THEATRE REVIEW: "Operation Mincemeat" at the Golden Theatre (New York, NY)

      On July 23rd, 2025, I saw the 2pm performance of the musical comedy "Operation Mincemeat" at the Golden Theatre in New York City.  "Operation Mincemeat" is set in 1943, and is a true story.  The musical is about a deception operation carried out by the British Intelligence during World War II.  The operation involved planting fake documents (pertaining to an invasion) on a corpse disguised as a British officer.  The goal was to mislead the Nazis, and draw them away from Sicily.  The musical features a book, music, and lyrics by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts.






     "Operation Mincemeat" premiered on Broadway on March 20th, 2025 (after beginning previews on February 15th).  The production was originally scheduled for a limited 16-week engagement.  However, it is currently scheduled to run through February 15th, 2026.  The West-End Production has been running for over two years.  On the afternoon of July 23rd, 2025, the cast of "Operation Mincemeat" that I saw included David Cumming (Charles Cholmondeley & others), Claire-Marie Hall (Jean Leslie & others), Natasha Hodgson (Ewen Montagu & others), Jak Malone (Hester Leggatt & others), and Zoë Roberts (Johnny Bevan & others).  I had no idea I would see the creators of the show also playing the lead roles.  Not only that, but Jak Malone won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.  I'm grateful I got to see his performance, as well as everyone else's. 



Me in front of the "Operation Mincemeat" marquee at the Golden Theatre. 



     At the start the show, I wasn't sure if I liked it.  I had some trouble hearing all the lyrics over the orchestra.  But after a little while, I began to understand more and more of what was being sung.  Ben Stones was the scenic and costume designer for "Operation Mincemeat."  I wasn't overly impressed with the scenic design at the start of the show either.  But it became more impressive as the show went on.  Also, while I love the Golden Theatre and how beautiful it is, it would be nice if there weren't only one set of restrooms in the entire theatre.  






     As funny and witty as "Operation Mincemeat" is, there are some sad scenes within the show that took me by surprise.  Also, the last song was so beautiful and dramatic that it reminded me of the finale of "Les Misérables."  I heard "Operation Mincemeat" was described as being similar to "Hamilton" and "Six," but was surprised at similarities to other musicals as well.  I believe it was the song "Dear Bill" that reminded me of some of the songs from "Follies" and "A Little Night Music."  There was a musical called "White Noise" that had its World Premiere in Chicago back in 2011.  I never saw it, but from what I read about it, I wouldn't be surprised if the song "Das Übermensch" shared some similarities with some of the songs from "White Noise."



View from my seat.




     Seeing "Operation Mincemeat" was an enjoyable experience overall.  While I wasn't sure about the show at the beginning, and my knees hurt occasionally, this is a musical i would definitely recommend.  I'm glad I got to see it, and it was a great birthday present from my mom.  While there are some shows that are much harder to get tickets to (which would have probably been my preferred choices as to what show to see), I'm satisfied with having gotten to see this show.  While the Broadway run has been extended through February, I think it deserves an indefinite run.  Or a definitive run, even though I have no clue what that means.  This is a show I would see again.











     

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