Broadway musicals

[DannyCurry]

Hi folks,

I'm going to NYC in two weeks and I'm planning to see some musicals
So, which Broadway show would you recommend ?

I've already bought tickets for The Lion King and Chicago and when I'm there, I'll try to get tickets at the TKTS or via TodayTix for other shows.
Also, I have already seen Wicked (in London) and I absolutely loved it. Wouldn't mind seeing the Broadway version but atm I'd tend to favour a show I've never seen. Then, for Hamilton, there are only tickets available for wednesday's performance and as I already have TLK planned, I won't be able to make it this time, but I'm still curious to read your review/opinion on the show (for a future trip^^).

Thanks !

(Also, OT but has anyone seen the play 1984 ? What did you think of it ? )

 

[VGThuy]

Are you going during the 2 for 1 Broadway week (September 5-17)? If so, you should try to see Donna Murphy in Hello Dolly!. No, she's not Bette Midler (who is off that week) in terms of being a star, but from what I read she acts and sings circles around Midler.

ETA: NVM, it looks like the deal is off for that show, but you can still buy regular-priced tickets.

Here's the link for the 2 for 1 deals still available:

http://in.ticketmaster.com/broadway-week/

 

[DannyCurry]

Yes, I'll be there from Sep 4 to 13 !
Thanks for the 2 for 1 tip !! It's a pity I didn't ask for advice earlier, because I paid full price for TLK..Well if that BWAYWK code works, I might go with Aladdin or Cats (or Wicked, again haha). Thanks again !

 

[bardtoob]

Currently playing ...

I would see:
-------------
- Hello, Dolly! - Bette Midler is the lead.
- Wicked
- Chicago

I would experiment with:
------------
- Bandstand
- Prince of Broadway
- A Bronx Tale

You could drag me to:
-------------
- Phantom ... if I wanted to go to an ALW show because the chandelier is better than the helicopter and the concept is less forced than Cats and School of Rock.

- Aladdin ... if I wanted to go to a Disney Show, but that is because the songs in the Lion King are annoying.

If I could:
------

I would see all of them, including Sponge Bob

 

[Parsley Sage]

I think I'd go for Waitress or Dear Evan Hansen

 

[Wyliefan]

You're not going to get tickets to Dear Evan Hansen at TKTS -- believe me, I looked into it -- so try Bandstand. I've been recommending it to all and sundry ever since I saw it. Great performances, great energy, great heart. I'm so bummed that it's closing in a month, but I think it's one of those little shows that got swamped by the bigger shows like DEH. (Even the much-buzzed-about Great Comet couldn't stay open.) Anyway, go see it while you can. And have fun!

 

[honey]

I'd vote for adding Come From Away to your list.

 

[flyingsit]

I just saw Aladdin in Chicago this weekend and actually recommend it. It's fun, energetic, and has some great dance numbers. No, there's nothing groundbreaking or emotional, but it's FUN.

 

[Parsley Sage]

I'd vote for adding Come From Away to your list.

yes! I forgot about that one.

 

[aliceanne]

I just got an advert for a new one, "War Paint". It is the story of the competition between Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden for control of the cosmetics industry and women's image. It stars Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersol. It starts 8/25.

 

[VGThuy]

I just got an advert for a new one, "War Paint". It is the story of the competition between Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden for control of the cosmetics industry and women's image. It stars Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersol. It starts 8/25.

That one premiered on March and was nominated for Tonys for the two actresses, its set, and costume. I'm actually pretty curious about it as I love both Lupone and Ebersole and the creators made Grey Gardens which is one of my favorites.

 

[screech]

If it matches your sense of humour, BOOK OF MORMON! I saw the national tour a few months ago and laughed so hard during the show. It's fantastic. And in New York, Nic Rouleau (who is playing the lead role of Elder Price) has been with the show since it opened. He was the understudy for Andrew Rannells (the original) and has played the role ever since, between Broadway, tours and London. The guy playing Elder Cunningham (the other lead) was in the ensemble of the original production and has played this particular role for a while, and the guy playing Elder McKinley (supporting role) originated it in London and has been with Broadway for a while. So you'll definitely get a quality cast!

For the 'big' shows, I'd suggest looking at ticket lotteries, since regular priced tickets for things like Dear Evan Hansen are pretty high and they are likely sold out. If you win the lottery (big 'if') for Hamilton, you only pay $10 per ticket. But the downside is that about 10 000 people enter the lottery for every show.

You can try to see Great Comet, which is closing in September, or Groundhog Day which is closing soon as well (Andy Karl's performance was highly praised). Great Comet had a ton of Tony nominations this year, but there was a bit of a casting 'controversy' recently which has led to its closing.

Christian Borle is always fantastic, and he's Willy Wonka, so you can't really go wrong with that. I know there was a lot of shock that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory didn't get any Tony nominations this year.

Most shows have deals for standing room tickets too. You can check out this link to see how to possibly get cheap tickets for the different shows.

 

[VGThuy]

It looks like Hello Dolly! is available:

https://www.telechargeoffers.com/offeroverview.aspx?productid=11400&aid=crp000854300

Bette Midler is out that week, but Donna Murphy is one of the best Broadway actresses you can see.

 

[The Accordion]

My "other" vote was for Come From Away. If you can win a lottery - then Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton! Book of Mormon is fantastic but also difficult to get tickets. I have heard that Bandstand is strong - especially if you are a dance fan! I have not seen Waitress but I hear it is wonderful.

 

[screech]

As of last Saturday, the top selling Broadway shows (according to BroadwayBox) were:
1. Dear Evan Hansen (tickets will probably be even harder to get because Ben Platt just announced he is leaving in November - don't trust any second hand ticket sources!)
2. Hello Dolly (even aside from Bette, you have the amazing David Hyde Pierce and the brilliant Gavin Creel)
3. Hamilton
4. Wicked
5. Aladdin
6. Lion King
7. Book of Mormon
8. Come From Away
9. Anastasia
10. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Of the top ones, Hello Dolly doesn't do a lottery, but they do standing room tickets for days the show is sold out, if price is a concern.

There's also off-Broadway shows, such as Avenue Q, which won the Tony for best musical in 2003 and has played continually since. And it's that show which helped lead to Book of Mormon (the South Park guys saw Avenue Q when doing research on working with puppets for Team America, talked to Bobby Lopez and they all randomly wanted to do a show about Mormonism). Bobby Lopez also wrote the music for Frozen. Avenue Q is described as Sesame Street for grown-ups (puppets and all). My favourite songs: "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?", "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist," and "It Sucks to Be Me".

 

[nyrak]

I was in New York last fall and saw Book of Mormon, which was hilarious in a tasteless sort of way and Jersey Boys, which I'm pretty sure has closed now but Mark Ballas was playing Frankie Valli and he was awesome.

 

[Seerek]

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the suggestions mentioned already in this thread.

I suspect Bandstand will have a much better reception overall should it tour in North America, whereas Great Comet might have a tougher time touring considering just how large scale of a production it is.

And good to see Donna Murphy back on Broadway after TV runs on Resurrection and Mercy Street.

 

[DannyCurry]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions !!

I usually don't do this because I prefer to be surprised and discover the whole show but I looked at a few videos on YT (and I also read summaries of the shows that I didn't know) :

Hello, Dolly !
If those are highlights, I can't imagine how boring other parts of the show are. So I'll wait to see Bette Midler or Donna Murphy in another production haha.

Aladdin
Aladdin is one of my least favorite Disney characters, but I like most of the songs and from this really short vid, I think I could enjoy the show ^^

From Waitress, I watched Bad Idea and had mixed feelings about it. I think the energy in this scene is quite good, but I don't like the singing at all.
Then I watched this mashup of the first song and the last song of the show which is much better than the 1st vid, so I'll add it to my why-not list.

Reading Dear Evan Hansen's storyline made me want to see the show. Then I watched this vid of Waving Through a Window and I found the singing rather weak. I also watched the performance at the Tony Awards, which was much better, but if tickets are really hard to get (I don't have any hope of winning the lottery haha), I guess I'll have to wait for a new male lead. It's ok though, I'm fine with missing Ben Platt.

Come From Away
Thanks for reminding me of that one ! I had read an article a few months ago in Time magazine but I then completely forgot about it. From those bits, I think I would most definitely like the show.

Great Comet
Even though I really don't like Pierre's character in War & Peace, this performance on 'Today' and the pics i saw of the stage made me think this could be a great experience. I also read about the casting scandal, what a story too ! The website says last performance is scheduled for Sep 3, just the day before my arrival. Too bad

War Paint
I didn't watch any vid for this one as Patti Lupone alone is enough a reason to make me want to see the show haha.

Bandstand, why not. And Book of Mormon was recommended by my coworkers as well. I think I could enjoy it, even "in a tasteless sort of way" !

Of course I know seeing the show live is always a better experience and vids never do a performance justice, but I was too curious not to watch. Plus, I won't stay long enough to see everything, so it does help me narrow down the list.

So many musicals / plays to see and so many restaurants to go to, but so little time there :'(

Anyway, thanks again !!

 

[VGThuy]

That's actually not the same production of Hello Dolly! And there aren't really any videos as the producer, Scott Rudin, has kept the production under wraps. It received some of the best reviews this season, but it seems you're not interested anyway which is fine.

 

[DannyCurry]

That's a relief to hear that it's not the same production !
My bad, I didn't watch carefully as I took quickly one of the first results on YT.

Talking about keeping a production under wraps, has anyone seen the 'stolen' footage of the dress change in "Let It Go" from the upcoming Frozen musical ? I thought it looked pretty cool !! The vid has since been taken down, understandably.

 

[Bellanca]

Cats. It's one of those (mandatory) Broadway shows that any theatre buff should mark off their bucket list...

 

[merrywidow]

I've only seen "Cats" (wonderful) & "Wicked" (enjoyable). Am going to see the touring company of "Something Rotten" in Oct. The clips I've seen look great so hope it is.

 

[CDANN1013]

I loved Kinky Boots

 

[Erin]

Cats. It's one of those (mandatory) Broadway shows that any theatre buff should mark off their bucket list...

You know, that's what I thought, but I finally went last year and found Cats to be not my thing. The music and dancing was good and Leona Lewis was amazing, but I want a plot in my musical and Cats doesn't have it. I guess now I can tick it off my list and I'm glad I saw it with such a good cast but I wouldn't describe it as a must-see.

 

[screech]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory got negative reviews, but I enjoyed it (except for the girl who played Violet - she was very annoying. All the kids except Charlie were played by adults). The sets were absolutely amazing, and Christian Borle was brilliant (and clearly having a blast) as Willy Wonka. It was a fun time.

I was recently in New York, and the 'discount' tickets for Hamilton were $500. Dear Evan Hansen tickets were available for under $200 (from the 'discount' people who try to get those lined up outside the TKTS booth at Times Square). But no luck winning the lotteries.

The TKTS booth is awesome if you want to see one of the non-Hamilton/Dear Evan Hanse/Hello Dolly shows. It opens at (I think) 3pm each day, and most shows are at least 40% off. And if you want to see more than one show on your trip, save your stub, because if you go back within a week with your stub, you get to bypass the entire line and get right to the booth. The line can be intimidating, but moves pretty quickly (just make sure the show you want to see is on the board they have posted).

Of the shows currently playing in NYC, I've seen (in various locations) Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Book of Mormon, Avenue Q, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Kinky Boots. Of those, my favourite by far was Book of Mormon. Least favourite: Kinky Boots (mainly because of the songs. When I leave a musical, I want the songs to be stuck in my head. When I left Kinky Boots, I couldn't remember a single lyric or tune to a single song).

 

[DannyCurry]

You know, that's what I thought, but I finally went last year and found Cats to be not my thing. The music and dancing was good and Leona Lewis was amazing, but I want a plot in my musical and Cats doesn't have it. I guess now I can tick it off my list and I'm glad I saw it with such a good cast but I wouldn't describe it as a must-see.

I'm soo jealous. Would've loved to see Leona Lewis in Cats, I love her ! Then, if it were just up to me I would pick POTO over Cats but people I'm going with just can't stand POTO, and though I haven't watched clips of Cats, I've seen pics of the theater and it looks really good, so I might end up with Cats, even just to tick it off my list too haha.

The TKTS booth is awesome if you want to see one of the non-Hamilton/Dear Evan Hanse/Hello Dolly shows. It opens at (I think) 3pm each day, and most shows are at least 40% off. And if you want to see more than one show on your trip, save your stub, because if you go back within a week with your stub, you get to bypass the entire line and get right to the booth. The line can be intimidating, but moves pretty quickly (just make sure the show you want to see is on the board they have posted).

Thanks for your review on Charlie & the Chocolate Factory ! And thanks for the tip about the stub at the TKTS booth !
As I've stated earlier, I already have tickets for 2 musicals but I'll try the TKTS booth for at least one musical and one play. Hopefully it won't disappoint !

 

[BelleBway]

Come From Away is one of my favorite shows ever. Not sure if it will be up at TKTS though as it has been selling out. They do sell rush/ standing room tickets on the day of the show, but I think you need to line up super early.

If you do decide to see Bandstand, I recommend getting rush tickets the day of the show. I arrived at around 11am on a Saturday (ie I arrived over an hour after the box office opened) and they had tons of availability- I paid $49 for a seat in 3rd row mezz with a full view of the show. They also had side orchestra for $59 or partial view boxes for $35. Excellent deal. There were tons of empty seats next to me so I think they still had plenty of rush tickets up until show time.

 

[screech]

Thanks for your review on Charlie & the Chocolate Factory ! And thanks for the tip about the stub at the TKTS booth !
As I've stated earlier, I already have tickets for 2 musicals but I'll try the TKTS booth for at least one musical and one play. Hopefully it won't disappoint !

Glad to help!! And it's much cheaper. For the seats I had for Charlie, they run for $149 according to ticketmaster. I paid about $90.

TKTS located right in Times Square (you can't miss them). I believe, though, the 'skip the line' is only valid if you bought your ticket through TKTS. Though they didn't check mine very closely when I went back the next day. If you want to try, just go right to the front and there's a guard there. Otherwise you'll probably be waiting for about 45 minutes or so.

 

[DannyCurry]

Thanks again. Yes I will try the 'skip the line' after having bought a ticket through TKTS earlier in the week.

I've also downloaded the TKTS app, which is updated with the list of the shows available. It even shows if the booth is open, and right now it says that the one at South Street Seaport has a 5min wait time !

 

[VGThuy]

TodayTix is also a great app. I've used it before.