A.A. Cristi - Page 2

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• 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.