Serious Theater Hits Broadway—At a Price

Anchored by such old favorites as “Wicked” and “Beauty and the Beast,” Broadway did record-breaking business last year. It took in nearly $30 million in the last week alone. You may say that’s not surprising, considering that tickets run about $100 each. Nor will you be surprised to learn that producers, emboldened by all that success, have decided to hike the top ticket prices to $120 a seat. But there is good news. Broadway is now not just the home of big-budget movie musicals like “Hairspray” but once again a place to see some serious theater. Here are our picks for the hot new shows this winter and spring:

Journey's End by R.C. Sherriff (Belasco Theatre, opens Feb. 22)

The recent high-profile success of London imports such as “The History Boys” and “Democracy” has meant new opportunities for shows once considered too serious for the Great White Way. Based on Sheriff’s experiences in World War I, “Journey’s End” is not only a beautifully written drama about the horrors of war and the value and fragility of friendship, but a moving example of what can accomplished on a stage. Starring the truly dishy (and talented) Hugh Dancy, this promises to be a great night of theater.

Talk Radio by Eric Bogosian (Longacre Theatre, opens Feb. 25)

Though “Talk Radio” is loosely based on the real-life murder of Alan Berg in 1984, the nearly 20 years since its debut have seen the birth of cable news and the trials and tribulations of Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Tucker Carlson. Liev Schrieber (“The Manchurian Candidate,” “The Omen” and a 2005 Tony-award winner for “Glengarry Glenn Ross”) is due to take a star turn as the acerbic late-night talk-show host on the verge of national syndication and a nervous breakdown. (“Law and Order” fans, take note: playwright Eric Bogosian is now Captain Ross on “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” and this Broadway production stars Stephanie March, formerly of “Law and Order: SVU.”)

Curtains by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Rupert Holmes (Al Hirschfeld Theatre, opens March 22)