Theatre Talk: In Our Own Little Corner

[aradia22]

Right but I think the solution I'd prefer is if they tried to have French accents. I don't mind the distinction between characters of the upper and lower classes but because I'm sensitive to the language/accent/dialect choices having that delineation to me, makes everyone feel even more British instead of French. I'm trying to think back... When I saw Sweeney Todd with Patti Lupone and Michael Cerveris (without having any background on the show), I don't think I was always cognizant of the fact that they were supposed to be in London except when it was mentioned in the music. 

 

I may just be very sensitive to this and unwilling to make that leap as far as suspension of disbelief goes. 

[Bastet]

I also find it off-putting that British and some American productions of Les Miserables give the upper class characters Queen's English (or whatever you call it) posh accents

 

Received Pronunciation

[ebk57]

Going to the Kennedy Center today to see "Side Show."  I know nothing about it - well, I do know it's about conjoined twins - so I'm looking forward to seeing something totally new to me.  The production got great reviews and there's talk of a transfer to Broadway, but since the last 2 K-C revivals to transfer didn't do very well, who knows...

Edited July 6, 2014 by ebk57

[aradia22]

 

Going to the Kennedy Center today to see "Side Show."  I know nothing about it - well, I do know it's about conjoined twins - so I'm looking forward to seeing something totally new to me.  The production got great reviews and there's talk of a transfer to Broadway, but since the last 2 K-C revivals to transfer didn't do very well, who knows...

That's so exciting! Report back after you've seen the show. The only thing I know about Side Show is "Who Will Love Me As I Am."

[aradia22]

Whew, popped by the Rent wikipedia page and subsequently got sucked into an hour long rabbit hole reading old articles and message board posts about Lynn Thomson and Sarah Schulman. Dare I ask if any of you have an opinion?

I kind of want to get tickets for On the 20th Century because Kristen Chenoweth who I am of course obsessed with (she was fabulous in The Apple Tree) even though I feel like she's kind of been slipping lately with the Glee appearances and the country album. And I'd like to see Peter Gallagher. No idea what his voice is like now but it sounded divine in the bootlegs and talk show appearances I've seen when he did Annie Get Your Gun with Patti Lupone. Still, how the heck do I know what I'm going to be doing months from now this far in advance let alone what the weather is going to be like. Watch me get tickets for a night when there's a snowstorm or something.

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/176632/advance-access-tickets-now-available-for-on-the-twentieth-century-starring-kristin-chenoweth-peter-gallagher/

[SilverShadow]

I was able to see If/Then on July 4th (thank goodness for TDF) and I really loved it. I had the cast recording so I more or less knew what the story was, but I loved the cast, and the book was better than I expected. Anthony Rapp was out, but his understudy killed it.

 

There were actually a couple of bloopers. There was one scene just beforen the song "Here I go" where Idina Menzel as Elizabeth and James Snyder as Josh were on a bedroom set with a a wall panel behind it that had a bunch of picture frames. One of the pictures fell down and at first idina tried to fix it, but it wouldn't go. So James add-libbed "I told you you needed a man around here," the put the picture behind a pillow, Idina cracked up, and they continued. James took the picture with him when he left the scene.

 

Later on Idina was about a verse into the song "Some Other Me" when she had a really bad coughing fit. At first she tried to stop on her own, but when it was clear she couldn't, one of the musicians gave her water. She joked about the situation and then went back and did the song from the top, perfectly.

Edited July 8, 2014 by SilverShadow

[aradia22]

I still haven't listened to the cast album. But James Snyder was so much fun in his vlogs that I kind of want to see the show now. Before the selling point was really Idina as I hadn't heard or read the best things except from two people I met at a stage door who gushed and said they were in tears during the performance.

 

Opera is a little more tangentially related to theatre but I'm saying it counts. I'm trying to figure out everything I have to see (limited budget) in the Met Live in HD 2014-2015 and which productions I might want to get very discounted (probably rush) tickets for before the Met Live in HD tickets go on sale in August. I think I've narrowed it down to Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart just feels more automatically appealing than some other composers), The Merry Widow (because Kelli O'Hara and Nathan Gunn. Duh.), Les Contes d'Hoffmann (the clip of the automaton's aria just grabbed me), and Iolanta/Bluebeard (because it's Netrebko... though I know she divides some opera fans, and because I love fairy tales). I did like Isabel Leonard's performance in Cosi Fan Tutte so I'm also eyeing Il Barbiere di Siviglia and everything I'm reading tells me I should want to see La Donna del Lago but the story and staging seems kind of meh and I was a little underwhelmed by Joyce DiDonato in La Cenerentola. I felt like she was marking for like the good first third or half of the show. For what I might see live I'm thinking maybe Carmen, Manon, or Aida. The issue is I'm not really into opera. I enjoy it but I'm not a connoisseur and I'm not a big fan so I don't know which performers I should want to see and I'm not familiar with the music. I just feel open to taking a chance.

 

Speaking of taking a chance, I might check out something from NYMF this year. Searching for Romeo is the one I'm really drawn to. There are no tickets left for Harriet or that would have been my other choice. The Lynn Winstersteller-helmed show based on a real person seems like it could be OK but listening to the audio clips... well, no it doesn't.

 

The Other Mozart about Mozart's sister is playing in a theatre downtown for a few more days and I kind of want to catch it but tickets are $30 and with my limited resources that's kind of a lot for taking a chance on an unknown quantity of a one person play considering how much I try to spend on the things I'm actually really into. Still, reviews have been relatively positive and I'm drawn to the concept.

[Rinaldo]

Of course the big question about the Met at this point is whether there'll be a season in the fall at all, considering the implacable stance both union and management are taking in the current negotiations. (Of course I realize that they have to talk tough in public, but this does seem a far more fraught situation than the last few times the contracts have come due.)

[aradia22]

Oh, no, Rinaldo! Do you really think things are that bad? I read a couple of articles but I guess I don't take contract negotiations that seriously living in New York where it always seems to be something... teachers unions, MTA, etc. I just assume there's some posturing and things will get worked out.

[Rinaldo]

I'd love to think so, and I'd be glad to be proven wrong, but this looks pretty serious so far. (And there's precedent: I believe that two previous Met seasons -- one for certain -- started several months late because the negotiations were deadlocked for so long.) People in many businesses are having to take a cut to keep the company afloat, and that's what's being asked for here: but the unions are responding by demanding to have what the administration makes and spends made public, before they consider sacrificing anything themselves. It's been getting unusually ugly. (Look through the blog Parterre Box for a pretty regular reporting of the press releases and leaked memos.)

[aradia22]

Oh, that does sound nasty. I need to find some good industry sites. I default to the NY Times because I'm lazy even though I dislike the writing in the paper too much to actually subscribe and get past the paywall on the website. Let's cheer ourselves up with some peppy audio from Searching for Romeo. http://nymf.org/tickets/2014-events/searching-romeo/ I think I'll try for student rush and if that doesn't work out I might spring for tickets because I don't see this making it to Broadway. It reminds me of all the musicals with pop-inspired scores that If It Only Even Runs a Minute covered. Like, mmm, maybe a bit more ambition would have helped, particularly in the lyrics.

 

Terribly tempted by The Other Mozart. Assuming it's not sold out until the end of the run, I still have four more days to decide to see it. http://www.didhelikeit.com/shows/the-other-mozart.html

[LADreamr]

Hi everyone.  So glad to find this thread.  I was thinking of starting one, but didn't know if anyone would be interested.  

 

I'm really excited about the revival of It's Only a Play on Broadway this fall, with Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Stockard Channing, Rupert Grint, and F. Murray Abraham.  

 

The last thing I got to see in New York was an Off-Broadway show Katie Holmes did a couple of years ago, and it was sadly, awful.  It wasn't the actors' fault; it was clearly the direction.  But it ended with just polite applause from the audience.  

 

I was trying to think the other day, about what the last song was that came from Broadway that would be considered a classic?  I would put "Seasons of Love" in that category, but I couldn't think of anything since.  Thoughts?

[Milburn Stone]

I was trying to think the other day, about what the last song was that came from Broadway that would be considered a classic?  I would put "Seasons of Love" in that category, but I couldn't think of anything since.  Thoughts?

 

It depends on what the meaning of "classic" is. If it means "song has achieved widespread popularity," you might be right. If it means "song has all the makings of a standard, and just awaits discovery," I'd offer up Sondheim's "The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened," from Road Show. Here's a performance:

 

Edited July 9, 2014 by Milburn Stone

[SilverShadow]

Well isn't part of being a classic something that has a certain amount of age to it, something that's not just a flash in the pan, but stuck around? In that sense it's kind of hard to have a "new" classic.

 

Maybe "Defying Gravity" could count as something slightly more current, but that's still relative-Wicked will be 11 years old in October.

 

BTW since we're all theatre fans: I want to make sure everyone knows about Rush (same day tickets you can get at the box office either first come first serve, or through random lottery that are significantly discounted), the TKTS booth (Same day tickets you get at a special location in Times Square that can be up to 50% off), and TDF (a service many people qualify for where you can purchase discounted tickets online usually a week or two in advance.) If you're not near NYC your local theaters and tours may have discounts or rush seats, so always check.

 

Rush tends to be $30+ a ticket

TDF I usually see about $45+, but it varies.

TKTS I've only done a couple times but both were in the $60-75 range.

Friends don't let friends pay full price when it can be avoided.

[aradia22]

 

I was trying to think the other day, about what the last song was that came from Broadway that would be considered a classic?  I would put "Seasons of Love" in that category, but I couldn't think of anything since.  Thoughts?

I'm working off Rent as a marker... For me, the time when songs from Broadway musicals become popular standards has passed. Especially with more plot-based songs and "contemporary musical theatre songs." 

So when I think of "classics" I think of what's going to be performed at auditions regardless of whether the musicals they come from are still popular.

 

I think some songs from The Wild Party have potential (Out of the Blue, Raise the Roof). Hairspray has a ton of songs that are working their way towards classic status. Thoroughly Modern Millie has Gimme Gimme and some other numbers though there's a sameness to a lot of the score. Avenue Q has some songs that might have classic potential. Wicked definitely has classics that are going to be performed for ages. Memphis is debatable. I like some of the music (the non-Chad Kimball numbers) but I don't think it has lasting power. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has some songs in the same boat. I think the popularity of Spamalot music has been waning since the show was playing but I think some songs deserve classic status. I like Screw Loose from Cry Baby and they're finally coming out with a cast album. I think if it's picked up as an audition song it has definite classic potential. From The Drowsy Chaperone I think Show Off and As We Stumble Along definitely have potential with some of the other songs having a slim chance. I think the music from Legally Blonde is fantastic. It's a little gimmicky and goofy but those songs deserve to be remembered. Shrek is also maybe a little too goofy and comedic but there are definitely some songs that could endure. I think something like "I Know It's Today" could stand out as an audition character song like "Shy" from Once Upon a Mattress. Book of Mormon has potential. I Believe stands out.

 

There are probably songs I'm missing as there are a lot of shows whose cast albums I have gotten around to listening to (that I never saw performed).

 

Friends don't let friends pay full price when it can be avoided.

Thanks, SilverShadow. I've always done the TKTS thing with my family. I think we've only paid full price once or twice. One of those exceptions was South Pacific which made Laura Osnes not being Kelli O'Hara particularly annoying. Maybe it's just me, but I think the prices at TKTS are going up. I tried the Wicked lottery once (for Wicked when Lindsay Mendez was Elphaba) but it didn't work out. I'm not super into the lottery idea. But I might have to try rush more often. It's hard to make yourself do it alone though. Anyone want to do the If/Then lottery rush with me?

[Rinaldo]

Another route to reduced-price tickets (this is easier for out-of-towners like me who need to plan ahead and be sure) is to use websites that show what discounts various shows are offering. Unless it's a super-hit, in which case they have to need to lure people in, most shows offer some sort of reduction, at least for some performances. BroadwayBox is one such, and theater sites sometimes have an "insider" section (free registration) that may have its own deals: I used Playbill Club (at the upper right on this page) to get a better price for Cinderella last winter than I could find elsewhere.

 

As to classic songs coming from musicals... that era really ended (symbolically appropriately) with Hair, though there have been isolated exceptions since: when Judy Collins took up "Send In the Clowns" several years after it was written, for instance, or with some ALW titles ("Memory" certainly) or Rent. There are plenty of examples where I think "If only people knew about it, or if solo ballads were still big sellers..." -- for instance "It's a Fine Fine Line" from Avenue Q and "Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are as catchy and moving as any of the songs from the classic era.

[Milburn Stone]

There are plenty of examples where I think "If only people knew about it, or if solo ballads were still big sellers..." -- for instance "It's a Fine Fine Line" from Avenue Q and "Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are as catchy and moving as any of the songs from the classic era.

 

A major ditto on "Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True"! I never hear anyone talk about this song. It is truly wonderful.

[SilverShadow]

I have a serious fangirl crush on Norbert Leo Butz but I have yet to get to see him live in anything. I was hoping Big Fish would be the one, but it sadly closed too wuickly for me to get the chance.

 

Speaking of Norbert: Has anybody listened to "The Last 5 Years" cast recording? Sooooo good.

[aradia22]

I want to say that Norbert Leo Butz was out of the show or absent the night that I went to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I can't be sure of that without digging up the Playbill but if that's true, yeah, I haven't seen him live in anything either. I have mixed feelings on him. I think he's talented but I don't love him as a leading man. He needs something that's a little character actor-y. But then Catch Me If You Can (which I didn't see) seemed too goofy. DRS seemed like a good fit for instance but Wicked seemed like a bad choice. 

[Rinaldo]

Yes, Butz is quite a performer. I saw him in the original Chicago-area run of The Last Five Years (he was virtually unknown at that early date), opposite Laurie Kennedy. The other time I saw him was in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, in a role ideally conceived for him. I caught up with Wicked only a few years ago, with Fiyero being played by Andy Karl, who certainly made himself believable as the golden college boy who fascinated all the girls. It was hard to picture Butz having embodied that role -- but I shouldn't discount the power of stage personality and good acting.

[ebk57]

Okay, I know you all have been on the edges of your seats to hear what I thought of Side Show :-)   I really wish I wrote better...  I loved the show. I didn't see the original and had heard none of the music.  I was totally engaged from the start to the finish.  Wonderful performances, and while I probably won't buy the cast album, I did like the music.  Sets, lighting and costumes were incredible (it's all done with magnets...).  After reading a bit about the original cast, I kinda wish I'd seen Norm Lewis do Jake, but David St Louis was quite good.  Erin Davie and Emily Padgett worked so well together they seemed like sisters. 

 

All that said, the house wasn't nearly full (and I was there because I got a great discount).  I hear talk of this transferring to NY, but I don't see how it would make sense.  Still, I hope it does.  It's wonderful.

 

 

And... I'm going up to NY at the end of the month - yay!  Got tickets for Lady Day, Pippin and Patti Lupone at 54Below.  Thinking of Violet for the other show slot we have.  I'll decide closer to the time...  Cannot wait!!!

[aradia22]

 

I caught up with Wicked only a few years ago, with Fiyero being played by Andy Karl, who certainly made himself believable as the golden college boy who fascinated all the girls. It was hard to picture Butz having embodied that role -- but I shouldn't discount the power of stage personality and good acting.

Putting aside the book as none of the Fiyero's really strike me as a fellow outsider (to Elphaba, I mean) with blue diamonds on his chest, I'm shallow when it comes to Fiyero's. I like Sebastian Arcelus' version of As Long As You're Mine with Julia Murney. I wish I could track down some good Derek Klena, Richard H. Blake, and Kyle Dean Massey footage to compare. But yes, they all seem to fit the part better than Norbert. Of course, a Fiyero has to match his Elphaba and I wouldn't cast Klena against Menzel. (I mean Klena now and Menzel then because I think he would have been in middle school when Idina originated the role.)

ebk57: Oh, I'm so happy you enjoyed the show! I think the original cast album is on Spotify so you can always listen there. Message me about your visit to New York. We should totally meet up and have a chat but I'm going to be on vacation at the very end of the month so I hope I don't miss you while you're here!

[aradia22]

I'm going to try and check out Broadway in Bryant Park this season. Tomorrow is Wicked, If/Then, Rocky, and STOMP. Anyway, I saw Atomic listed as one of the shows next week and naturally thought, what the hell is Atomic. Well, apparently it's this...

 

 

It's too pop-y for me. More Chess than Assassins, but not as good as some of the songs in Chess.

[aradia22]

Oh my God. New Deconstructions. The one with the scales was fun and informative but this one is so hilarious. Dying. 

[aradia22]

Oh, Music Man fans... http://www.broadway.com/buzz/176651/a-royal-pair-reunited-laura-osnes-santino-fontana-to-star-in-the-music-man-concert/

[SilverShadow]

I considered trying to get tix cause I loooved Laura and Santino when I saw them in Cinderella, but it looked like there were very few non-premium seats left. You couldn't even get two together.

 

I swear if I won the lottery I could easily drop a few million on theatre tickets alone.

[Rinaldo]

The two of them sound enticing for sure, so it's rather a relief that I'll be flying back from the Midwest that day and can't even consider going. I'm puzzled by the announced casting, though, as it seems to include 3 Marian types: Osnes, Silber, and Paice. I suppose the latter two are just town ladies who take part in Pick-a-Little (Alma and Ethel, for instance), but it seems a waste of their gifts. I guess that's one-night fund-raising concerts for you.

 

For anyone unfamiliar with Alexandra Silber (she costarred with Santino Fontana in that semi-staged She Loves Me at the Caramoor Festival a year ago), she and Cheyenne Jackson are the stars of a new complete live recording of West Side Story with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony. As it's more complete than the original-cast recording (and improves on a couple of the voices), has better balance than the version on JAY, and has more suitable voices and tempos than the composer's own recording, I would call this newest version the best way to hear that great score.

[Charlie Baker]

Re the Music Man casting: there's a possibility that roles will be shared, and that all three potential Marians will divide her numbers. I think Transport Group has done that kind of thing before.

 

The first time I saw Norbert Leo Butz was in Wicked and he was totally convincing and charismatic as Fiyero--"stage personality and good acting," absolutely. :-)

[aradia22]

I was too lazy for Broadway in Bryant Park this week. The only show I was interested in was If/Then so it didn't seem worth it.

[loriro]

I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch and really enjoyed it. NPH did a great job.  I liked Lena Hall as well, but was a bit surprised she won the Tony... her role didn't really seem as "fleshed out" as I would have expected for a Tony winner.  

 

I also recently saw The Cripple of Inishmaan and loved it. Both very funny and moving. And this is the second Broadway show I've seen starring Daniel Radcliffe (How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying being the other) and I've decided that he is someone that, just by virtue of his being in it, can get me to buy a ticket. He is SO talented (and I say that as someone who has NEVER seen a Harry Potter movie, so Broadway is really the only experience I've had watching him work.). He can do musicals or plays, drama and comedy.  Just adorable. 

 

I echo love for the TKTS booths.  Not all shows are available (as there have to be tickets available to be sold -- really popular shows like Hedwig or Book of Mormon won't be available), but great deals for those that are. But I refuse to go to the Times Square booth.  The line is so long it's just ridiculous. The South Street Seaport booth is much quicker -- I picked up my ticket for Cripple the morning of the show and it took me maybe 15 minutes total... 

Edited July 11, 2014 by loriro

[aradia22]

 

I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch and really enjoyed it. NPH did a great job.  I liked Lena Hall as well, but was a bit surprised she won the Tony... her role didn't really seem as "fleshed out" as I would have expected for a Tony winner.

I'm glad you enjoyed the two shows you saw. As for Lena's win, she was in Best Featured Actress in a musical and I don't think anyone was dying to give an award to the other people in her category so I guess her win isn't too shocking.

[Charlie Baker]

Radcliffe is the real deal--he was also excellent in the revival of Equus.  I hope he continues to be committed to theater, and maybe next time out he will try a new play,

[Julia]

My husband and daughter went to closing night of How To Succeed, and she walked around starry-eyed for weeks.

[ebk57]

 

 

I also recently saw The Cripple of Inishmaan and loved it. Both very funny and moving. And this is the second Broadway show I've seen starring Daniel Radcliffe (How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying being the other) and I've decided that he is someone that, just by virtue of his being in it, can get me to buy a ticket. He is SO talented (and I say that as someone who has NEVER seen a Harry Potter movie, so Broadway is really the only experience I've had watching him work.). He can do musicals or plays, drama and comedy.  Just adorable. 

 

 

 

I echo this sentiment.  I've also never seen one second of a Harry Potter movie, but went to see "How to Succeed" because I love the show...and totally fell in love with Radcliffe!!  He may not be the best singer/dancer out there, but he was obviously having the time of his life, and therefore, so was I.  I'm so sorry "Cripple" is closing before I get there...   I really hope he does more theatre in NY.

[aradia22]

I hope to eventually see Radcliffe in something but his projects don't jump out at me at something I'd enjoy. I have issues with How to Succeed after doing it in high school. It's best we don't discuss it until I've emotionally prepared myself. Anyway, I am a Harry Potter fan. I didn't start out as one but then someone gave me a box-set of the four books for Christmas as the movies were starting to come out and I was hooked. Upon reflection, I don't think J.K. Rowling is the best writing but she's fantastic at worldbuilding. As for the movies, even at the time, I thought they started to decline in quality after 3 (unpopular opinion) and I find the Yates movies rather terrible. They made me seriously question the acting ability of everyone involved but since everyone looked bad I assume it had more to do with direction.

[Rinaldo]

Here's a nice little promotion for the upcoming revival of On the Town. Enjoy!

[aradia22]

Aw, that's a really adorable promo. I wonder if they filmed super early in the morning or if they closed off the streets. Except for a few locations like Little Italy and Times Square that was a super underpopulated version of NYC. It's hard to get a read on the singing or acting. I still haven't watched the movie (it's on the DVR) but I can see this going either way in terms of whether it'll be successful. Tony Yazbeck (who I talked to briefly after his 92Y concert) said it would be considerably different from the movie and feature a lot of dancing.

[ebk57]

That looks like lots of fun!  Now I can't wait to watch it with sound :-) 

 

I'm putting it on my list for January.

[Rinaldo]

Yeah, I can't really recommend the movie. MGM cut out almost all the Bernstein songs ("too modern") and replaced them with new ones by Roger Edens. (Doesn't it seem odd now, that before West Side Story Bernstein musicals were considered hopelessly uncommercial for the movies?) The stage script and score are vastly better, and they're being true to that.

 

@ebk57, I hope it's still running in January! They're doing it right, with cast of 30 and orchestra of 28, and have cast it "correctly" instead of with movie stars, but that gives them a big challenge in terms of filling the theater night after night for a title that's not one of the well-known ones for general audiences. I so want them to succeed with it, and good promotional ideas like this are a great start.

[aradia22]

We've been talking about Daniel Radcliffe plus this clip is amazing so I thought I'd share. http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/video/5975/OBSESSED-Daniel-Radcliffe-Gets-an-Unforgettable-Porgy-and-Bess-Surprise-From-Audra-McDonald

[ratgirlagogo]

Gee, have ALL the TCM posters come over here and stayed put?  I read everything you-all have to say with interest, but I will probably  remain mostly a lurker here.   Just wanted to put out a good word for a local radio show (since many of you seem to be in the general NYC area) that covers this kind of material - David Kenney's Everything Old is New Again on WBAI FM (99.5) on Sunday nights from 9 to 11.  Also available online for two weeks after each broadcast.  I'm really not aware of any other radio show in NYC that covers this kind of music - and the interviews alone are pretty great.

http://www.oldisnew.org/

Edited July 13, 2014 by ratgirlagogo

[aradia22]

There are some radio shows on Sirius but yeah, I'm totally not paying for radio. 

[aradia22]

Anthony Rapp is taking a break from If/Then to recuperate from surgery. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/176669/anthony-rapp-out-of-ifthen-for-knee-surgery-curtis-holbrook-steps-in/

 

Heathers is closing Off-Broadway on April 4. They did lose their leading lady and one of their Heathers (Alice Lee, currently competing in Rising Star). http://www.broadway.com/buzz/176673/the-end-of-the-croquet-game-heathers-will-shutter-off-broadway/

 

Broadway dogs... so cute. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/176689/the-pampered-pooches-of-broadway-tell-all-find-out-their-favorite-snacks-biggest-onstage-mishaps-more/

 

Student rush is $27 for Heathers. I might give it a shot. (Note that I say this a lot and I didn't end up seeing The Other Mozart or Searching for Romeo.)

 

Edited to add that the lead actor in Heathers is 20 and comes from the Disney channel. I feel old.

Edited July 14, 2014 by aradia22

[Rinaldo]

Here's a photo gallery with some behind-the-scenes shots for that On the Town promo video. (Several posts previous.) My tickets for the show (Oct. 4) just arrived in today's mail -- hurray!

[aradia22]

Rocky is closing. Is anyone surprised? http://www.broadway.com/buzz/176729/knockout-rocky-featuring-andy-karl-as-italian-stallion-set-to-close-on-broadway/

[Rinaldo]

One always hopes for the best for anything that's running, but this is the time of year when shows close, alas. There's no more hoping for awards to help, the advance sale is gone, the subscriptions have run their course... if people don't show up, that's it. Rocky, the Tupac show... are any other closings imminent? I wonder how long Bullets Over Broadway will keep going.

[aradia22]

I went to see a special preview of Rocky. It wasn't a "preview" preview but a talk with Ahrens/Flaherty and the director where Margo and Andy performed about 3 songs. Even then I didn't think the best things. It was a real kick in the teeth when they didn't use any of the original songs in their Tony performance. And it's been consistently underperforming every week. 

 

Holler If Ya Hear Me is just doing terribly. I think one week attendance was at around 40%? 

 

Bullets is not doing all that much better. I heard some rumblings about some homophobic jokes and the integration of the old songs not really working with the plot. Other than the spectacle, I have no desire to see it. They seem to be offering a lot of discount tickets. I think they were trying to hawk tickets on Groupon recently. 

 

I think I've mentioned this but my dad sometimes tells me stories of how cheap Broadway tickets used to be. It's just hard to get people to go out and spend that much money on something when there's so little of a guarantee that they'll enjoy it. 

 

My big shows right now are Violet, Lady Day, and Heathers. I want to get around to Aladdin and If/Then before there are big shakeups with the cast but I'm not super eager to see either of them.

[SilverShadow]

I've already raved about If/Then but I loved Aladdin. Now admittedly I'm a Disney fan to start, but that didn't blind me to the issues in Mermaid or Tarzan. With Aladdin, the book is just the right blend of silly and earnest for me, the cast is fantastic, and the production values are astounding. The costumes, the sets, the choreography, and especially the effects blew me away. The Tony performance of "Friend Like Me" was more or less gutted in terms of 'magic'. It's not the deepest show in the world, but it was just so much fun.

 

BTW did the Stage Door and James Monroe Iglehart made a point of saying he would sign every autograph and take every picture. Total class act and he seems like he's having the time of his life.

[aradia22]

I was anti-Sierra Boggess for a long time because I thought she just made an awful Ariel. Her voice did not work. I only listened to the cast album and saw some clips but I don't think I would have been able to stomach the wheelies. 

 

Aw, that's really sweet. I didn't start doing the stage door thing until the last few years and it always makes me like actors more when they take the time to go around to everyone. I can see how it would wear on you, especially if you're essentially the headliner like Kristen Chenoweth (The Apple Tree) or Idina Menzel (If/Then) or Audra McDonald (Lady Day) so taking the time to go around to everyone even though you don't have to is awesome.

[ebk57]

I went to see a special preview of Rocky. It wasn't a "preview" preview but a talk with Ahrens/Flaherty and the director where Margo and Andy performed about 3 songs. Even then I didn't think the best things. It was a real kick in the teeth when they didn't use any of the original songs in their Tony performance. And it's been consistently underperforming every week. 

 

Holler If Ya Hear Me is just doing terribly. I think one week attendance was at around 40%? 

 

Bullets is not doing all that much better. I heard some rumblings about some homophobic jokes and the integration of the old songs not really working with the plot. Other than the spectacle, I have no desire to see it. They seem to be offering a lot of discount tickets. I think they were trying to hawk tickets on Groupon recently. 

 

I think I've mentioned this but my dad sometimes tells me stories of how cheap Broadway tickets used to be. It's just hard to get people to go out and spend that much money on something when there's so little of a guarantee that they'll enjoy it. 

 

My big shows right now are Violet, Lady Day, and Heathers. I want to get around to Aladdin and If/Then before there are big shakeups with the cast but I'm not super eager to see either of them.

 

 

I keep reading rumors that Side Show will go into whatever theatre Bullets is in, so it's not long for this world.  We'll see...

 

I guess I shouldn't mention how much I paid for tickets when I first started seeing shows in NY :-)  As a point of reference, my first Broadway show was Chicago with the original cast.  The next day I saw The Wiz and A Chorus Line.  

 

We have tickets to Lady Day and Violet.  I've read good things about Heathers, but doubt we'll see it.  Saw If/Then here in DC and didn't think much of it. 

 

And...I worked that stage door at one of the road houses here for decades.  It amazes (and appalls) me that "stagedoor" has become a verb... oy