many performers who have embodied these roles was both fascinating and deeply rewarding.
BWW First Person: Dear Phil Connors- Finding Truth in GROUNDHOG DAY, A Musical For All of Us - This piece is especially personal to me—it grew out of my reaction to seeing Groundhog Day and feeling that it was an undervalued and deeply meaningful musical. It marked the first time I really turned inward as a writer to explore my own response to a work of art. The piece unexpectedly went viral, was embraced by the show’s creators, and sparked an outpouring of messages from readers who shared how the show had affected them, making it a genuinely wonderful experience.
How the Scourge Stole Broadway: A Christmas Tale of 2020 - Written during the pandemic, this parody poem compared Broadway’s shutdown to The Grinch, focusing on how creativity endured even after everything was “taken away.” It became a cathartic and hopeful way to celebrate the resilience of the theatre community, while also allowing me to merge my identities as a Broadway journalist and a children’s book author by using a beloved story to reflect a collective artistic experience.
BWW Exclusive: Everything's Up To Date On Broadway: The People Versus Classic Musicals - This article tackled the challenging question of how older Broadway musicals and plays fit into a modern cultural landscape shaped by evolving conversations around representation and inclusivity. Through interviews with leading theatre thinkers and practitioners, including Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Ted Chapin, and Tony-winning directors Daniel Fish and Bartlett Sher, the piece explored how these works can be contextualized, reexamined, and responsibly carried forward without dismissing their historical significance.

Interview: CHAMBER MAGIC Star Steve Cohen on Manhattan’s Magical History and the Art of Wonder
November 14, 2025

For more than two decades, magician Steve Cohen, known as “the Millionaires’ Magician”, has performed Chamber Magic inside the the Lotte New York Palace. In this interview, Cohen shares how his work connects to New York’s historic lineage of magicians soon to be honored in the NYPL exhibition The Mystery and Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City.

Interview: Mandy Gonzalez On Bringing the Music of Lin-Manuel Miranda to Carnegie Hall
November 5, 2025

Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez is coming home to New York and to the music that helped define her career. Read our interview as Everything I Know: Mandy Gonzalez Sings Lin-Manuel Miranda prepares to hit the Carnegie Hall stage.

Exclusive: Jessica Vosk Performs 'Just Another Bum' From FOXBRIER LANE A New Musical
October 29, 2025

Broadway’s Jessica Vosk (Wicked, Hell’s Kitchen) performs “Just Another Bum,” an exclusive video from Foxbrier Lane, a new folk-rock musical by Brandon Nicholas Pfeltz and Aitan Shachar.

Interview: Playwright Tim Blake Nelson Talks AND THEN WE WERE NO MORE World Premiere At La MaMa
September 25, 2025

Playwright Tim Blake Nelson discusses the debut his new play And Then We Were No More, playing now at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, starring Elizabeth Marvel and directed by Mark Wing-Davey. Read our interview!

Here I Go! A MAMMA MIA! First-Timer Faces the Music
September 6, 2025

What happens when a Broadway editor finally takes the plunge into Mamma Mia! after decades of resistance? In this first-person essay, A.A. Cristi recounts her maiden voyage into the world’s most joyful jukebox musical, exploring the show’s cultural legacy, communal spirit, and unabashed fun, she discovers why generations of audiences have made it Broadway’s happiest disco.

Interview: Obie Winner Michael Chernus Returns to the New York Stage in WELL, I’LL LET YOU GO
August 21, 2025

Obie winner Michael Chernus (Severance, Orange is the New Black, Spider-Man: Homecoming) returns to the NY stage after 11 years in Bubba Weiler’s debut play WELL, I’LL LET YOU GO. Extended through September 12 at The Space at Irondale. Read our interview.

Exclusive: Audible Resurrects DEAD OUTLAW As A Bold New Audio Musical Experience
August 9, 2025

Dead Outlaw, Audible’s first original musical, reimagines the true story of Elmer McCurdy through immersive sound and Western balladry. Created by David Yazbek, Itamar Moses, and David Cromer, the show explores legacy, death, and storytelling across stage and audio formats.

Broadway at the Kennedy Center: Senator John Hickenlooper on Pride and the Power of the Arts
July 10, 2025

U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper discusses Love is Love, a Pride concert at the Kennedy Center featuring Broadway stars like Javier Muñoz and Ariana DeBose. Co-produced with Jeffrey Seller and fellow senators, the event served as a joyful act of resistance against the Trump-era overhaul of the arts institution. Read the interview!

Exclusive: HAMILTON's Thayne Jasperson Reflects on 10 Years in the Room Where It Happens
July 9, 2025

Original Hamilton cast member Thayne Jasperson looks back on 10 years with the Broadway hit, from workshop beginnings to the 2025 Tony Awards reunion. Read the interview!

Photos: 2025 Tony Awards Fashion- Bold Glamour, Queer Elegance, and Menswear Redefined
June 10, 2025

Broadway's biggest night is always a celebration of talent, triumph, and tenacity, but on the 2025 Tony Awards red carpet, fashion took center stage with a showstopping display of individuality, artistry, and unapologetic flair. Check out photos of the most unforgettable looks of the night.

Live Blog: Backstage at the 2025 Tony Awards
June 8, 2025

The 78th Annual Tony Awards are here at last! While we are glued to our TVs to find out what will happen next onstage, just as much is going on behind the curtain! All night long, A.A. Cristi will be sharing live updates from backstage at Radio City Music Hall.

Will Michael Mayer-Directed CHESS Open On Broadway In Fall 2025?
May 22, 2025

The long-rumored Broadway revival of Chess is officially moving forward. A series of newly released Equity casting notices confirm that the cult-favorite musical will return to Broadway in Fall 2025 in a production directed by Tony Award-winner, Michael Mayer (Funny Girl, Spring Awakening).

BroadwayWorld's 2025 Phony Awards
June 6, 2025

Welcome to the 2025 BroadwayWorld Phony Awards, our annual celebration of the gloriously niche and criminally overlooked achievements of the 2024-25 Broadway season!

The Best Tony Awards Fashions of the 2020s
May 30, 2025

Let’s take a look back at some of the most unforgettable looks that turned the Tony Awards into a true fashion spectacle. Check out photos of all of our favorite Tony Awards fashions of the 2020s!

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