Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this Forum article are those of the author, and are not endorsed by the Franklin Post staff or Franklin High School.
Before 1995, there were no official Broadway shows in Portland — local theater enthusiasts might have to travel as far as New York or London to see their favorite productions. The organization Broadway Across America (BAA) was created in 1982 to “[bring] first class, live touring shows direct from Broadway to cities across North America,” according to the John Gore Organization, the leading presenter and marketer of Broadway theater. By 1995, BAA had made it all the way to Portland, where they bring touring productions to the city in collaboration with the Portland Opera.
Now, over 30 years later, around 10 shows come to the Keller Auditorium every year, allowing Portlanders to see a huge variety of professional productions. The 2025-26 Broadway in Portland season featured huge headliners such as “The Lion King” and “Phantom of the Opera,” but nestled in with them were several hidden gems. I went to almost every Broadway in Portland show this year, and never once walked away disappointed. Though some shows catered better to certain audiences, every one was a worthwhile and entertaining use of the evening.
Some Like It Hot
Based on the 1959 movie of the same name, “Some Like It Hot” is an award winning Broadway musical that debuted in 2022. It follows two musicians, Joe/Josephine (Matt Loehr) and Jerry/Daphne (Tavis Kordell), who witness a murder committed by the mafia in Chicago, and dress up as women to join an all-female band in the hopes of escaping to Mexico. Along the way, they meet several characters on their own emotional journeys, such as Sugar, the flirty lead singer who longs for respect (Leandra Ellis-Gaston), and Osgood Fielding III, a millionaire unable to find love (Edward Juvier). Thus begins a hilarious show full of tap dancing and music of multiple genres. Season ticket holder Cathy Hoff described it as “fun and electric,” specifically finding the tap sequences full of exciting energy.
“Some Like It Hot” was a fun production with a balanced combination of catchy upbeat songs and slow emotional moments. It adapts a classic movie and puts a more modern spin on it by incorporating themes of racial prejudice, unity, and gender expansivity. However, some parts of it did not measure up to expectations. “The orchestra was excellent [but] I was not impressed with the music,” described season ticket-holder Mary Osborn-Charles. I felt similarly — the songs fit well with the jazzy vibe of the show, but are not particularly noteworthy on their own. The set design and technical elements — generally my favorite part of these shows — were also unmemorable. Overall, “Some Like it Hot” wasn’t perfect, and it may not have been life-changing, but it was certainly an entertaining show.
Shucked
“Shucked: The Musical” is a hilarious and corny show about friendship, love, and lots of corn. In Cob County, a farming region isolated by a giant wall of corn, the people live in relative harmony with one another. Sweethearts Maizy (Danielle Wade) and Beau (Nick Bailey) are busy planning their wedding, but when the corn that sustains their town mysteriously starts dying, Maizy decides that she must leave the town and go to Tampa, Florida to find someone who can save it. In Tampa, she meets a con man named Gordy (Quinn Vanantwerp), and mayhem ensues when she brings him back to her town. “Shucked” was an extremely punny show that featured quotes such as, “your grandma died doing what she loved most — making toast in the bathtub,” and “I think politicians and diapers should be changed regularly, for the same reason.”
“Shucked” was a ridiculous show, and the humor often came across as juvenile or overdone. Season ticket holder Carol Paez described it as “corny, predictable, [and] fun,” calling the story “simpler than I expected” but still worth seeing. Despite this, my father and I really enjoyed “Shucked,” especially the songs “Best Man Wins” — which features a wedding party dancing on planks and barrels — and “Corn” — in which the narrators introduce the town with several biblical and small-town puns. To my surprise, “Shucked” became my favorite part of the season. My only real gripe about the touring show is that my favorite song on the soundtrack, “We Love Jesus” — a lively and clever song about the town’s culture of religion and alcohol — was replaced with the unmemorable “Ballad of the Rocks.”
A Beautiful Noise
“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” was exactly what it sounds like — a biographical musical of Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Similar to popular shows like “Mamma Mia,” “A Beautiful Noise” is a jukebox musical, meaning it had no original songs — in this case, the story was told through the discography of Diamond himself. The audience was older than that of many of the other shows, and as a result, the crowd seemed to have lower energy. The lights and costumes had a lot of pizzazz, but as someone who was not a Neil Diamond fan before the show, I found the storyline — and lack of major secondary characters — quite frankly, underwhelming. The plot follows an older Diamond (Robert Westenberg) looking back on his failed marriages, performing career, and lifelong depression — with a second, younger version of himself played by 2015 “American Idol” winner Nick Fradiani — but there isn’t a secondary plot, and I didn’t find Diamond’s life interesting enough to warrant a Broadway musical. “People who love Neil Diamond’s music would love the show, but if [you’re] interested purely because you love theater, it might not be your thing,” described Franklin freshman Parker Pearson.
However, there were fun moments. Pearson appreciated the way that existing songs blended in to tell an entertaining story. The song “Sweet Caroline” in particular “goes from a very sad moment in his life to an amazing dance number and leads into a new chapter of his life,” he recalled. Additionally, watching both the older and younger versions of Diamond come together to sing the song “Shilo” — which is about the singer’s imaginary childhood friend and struggles with depression — felt very meaningful. “A Beautiful Noise” was a showy, high-budget production, but the substance felt fairly minimal compared to other more engaging productions.
The Wiz
“The Wiz” is a theatrical retelling of the classic children’s story “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” with an all-African American cast. Just like “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” it follows the young Dorothy (Dana Cimone) and her journey home through the mystical land of Oz. Along her adventure, Dorothy encounters and befriends several interesting characters, including the Scarecrow (Elijah Ahmad Lewis), Tinman (D. Jerome), and the Lion (Cal Mitchell). The musical first opened on Broadway in 1974, and won seven Tony awards the following year. Additionally, a film adaptation of “The Wiz” came out in 1978, featuring an all-star cast including Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
“I would recommend [seeing ‘The Wiz’] to anyone who enjoys musical theater,” said Pearson, who highly enjoyed the show. His favorite song on the gospel-inspired soul pop soundtrack was “You Can’t Win,” sung by the Scarecrow. “You could … see how the actor who played him was taking inspiration from Michael Jackson’s performance in the film, which was very entertaining.” Pearson also praised the show’s creative set, which included colorful projections and four dancers dressed in yellow playing the famous yellow brick road. “The Wiz” has a memorable soundtrack and is worth the watch, whether you are a fan of the story or just want to spend a fun evening at the theater.
The Notebook
“The Notebook” is a Broadway adaptation of the 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel and the 2004 film of the same title. It follows the love story of Noah, a working-class boy (Beau Gravitte, Ken Wulf Clark, and Kyle Mangold), and Ally, an upper-class girl (Sharon Catherine Brown, Alysha Deslorieux, and Chloë Cheers), through three different periods of their lives, showing their forbidden love as young people and their struggles with Alzheimer’s disease in their old age. The musical, much like the movie, was deeply emotional — I distinctly remember an audience member passing out tissues before the show, which I found myself very thankful for later. The melancholic tone is conveyed through intense blue lighting and heartfelt ballads.
Eden, a freshman at Franklin, went to see “The Notebook,” their first Broadway show, this March because it is an adaptation of one of their favorite movies. “It was super amazing … for me, it was exactly like the movie,” Eden described. “The actors sounded incredible, and I highly recommend seeing it.” The show features three actors playing each of the two main characters at different times during their lives, often at the same time, which was a refreshingly unique format. Additionally, the technical elements of the show, such as the set and special effects, were extremely impressive. “The thing that impressed me the most was the phenomenal set design,” explained Eden. “[It] really encapsulated the feeling of the movie, and there even was rain for the rain scene!” Though it was much more devastating than I was prepared for on a Sunday afternoon, “The Notebook” lived up to all of my expectations.
Les Misérables
“Les Misérables” is a sung-through adaptation of a classic 1862 French novel by the same name. If you know of the show, you’re not alone — “Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries, 438 cities and 22 languages, ‘Les Misérables’ is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals,” states the website for the show’s North American tour. It is set in 19th century France, and follows ex-convict Jean Valjean (Nick Cartell), who spends years trying to rebuild his life while being pursued by Javert (Hayden Tee), a police officer.
Gemma Fischer, a sophomore at Grant High School, has seen “Les Mis” four different times in the past eight years. They felt that the actors in this production did an excellent job. In particular, they enjoyed seeing Peter Neureuther as Marius — a student revolutionary and love interest — because “he brought a very refreshing perspective to a role that can become pretty stale or static.” Additionally, Fischer, who is part Filipino, appreciated seeing a Filipina actress, Jaedynn Latter, in the role of Éponine. “Her performance was amazing and I think she brought something that was very human, real, and raw to her characterization of Éponine, plus her voice was fantastic.”
I am not nearly as knowledgeable about “Les Mis,” having only discovered the soundtrack this year, but as a person who works in theater tech, the technical aspects of this production impressed me more than those of any other. The lighting in several decisive scenes, such as the fight upon the barricade and Javert’s “Soliloquy,” contributed heavily to the visual storytelling. Additionally, the large moving set pieces drew many gasps from the crowd. “Les Misérables” was probably the fan-favorite and most put-together show of the entire season.
Phantom of the Opera
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical “The Phantom of the Opera,” based on a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux, first premiered in London in 1986. As of May 2026, it is the longest-running show on Broadway, with almost 14,000 performances. “The Phantom of the Opera” tells the tale of the disfigured musical genius known as the Phantom (Isaiah Bailey), and his obsession with up-and-coming opera singer Christine Daaé (Jordan Lee Gilbert and Alexa Xioufaridou Moster). From this background unfolds the great gothic musical that is part mystery, part romance, and full of spectacle. The special effects of the show, from the massive chandelier, to actors descending from above on moving walkways, to the blanket of fog mysteriously shrouding the ground of the ‘lake,’ frequently left the audience speechless.
“I really appreciated the sympathetic approach that Isaiah Bailey took with the role [of the Phantom],” explained Fischer. Though the Phantom is an extremely divisive character within the community — most viewers either love him or hate him — he is undeniably one of the most important, making Bailey’s standout performance even more noteworthy. Fischer also appreciated Gilbert’s portrayal of Christine: “I was absolutely blown away by [her] voice.” The actors in this production of “The Phantom of the Opera” were all extremely talented, but the semi-operatic and melodramatic nature of the music made the already-nonsensical plot difficult to follow. Because of the impressive aesthetic spectacle that is this world-renowned musical, the plot naturally took a backseat, but I don’t think that the production suffered for it. Despite the difficulty in understanding the music and plot, I would not have missed “The Phantom of the Opera” for anything.
Other shows: The Lion King, Mamma Mia, and Back to the Future
There were three Broadway in Portland 2025-26 shows not mentioned in this article. The first of them is “Disney’s The Lion King,” which ran from September 17 to 28. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to “The Lion King.” However, those who were there described it as an impressive and fun production. Annie Bosworth Foley is a member of IATSE Local 28 — the local branch of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees — who often works in the wardrobe department at the Keller. One of Bosworth Foley’s favorite shows to work on was “The Lion King,” due in part to its two-week run. “You get to know the actors and your role in the show better, so it becomes less stressful,” they explained, adding how, “it’s lots of fun working with the amazing animal puppets backstage.”
Additionally, there are two shows that have not yet happened as of this article’s publication — “Mamma Mia” on June 2 to 7, and “Back to the Future” on June 16 to 21. Not having seen them, I cannot speak to how these musicals will be, but if they are anything like the rest of the season, they are absolutely worth a few hours of your time.
