Best of: New Broadway shows

Like every Broadway season, the 2010 winter selection may seem hard to navigate. Seeing shows is quite easy, thanks to student rush tickets and a more informal dress code, but what shows are worth students’ precious time and savings? From historical debate to holiday cheer, students will find a mix of movie-inspired and original shows that are sure to engage audiences in new ways.

"The Scottsboro Boys"

“The Scottsboro Boys,” which opened on Halloween, is an invigorating musical theater depiction of a famous trial in the 1930s American South. The show simultaneously lampoons and powerfully explores racial stereotypes of African Americans in the early 20th century. World-renowned duo John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote the score, which is reminiscent of traditional musical theater melodies. Despite the more conventional aspects of the musical, which plays at the Lyceum Theatre(149 West 45th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues), it does not lack a contemporary edge.

"Elf"

One of the best ways to ring in the holiday season in the city is a jaunt to a festive Broadway show. Theater fans might want to add tickets to “Elf,” playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theater(302 West 45th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues) to their Christmas lists. This musical adaptation of the 2003 movie featuring Will Ferrell is the hysterical and endearing story of a young orphan named Buddy who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and grows up in the North Pole. He later realizes that although he has been raised as an elf, he wishes to rediscover his roots. He then voyages to New York City to find his birth father, with whom he shares his love of candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.

"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"

“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” may boast one of the most exciting scores to hit the musical theater scene in decades, with tracks by musicians Bono and The Edge. The show, which begins previews on Nov. 28 and opens officially on Jan. 11 at the Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues), features two outstanding young actors, Jennifer Damiano and Reeve Carney, as Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker. The musical, based on the Marvel Comics superhero, brings a childhood favorite character to life in an entirely new way.

"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"

Many of Columbia’s stressed-out students can identify with one of Broadway’s newest shows, “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.” Two of the lead actors, Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell, explore what it means to have a mental breakdown at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues). The musical, which is based on the 1988 film directed by Pedro Almodóvar, tells the tale of a group of women in 20th-century Madrid, whose confusing relationships with men lead to 48 hours of passion, headaches, and heartache. This show is striking in its honest portrayal of relationships, and the Latin-tinged score adds flair.