Broadway musicals

[VGThuy]

Apparently, the out-of-town previews of Moulin Rouge received rave reviews from the NY Times and Variety. The NYT critic thinks there still needs to be some trimming, but he apparently loved it. Brantley can be quite a snob when he wants to be (sort of selective) so this is great news for the show.

 

[gkelly]

I went to see Dave at Arena Stage this weekend, a musical version of the 1993 movie.

http://archive.skem1.com/csb/Public/show/aqqd-rid4i--hqlo6-94ymicj6

http://www.playbill.com/article/wor...and-mamie-parris-opens-at-arena-stage-july-27

I thought it was fun and generally well sung and well staged. Not exactly a very deep story, which is par for the course in musicals. Plenty of Washington insider references, which made my niece wonder how well it would translate to audiences in other locations. Should do fine in NY.

 

[VGThuy]

I thought it was fun and generally well sung and well staged. Not exactly a very deep story, which is par for the course in musicals. .

What's sad is that really is the direction most commercial musical theatre. I wish the ones that are would be more successful.

 

[judiz]

I got to watch my nephew on the Broadway stage last week! He played Mr Krabs for four performances and then played Patrick for two. The biggest thrill was watching him sign autographs after the show.

 

[screech]

I got to watch my nephew on the Broadway stage last week! He played Mr Krabs for four performances and then played Patrick for two. The biggest thrill was watching him sign autographs after the show.

Aww, that's awesome! Congratulations to him once again!

 

[Skittl1321]

Apparently, the out-of-town previews of Moulin Rouge received rave reviews from the NY Times and Variety. The NYT critic thinks there still needs to be some trimming, but he apparently loved it. Brantley can be quite a snob when he wants to be (sort of selective) so this is great news for the show.

I wish I had thought to get tickets to this when I was in Boston. My boss said it was great but "I have some notes for them." haha. He also doesn't think they will want his notes.

 

[screech]

I'm sure they've received a lot of notes, and they will have time to work on things before it opens in NY next year. It's the whole purpose of the out of town try-outs, and why it's so rare for shows not to have them. From what I recall, it was thought of as really unusual that Book of Mormon didn't do any out of town work before it opened on Broadway, which ended up working really well for them.

Speaking of opening shows, what have the reviews for Pretty Woman been like? I know Julia Roberts recently went to one of the shows, that was honouring Garry Marshall, and that she seemingly enjoyed it. I hope it does well, because I found Samantha Barks very under-appreciated in the Les Miserables movie (where she was one of the best performers), and I want good things for Andy Karl and Orfeh (and the late, great Garry Marshall).

 

[smurfy]

I live in CT and I do this every now and then - I go to NYC for a day and see 2 shows in 1 day as a guilty pleasure.
Yesterday I did it! What a lovely day.

Afternoon matinee of 'Beautiful'. Just wonderful flow of lots of hits and the story of Carole King and Gerry Goffin. I also enjoyed learning about Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. Time flew, it was just lovely.

Evening was 'Hello Dolly!' with Bette Midler - absolutely Divine! And David Hyde Pierce. Great show. So obvious that Bette Midler is adored by all (cast and audience) and was ad libbing at times and overall seemed to be having a blast. She is perfect in the roll.
The singing of Hello Dolly was wonderful and at times, she leaned against the wall and said it was a long one.
In scene where she is cutting up Horace's food, and offers him a dumpling, she picks one up with her hands and throws it into the orchestra pit "for the band leader".
I feel very fortunate to have seen her live in person.

 

[VGThuy]

I saw Hello Dolly! with Bette’s alternate Donna Murphy and it is such an incredible production. One of the best executed and perfect musicals I’ve ever seen. I also fell more in love with Beanie Feldstein and understood why Gavin Creel won the Tony. David Hyde Pearce was also incredible. I bet seeing it with Bette is like a once in a lifetime experience.

 

[screech]

The cast of the national tour of Hello Dolly! has been announced. Betty Buckley had been previously announced as Dolly, but what I'm most excited for is Nic Rouleau as Cornelius. Nic is a Broadway veteran now (with over 6 years as Elder Price in Book of Mormon), but it's crazy to think that this is only his second role!

 

[Yehudi]

Welp Bad news good news bad news. I didn’t win the Friday Forty for Harry Potter but I did get an offer for $99 tickets. I took the plunge but now my friend can’t go and it’s on a Wednesday afternoon. Is there anyone interested in coming (there are two shows so two tickets). ?

 

[Seerek]

The Band's Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G71Zwn9s9vw

The video doesn't work anymore, but I was impressed to read that Katrina Lenk took her first hiatus from playing Dina in TBV only a couple weeks ago after performing the entire Off-Broadway run and all of the current Broadway run up until late August.

 

[VGThuy]

@Wyliefan, I wanted to ask what you thought of My Fair Lady? I know you said you were seeing it in August. Also, Laura Benanti is taking over the role of Eliza Doolittle later this month. I read that Rosemary Harris played a much more nurturing Mrs. Higgins than Diana Rigg did and had a great connection with Lauren Ambrose.

 

[Wyliefan]

I thought it was an excellent production, very well acted and sung. I saw Rigg and thought she was great. (I do wish a little bit that I could go back and see Benanti's Eliza, just to see how she does! ) Not a fan of the rejiggered ending, though. I had read all sorts of rhapsodies about how it was a wonderful new modern vision, but I thought it looked like the director wasn't sure WHAT he wanted. "Lame" was the word that came to mind.

 

[VGThuy]

I thought it was an excellent production, very well acted and sung. I saw Rigg and thought she was great. (I do wish a little bit that I could go back and see Benanti's Eliza, just to see how she does! ) Not a fan of the rejiggered ending, though. I had read all sorts of rhapsodies about how it was a wonderful new modern vision, but I thought it looked like the director wasn't sure WHAT he wanted. "Lame" was the word that came to mind.

I loved the ending, but I can see why some think it was a cop-out. Some argued that Sher should have had her walk out the way she came in to make it clear or keep it the same. I was probably one of those who would rhapsodized about it haha. I may see it again with Benanti because I LOVE HER. It's going to be weird to see Harry Hadden-Paton opposite someone else though because I thought he and Ambrose looked seriously good together. Like really good together.

 

[Wyliefan]

If you do see it with Benanti, I want to hear all about her performance!!

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I am hearing very good things about the out of town preview in Chicago for the musical version of Tootsie, due to open on Broadway in April.

It is one of my favourite films, and I have been fascinated to learn how it has been adapted for the professional stage.

Click below for some reviews of the show.

http://www.playbill.com/article/read-reviews-for-the-new-tootsie-musical-starring-santino-fontana

 

[flyingsit]

I saw Dear Evan Hansen here in a Denver last night (first stop of the touring production). The cast was a bit uneven, but a few were standouts.

As a whole I really liked it, but the second act is definitely weaker than the first and has some issues with pacing.

 

[annie720]

I saw Dear Evan Hansen here in a Denver last night (first stop of the touring production). The cast was a bit uneven, but a few were standouts.

As a whole I really liked it, but the second act is definitely weaker than the first and has some issues with pacing.

Thanks for the comment. I'm seeing this production next week. Hope they work out the kinks.

 

[peibeck]

I saw the tour of "Love Never Dies," the "Phantom of the Opera" sequel last week. The cast was very talented, the sets, lighting and costumes were amazing, but what a disaster of a show itself. The story was beyond bleak and completely turned how the characters were established in the original musical on their heads. I don't think I've ever heard such tepid applause at the end of a big-blockbuster scale show before. A complete miss. Now I wish we'd swapped the show out as part of our subscription series for something - ANYTHING - that would have been better.

 

[Wyliefan]

I've heard enough about that show that I never want to see it. You can have a great cast and a great production, but if the story is stupid, they're just polishing a turd.

 

[screech]

I saw the tour of "Love Never Dies," the "Phantom of the Opera" sequel last week. The cast was very talented, the sets, lighting and costumes were amazing, but what a disaster of a show itself.

Part of me wants to see it because of the trainwreck aspect of it, but most of me just doesn't want to even attempt it. WTF was Andrew Lloyd Weber thinking?

I saw Dear Evan Hansen here in a Denver last night (first stop of the touring production). The cast was a bit uneven, but a few were standouts.

As a whole I really liked it, but the second act is definitely weaker than the first and has some issues with pacing.

I'm hoping to see it when it comes to Toronto in the spring. I've a feeling I won't love it as much as the masses will, but should still be good. That's the way I felt about Hamilton - it just didn't do anything for me (though maybe that's because I have no real interest in US history).

 

[Kruss]

I saw Love Never Dies on PBS and was incredibly glad that I never wasted my money seeing it live.

 

[peibeck]

@Kruss I never knew it was shown on PBS. I'm surprised. ALW usually tries to drain $$$ from all other possible revenue venues before allowing his products to be put on tv.

 

[skatesindreams]

ALW usually tries to drain $$$ from all other possible revenue venues before allowing his products to be put on tv.

Perhaps, he knew it was a "dud".

 

[BelleBway]

I saw the tour of "Love Never Dies," the "Phantom of the Opera" sequel last week. The cast was very talented, the sets, lighting and costumes were amazing, but what a disaster of a show itself. The story was beyond bleak and completely turned how the characters were established in the original musical on their heads. I don't think I've ever heard such tepid applause at the end of a big-blockbuster scale show before. A complete miss. Now I wish we'd swapped the show out as part of our subscription series for something - ANYTHING - that would have been better.

I am so sorry you (or anyone) had to see it. I saw the show in Australia basically because it was the only thing playing anywhere I was going. The only positive is that my blog entry mocking the show is one of my favorite things I've written. I'll reread it occasionally for a chuckle...

 

[Jayar]

Going to NYC for my annual December trip. We are seeing Mean Girls, The Cher Show, Pretty Woman, King Kong, and Torch Song Trilogy

 

[Sarah]

I'm seeing Love Never Dies on Sunday and i'm dreading it... It's the last think I want to see, but it was part of our season package and well...

 

[peibeck]

Going to NYC for my annual December trip. We are seeing Mean Girls, The Cher Show, Pretty Woman, King Kong, and Torch Song Trilogy

A friend of mine who saw the "Cher Show" in Chicago only raved about the guy who played Sonny.

I'm seeing Love Never Dies on Sunday and i'm dreading it... It's the last think I want to see, but it was part of our season package and well...

(((Sarah)))

 

[VGThuy]

I saw that the Off-Broadway musical Miss You Like Hell about an unexpected and spur-of-the-moment cross-country road trip a girl goes on with her estranged, undocumented mother from Mexico is finally releasing their cast recording. I missed it at the Public last season and I'm looking forward to hearing more of the score.

I always liked this song "Mothers" I saw a few months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CUATrB8JVY