JC Chasez, John Lyndon, Michelle Williams & Brandon Boyd
News just came out that a star-studed national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar will kick-off June 9. I'm always a little weary of any pop celebrities in Broadway shows. The fact that this tour has not one but four pop star singers does make me think it probably will be a disappointment. HOWEVER, Jesus Christ Superstar is one of my favorite shows of all time... maybe even my favorite, so I'm going to have to see this tour even if it's just to complain about it.
The tour will star lead singer of the Sex Pistols John Lyndon aka Johnny Rotten as Herod, Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd as Judas, NSYNC's JC Chasez as Pontius Pilot, and Michelle Williams as Mary Magdalane. Jesus will apparently be played by Ben Forster, the winner of a UK TV reality series to find the next Jesus called "Superstar".
Am I the only one who is more impressed with the fact that there was a JC Superstar tryout reality show than about a bunch of washed up pop starts being in the tour?? I want to watch Superstar! How can I find it in the US??? It was either really bad if there was a bunch of crappy pop American idol types trying out or awesome because there were real rock singers from bands trying out. I guess I'll have to figure out how to watch the show to find out.
Boyd and Williams were on Good Morning America this morning to announce the tour and sing the title song. I have to say I'm pretty impressed with Boyd's performance, he has the perfect voice for Judas and I'm excited to see him on stage. Williams looks like she might break apart from being malnourished but I'm sure she'll do a decent job, she does have a good voice. The 12-year old inside me is actually really excited to see JC, because he was my favorite! I still think he's really sexy, hopefully he doesn't suck. I really don't know what to think about Johnny Rotten playing Herod, if he still has energy and his voice is still there it might be awesome, but he's pretty old now.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera based very loosely on the Gospel's account of the last week of Jesus' life. It highlights political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus, struggles that are not in the Bible. The show began life as a record-breaking album in 1970 before it landed on Broadway in 1971. It was subsequently revived on Broadway in 1977, 2000 and 2012. I saw the 2012 performance and thought Judas and Jesus were amazing! It will be hard to top them.
Someone uploaded a video of the entire 2012 Broadway production that they must have secretly taped. It's actually decent quality. If you have some time to spare check it out. And thank you to whoever took this video!
Every once in a while a broadway show opens that I have to see ASAP no matter what I have to pay... If/Then was one of those shows! I've been excited about this since I first read about it last summer. Well I didn't waste any time and got tickets for the first Saturday night performance of previews.
First of all I think Idina Menzel is one of the most talented broadway performers out there. She could be in the most boring show and I would still be impressed. Then there's Anthony Rapp... one of my absolute favorite broadway performers of all time! I have a thing for nerdy guys and when you combine his nerdy appearance with his amazing voice and his terrible but cute dance moves you've basically made my perfect man (yes yes I know he's gay, but I can still admire him). To add to the Rent alumni list Michael Greif, former director of Rent, is also directing If/Then.
I have to admit that after Adele Nazeem... I mean Idina's performance at the Oscar's a couple weeks ago I was a little worried that her voice might be fading. That is 100% not true, she was as funny, inspiring and sassy as she was almost 2 decades ago when she began in Rent and her voice was so strong! I actually remember her belting out this giant note at the end of a song that felt like it blew me back in my seat. The note went on for so long I could feel the whole audience gaping in silent admiration. Of course the audience exploded for her after. I'm a sucker for those moments in shows. Idina has still got it!
LaChanze playing Kate and Anthony Rapp playing Lucas
Idina's role in this show is supposedly similar to what is happening in her personal life right now. (Her and Taye Diggs recently split after 10 years of marriage. I know... so sad! I always liked to think they were the perfect super talented couple.) Idina plays Elizabeth, a recently divorced woman in her late 30's who just moved back to NYC to start her life over again. When she gets there she meets up with her bi roommate from college Lucas (Anthony Rapp) and makes friends with her apartment neighbor Kate (LaChanze). Throughout the show you see how choices that Elizabeth makes change her life.
The theme of the show is a brilliant idea. Everyday we make decisions and each one leads our life in a different direction, sometimes in small ways sometimes in big ways. You don't think about how something as small as choosing to go out to bar with a new friend or something as big as choosing to switch jobs can change the entire course of your life. You don't think about it because it would drive you insane, but it was still interesting as a story theme.
Oh and by the way one of Elizabeth's "life paths" has a lot to do with a very sexy man, the character Josh played by James Snyder. I love Anthony Rapp but I found myself drooling over James throughout the show!
Idina Menzel as Elizabeth and James Snyder as Josh
If/Then is a musical by the Next to Normal creators Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. The music was definitely similar, I found myself singing Next to Normal songs during intermission and then remembering it was by the same talented duo. My favorite song was "What the fuck?" haha not only was it awesomely funny it presented a situation that I think everyone can relate to. That moment when you've gone further than you planned and you're saying to yourself "what the fuck am I doing???" And you decide to just go for it. I've been in that situation and the next morning you're either really excited that this might turn into something great or really beating yourself up because you know you shouldn't have done that. It's the same for Elizabeth in the show.
Overall I really liked If/Then, although if not for the presence of Idina Menzel and Anthony Rapp I don't think it would have the same appeal. I liked the story of If/Then but the deep emotion of Next to Normal just wasn't there. Nor was the cool personality and catchy songs of Rent. In fact other than "What the fuck" I actually have a hard time remembering any of the other songs... I didn't dislike any of them but none of the other songs had that "stick in your head, I have to download this song!" presence. I plan to see it again once the popularity dies down a bit in a few months to see how I feel about it the second time. For right now I don't think it would be in my top 5 shows (which Rent and Next Normal are in!).
True to its Rent origins If/Then has a lottery for tickets. It comes as no surprise that the lottery has been insanely crowded since it began. I was happy to shell out the $75 it cost me for rear mezzanine tickets so that I didn't have to go through the crazy lottery just to probably not win tickets at the end. But if you have more patience and optimism than me and would like to try the lottery, names are pulled 90 minutes before every showtime and tickets are $25 cash only.
After the show I waited stage door to get autographs (which I don't do for very many shows I see), the crowd was insane! But I did get my playbill signed by Idina and Anthony and got a couple pictures, although they weren't very good thanks to me being so short.
Idina signing autographs after If/Then
PS - I'm absolutely in love with the cover photo of Idina Menzel on Billboard today! She looks beautiful I can only pray that when I'm in my 40s I look as amazing as she does and my life is half as inspiring. Enjoy the video of her photo shoot below!
If/Then is playing at the Richard Rogers Theatre on 46th (between 7th & 8th). It is currently in previews and officially opens on Thursday, March 27th.
Being from upstate NY, I usually find it hilarious how much people in the city freak out over a few inches of snow. However, one awesome thing that always comes out of snow storms in the city is the Broadway show discounts that come out of it!
During the past 7 years that I've lived in and around NYC I've only seen Broadway close once and that was for Sandy. Since I was trapped in my Hoboken apartment by floods I agreed with that decision. I trudged through the snow and made it into the city for work today though which means I will of course be taking advantage of one of the great deals and seeing a show tonight. Who cares if it's gonna be 2 degrees, right?!?
Here are the discounts so far. I'll update this throughout the day if more are announced:
A Night with Janis Joplin: offering a "snow day discounts" for performances Jan. 2-4. Tickets start at $32 by using code JJSNOW an can be purchased at the box office or online.
Machinal (new musical from Roundabout Theatre Company): offering $20 tickets when you show your metro card at the box office only.
DISASTER!: (disaster movie musical comedy now playing Off-Broadway at the St. Luke's Theatre): offering a one-day-only "Snow Day" discount on Friday, January 3rd. Tickets for $30.00 will be available in-person at the box office only by using the code DISNOW for the matinee (2:30PM) and evening performances (8:00PM).
Outside Mullingar (First preview of new play from Manhattan Theatre Club at the Friedman Theatre): All tickets for the performance tonight only will be available for $50 by using code OMSNW14 or coming to the Friedman box office.
After Midnight: Offering 50% off any ticket with the mention of SNOW at the box office for today's 2pm & 8pm shows.
Motown the Musical: announced on Facebook that they are offering $49 tickets at the box office today with the code SNOW.
...And of course there's also all the shows that have rushes and lotteries that should have plenty of tickets available today from cancellations. See the updated list here.
After seeing this play I had to watch the movie at home the next day to make sure that I still actually liked it and that it was nothing like the boring, flat show I just saw on stage. To my relief, I do still love the movie, it has a charm to it that was somehow completely left out of the show.
The Broadway play adaption of Breakfast At Tiffany's is intentionally different from the movie. Writer, Richard Greenberg sought to base the play more closely on Truman Capote's 1958 novella than the movie had been. Apparently some of the dialogue has even been directly lifted from the book. This may explain why the play seemed so lifeless... There's a reason movie and play versions of books often have their own twists. Each is a different form of art and to be strong in each the story must be adapted for each. A book can't simply be put into screenplay format and be called a Broadway show.
The story in the play adds in a lot of random gay themes that are not included in the movie. This would be fine if they weren't randomly and completely nonchalantly mentioned. In the 1940s being gay was a big deal! I'm not sure why no one in this play acted like it.
The lead character, Holly Golightly is played by Emilia Clarke of HBO's Game of Thrones. I don't watch Game of Thrones so I didn't know who she was before seeing the show and the play has certainly not made me a fan now. Granted, it's extremely difficult to take a role iconically played by Audrey Hepburn and expect to be remembered or even praised for it. I give her credit for trying and thought she was decent. Although, her over the top voice for every word that came out of her mouth ended up hurting her performance. I get what she was going for but her voice just made it seem like she had no real emotions and kept me from establishing any kind of connection to her character.
The male lead, Fred, is played by Cory Michael Smith. As someone who had my expectations for Fred formed from the movie, I was extremely disappointed with his portrayal of the character. Instead of the handsome, confident yet sweet character from the movie, who I thought was quite a heart throb, Fred is a whiney, pathetic weirdo who becomes obsessed with Holly after meeting her once. Cory tries to put feeling into the part but ends up falling short, he also starts the play with an accent that randomly starts and stops throughout.
The biggest reaction from the audience during the show is not from the actors or the lines, but from a real cat that comes on stage to play Holly's cat. It really serves no purpose and just caused a lot of "awwww" from everyone in the audience before the cat terrifyingly runs off stage because it probably has no idea what's going on. I suppose when a show is as bad as this one throwing in a real cat can't make it worse, but it definitely didn't make it better either.
Oh and one more thing... for some reason in the middle of the play Emilia and Cory get naked in a bath tub. The moment is about as unemotional as they come, except for maybe the awkward feeling the audience has as they wonder why they're naked.
Luckily I only payed $32 for this play by doing general rush. If you're curious I would make sure you get very cheap tickets, it's definitely not worth full price. You could probably see the second act for free if you walk in during intermission, since many of the people at the show I saw left during intermission.
Last weekend my best broadway friend Jen came to visit so of course we had to fit in as many shows as we could! We ended up getting tickets to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Two very different plays that both had celebrities. I'm writing my review of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof first since there are only 3 performances left until it closes tomorrow Saturday 3/30!!
This revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is Scarlett Johansson's second time on Broadway after winning a TONY for her Broadway debut in a A View From the Bridge. I don't think this performance was amazing enough to earn Scarlett her second TONY but I thought she was pretty good.
This was my first time seeing Cat so I had no expectations for how the role of Maggie should be played. Scarlett definitely got the catty part of Maggie right, throughout most of the play she left me siding with her husband, Brick, played by Benjamin Walker. There were a few times during the play when I did feel sympathy for Maggie but most of the time her weirdly manly sounding southern accent along with the distant self-righteous attitude she gave off left me she thinking she was a bitch that made her bed and now needed to sleep in it.
Scarlett Johansson as Maggie and Benjamin Walker as Brick
Benjamin Walker gave a good performance as Brick, although after a while his fake southern accent started getting on my nerves as well. He portrayed Brick's anger scenes with rage that seemed real and unrestrained. The rage, which was usually caused by Maggie's mention of his dead best friend Skipper who was hinted to have been more of a gay love, seemed to have real emotions behind it.
I'm glad I caught Cat on a Hot Tin Roof before the closing date. As I always say, my favorite plays are the ones that leave you thinking afterwards. Cat definitely lived up to this standard with its reoccurring them of "mendacity," Brick uses the word to discuss his disgust with all of the lies and liars in his life. It makes you think about the fact that a lot of everyone's lives are fake. How many relationships that we have in our own lives are full of lies? However, the further you get into the play the more you realize that part of Brick's disgust with the lies and fakeness he sees in other people is the disgust he feels for himself after rejecting his best friend/gay love interest Skipper before his suicide.
If you have no plan for the Easter weekend I would definitely try to catch Cat on a Hot Tin Roof before it closes. If you have a student ID the show has a student rush that begins 2 hours before the show starts. However, the tickets will probably be slim pickins this weekend so I would get there early.
That's right, Les Miz is planning another Broadway revival in March 2014. To everyone out there who saw the movie this winter and all of a sudden became a die-hard Les Miz fan, you're in luck! This will be the second Broadway revival of Les Miz. The first was in 2006, which was my first time seeing the show when I was a freshman in college. This new revival of the show will take a fresh approach to the classic musical with new scenic elements and even some updated orchestrations. Producer Cameron Macintosh has said that the "re-imagined" scenery is inspired by paintings of Victor Hugo (the author of the 19th century Les Miserables novel). The production has already been performed in the U.K. and the U.S. in a tour that is also slated to open in Japan, Canada, Australia and Brazil in the near future. The original London production of Les Miz is the longest running musical of all time, still running after 27 years! To date, it is the fourth longest-running Broadway show (beat by Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Chicago). Truth be told I've always liked the classic Les Miz songs (On My Own, At The End of the Day, Bring Him Home, Empty Chairs and Empty Tables, etc.) but I found the Broadway revival in 2006 to be a snooze-fest. Apart from the famous songs the rest of the show was pretty boring. For that reason I was skeptical of the movie when it came out, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it! My favorite performances were by Anne Hathaway (Of course! Who didn't love her??), who gave the most emotionally intense rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" that I have ever encountered, Aaron Tveit, who I've been a huge fan of since Next to Normal, and Samantha Barks, who's subtle performance of "On My Own" was extremely refreshing after hearing the song over sung by so many Broadway wanna-bes (including those from my high school choir) that it's almost ruined the song for me.
I don't know if this revival will be much more exciting overall than the last was but I'll definitely give it a chance, that is if the popularity of the movie doesn't cause the prices to sky rocket.
It seems like the holidays were so long ago, when I returned to work last week everything went back to being busy right away. Of course 3 shows that I really wanted to see had to be closing right after the holidays - War Horse, Grace and Chaplin.
The good news is I found time (and money) to squeeze in 2 out of the 3 shows, War Horse and Grace. I'm sad I wasn't able to make it to Chaplin, I read some great things about Rob McClure. But I'm hoping I can at least find a couple videos of him performing on YouTube to make me feel a little better.
Here are my reviews of War Horse and Grace, both of which unfortunately played their last performances this past weekend on January 6th.
WAR HORSE
I thoroughly enjoyed War Horse. The best way I can describe the show is it's the first time I've seen a play that made me feel like I was watching a movie. The background music by the orchestra and the talented singers set a mood throughout the play that was similar to the way music sets your emotions throughout movies.
The show is famous for it's use of puppets and now I see why. The puppeteers from Handspring Puppet Co. were AMAZING! Their movements for the horses were extremely realistic and precise, down to even moving the ears and flicking the tail in accordance with the horse's movements. Although seeing it live is really the only way to see how life like these puppets really were, the below video shows some great tidbits from the show.
I had high expectations for War Horse and it lived up to all of them; large and very talented cast, emotional story that made me cry more than once, great props and scenery and strong music to set the atmosphere that you weren't in a theater watching a play but that you were part of a real story. Now that I caught the play before it closed I'll have to watch the movie to see how it compares.
GRACE
Grace was back to the type of Broadway play I'm used to seeing, the show depends on the performance of the actors as the main way to tell the story, the scenery is good but not over the top and a couple of celebrities are thrown in to raise ticket sales.
I'll admit my sole reason for seeing Grace was to check out Paul Rudd's first time on broadway. I've always thought he was a cutie and wanted to see this show in case he never comes to broadway again.
I actually ended up liking the show much more than I originally thought I was going to. The description on the web site makes it sound like the typical "What is religion and what is god" play. It was more intriguing than I expected and like all good plays left me with some interesting concepts to think about afterwards.
Interestingly, Grace starts out by showing you the series of murders that take place at the end of the play and then goes into a rewind effect where the last moments of each person's life is replayed in reverse order. At the end of the play we see the sequence again but in normal order. Since you know what's ultimately going to happen throughout the play the question then becomes, why did this happen?
The play focuses on the question of if God exists and if so, how do we know? Each character displays different situations that either are so terrible that God could not possibly exist or so perfect that it's hard to explain them happening without the presence of God. The play is full of uncomfortable moments, however I don't think any of them were quite as shocking or unsettling as they were meant to be. The play overall was done well but it left me wanting more. It would have had to go farther to leave a real lasting effect on me.
The four person cast included Paul Rudd as main character Steve, Kate Arrington as his wife Sara, Michael Shannon in a wonderfully awkward performance as Sam and Ed Asner as the greatly entertaining exterminator Karl. While the performances of the entire cast were great the outline of each character was not very deep. Each character's story was very predictable, which kept me from getting too attached to any of them.
Sara (Kate Arrington), Steve (Paul Rudd) and Sam (Michael Shannon)
Michael Shannon's portrayal of Sam, a hurting man who's fiance recently died, was my favorite part of the play. His hurting comes across without being too forced and throughout the play you want to learn more about him.
As someone who has always been up and down about if God is actually out there, Grace made a lot of points that I could relate to. I especially liked a remark that Sara made referring to the relationship between her and Sam, "If we're here beside each other, we must be here for each other, right?"
Christmas time in NYC is both my favorite and most loathed time of the year. It's hard not to love all the things that pop up in the city only during this time of year - outdoor christmas shopping booths that take over Bryant Park and Union Square like tent cities full of people tempting you to spend all your money, ice skating, Santa Con, decorations and of course the giant ass Christmas tree - every year I say I want to go see these things and every year I get mad at the crazy crowds that surround them. But I think it's New Yorker tradition to celebrate the holidays by complaining as much as you can about tourists taking over the streets... Christmas just wouldn't be the same without all the anger.
Life during this time of year just seems to be on permanent fast-forward. My biggest problem is that in the midst of all of the craziness this time of year is also filled with a whole bunch of awesome broadway charity concerts and broadway shows that either open only for this time of year or stay open to bring in some cash from the Christmas crowd and then schedule their closing date for early January right after the rush is over. Of course I want to see all of them! So if you're asking yourself right now, "what's her point?" Basically I'm just ranting to let you guys know that my life is super busy right now but I'm seeing lots of great theater and will try to keep you updated as often as I can. (I know I still haven't posted my Assassins review but it's coming!!) Expect a big string of reviews after Christmas when things die down!
Now for those of you who are interested in catching the shows that will be closing soon here's a list:
Closing Sunday 12/16:
Murder Ballad - Seeing this tonight, I'll update everyone on how it is! It's by Jonathon Larson (the writer of Rent) so I had to make sure to see it.
The Anarchist - Really wanted to see Patti Lupone in this but it looks like I probably won't have time. For anyone with student IDs, the woman at the box office told me they are selling student rush tickets (1 per ID) on the day of the show.
Closing Sunday 12/30:
A Christmas Story - This looks intriguing, I love the movie but the show could ruin it. They have a general rush (2 per person) when the box office opens, so that could be a cheap way to check it out.
A Civil War Christmas - This is New York Theatre Workshop's Christmas show and I've heard great things about it. Hopefully I have time to check it out. NYTW has a bunch of discount deals including student rush that you can check out here
Bring It On The Musical - I already saw this and was hesitant but actually really enjoyed it. It was funny and some of the songs were pretty catchy. I'll post a full review soon. Anyway they have a general rush (2 per person) so I highly recommend you check it out if you can!
Closing Sunday 1/6:
Elf - This show seems to come back every year during Christmas and has no discounts so unless you're obsessed with the movie, I'd say skip it.
Grace - This limited run is Paul Rudd's Broadway debut. I'm planning on trying to see it, unfortunately there are no discounts but it may be worth buying tickets to see Paul Rudd live.
Chaplin - A Broadway musical about a silent movie actor doesn't sound like the most exciting piece of theater to me but I'm going to try to reserve my judgement and see it before it closes. It has a general rush (2 per person).
War Horse - Good thing I wrote this blog post because it reminded me that I really want to see this play before it closes! It has student rush (1 per person) and LincTix deals.
I'm beyond excited that tonight I'll be seeing Roundabout Theatre's one-night-only benefit concert reading of Assassins!!! I've always wanted to see this show and now the original cast (including my favorite Neil Patrick Harris) is coming back for one night.
I'll admit I spent way way too much money on these tickets, but hey if I don't spend money on something like this that only comes along once in a lifetime then there's no point in saving it, right?
The original cast that will return for tonight's show includes:
Michael Cerveris (John Wilkes Booth) Becky Ann Baker (Sara Jane Moore) James Barbour (Leon Czolgosz) Mario Cantone (Samuel Byck) Mary Catherine Garrison (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme) Alexander Gemignani (John Hinckley) Neil Patrick Harris (Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald) Marc Kudisch (Proprietor) Jeffrey Kuhn (Giuseppe Zangara) Denis O’Hare (Charles Guiteau)
This week I had my first encounter with the well-known play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe," and what an encounter it was. Not sure what to expect, but knowing the show is a classic that I must see, I got last minute tickets to the show after work. The show was one of the most suspenseful and intense plays I've seen. Throughout the three-hour play the audience is in a constant state of discomfort as the honest truth of the relationship between the characters is revealed and an anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach telling you something bigger is coming grows and grows as the tension builds. You can't help but feel emotionally drained at the end of the play. Not to say that the play is void of humor, on the contrary, mixed in with the brutal verbal battle and heart ache is a lot of hilarious moments. The playwright, Edward Albee, has really created something unique by telling the story of a drunken night of marital discord by combining tragedy, comedy and creepy uneasiness. To me strong emotions are the backbone of any good piece of theater and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe" definitely provides more than enough.
Tracy Letts as George, Amy Morton as Martha and Madison Dirks as Nick
Tracy Letts, as the lead male role George is completely amazing. Mr. Letts' expertise at alternating between vicious, loud and aggressive to an old husband who seems to have endless funny one liners to being a battered victim to being a calm and in control mental manipulator is mesmerizing to watch. George is the leader of the tension you feel throughout the play and it is he who at the end seems to have been the master of the night all along. Amy Morton, as the lead female role Martha gives a talented and intriguing performance as well. Throughout the play you can't decide if she is a bitch that you should hate or a wounded woman that you should feel sorry for. Ms. Morton does a great job at subtly revealing her internal grief from a life she wanted but never had amid her merciless and aggressive outbursts. In the midst of all of the attacks and pain there is a weird feeling of a dependent and deep love that despite everything thrives between George and Martha.
Carrie Coon as Honey
Madison Dirks as Nick and Carrie Coon as Honey round out the strong cast of the show as the audience of George and Martha's battle. Each is less memorable than Letts or Morton but still gives a strong performance as their more subdued characters. I particularly loved Coon's portrayal of the drunken Honey, especially her interpretive dance! "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe" was without a doubt money well spent. I now see why it is so popular and think it is a show all theater lovers should try to see at least once. The revival by Steppenwolf Theatre Company now playing at the Booth Theater on West 45th street is scheduled to close on February 24. The theater was almost packed when I saw it on a Thursday so I would try to get tickets sooner rather than later if you want to catch it before it closes. If you have a current student ID the show has student rush tickets available for $37 on a first-come, first-serve basis.
I know it's been a while since I've updated this blog. The last few months have been very busy to say the least. To give a little update I'm now a Hoboken resident. I know I know... ewww New Jersey. But it's clean, has a lot to do and is only a 15 minute Path ride from the city so I'm enjoying myself. That is it was only a 15 minute Path ride from the city, Sandy did a good job of destroying the Hoboken station and shutting it down for the last month or so but hopefully it will be up and running again soon!
Anyway, I'm back and ready to dedicate time to make this blog a valuable and fun place for people to come for Broadway information, show reviews (from me of course), updates on openings/closings and advice for cheap tickets and discounts.
Please feel free to leave comments along the way on any of my posts, let me know if there is a certain topic you want to hear about, if you agree/disagree with my reviews or if you just have a random comment. I want this blog to be fun. I know there is no shortage of Broadway show reviews from all of the major newspapers so I want this to be a different perspective. Broadway from the view of a 24 year old theater lover, on a budget, trying to make it in the city.
One of my favorite things about working in midtown Manhattan is anytime I have a broadway craving after work I can walk a few blocks to the theaters and usually always find last minute tickets to something. Yesterday when I got this craving I decided to finally check out the off-broadway show, The Fantasticks. I'm a little bit ashamed that it took me this long to go see the world's longest running musical, but unfortunately the big lights of the broadway theaters surrounding the small Snapple Theater tend to superficially outshine it most days. However, that's definitely all it is, is a superficial outshine. The Fantasticks originally opened at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village in May 1960, a revival of the show opened at the Snapple Theater Center in June 2008.
The poetic beginning to the show sets the mood perfectly:
Let's go back beyond the smart of you
Back to the special childlike part of you
Back where your dreams are fancy free...
I absolutely loved The Fantasticks! The show doesn't depend on big spectacle through large cast dance numbers, special effects and scenery. It's a small cast, on a small simple set, telling a genuine story full of romance, humor and real life lessons that leave you thinking about the show long after you've left. Seeing The Fantasticks was like going back in time... I didn't feel like I was seeing the typical 2012 NYC theater production, it felt more like a traveling classic play that sucks in the audience and consumes them simply by having a good story, poetic script, music and quality actors to deliver the whole thing with passion.
I have to say that I was impressed by the entire cast, however my favorite of the night (and probably every other girl's in the audience) was Edward Watts as the narrator and heartthrob bandit El Gallo. He has one of those old fashioned strong broadway voices that I can't resist.
Edward Watts as El Gallo
Also starring in the show was Aaron Carter, I guess trying to grow up and try new things after his teeny bobber days. I was never a fan of Aaron Carter, but I went into the show with an open mind. I was not blown away but I thought he did a good job. I find that most of the time when celebrities are brought into any broadway show they lack that "bring you to the edge of your seat" voice that in my opinion is the best part of seeing a show. But if Aaron Carter will bring people to the show who otherwise would never have seen it I'm all for it.
Juliette Trafton as Luisa & Aaron Carter as Matt
If you're a theater fan I would recommend The Fantasticks as a MUST SEE! If you're a tourist who is looking to see a lavish production as a treat on your vacation this is probably not for you. I'll leave you with the ending poem that delivers the central theme to the show, that pain must be felt before real love can ever be, it has been in my head ever since:
There is a curious paradox that no one can explain.
Who understands the secret of the reaping of the grain?
Who understands why Spring is born out of Winter's laboring pain?
Or why we all must die a bit before we grow again.
I do not know the answer.
I merely know it's true.
I hurt them for that reason and myself a little bit too.
.JPG)
