AS SHIPMENT OF SPECIALTY LIGHTBULBS DELAYED DUE TO NEW TARIFF POLICIES
BUT, DARKENED MARQUEE DIDN’T DIM EXCITEMENT FOR THE FIRST PREVIEW
PHOTOS AND VIDEO OF FIRST PREVIEW AVAILABLE HERE
OFFICIAL OPENING NIGHT SET FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 20
New York, NY (February 17, 2025) – Saturday night’s first preview of Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical was inarguably a bright spot of the theatrical season, as a roaring a crowd of fans from around the world came out to witness London’s 2024 Best New Musical Oliver Award Winner take its first bows on Broadway. Decidedly less bright was the show’s retro, 1940s-style marquee, which had to remain unlit for the occasion – an unheard-of occurrence in glittering Times Square, and one that is directly tied to President Donal Trump’s latest trade policies. As originally reported in the Associated Press, the specialty lightbulbs (Satco Decorative 11W LED Ceramic Yellow Indicator bulbs) required are primarily sourced in bulk from a China-based vendor, and the shipment of which has been held up by customs due to a delay related to the recently enacted tariffs.
The darkened marquee didn’t dim the excitement for the performance, which received a 5-minute standing ovation. Immediately following the curtain call, the cast was rapturously greeted outside The John Golden Theatre, where a band of loyal fans – affectionately dubbed as ‘Mincefluencers’ – 300 of whom had flown to New York City for the first preview, sang Sail On, Boys, the musical’s signature theme.
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In Operation Mincemeat, it’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), Operation Mincemeat tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.
Directed by Robert Hastie, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical’s official opening night is set for Thursday, March 20 at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), after recently securing its twelfth extension in the West End through 7th June 2025, and entering its third consecutive sold-out year.
Starring in Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical is David Cumming, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Olivier Award-winner Jak Malone and Zoë Roberts, who will reprise their original acclaimed performances for the musical’s Broadway (American) premiere. Brandon Contreras, Sam Hartley, Jessi Kirtley, Gerianne Pérez and Amanda Jill Robinson round out the cast as understudies.
West End tickets are available now at OperationMincemeat.com, while Broadway tickets can be found at OperationBroadway.com.
This extraordinary debut musical is written and composed by the comedy troupe, SpitLip, comprised of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts. The decision to write it was the last roll of the dice from the quartet of young British creatives after years of performing sketch shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and echoes the journey of Beyond the Fringe from the world-famous quartet Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, and Dudley Moore, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1960, before moving to the Fortune Theatre and later to the Golden in 1962.
Operation Mincemeat began as a tiny (and tiny-budgeted) production at London’s New Diorama Theatre. The show quickly gained a devoted following, spurring sold-out runs at venues including Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios. It finally premiered in the West End on May 9, 2023, at the Fortune Theatre, where it has since received 74 five-star reviews and counting, becoming ‘the Best Reviewed Show in West End History.’ The show continues to play to standing-room-only crowds and has cultivated one of one of London’s most fervent fanbase.
Operation Mincemeat went onto earn six 2024 Olivier Award nominations, winning Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. It was also named the Best New Musical at the 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards. Earlier in the show’s journey, Operation Mincemeat picked up the Off-West End award for Best Musical Production and Best Company Ensemble, as well as The Stage Debut Award for Best Composer/Lyricist.
Operation Mincemeat is produced on Broadway and in the West End by Avalon (in association with SpitLip). The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.
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For more information and press tickets, please contact: Victoria Wedderburn at [email protected] / 07557160139 and Jasmine Ruparelia at [email protected]
