Dear Theater Fans, Last Friday, New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, pulled an Oprah when he made 1,500 free tickets to the Under the Radar festival available to city residents. Michael Paulson reported from Brooklyn, where the mayor handed out cards for residents to access tickets to the experimental theater festival. Mamdani said it was part of his affordability agenda in which he aims to “make it possible for working people to afford lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression.” One Broadway show that is not only bringing people joy but also bringing people together is “Operation Mincemeat.” Even if you can’t get to the show, Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s article about it is a must read: it is part reflection on fandom, part exploration of pop culture ennui and part self-therapy session. And so much more. Basically, she fell hard for the musical, and sought to figure out what has led her to see it 13 times (and counting). And there’s a bonus: You can listen to Taffy read the article with added commentary. Tracy Letts’s “Bug,” about a woman’s descent into a world of conspiracy theories, is not a work that will have you jumping for joy — maybe quaking in your boots is more like it. As Jason Zinoman wrote in his review, it is a “nerve-rattling shocker whose eerily topical Broadway production stars a ferocious Carrie Coon.” It’s a Critic’s Pick! Speaking of wild theatrical experiences: Roslyn Sulcas explored the mixed reality work “An Ark,” which blends the physical world with digital content. Ian McKellen is one of the four actors, guiding theatergoers through the work’s abstract narrative at the Shed. Could there be a better guide into the unknown? At BAM, Richard Foreman and Michael Gordon’s 2006 opera “What to Wear” will have its belated New York premiere on Thursday. “The show’s return,” Elisabeth Vincentelli wrote, “allows audiences an opportunity to experience the conflagration that happens when Foreman’s aesthetic — off-kilter yet requiring heightened rigor and virtuosity — meets music, an aspect of his career that has been overlooked in recent decades.” (Here’s a taste.) Please reach out to me at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with suggestions for articles or to offer your thoughts about our coverage. And urge your friends to subscribe to this newsletter. Have a wonderful week, Like this email?Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here.
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