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This show is an absolute scream. The key to full enjoyment is obtaining the cast recording ahead of time. The show is almost entirely sung and if you miss bits of the score, you miss huge chunks of the story. (I sat next to some poor lady from the deep south who had no idea what was going on. Meanwhile, her two teenage daughters were having a riot). Ideally, you would get a chance to watch it twice: the first time without knowing anything about it, then go home and listen to the cast recording until you can sing it in your sleep and then go back and enjoy the show. Especially outstanding songs include "Today for You" but I like the whole cast recording. By the way, this is a "rock n roll" musical. If you like your broadway traditional -- forget it. |  |
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Okay, if someone had told me that some Disney adaptation on Broadway would blow me away, I would've treated you with the contempt that I reserve for all mouth-breathing geek bait types. OMIGOD! If you've seen clips on tv (eg: Rosie or the Tony Awards), they don't even BEGIN to do it justice. I have seen it twice and I still have caniptions about it. Once I saw it on a Wednesday matinee with a few million ankle-biters. Well, any show that can keep that many kiddies SILENT for almost three hours really has something going for it. The visuals are mind blowing. The myth portion of the story has been played up somewhat as well, but essentially it's still the Disney movie completely theatrified (if there is such a word). TICKET BUYING TIP. Book WAY ahead (I called 4 months ahead and was still nearly too late). | |
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I had the privilege to see both Bebe Neuwirth and Anne Reinking in the lead roles. I also had the joy of watching it in a standing room "seat". Ouch! I'm too old for this. Fun show and very timely. Your basic Kander and Ebb dark story of a media circus surrounding a murder. Story is not told in a linear fashion. Love the music and the movement. Tickets can be bought at the half price TKTS as it's been playing a while. Worth a look. | |
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This show was fabulous. I loved it. The musical is the "back story" of the Wicked Witch of West. It starts with her "melting" and Glinda comes down and the citizens ask her "Didn't you know her in the past, weren't you friends?" and essentially Glinda tells the story of how they met in college and Glinda was popular and beautiful and very shallow and Elphaba (the witch's real name) was born green and was always outcast and how the two became friends and the events that led up to her being labelled "wicked". Very funny and very moving (bring kleenex). The cast recording is worth owning. A must see. | |
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This is the show that I think will take the Tony for 2008. Lovely hispanic/latin flavoured musical with a heart. Takes in place in the "Barrio" (Washington Heights) and takes place over the 4th of July and gives a glimpse of the long time residents as they go through a transition period. Great music -- Latin with a hip hop influence and fabulous choreography. A very joyous musical with some touching moments. The likeable star wrote the show and his enthusiasm is infectious. | 
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Pee-yourself funny. Based loosely on Monty Pythons "Holy Grail" (but with slightly more plot), this musical romp is filled with slapstick, over the top performances (LOVED David Hyde Pierce), a fall on the floor score (especially "The Song That Goes Like This"), flying cows, killer rabbits, coconuts, farting and French people. You will pee yourself (but only if you're a Python fan, otherwise, you just won't get half the jokes). Almost impossible to get a ticket to (the Telecharge website will sell "partial view" seats -- worth it). There's also standing room tickets on the day of the show (line up starts at 5:00 am, I was told if you arrived at 7:00 am, you still had a good chance at one). |
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LOVED IT! It has an incredible amount of heart and the characters are unforgettable. The theatre has been transformed into a middle school (that's a junior high for you Canadians) where a spelling bee takes place. Audience members have been picked out to join the cast (not as awful as it sounds -- none of the usual awful gimmicks -- they actually make them spell). In addition to the competition, the show goes into the (farily poignant) backstories of the main competitors. Most of the laughs dervive from the "informational" comments the Vice Principal gives on each competitor (".... is just recoving from head lice") as well as his use of the words in a sentence. At the time I went, these tix were not available at the half price booth -- but I think the show is worth the full price admission. | |
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Omigod. This show won the Tony Award for best musical in 2006 and boy, did it ever deserve the win. This is the warts-and-all true story of the rise of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons. If you have to ask "who?" then you will find the show very good, but not great. If you are a baby boomer and can sing "Walk Like a Man" and "Sherry" off the top of your head, you will find this show to die for. (I'm a baby boomer). The show is tightly structured and the songs rockin. It will be all that you can do to keep from singing along. Tickets must be booked waayyyyy ahead and are difficult to come by. They have student rush (current school year ID is a must) and also a standby line up that may or may not get you a full price seat. Line up at least two hours prior to box office opening to even get a chance at these tickets. It's worth the hassle. | |
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A musical in one act. They've taken the songs from the 80's movie, tossed out the horrible story line and rewrote a new, intentionally campy, book. This hyperkenetic show is, in their own words, "Children's Theatre for 40 year old gay people". No kidding. The plot (such as it is) centers around an artistic muse and her "sisters" (two are played by delightfully flamming males) and the slightly dim surfer dude/artist that she inspires. It is a delight and at a running time of 90 minutes, you can actually get home at a decent hour. | |
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This musical is fall on the floor funny. And very offensive. It's like Sesame Street for adults. The apartment building on Avenue Q is populated by 2 human and 6 puppet characters (they interact very much like they do on the muppets or Sesame Street). The central character, Princeton has just graduated with a BA in English and doesn't have a clue as to what to do with his life. He meets and falls in love with Kate Monster (she's a fuzzy puppet vs. being a "human" puppet). Snafu's ensue. The supporting cast includes the closeted "Rod", his room-mate "Rick", neighbors Brian and Christmas Eve (a jewish stand-up wannabe and his Japanese American fiance), Trekkie Monster, Lucy T. Slut and cameoes by the "Bad Idea Bears". The apartment is managed by Gary Coleman (yes, the failed Kid actor -- in the production I saw, he was played by a perky black woman who was a scream). Songs include: Everyone's a little bit racist", "The Internet is for Porn". You get the idea. The show also includes a sex scene between two puppets that has to be seen to be believed. | |
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This is an old fashioned musical. David Hyde Pierce (of "Fraiser" fame) plays a detective brought in to solve a murder that took place on the set of a broadway bound musical. Everyone seems to have their own agendas including the detective who is a musical theatre geek. He solves the murder AND "fixes" the show so that its ready to go to Broadway. The score was somewhat disappointing considering its by Kander and Ebb.A pleasant evening out and you will forget the show the minute you leave the theatre. | |
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Confession: I'm a Chorus Line junkie. Saw the original, have staged and danced in a production myself. Had to see the revival. For those who have seen it before, its the EXACT SAME SHOW except the cast is very committed (when I first saw it, it was near the end of its run and the cast were phoning in their performances). Minor changes: Sheila is black (and the actor really suits the role), dates of birth have been left off (they just give their ages instead of the year they were born). The directors tried to make the production timeless, but monologues about being gay, etc that would have been a revelation in 1976 are just common angst these days and lose their power somewhat. I mean really -- in 1976, I didn't know any gay people (well, I did, but didn't know it at the time), now, I can't turn around without bumping into one of "my boys". It's still a lovely backstage musical, but lots has been done since then. Worth a look at especially if you're a dancer type. A 90 minute show with no intermission (pee ahead of time!) | |
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Great Fun. This a musical based on the John Waters movie. The story is set in the 60's and is about a chubby, non-popular high schooler named Tracey Turnbladt who just wants to dance on an "American Bandstand" style show filmed in Baltimore. She's also in love with the cute hunk "Link" who dances on the show. The show also deals with racism and how the black kids aren't allowed to dance on the same show as the white kids etc (not nearly as heavy as it sounds). Very silly, very fun and a feel good show. | |
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Nathan Lane stars in this David Mamet play about a fictional American president that has a very low poll rating and is universally hated by the public (sound familiar?) The play takes place during the final days of his presidency and at the time when he has to pardon the Thanksgiving Turkeys (Canadian readers need to look this up, way too complicated to explain here). Since this is a Mamet play there is strong language (I believe 167 f-bombs) and several ethnic groups get insulted. However, someone described it as "Mamet for people who don't like Mamet". Excellent and worth catching. |
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Excellent rock musical based on an 18th century German book. Concerns young people in the 1800s coming of age. Strong language and a very graphic sex scene. The minimalist set is used well and the voices are very very strong. Loved this show. Highly recommended. | |
OF THE OPERA
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Well, it's your basic Andew Lloyd Webber musical. I like a lot of his music. The plot (such as it is) is pretty slim pickings. (Ugly guy falls in love with unavailable girl -- chandelier finally falls on ugly guy putting everyone out of their misery). The set is very cool and I love the way the boat goes through all those lights. Nice voices (but what do you expect?, it's Broadway!) If you've seen everything playing, you may as well go see this one. | |
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Loved the movie. Loved the book. Liked the musical. I'm not sure how much I would have enjoyed it had I not read the book and seen the movie. There's so depth of feeling in the book and movie about a black woman coming into her own at the turn of the 20th century and there's only a couple of hours to cover it onstage. Much of the emotional whallop is gone and what did come through was because of my familiarity with the movie/book. Without it, I'm not sure I would have been able to follow the story (or have cared about the central characters. But boy, can this cast sing!) | |
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I saw this show in previews. I expected a comedy and what I got was a moving drama. Set in the 1940's it is about a couple, played by Faith Prince and Tom Wopat who have just lost their son to war and their daughter (whom they've pretty much ignored in favour of the son) is about to be married. They decide to use the death benefit to throw a huge catered affair for the wedding to try to make up for the past. Truth about relationships etc. come out. The show is scored by John Bocchino and is fabulous. Apparently this was based on a movie (I've never heard of it) | |
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I'm not sure what to make of this show. More of a rock concert with a linear narrative and some scenes than a traditional show. There is no set and several singer/actors play various parts as needed throughout the story. There is no set and the stage consists of four music pits and several chairs for the actors to sit on when they aren't acting/singing. That being said, the music was excellent and the story line (young African Amercian man searchings for "truth") was interesting. The "narrator" of the show, Stew, is also the composer/writer of the show. | |
CURRENTLY PLAYING OFF BROADWAY
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I've seen this show twice and its still a hoot. No plot. Just fun weird stuff on stage. It's performance art (but not the icky "deep art" stuff that nobody really wants to see). Highly entertaining. You'll have a rocking good time. Oh and if they ask you to volunteer -- do it, they don't make you look stupid and its a great time. Book tickets ahead, these never show up at the half price board. (Go the box office -- subway to Astor street). | |
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BROADWAY SVU
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A must see. And only at the end of your trip when you've seen every musical they parody. These guys are GOOD! They manage to get to the heart of whatever show it is they're lampooning. It helps to keep up on news and politics of what's happening on Broadway, because that's often brought up in the skits. I particularly LOVED their version of "The Lion King" -- when the actor showed up walking with two canes and a stuffed giraffe plunked on his head (a very low budget version of the fantastic costumes in the real show), I just about fell off my chair. Tickets can be obtained at the half price TKTS booth. | |
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Stricly for fans of the musical theatre. What happens when you take the same story and tell it five different ways: a la Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, ALW, Jerry Herman and Hammerstein. The result is this very funny (for musical theatre insiders) show. | |
121 STREET
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This show has already closed, but I'm leaving this up so that you can read about this theatre company. The show was incredible. Super intense story of the now grown-up people who come to pay last respects to their teacher, Sister Rose. Their lives are essentially a train wreck. The writing/directing team of Stephen Adly Guirgis and Philip Seymour Hoffman (yes THE Philip Seymour Hoffman) did an incredible job with this play (they also produced the unbelievably excellent "Jesus Hopped the A Train" which I happened to catch in London -- I saw their names in an ad and that's what prompted me to go to the show). If you see anything in your Time Out New York by LAByrinth Theatre company -- go see it (check the "off-off broadway" listings -- they also buy ads in Time Out). Or you can check their website: www.labtheater.org. Well worth looking up. | |
YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
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Enjoyable, lightweight musical. It's a series of sketches and songs about the single life. Especially fun if you're single (or depressing, depending on how you look at it). The cast recording is available and worth getting. I especially enjoyed the skit about the video dating. | |
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