Stop Reviewing Broadway Shows Before They’re Ready
Online journalists are journalists, period
ANNOUNCEMENT: The Broadway Maven will be hosting its first in-person event on February 1, 2026 with a jam-packed day in Manhattan. Included: a behind-the-scenes tour of the Helen Hayes Theatre (first 12 registrants only), a visit to the Museum of Broadway, lunch with off-Broadway composer-lyricist and Broadway Maven faculty member Mateo Chavez Lewis (see below), a ticket to Mateo’s show The Opening, and a visit to the Drama Book Shop. $199.
Shalom, Broadway lovers!
On this week’s marquee: A) an editorial opposing the trend of online writers who have been reviewing shows before they open; B) a Broadway Blast about Gypsy; C) a Broadway Maven YouTube GEM about pop versus theater music in Kinky Boots; and D) a Last Blast about Fiddler on the Roof.
ESSAY: In the digital age, anyone with a smartphone and an opinion can be a critic. That’s a good thing—Broadway benefits from a broader, more democratic conversation about its work. But as the online theater community expands, a troubling trend has emerged: influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, and (yes) some Substack writers ignoring press embargoes and posting reviews of shows while they’re still in previews. Their most common defense, when they even give one: “I bought my ticket, I can say whatever I want.”
Technically, they’re right. But ethically, they’re very wrong.
Previews exist for a reason. They’re not “soft openings” in name only—they’re an integral part of the artistic process. Directors, choreographers, designers, and writers use those performances to refine pacing, jokes, transitions, even whole songs. The show an audience sees at the first preview can be significantly different from what critics review after opening night. That’s why the industry has long honored an unwritten code: with very few exceptions, you don’t review until the show officially opens. It’s not about silencing voices—it’s about giving artists space to finish the work before judgment hardens around it.
When someone posts an early review, they break that covenant. Worse, they risk influencing public perception before the production team has had a chance to fix the very problems that previews are meant to reveal. Imagine a painter still layering colors on a canvas while a stranger posts, “This looks messy and unfinished!” That’s what happens when someone reviews a preview. The damage lingers, and the artistry suffers.
The argument that “I’m not a journalist” doesn’t hold water, either. If you’re publishing public commentary—especially with an online presence, followers, or monetization—you are a journalist in the cultural sense. You’re shaping opinion, participating in criticism, and influencing audiences. You don’t get to enjoy the perks of the platform without accepting the responsibilities that come with it. Traditional media outlets respect embargoes because they understand that trust between artists and press is essential. Digital critics should be held to the same professional courtesy.
If the pattern continues, the consequences could ripple through the industry. Producers may shorten or eliminate preview periods, and online journalists may lose what little access they’ve earned to this point. That means less openness, fewer opportunities to engage with the creative process, and ultimately, weaker shows. Art thrives on feedback, but only when it’s offered at the right time.
Theater is a living art form. It breathes, adjusts, and matures through previews. When reviewers jump the gun, they’re not helping audiences make better choices—they’re robbing artists of the chance to make better art. Respecting the preview process isn’t just polite; it’s a way of standing up for excellence.
So by all means, let’s keep talking about Broadway. Celebrate it, discuss it, debate it. But if you want the best possible shows to open, the least you can do is wait until opening night to review them.
BROADWAY BLAST: Talk about your gimmicks! The burlesque number “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” from Gypsy is written in G major—a sly nod to the G-string that each stripper swears by. But Styne and Sondheim don’t stop at wordplay. The joke is structural: a song about gimmicks is itself built on one. And in Gypsy, that matters. Rose survives by turning scraps into razzle-dazzle, Louise reinvents herself through costume and act, and even the key signature flaunts a trick. Gypsy insists that gimmicks aren’t just cheap—sometimes, they’re the only way to get ahead.
BROADWAY MAVEN YouTube GEM: How did a pop songwriter like Cyndi Lauper produce such terrific theater music in Kinky Boots? In this video from a recent Broadway Maven class, music educator and composer-lyricist Mateo Chavez Lewis explains the essential differences between the two kinds of music, arguing that theater music goes well beyond pop by telling a story and exploring character. With a deep dive into the song “Not My Father’s Son,” he shows the technical musical techniques that makes the show so effective.
SAVE THE DATE: On Tuesday, January 27 at 7 pm ET, The Broadway Maven will be convening an extraordinary all-star panel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Pacific Overtures. Participants will include Weidman himself, the show’s orchestrator Jonathan Tunick, Broadway and Hollywood superstar BD Wong, and reigning Tony-winning Best Supporting Actor Francis Jue. They will join Broadway Maven faculty Gail Leondar-Wright and Edward Barnes to discuss the landmark musical about the opening of Japan to the West. This 90-minute event is without a doubt the most ambitious and promising class The Broadway Maven has ever offered. Don’t miss it!
Note: A full calendar of upcoming classes is always available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
• Monday, November 17 at Noon ET Oklahoma! with Rodgers & Hammerstein expert Ted Chapin (Members only)
• Tuesday, November 18 at Noon ET Miss Saigon with the show’s lyricist (!) Richard Maltby, Jr. (Members only)
• Monday, November 24 at 7 pm ET Music Directing with Steven Bell (Members only)
• Monday, December 1 at 7 pm ET Sond-time with Gail Leondar-Wright (Members only)
• Monday, December 8 at Noon and 7 pm ET A Chorus Line with Gail Leondar-Wright (FREE, registration opens soon)
• Tuesday, December 9 at Noon ET Rodgers and Hart’s Broadway with UW Professor David Armstrong (Members only)
LAST BLAST: The entire arc of Fiddler on the Roof‘s plot and themes can be told through the role of liquids in the first and second act. In Act I, Anatevka overflows with joy: vodka splashing in ‘To Life,’ wine sanctifying the Sabbath, and milk sustaining Tevye’s household and livelihood. These liquids nourish, unite, and celebrate community. But by Act II, after pogroms and communal breakdown, the glasses are empty, and the only wet substance left is tears—Hodel weeping at the station, Golde grieving, the villagers mourning their exile. The shift from shared cups to streaming eyes embodies the collapse of community and tradition. In Anatevka, what begins in toasts ends in tears—a measure of tradition drained away.
The Broadway Maven is a vibrant educational community that helps its members think more deeply about musical theater. We also foster enthusiasm for Broadway through the FREE weekly Substack newsletter MARQUEE and host an expansive YouTube channel. It’s your home for Broadway appreciation. Contact The Broadway Maven at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.
Previews are like book editors. Changes are made many times before the book gets published. Then the final book gets read and reviewed.
Re: reviewing previews. Your analogies are spot on. It's called a preview for a reason and, seriously, how can a reviewer/ critic expect to be taken seriously if they don't understand the process of creating a show?