The setting does enormous work here: a bungalow colony where husbands come up only on weekends, in the exact summer the culture cracked open on television. That gives a small domestic story a big backdrop, and the Laura Pels is intimate enough that you watch the decision happen on an actor's face. New musical writing at off-Broadway scale is worth the trip.
What to expect
The Laura Pels is a comfortable, modern off-Broadway house below street level in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center. Expect a mid-size cast, period costuming and a folk-leaning score, with clear sightlines from nearly every seat. Two acts with an intermission is standard for the room.
Good to know
- The Laura Pels is inside the Steinberg Center on Forty-Sixth Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues
- Take the B, D, F or M to Forty-Seventh–Fiftieth Streets, or walk from Times Square
- The theater is below street level, so allow time on the stairs or ask about the elevator
- Roundabout runs a young-patron and student ticket program worth checking before buying
- The house is small enough that most seats are good, including the rear rows
- The story deals with adult relationships and infidelity, so it suits teens and up
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Common questions
Is this on Broadway?
No. The Laura Pels is Roundabout Theatre Company's off-Broadway house, smaller and cheaper than its Broadway theaters.
Do I need to know the film?
Not at all. The musical establishes its own version of the characters and the summer they are living through.
What is the setting?
A Catskills bungalow colony during the summer of the moon landing, when women and children stayed up for the season and husbands drove in for weekends.
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