What on earth is this musical with a weird name?

From the Operation Mincemeat Broadway musical website: Operation Mincemeat was a successful British deception operation of the Second World War to disguise the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily.

Two members of British intelligence obtained the body of Glyndwr Michael, a homeless man who died from eating rat poison, dressed him as an officer of the Royal Marines and placed personal items on him identifying him as the fictitious Captain (Acting Major) William Martin.

No, that doesn't seem like a good subject for a musical - but suprisingly, unbelievably, it works. You really would not think that a musical about a WWII covert operation would manage to be funny, touching, and impressive - but it absolutely was.

Kudos to the talent on display here, and to the brave men and women who fought fascism so long ago and deserve to have their stories better known.

Why see it?

Operation Mincemeat originated in London, and won two Olivier awards in the West End; the original London cast reprised their roles on Broadway.

They're incredibly creative with their storytelling. There are only five actors, each playing multiple roles, and the coordination, speed, physical humor, and energy are hard to describe - there's gender bending, insanely quick costume changes, and something like 90 different characters portrayed in the course of the show.

The actors are each terrific and versatile, but I must give a special shout out to Jak Malone, who received a Tony award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for playing Hester Leggatt here. His solo number, Dear Bill, was incredibly moving - a portrait of real heartache, stocism, and the cost of war.

Tickets are on sale until February 2026. After that, a world tour is planned: US, Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Website: https://operationbroadway.com/

Address:

252 W 45th Street, New York

About Me

Laura LaVelle is Wonder Shuffle's Culture Editor. A fan of the great indoors, you can find her in her native NYC, her home in Connecticut, or at a concert, play, library, bookstore, or museum just about anywhere in the world.