NOTHING LIKE BROADWAY at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
Nothing Like Broadway! presented at the historic Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, is a buoyant tribute to the classic American musical. Writer-composer-lyricist David Rackoff constructs his show with the spirit of traditional craftsmanship: clear narrative purpose, honest emotional stakes, clever musical rhymes, and a belief that theater should engage both the intellect and affections.
L-R: Josey Miller, Marek Zurowski, Tyler Tanner, and Mychal Phillips in a scene from Nothing Like Broadway! Photo by Arden Dickson
The show’s approach embodies the kind of disciplined structure admired by William Archer—who championed clarity, sincerity, and dramatic coherence—while echoing the socially aware humor and artful provocations favored by George Bernard Shaw. Yet Rackoff’s work remains entirely its own: warm, mischievous, tuneful, and refreshingly earnest in an age saturated with irony.
A Historic Stage Reawakened
Nestled near Central Park West, the theater itself enhances the performance with its intimate charm and storied history. Once a haven for young artists, including Bob Hope and Tennessee Williams, the space carries the hum of past dreams—now rekindled through Rackoff and co-director Rosie Corr’s staging choices.
L-R: Joseph K. Ivan. Courtesy josephkivan.com and David Rackoff. Courtesy davidrackoffmusic.com
The actors frequently emerge from the aisles, appear from unexpected corners, and engage the audience as though the entire house were their playground. When Mychal Phillips begins Annabelle’s opening monologue from the first row before joining the stage, she immediately dissolves the barrier between viewer and performer. The result is immersive, lively, and playfully conspiratorial.
A Score Rich With Style and Theatrical Allusion
The musical textures crafted by Rackoff—and shaped by music director Joseph Ivan (who also plays Mr. Ivan in the show) -- are both nostalgic and daring. A slightly worn spinet piano adds a wry, unstable shimmer to the harmonic landscape. Whether this sonic roughness was accidental or intentional, it lends an intriguing tension to the score, hinting at emotional fragility beneath comedic surfaces.
Marek Zurowski in a scene from Nothing Like Broadway! Photo by Arden Dickson
The music draws inspiration from operetta, early twentieth-century theatrical satire, and modern chamber-musical storytelling. Call-and-response patterns evoke Gilbert and Sullivan; rhythmic jaggedness conjures the theatrical angularity of early Stravinsky; sly harmonic shading recalls Weill.
Violinist/Violist Patrick Shelc, trumpeter Robert Williamson, with a drummer who contributed warmth, sparkle, and rhythmic vitality—a small ensemble producing a surprisingly expansive palette.
L-R: Marek Zurowski and Josey Miller in a scene from Nothing Like Broadway! Photo by Arden Dickson
The Cast: Four Performers, Limitless Charm
Marek Zurowski as Bixby
Marek Zurowski’s Bixby commands the evening with polished confidence and a lyric-dramatic tenor that fills the room effortlessly. He navigates the character’s duality—spy, storyteller, lover, and reluctant hero—with deft timing and a stylish wink. At times suave and at others delightfully baffled, Zurowski anchors the show with charisma and vocal heft.
L-R: Mychal Phillips. Courtesy mychalphillips.com and Marek Zurowski. Courtesy marekzurowski.com Josey Miller as Kishka
As the faux-Russian spy Kishka, Josey Miller proves herself a comic whirlwind. Her firm accent, elastic expressions, and buoyant physicality are crowd-pleasing. She darts across the stage with controlled chaos, making each punchline land with spirited precision. Her number “You Only Love Me for My…” is a highlight of comic invention.
L-R: Mychal Phillips and Marek Zurowski in a scene from Nothing Like Broadway! Photo by Arden Dickson Mychal Phillips as Annabelle
Phillips, whose character frequently instigates the plot’s twists, radiates charm. Her lilting soprano carries warmth and clarity, especially in “Nothing Like Broadway,” which reveals Annabelle’s blend of longing, theatrical bravado, and comic scheming. Phillips’ portrayal adds emotional ballast to the show’s more eccentric twists.
L-R: Tyler Tanner, Mychal Phillips, and Marek Zurkowski in a scene from Nothing Like Broadway! Photo by Arden Dickson Tyler Tanner as Milo
Tyler Tanner brings sincere, beating-heart vulnerability to Milo—the stagehand yearning for artistic recognition. His ballad “If I Could Sing My Feelings” becomes one of the evening’s gentlest and most touching moments. Tanner’s shy earnestness provides a human counterweight to the espionage antics unfolding around him.
L-R: Josey Miller. Courtesy joseymariemiller.com and Tyler Tanner. Courtesy orlandoshakes.org
Plot, Antics, and a Touch of Apocalyptic Absurdity
The story unfolds with gleeful unpredictability: spies, double agents, secret formulas, daddy issues, theatrical dreams, and an unexpectedly looming nuclear threat tied to Annabelle’s father’s corporation, “Squeedle.” Rackoff and Corr embrace farce, sincerity, and comic subversion, choreographing action that bursts into aisles and climbs into musical flights of imagination. The narrative twists remain clear despite their complexity—a nod to the dramaturgical rigor Archer often praised.
By the finale, the characters’ antics give way to a surprisingly heartfelt affirmation: that art, authenticity, and vulnerability are enough to save both our inner worlds and, perhaps, the outer one as well.
NOTHING LIKE BROADWAY! Courtesy nothinglikebroadway.com
THEATER INFORMATION & TICKETS
Show Tickets and Information
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater West Side YMCA 5 West 63rd Street New York, NY 10023 Box Office: 212-912-2600
Runtime 2 hours and 10 minutes, including intermission
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