Jaja’s & Shucked Best of Broadway 2023
EW rounds up our 10 favorite pieces of theater to hit the Great White Way in 2023.
The cast of 'Shucked'. PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY & EVAN ZIMMERMAN
9. Shucked
A little musical about corn snuck onto Broadway this season to upend expectations. With exceedingly catchy music from country songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McNally and a hysterical book from Broadway vet Robert Horn (Tootsie), Shucked follows the story of Cob County, a town grappling with a corn blight that threatens to end their way of life. Jokes (plenty of corny ones at that) and a rollicking score serve as the lighthearted wrapping for a story that interrogates everything from identity to climate change to religion. Tony winner Alex Newell is the show’s beating heart, tearing down the house every night with Act One showstopper, “Independently Owned.” But what makes Shucked a kernel of joy in this packed Broadway season is the seamlessness of the ensemble, and the ways they bring to life energetic numbers like “Best Man Wins.” Sometimes the show veers into syrupy territory, more interested in laughs than a message — but couldn’t we all use a little more corn in our theatergoing diet? Cultural impact is all well and good, but sometimes you just want to laugh until your face hurts. —Maureen Lee Lenker
The cast of 'Jaja's African Hair Braiding'. PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY
4. Jaja's African Hair Braiding
Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh wonderfully shines a spotlight on the Black hair community in her hilarious and heartbreaking new comedy, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. A powerful tale of joy, loss, and sisterhood, Jaja’s chronicles a day in the life of the West African hair braiders working at its titular Central Harlem salon as they exchange backhanded compliments, dance, and create beautiful hair transformations for their clients. However, as the day progresses, Bioh skillfully morphs the found family’s everyday arguments about stolen customers and song selections into frank discussions about dreams, racism, deportation, and the personal sacrifices that each woman has had to make to build a better life for herself in the United States. Add in an excellent, almost entirely woman-led ensemble (many of whom were making their Broadway debut), Whitney White’s solid stage direction, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding succeeds in delivering a whole lot more than just stunning looks during its 90 minute runtime. —E.T.
