Travelogue: The Musings of a Regional Theater Critic’s Trip to New York - Volume 2

As my flight was touching down early Thursday morning at LaGuardia, it occurred to me that I had time to buy an online rush seat for a Thursday matinee. I had yet to see the hit off-Broadway production of Heathers that is closing on October 11, 2026. So, I snagged a seat for the 2:00 pm performance before the plane had reached the gate.

I retrieved my luggage, jumped into a cab, and checked into my hotel. After a quick bite at 5 Napkin Burger (5napkinburger.com) on 9th Ave at 44th Street, I walked up to New World Stages on 50th Street to enjoy the youthful energy of the cult classic Heathers the Musical. heathersthemusical.com

Thursday evening was already set. I’d bought an advance ticket to Paranormal Activity, the new bone-chilling scarer at the August Wilson Theatre. When planning my theater trips, I always splurge and buy good seats for the shows that are on my must-see list.

Sure, there are many ways to save money by buying discounted tickets through lotteries, the rush processes, and at the TKTS booths, but you leave a lot to chance. Your view could be partially obstructed, or the shows you really want to see could sell out.

Paranormal Activity didn’t disappoint. Director Felix Barrett showed his skill for ratcheting up the tension. His set, sound, and lighting designers have created an unnerving world for the undead. Levi Holloway’s twisty script blends humor with the macabre to tell a chilling story that comes to a shocking end. paranomalbroadway.com

After the Thursday evening show, I met a friend for a cocktail to discuss the plays we had just seen. I headed off to bed early, excited about the next five shows I would see over the weekend.

These trips always include both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. In fact, on this trip I would see two more off-Broadway productions; Masquerade and Heated Rivalry The Unauthorized Musical Parody.

I didn’t get to make my usual spring trek to New York. Sometimes life gets in the way, and an unexpected surgery forced me to postpone my Spring 2026 visit. But this trip would allow me to catch three of the shows that were nominated for Best Musical at the 2026 Tony awards.

I had already seen Titanique in January when it was off-Broadway at The Daryl Roth Theatre. This trip though included a stop in Schmigadoon (Friday), and afternoons with the Lost Boys (Sunday) and the Two Strangers who are carrying a cake across New York (Saturday.)

The Best Musical Tony winning production of Schmigadoon is a funny bone tickling feast for the eyes and ears. It’s beautifully designed, executed, and filled with crowd-pleasing performances and energetic choreography. Alex Brightman slays with his deadpan delivery. The outrageously funny Jennifer Simard is now lending her comedic talents to the company. She’s replacing Ana Gasteyer as the nosy and meddling preacher’s wife. Writer and composer Cinco Paul and director and choreographer Christopher Gattelli have improved on the already entertaining television series. Schmigadoon is fun, amusing, entertaining, and enjoyable. schmigadoononbroadway.com

The Lost Boys, playing at the beautifully refurbished Palace Theatre, is a highly stylized updated retelling of the 1987 vampire movie of the same name. Dane Laffrey, Jen Schriever, and Michael Arden won Tonys for their industrial set design and rock and roll lighting design. Laffrey’s set is an engineering marvel. Supporting actor Tony winner Ali Louis Bourzgui is magnetic as the sexually charged vampire David. The Lost Boys, with its indie rock score, is the most original musical of last season and unlike anything I’ve seen before. lostboysmusical.com

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is a charming and bittersweet relationship story. Tony nominee Christiani Pitts and understudy Vincent Michael share an affable, charismatic relationship. The simple set design gives director Tim Jackson a palette to tell an enchanting tale about two people who learn something about themselves. twostrangersmusical.com

Following the Saturday matinee of Two Strangers I grabbed hot dogs from a street vendor and returned to the hotel room for a quick bite between shows. It was time to get gussied up for my audience with the Phantom at Masquerade.

The immersive Masquerade, directed by the visionary Diane Paulus, puts a small audience in very close proximity to the actors and the action. Three different casts tell the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul’s story simultaneously with a production starting every 15-minutes. The cast you see will depend on your entry time into the Phantom’s lair. The audience follows the actors through different rooms on multiple levels of an abandoned art shop on West 57th Street. It is stage craft that astonishes and amazes, and an exciting take on the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. masqueradenyc.com

One of the biggest surprises of the weekend was how much I enjoyed the musical parody of Heated Rivalry. A housewife, obsessed with the TV series, played by the affably hilarious Ryann Redmond, narrates the story of the two professional hockey players and their torrid sexual romance. Writer and composer Dylan MarcAurele has composed a gut-busting, snort-inducing, R-rated musical sex comedy. It is 70-minutes of pure unadulterated fun. heatedrivalryparody.com

Five of the seven show I saw had a common link among the producing teams. Seattle husbands Sean Nyberg and Paul Danforth are producers, co-producers, or investors in Paranormal Activity, Heathers, Two Strangers…, The Lost Boys, and the Heated Rivalry musical parody. Nyberg and Danforth are invested, both literally and figuratively, in bringing original, never-seen-before works to the stage.

On Monday afternoon I boarded my flight toting a handful of playbills, a headful of memories, and a heart filled with gratitude for the artists who make it all happen!

PHOTO CREDITS: Schmigadoon: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman; Heated Rivalry the Unauthorized Musical Parody: Matthew Murphy