The Sexiest Man Alive
Written by Jefferson Lind. Directed by Eleni Lefakis.
Music & Lyrics by Sayali Gove.
Presented by Fourth Culture Collective.
Presented by the New York City Fringe Festival.
Tue April 7 at 7:40pm, Sat April 11 at 10:20pm, Tue April 14 at 9:20pm & Wed April 15 at 7:40pm, 2026
Who IS the sexiest man alive? How does People Magazine choose him? Where did this whole SMA thing come from? A packed audience found out on opening night of Sexiest Man Alive, a new musical slated in the NYC Fringe Festival.
A tale of interwoven pop culture references and government influence, this musical is one that is unlike any other I’ve seen in my Fringe Festival reviewing experience. The pop culture references are the basis of many jokes, so if you’re not used to watching the fast, quippy, humor of Amy Sherman-Palladino alla Gilmore Girls and the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, you might miss most of the jokes. You’ll also miss them if you’ve been living under somewhat of a rock for the past 20 years (or more).
Our musical comedy follows Erika Ripley (played by Olivia Hight), an intern at People Magazine with big dreams of becoming editor in chief one day. That day comes way sooner than expected. She’s left to run a company actively plummeting into the ground with only one other intern by her side. How will People survive? By naming the Sexiest Man Alive soon. Very soon.
Audiences witness and ride along Erika’s journey of meeting kooky characters, including a diabolically stereotypical emo-narcissistically-brooding actor/musician, a professor who loves rats and does everything for rats, and a barista from Russia. These are Erika’s choices. Who will become the winner? Someone that didn’t get poisoned in a plan gone wrong.
The music infuses contemporary broadway-style with some hip hop and pop influence, keeping the audience engaged. I do wish we heard more instruments to liven the score a bit. There was one accompanist, Braiden Lee, who played an excellent show, but it felt hollow. I’m excited to see where this score goes.
Musical number highlights included “All Creatures are Beautiful,” performed by Dr. Jefferson Prince (played by Ben Kaplan), and “Better Than I Was,” the emotional climax song for Erika. The songs sounded like they were in high keys for some of the actors’ voices, but they performed through them with grace.
This show is a character all by itself. It’s out there. It’s fast and quirky, so keep up. You’ll find yourself asking “what is going on?” from time to time. Take with that what you will. You’ll see that some of our entertainment is not what it seems…as Erika finds out about People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive campaign. I’m not going to give it away. You’ll have to find out for yourself. I will say this: it came to be from where you least expect it.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Amanda Montoni.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 10, 2026. All rights reserved.
