One thing that has always been an inspiration for generation after generation is are stories of how others have pushed through during the hardest of times. A good story always contains one good question… What is out there that isn’t here? It is something a character yearns for. In this final edition of What’s On Stage 2025, we will be looking at shows where the drive of the performance is the question that will be asked forever: what lies in the great beyond?
The first show on our list is one of constant movement and dreaming. You probably guessed it, it’s Newsies at MPAC. Inspired by the Newsies strike of 1899, 17-year-old Jack Kelly has always aspired to go beyond the city and live in the Great Beyond- in his case, Santa Fe, New Mexico. This story consists of great dancing, singing, and a whole lot of feelings. This show is also local, so it is probably within 15 minutes of your home. The performance takes place from Friday, May 30th, to Sunday, June 1st. I hope you will “Seize the Day” and see Newsies at MPAC this June!
The next show on this list is a Disney Classic and certainly needs no introduction; it’s The Little Mermaid at the Paper Mill Playhouse. The infamous story tells the tale of young Ariel and her desire to go out of the water. She continuously tries until one day she saves a sailor and happens to fall in love. The final show in the Paper Mill season is set to inspire audiences to take to their own great beyond. Performance dates are from May 29th to June 29th. I hope you get to be “Part of that World,” that is, The Little Mermaid!
The final show on the list also happens to be exploring its own great beyond! Straight off the West End, it’s Operation Mincemeat! This inspirational and utterly hilarious show tells the story of Operation Mincemeat, a British espionage plan to redirect Hitler and his troops to a false location. Though their great beyond is not literal, they are all testing their new leadership roles and finding how they matter. This show is currently playing at the Golden Theater and is set to close on February 15, 2026. It is safe to say that this show is going nowhere anytime soon. As the characters say in the opening number, Born to Lead, “Some were born to follow, but we were born to lead!”, and you can lead by seeing Operation Mincemeat on Broadway!
From the streets of New York to the Underground spy lairs of London, all of these show the source of a great beyond. And if, like me, your great beyond is Broadway, I surely hope you see one of these shows and that you enjoy your summer until “What’s On Stage” is back for the 2025-2026 school year!
