The Best Show on Broadway?

Working with the public, more specifically a sightseeing guide for New York City, one of the most common questions I am asked is, “What is the ‘best’ show on Broadway?”

It is a question I answer with a question. One would think I would have a stock answer, however, it just isn’t that simple, the content of each show requires consideration.

“Is this your first show?” Is my first response.

The first theatre experience can make or break a future thespian. A teacher once said to me during an arts appreciation class in college, “we need experienced people in the seats, as much as we need them on the stage.”

I take this advice to heart when I try and answer the question.

I have to be careful during conversations like these I suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome. Usually when I am asked this question it is from a first time visitor who has purchased a package deal. More times than not the inquirer is searching for the value of the trip as well as the quality of the New York experience.

This is where good customer service is at the heart of a good tour guide. I ask several questions before I give my opinion. The ‘best’ Broadway show is as subjective as peanut butter.

"Do you like nutty or smooth?"

"Are you devoted to only one brand?"

Are you asking me if the show is a Tony Award winner or are you asking me if I have seen it, and did I like it? There are so many different variables for an adequate answer to this question.

Every time I am asked this question, I have to inquire whether or not I am being asked about a musical or a drama. The vernacular ‘Broadway’ I have come to understand during these discussions is - big production. The artistry of theatre is different. Are we talking “Death of A Salesman,” or “Mary Poppins?” There is a big difference between your expectation and the actual experience.

In my opinion, the first show one experience’s on Broadway may always be the best show.