Let’s Get LeBron James to More Broadway Shows

On October 21, recent New York transplant LeBron James went to see Paranormal Activity on Broadway. His review of the show, posted on Instagram, stated, “WHOA THAT WAS CRAZY!!” (This was also my takeaway from the production.) The NBA star moved to the city earlier this month, enabling him to commute via helicopter to his job in Philadelphia. Setting aside the environmental ramifications of this — LeBron, you might love the Acela! — it’s great that James has already become a patron of the arts here. Should he be looking to catch a few other shows on his off nights this fall, here’s what we recommend he go see.

Oh, Mary!

Playing professional basketball is a stressful job, so James should first and foremost prioritize seeing Oh, Mary! during its Bowen Yang administration. Despite his competitive spirit on the court, James has always had a great sense of humor (let’s not forget how good he was in Trainwreck), and Oh, Mary! is a true comedy hit. That he and Yang never crossed paths on Saturday Night Live also seems odd. They should remedy that.

Lincoln in the Bardo

I know what you’re thinking: Opera? Doesn’t James have enough on his plate right now? Probably yes, but if he wants some American history that’s at least marginally more respectful than Oh, Mary!’s vision of our collective past, then maybe he’ll want to check out the Metropolitan Opera’s new adaptation of George Saunders’s Lincoln in the Bardo. If James was impressed by the stage magic on display at Paranormal Activity, then he’s going to love the puppets and real-life horse up at Lincoln Center.

860

With respect to both of these titans of industry, LeBron James is kind of the Billy Crystal of the NBA. On one hand, it’s like, Wow … you’re still going, huh? And on the other hand, it’s like, Look at him go!

School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play

Free from stage magic and celebrity stunt casting, Jocelyn Bioh’s play about boarding-school students in Ghana seems like the kind of thoughtful work that would appeal to James, whose daughter Zhuri just turned 12. Though the girls in question in School Girls are a bit older, the material feels both instructive and illuminating for a parent with a tween on the cusp of figuring out who they are in the world.

Other Desert Cities

With top ticket prices up to almost $800, James should see the Julia Louis-Dreyfus–starring show simply because he’s one of the lucky New Yorkers who can actually afford to.