Beyond Broadway

Broadway is, of course, the spiritual center of the American theater scene. However, I occasionally need to remind people that theatre exists outside the 20-or-so blocks around Times Square. For those who won’t be in NYC anytime soon, or want to explore beyond traditional Broadway fare, here are some of the best shows outside the Great White Way. 

NEW YORK CITY

• Off-Broadway you’ll find Trevor, based on the Oscar-winning short film that spawned The Trevor Project, a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth. Set in 1981 but as relevant as ever today.
• The Woman in Black at NYC’s immersive Mecca, the McKittrick, is a must-see before the always brilliant Sleep No More returns. It started as a pub show, then played in the West End for years, and is back now as a pub show. Eat, drink and be scary.
• Company XIV’s burlesque fantasy Nutcracker Rouge has become a holiday tradition in Brooklyn. This is an adults-only affair, so spring for the Champagne couch and let yourself be naughty. Nice.

LONDON

• The Life of Pi is the hottest show in the West End — and is pure joy. The production is every bit as magical as Yann Martel’s book and Ang Lee’s film, with blow-your-mind puppeteering and stagecraft.
• Speaking of magic … a show about magic show that goes deliciously off the rails? Yes please. Magic Goes Wrong, from Mischief Theatre Co. and co-created with Penn & Teller, is meta and marvelous. 
• The Drop is an immersive escape room production from the Swamp Motel team. Teams of four tackle a mystery involving an international crime syndicate and a book lost on the Titanic. Lose yourself in the fun.

LOS ANGELES

• If you haven’t yet seen The Enigmatist at Geffen Playhouse, consider yourself lucky that this gobsmacking night of puzzling magic by David Kwong has been extended through December 12.
• The always brilliant Bradley Whitford, Kate Burton and Alex Newell star in A Christmas Carol at the Ahmanson. Opens November 30 and runs through January 1. Get moving on tickets, lest you miss out and the Ghost of Christmas Past haunts you forever.

LAS VEGAS

• Part art installation, part funhouse, Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart at Area15 is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, Vegas included. Well, unlike anything except their other two permanent installations in Santa Fe and the largest yet in Denver.
• Just look for the red and white tent outside Caesars Palace, where Absinthe has been captivating audiences with a tantalizing (read: 18+) mix of circus acts, burlesque and all manner of madcap entertainment for years.