SRO

I know, I know, it’s not awards season, but I can’t resist bestowing a few of my own. I’ve had the pleasure of catching up on a few things on Broadway during a lull in worthwhile movie releases. Here are three you should catch if you’re in town (consider this a brief contribution to word of mouth marketing):

Best Comedy: Spamalot. This is quite possibly the funniest live performance I’ve ever seen. If you can, catch it soon with Hank Azaria and David Hyde Pierce.

Best Revival: Sweeney Todd. The staging’s unlike anything I’ve seen. The show takes a couple numbers to ease into itself, but once it gets rolling, the well-rounded cast impeccably shifts from menacingly dark to dark comedy to romance in this haunting production.

Best Solo Performance: Sarah Jones in Bridge & Tunnel. This show was supposed to close soon but is now booked through July. The concept shouldn’t work, and there’s no reason any actor should be able to get away with shifting characters that include a middle-aged Pakistani man, Jewish grandmother, Vietnamese hipster, and a range of Latinos, Asians, and others spanning ages 10 to 80. Somehow it all works, entirely to Ms. Jones’s credit, and the left-leaning morals are heartfelt without being heavyhanded.

For discounts, try Broadwaybox.com.