the theater world knows drama, but election day 2016 is set to be a cliffhanger like nothing onstage. it promises to be a tense, daylong show that opens with voters waiting in long lines and unfolds slowly<u+2014>without intermission<u+2014>as news dribbles out. with that in mind, the wall street journal asked some prominent theater professionals how they would break up the anxiety. what script of a play, or recording of a musical, would they recommend for people who want a mental escape, even for just a few hours? their answers, notably heavy on the work of stephen sondheim, can make more than a few hours fly by. on tuesday night, many broadway shows are taking the night off. but a handful, including <u+201c>hamilton,<u+201d> <u+201c>falsettos,<u+201d> and <u+201c>the lion king,<u+201d> are raising the curtain at posted show times. meanwhile, the theater-centric nightclub feinstein<u+2019>s/54 below is hosting an election-night watch party. between downing a few themed cocktails and revisiting a great show, theater fans can find a respite from a tension-filled election day. zoe kazan, actress, <u+201c>love, love, love<u+201d> i recommend listening to a recording of the musical <u+201c>ragtime.<u+201d> it is directly about the melting pot, race relations and how we can live harmoniously. it can make people feel patriotic. as for a play, i<u+2019>d go with tom stoppard <u+2019>s <u+201c>arcadia.<u+201d> intellectualism and humanism can go hand in hand, and there has been an anti-intellectual tone in this election. corey cott, actor, <u+201c>bandstand<u+201d> maybe a masterful piece of art, so you are able to escape. stephen sondheim<u+2019>s <u+201c>into the woods<u+201d> or <u+201c>sweeney todd.<u+201d> or a light, romantic shakespeare work, like <u+201c>as you like it<u+201d> or <u+201c>twelfth night.<u+201d> jane rosenthal, producer, <u+201c>a bronx tale<u+201d> <u+201c>godspell<u+201d> puts you in your own private spiritual moment. it<u+2019>s joyous. it goes back to the beginnings. it<u+2019>s about rising up and having belief. bebe neuwirth, actress, <u+201c>the addams family<u+201d> you could go into total fantasy to take your mind off. i<u+2019>d actually go with music, like prokofiev <u+2019>s <u+201c>romeo and juliet.<u+201d> or something with highly concentrated lyrics to get your mind focused elsewhere. maybe sondheim<u+2019>s <u+201c>sunday in the park with george<u+201d> or a gilbert & sullivan musical with complex patter songs. paula vogel, playwright, <u+201c>indecent<u+201d> <u+201c>eurydice<u+201d> by sarah ruhl. because we need to remember that love trumps hate. we need to be looking for wellsprings of emotion other than hate. although the election is driving us all crazy, we have each other in the theater. we have community. and the greeks remind us: we<u+2019>ve been though worse. gordon greenberg, director, <u+201c>holiday inn, the new irving berlin musical<u+201d> <u+201c>the producers<u+201d> is a good reminder that misery makes for good comedy, once you survive it. or dip into irving berlin<u+2019>s work from the depression and world war ii, which boosted the country<u+2019>s spirit with masterful social satire filtered through his patriotic belief in the power and possibility of our country. julie halston, actress, <u+201c>on the town<u+201d> listen to the musical <u+201c>school of rock.<u+201d> rock out and let your mind go away from the whole process. michael cerveris, actor, <u+201c>fun home<u+201d> it<u+2019>s tempting to say stephen sondheim<u+2019>s <u+201c>assassins,<u+201d> but i don<u+2019>t think that<u+2019>s a good idea. instead: <u+201c>anyone can whistle,<u+201d> also by sondheim. it captures a particular kind of insanity and mass confusion. plus it has great tunes. tom viertel, producer, <u+201c>the encounter<u+201d> my nominee for a script is <u+201c>angels in america.<u+201d> it is filled with wisdom you can live your life by. and it<u+2019>s very, very long, so you can escape more of election day. brian stokes mitchell, actor, <u+201c>shuffle along<u+201d> any play. any musical. just turn the tv off. it<u+2019>s going to go on without you, so just enjoy your life.
distract yourself from election day drama - wsj
pia catton