We Come To This Place For Magic
sunset boulevard, summer school radio, and something beautiful
Welcome to hyperfix’d - a low-stakes publication where I share everything and anything I’m excited about, with anyone who will listen. I was a little slow to write this May, my whirlwind month bookended with seeing some of my biggest musical heroes perform. I was blessed to see the inimitable Stevie Wonder perform at this year’s Met Gala and witnessed the artist of a generation, Beyoncé, bring her otherwordly excellence to the historic Cowboy Carter tour. I will forever be grateful to have witnessed their titanic greatness in my lifetime1 and for the way they have nurtured my lifelong desire to grow as an artist - back with our scheduled programming is new hyperfix’d:
78th Annual Tony Award Winners ⭐️
The 78th Annual Tony Awards returned to Radio City on Sunday night, hosted by the incomparable Cynthia Erivo, who turned out some of the best vocals and looks of the night.2 This season had everything from riveting family dramas to groundbreaking original works, daring reimaginings of American classics, and great gowns, beautiful gowns. Maybe Happy Ending and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Pulitzer-winning Purpose took home Best Musical and Play, while Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset Blvd. and Eureka Day were awarded Best Revivals. Here are just a few of my favorite celebrated productions that I was fortunate to see, each daring to push the boundaries of what modern theatre can be and inspiring something in me as a viewer.
Gypsy, dir. George C. Wolfe
NOMINEE: Revival of a Musical, Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Featured Role, Actor in a Featured Role, Choreography
I am unsure how it is physically possible to do what Audra McDonald does on stage eight times a week, her performance of Rose’s Turn on last week’s broadcast a testament to her vocal singularity and emotional grit. Audra brings layers of newfound depth to a titan figure of musical theatre, her flawed and loving matriarch one you can’t help but root for. As far as modern revivals go, Gypsy keeps things simple with a mostly bare, traditional set, allowing its powerhouse performances to stand proudly on their own - it’s a joy to experience the rising star of Jordan Tyson and Joy Woods, and I can’t wait to see what they do next. Majestic Theatre, running through October 5, 2025.
John Proctor Is The Villain by Kimberly Belflower
NOMINEE: Play, Director of a Play, Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in A Featured Role, Actor in a Featured Role, Lighting Design, Sound Design
In a play I’m going to be thinking about for the rest of my life, John Proctor asks us who is willing to protect young women. The gripping coming-of-age piece finds cathartic empowerment in its devastating subject matter and shines as an ensemble drama where every character is wholly realized and perfectly cast, a rare for even some of the strongest playwrights. Complete with an exultant emotional release set to Lorde’s Green Light, John Proctor Is The Villain is unmissable, once-in-a-lifetime theatre. Booth Theatre, running through August 31, 2025.
Maybe Happy Ending, dir. Michael Arden
WINNER: Best Musical, Director of a Musical, Actor in a Leading Role (Darren Criss), Original Score, Book, Scenic Design
One of the most warm and heartfelt original musicals of the last few years, Maybe Happy Ending has all the makings of a theatre crowdpleaser. Relishing in its charming simplicity and wholly immersing its audience in an endearing near future, the show’s breathtaking original score is one I’ll be returning to time again - see it for Helen J. Shen, whose breakthrough Broadway debut, while snubbed of a nomination3, is one of the most exceptional and moving performances of the season, and stay for Darren Criss, so you can turn to your fellow theatergoer and say ‘remember when he was on Glee?’ Belasco Theatre, running through January 18, 2026.
Oh, Mary! by Cole Escola
WINNER: Best Director of a Play, Actor in a Leading Role (Cole Escola)
Without hyperbole, Oh, Mary! is one of the great artistic triumphs of our time and some of the best theatre I’ve ever seen - it’s impossible to divert your attention for even a second of its high-energy, laugh-out-loud eighty-minute run. A masterclass in writing, performance, style, and direction, Oh, Mary! is the kind of life’s work, brimming with passion and sincerity, that’s impossible not to root for. In writing their seminal work, Cole’s sentiment is heartfelt and universal - ‘I think I have something special, and if you give me a chance I think you’ll believe me.’ Their winning performance rises in the ranks of great theatre ingenues, while stage and screen veteran Conrad Ricamora earns long overdue praise for his intensely humorous turn as an alarmingly hot Abe Lincoln. Lyceum Theatre, running through September 28, 2025.
Sunset Blvd. dir. Jamie Lloyd
WINNER: Best Revival of a Musical, Actress in a Leading Role (Nicole Scherzinger), Lighting Design, Sound Design
Jamie Lloyd’s schtick works wonders in his daring reimagination of a noir classic, that masterfully interworks film and theatre to bring to life an immersive and inspired vision. While Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat, X Factor, and ‘Where Do I Get This Hat’ fame, took home the coveted award for Actress in a Leading Role, it’s a brooding Tom Francis who delivers one of the most memorable performances of the season. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work tends to be a hit or miss for most; while the production’s music and lyrics lean towards forgettable, I’m transfixed by the way its staging and direction made me feel, in total awe of the magic in the making. St. James Theatre, running through July 20, 2025.
Summer School Radio with Lovie, Lot Radio 🎧
Lovie’s weekly Summer School Radio residency at the Lot Radio has become one of the sensory highlights of my week - a sweet-sounding musical exploration that traverses through tales, genres, and artists old and new, throughout rich melodious two-hour sets. Lovie beautifully weaves in and out of artist tributes, history tidbits, and musical anecdotes throughout, making for a perfectly curated eclectic sonic experience to kick off the week.
Listen every Tuesday on YouTube and Soundcloud.
On Repeat 🎧
Signing off with a few songs + compilations I’ve been loving lately, for your hyperfixation consideration:
Lifetime, Erika de Casier
Sincerely, Kali Uchis
It’s Like That, Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Fatman Scoop, Esentrik
Something Beautiful, Miley Cyrus
Nice To Each Other, Olivia Dean
Manchild, Sabrina Carpenter
Both are responsible for two of the greatest consecutive album runs in music history; Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness, Songs In The Key Of Life/Beyoncé, Lemonade, Renaissance, Cowboy Carter.
Best dressed at this year’s ceremony were Cole Escola in custom Wiederhoeft, two-time Tony winner Kara Young in custom Thom Browne, and the original cast of Hamilton.
Broadway hates to see young women win the way that Hollywood hates to see young men win.