Last night I saw a preview of 'Motherf**ker with the Hat.' Why? Because I got real cheap tickets. I liked it. The dialogue is done so well, much is funny until you realize how sad the characters are, but I felt connected to them at the end. Elizabeth Rodriguez (B'way debut) and Bobby Cannavale (nominated for a Tony in 'Mauritius') were especially good.

Worth $130 full price? Never!

btw, emd3, I saw AG over 20 years ago at Lincoln Center, I remember feeling like dancing out of the theater after the performance. I'm so glad you loved it!

Since not too many people will scroll down the prior long Bway Banter thread, I am cutting and pasting my comments on Anything goes here on the new thread...


emd3 on Mar 18, 11 at 1:54pm

I saw Anything Goes two nights ago.

I have three words to say about it.

GET TICKETS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!

This show is phenomenal. Sutton Foster is amazing. Sutton Foster = TONY nomination for sure for this one. Joel Grey is fun. Sutton Foster is A+++++++. After the last song/dance of Act I (anything goes), I couldn't believe Foster can do this show once a day, much less when there are matinees. It is by far THE highest energy show I have ever seen.

Jessica Walters and John McMartin are great also.

The Cole Porter music, the choreography, the tap dancing, the fun the frolic, the acting, the sets, the period and very cool costumes, it is all there.

GET DISCOUNT TICKETS NOW BEFORE THE SHOW OPENS AND THE REVIEWS COME OUT.

I can recommend this musical/dance production over any other I have seen in the past 30 yrs. (And that includes 42nd St. which I saw in the early 80s, South Pacific, Oklahoma, and everything else.)

It is amazing and if it disappoints you, well, are you sure you're breathing?

There are some rehearsal videos here, including the Anything Goes number.

http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/broadway/anythinggoes/sights.htm

One thing bout the Sondheim theater, which I had not been to before. We were in the orchestra row N in themiddle. I thought this would be pretty far back, but the rows in this theater start rising at about row L. So we were slightly raised above the 3-4 rows in front of us and the entire orchestra in front of them. It was as if we were in the 5th-6th row because of this - GREAT SEATS, discounted ones also for $89 a piece.

I can't get this show off my mind. Have to go again.
The bad economy, Japan, it is all awful. This show is perfect for forgetting the blues and it will pump you up.

CPG, thanks for starting this Spring thread!

I bought a discounted ticket for War Horse for mid-April. I may have time for another show or 2, but I honestly don't know what's good and what I actually want to see. I probably prefer plays over musicals... just looking for some suggestions for April.

anyone seen Arcadia? I was all set to buy tix till two reviews said you can;t understand what they are saying....

I'll be spending the whole month of May in NYC so plan to see a lot. I've seen War Horse and Priscilla both twice in London. Anyone who loves true theatre should rush to get tickets to WarHorse.
Have my tickets to Anything Goes and Wonderland and Sister Act (I found this surprisingly good in London -- Patina Miller is sensational, and I look forward to Victoria Clark as the Mother Superior.)
Off Broadway, I'm really looking forward to By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.
And can't wait to see Frances McDormand in Good People. yk, that would be my main suggestion for you!
The current production of Arcadia seems to be getting mixed to lukewarm reviews and I was excited about it, but now I think I'm losing interest.
And House of Blue Leaves is one of my favorite plays -- the new revival with Ben Stiller, Edie Falco and others should be very good.

I saw "Good People and "The Importance of Being Earnest" earlier this month. Yes, I tend to prefer plays to musicals.

Can't really say enough positive things about "Earnest". I already knew the play very well, and I loved what they did with it. Brian Bedford was unbelievable as Lady Bracknell. Highly recommend.

"Good People" is a "small" play for a Broadway stage. The first few scenes needed to be edited down, some of the actors looked nervous, and there was a bit of fumbling for lines. It picked up from there, both in the writing of the play and the quality of the performances. I liked the ending, although I heard some people say they objected to it. Overall, even though Frances McDormand is one of my favorite film actresses, I liked the production but it didn't "wow" me.

MareW: How was Estelle Parsons in Good People? I thought she was so good in August Osage County.

I'm seeing Where's Charley at Encores tonight and this week I saw Theo & Co -- off off Broadway - it will be playing next week as well. Lots of fun - a 1916 English musical that never played in the states.

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc/2011/01/musicals-tonight-uws-28-41011.html

mztery - seeing 'Arcadia' on Wed. I know people who saw it, as well as the original, and really liked it. The reviews I read were good, not great.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll keep checking this thread for more suggestions. The thing is, I'm always debating between plays vs operas. I have a few nights free right now so if I decide against opera, I'll go to the TKTS office and see what is offered. So, having multiple options will be good in case some shows are not available at TKTS.

cpg, I'm curious which reviews of Arcadia you read.

I read a full round up of them which almost all said the production totally misses its mark. Although Ben Brantley of the Times raves on and on about what a brilliant play it is (and who would argue with that?) even he calls it a "half-terrific" production, but his review is probably the most favorable I read. Here are just a few of the typical highlights from other reviews of this production. Still, I'd suggest if you've never seen a great production of Arcadia -- this one is worth seeing -- it truly is a brilliant play, if not production.


"Arcadia is a play with marvelous potential to amuse, delight and stir the brain, but this misjudged revival doesn't really crack the equation"

"You don't have to be a physicist, much less a philosopher, to see what Mr. Stoppard is up to, so long as "Arcadia" is staged and the lines spoken with complete clarity and correct emphasis. This, alas, is where Mr. Leveaux and his cast go wrong. Time and again Mr. Stoppard's punch lines go astray or get thrown away, and the trouble starts as soon as the curtain goes up.'

".in order for us to feel something for the characters, the actors must suggest the passions behind all the theorizing. Only half of Leveaux's cast is up to that task"

""Arcadia" is a play with marvelous potential to amuse, delight and inspire intellectual discussion late into the night, but this misjudged revival doesn't really crack the equation."

To answer emd3, Estelle Parsons was a standout. She brought tons of energy to the stage whenever she appeared. On the night I was there, the audience gave her a very enthusiastic response at curtain call, so much so that I felt a little bad for some of the other actors.

I'm most concerned that the reviews all highlight that you can't tell what the actors are saying.with arcadia especially that MAKES A HUGE difference, as well as the fact that its a pet peeve that they hire movie actors who can't enunciate.

Although thee title of this thread features " Broadway", savvy theatergoers are aware that some of the best and most creative theater is to be found Off Broadway. A good example of that is: Peter and the Starcatchers at New York Theater Workshop in the East Village. Not only good theater -- but -- you have the choice of great dining in that area at reasonable prices (something hardly available in the Theater District)

Although thee title of this thread features " Broadway", savvy theatergoers are aware that some of the best and most creative theater is to be found Off Broadway. A good example of that is: Peter and the Starcatchers at New York Theater Workshop in the East Village. Not only good theater -- but -- you have the choice of great dining in that area at reasonable prices (something hardly available in the Theater District)

Sorry about the repeat - hit the button twice.

Anyone know about the newcomer, Priscilla Queen of the Desert? It was featured on the Today Show this week. Looks wildly entertaining. I may try to catch is in June.

Is anyone going to see "Book of Mormon"?

Joe - I want to see Peter. I saw Where's Charley last night and I hope it gets itself a run on Broadway. Great production and I want my great nephew Charley to see it.

I would love to see book of Mormon but it is sold out for several weeks.

I also agree that off broadway has awesome offerings, but honestly, I can see good off Broadway theater here in SF> What I CAN'T see here is great BROADWAY theater.

"Not only good theater -- but -- you have the choice of great dining in that area at reasonable prices (something hardly available in the Theater District)"

Once again, there seems to be a communication error regarding what is "theatre district" but most of us call 9th Avenue from 42nd to 55th or so as part of the theatre district. I continue to scratch my head at people who can't find good dining at reasonable prices there.

And I don't get the comment regarding Off Broadway Theatre in terms of location -- there are more off Broadway theatres close to the Broadway Theatre district than there are anywhere else in NYC.

We saw "The Importance of Being Earnest" this afternoon, the last performance before a couple of key cast changes. Brian Bedford, who was terrific as Lady Bracknell, is staying, but Dana Ivey (Miss Prism) and Paxton Whitehead (Rev. Chasuble) are leaving. It is a hilarious Victorian comedy, highly literate, as one might expect of Oscar Wilde. A wonderful production with nary a falling chandelier or actor stuck in the flies. Just comic genius.

Theater district or not, some peoples' "good dining" is others' mediocrity.

<<And I don't get the comment regarding Off Broadway Theatre in terms of location -- there are more off Broadway theatres close to the Broadway Theatre district than there are anywhere else in NYC.>>

Of course there are quite a few "Off Broadway" theaters close to the theater district. ("Broadway" refers to theaters which are members of the League of Bdwy theaters.) And many Off Broadway venues are really off Broadway - Greenwich Village, East Village, Soho, et al. I happened to select one (in the East Village) noted for creative new theater and is also in an area where there are lots of great choices for dining. Since many of the visitors to this board are visitors to NYC - it might be helpful to get some tips on other than standard tourist destinations. I appreciate this sort of info when I visit a Paris board (for an e.g.).

As Burt noted - one man's good dining is another's mediocrity. There must be some sort of reason that restaurant critics and writers consistently note the general mediocrity of dining in the theater district.

I'm seeing Priscilla on April 15 and Book of Mormon the next week. I'll certainly report back if someone else hasn't. Priscilla got a very tepid review in the Times today (it just opened last night). I don't remember the opening date of Book of Mormon, but it's good extremely good word of mouth.

I must second any recommendation of The Importance of Being Earnest, though missing out on Dana Ivey's great performance will be tough even though Brian Bedford is amazingly good.

Priscilla's review:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/theater/reviews/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-on-broadway-review.html?ref=theater

jroth, I couldn't agree more in the value and quality of Off Broadway theatre -- but read your post again -- I honestly thought it was suggesting to those who weren't in the know that Off Broadway theatres were generally away from the "theatre district" as that seemed to be a major point of your post. Or at least it seemed it could easily be mis-interpreted that way by those not in the know, especially as it is often the logical assumption that "off Broadway" refers merely to location and it doesn't, Sorry if that wasn't your intention (and clearly it wasn't). Like you, I think it's great to keep people informed and it should be noted that many of the Off Broadway Theatres really are in the "theatre district" and not just away from there. Signature, Manhattan Theatre Ensemble, Primary Stages, The New Group, Playwright's Horizons, Second Stage, the five theatres at World Stages and many more are all located in the theatre district. And I suppose some people would be surprised that at the Lincoln Center -- productions upstairs at the Vivian Beaumont are considered "Broadway" productions and those directly downstairs in the Mitzi Newhouse are considered "Off Broadway" productions, which has nothing to do with the "quality" of the productions in either.

Glad you mentioned Peter and the Starcatcher. It's gotten nothing but raves. It's been extended once and I'm hoping it might be again so I can see it in May.

Bookmarking

NeoPatrick - thanks for your clarification. For newcomers to theater in this town be aware that when Braodway theater is referred to - it is about theaters and producers and others who belong to the Broadway League - and these are the theaters essentially in the theater district - although Lincoln Center - as noted gets in with them. Off Broadway refers to theater outside of the League - these tend to be smaller houses, many in out of the way places, could be tiny theaters and tend to produce cutting edge work - creative stuff. Sometimes very successful ones move up to "Broadway" and are seen in the big Broadway theaters. There are differences in required production rules - mainly to do with unions -- Broadway has to adhere to strict union rules -- Off B gets dispensations. And to confuse matters worse there is: Off Off Broadway.

Hee. Hee. I was reading your last post and was thinking "to confuse things even there is Off Off Broadway. But then you beat me to it!

Financial times gave "Arcadia" 4* (out of 5)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/ab0bc2f4-54a6-11e0-b1ed-00144feab49a.html#axzz1HR8TQo7q

Another Spiderman cast member injured.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/03/22/spiderman.injured.actress/?hpt=T2

We saw 'Arcadia' today and all four of us enjoyed it although none of us had seen the original or the London revival. So can't make comparisons. The dialogue has so much food for thought that one needs to pay attention to take it all in. I really enjoyed Billy Crudup who plays it over the top. Is that the author's intent? Can't say. Raul Esparza was wonderful. The only cast member who was a bit difficult to follow (and only a bit) was the young girl Thomasina. Everyone else was clear, but because some lines are so long and full of content, you really have to listen carefully. This is not mindless theater! I would recommend it.

I also saw an early preview of 'Catch Me if You Can.' I have not seen the movie so that had no influence over my expectations. I also want to add that my tix were inexpensive and this production isn't worth full price. I enjoyed it, but it was too long and uneven. The three male actors were very good especially Norbert Leo Butz. I have seen him several times, but never in this type of role. I didn't recognize him - so good was his transformation and portrayal of the FBI agent. He deserves a Tony nomination. Some of the musical numbers were great with melodic tunes and others were trashy. My guess is no matter what the reviews, this will be a popular play.

Excellent review for 'The Book of Mormon.'

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/theater/reviews/the-book-of-mormon-at-eugene-oneill-theater-review.html?ref=theater

"The dialogue has so much food for thought that one needs to pay attention to take it all in."
Duh! I don't know about you, but I usually pay attention to the dialogue as a matter of habit!

That NY Times review of Book of Mormon by Ben Brantley was only one of nearly unanimous raves. I suspect that there will be no discounts on this show for awhile so just booked two seats for late May -- and was lucky to get front row mezzanine -- at a little over $145 each with fees. It's going to be an expensive month in NYC this May! And it sounds like Book of Mormon is going to be a very hot ticket.

Duh, Howard. So do I. This dialogue has lots of meaning to contemplate. Not all plays are written that way. Some are light without much to consider. This dialogue not only has lots to think about, but some of it is delivered rapidly. Intellectual ideas + long, rapid speeches = listen carefully.

Perhaps it's just semantics, but I always pay attention to the dialogue regardless of the play's subject or depth. Many a supposedly frivolous comedy often has meaning far beyond its often simple words. There's a old axiom that the motion picture is a director's medium and theater is a writer's medium. I always want to hear what the author has to say!

We have not been to a Broadway musical in at least ten years and that was the behest of a visitor. But I just happened to read the review this morning in the NYT of the Book of Mormon and it might be the first musical we shall see on our own violition in 25 years.

We will probably wait for another visitor so we can fulfill two obligations at once, but it does sound intriguing.

I'll be visiting NYC for the first time in early May and am interested in seeing War Horse. Any thoughts on my chances of scoring discounted tickets at TKTS, or should I shell out the big bucks and reserve full-price tickets now?

It remains to be seen, but I suspect you will have very little to no chance of getting tickets at TKTS. It's been incredibly popular in London, and the only discounts so far were only 20%.off early previews.

Howard, that was rude. What was the point of the duh comment, except to be rude?

Sorry, if you thought I was being rude. That certainly wasn't my intent, as my followup comment certainly pointed out. I was initially responding to a comment that I thought wasn't accurate. No more, no less. (Believe me, you'll know when I'm being rude!)

"Believe me, you'll know when I'm being rude!)"
Sorry, I agree with the other two. That was definitely rude.

The Book of Mormon sounds very interesting.

OK, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said, "Duh."

It doesn't seem Terry Teachout of the WSJ was as taken by The Book of Mormons:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704050204576218451086713370.html

Centralparkgirl, thanks for posting the review of Priscilla. It was not a very good one, but I will probably see it in June. My travel companion is affiliated with the play, so we can get house seats and will support it for my friend's sake. At least it looks like fun.

Funny mention of it in Modern Family last week.

I was not surprised by the Isherwood review of Priscilla, which pretty much said the same thing Ben Brantley said about it when it opened in London. Neither of them are particularly likely to RAVE about stuff that is pure mindless fluff, and let's face it -- that's all Priscilla is. But I was kind of taken aback by Isherwood's comment that Priscilla lacks the "impish cleverness" of Mama Mia (another piece of just pure fun mindless fluff). So it was indeed impishly clever of Mama Mia to put a chorus in snorkel gear and even swim fins for choreography, but Priscilla has someone step outside see a cake on the ground and say "Oh my God, someone left the cake out in the rain" and immediately we are surrounded by a chorus of dancing cupcakes with tall umbrellas dancing to those lyrics. And when the bus gets "painted" into a million little lights, we have dancing paintbrushes doing the work, while the bus does an entire light show all by itself. I'm sorry, but how can anyone say those things are less "impishly clever" than Mama Mia? They are outrageous and fun, and cleverness (along with total camp) abounds. Sure, no one's going to go home from Priscilla and debate the state of world affairs, it's just some of the lightest and most over the top fun ever.

(I've seen Priscilla twice in London and will see in in NYC in May, and it sounds like the changes for the US production should all make it better than before -- or certainly more fun to the masses.)

Why I frequent Fodors less and less:

This is a far more general response than to just Howard’s posts, but it needs to be said and I need to say it. I find more and more frequently, as I read various threads, that there are posters who just love to pounce on someone whose opinion they don’t agree with. It is a habit of these posters and almost like a hobby to split hairs and dissect the meanings and motives of particular posts. I have never said that anything I post is other than my opinion. Nothing more; nothing less. I try to give my opinions in context so that it may help someone. Nothing more; nothing less. And by context I mean, for example, that I liked a play, but I had a steeply discounted ticket. I might have a different view if I paid $135.

These attacks, and I’m choosing my words carefully, have become sport. No matter what one says, it is RUDE. Saying it is not rude, does not make it so. This type of behavior is RUDE and it is so uncalled for.

Between mid March and mid May, I will have seen 14 plays in NY. I am not on vacation; I go to work and have a life, but I love theater and am fortunate to live here and have the wonderful opportunity to see a lot. I’ll say it one more time: the opinions expressed are only my own and nothing more. I don’t agree with everyone’s opinions, but so what? I am still interested in reading them and possibly learning something or seeing something in a different way. I have no expectations that readers will have the same opinions as mine nor does it matter. But I will never be rude to another poster. Unfortunately, IMO, the internet easily permits somewhat anonymous rude behavior that I don’t think would necessarily occur face to face. But, maybe I’m being generous with that view.

Thank you, NeoPatrick. I am glad to hear your impressions of Priscilla. My friend invested in it, so we will go in early June. I do not need to ponder the problems of the world at the theater! Haha. Some mindless fun sounds perfect. Plus, I will be with old friends, so all will be enjoyable.

Totally agree CPG. It was rude....and saying it wasn't doesn't make it so. A person who professes to be a student of words, is a person who knows exactly what is and isn't an unkind response. "Sorry, sorry, sorry"..after the fact, doesn't erase it. Only time will tell if one is truly remorseful and therefore kinder in the future.

cpg, while admittedly there have been rude comments (including my "duh" for which I've already apologized), because someone disagrees with and/or corrects an error made by another poster does not automatically mean that the response was rude. If I happen to disagree with another response, I will continue to say so, hopefully not being rude in doing so....not because I think I'm better than the one I'm disagreeing with, but rather to show that there may be another side to or opinion on whatever the issue or subject is.

To further illustrate that it's not just a case of being right or wrong, I think of past discussions of Wicked. I am in the distinct minority of those who did not like the show. There were several occasions when, as expected, there were threads where poster after poster raved about the show. I would eventually participate, admitting that I was in the definite minority who did not like the show. My point was simply to show that there are two sides. Interestingly, my comments sometimes elicited others from people who were reluctant to express their negative views of the show for fear of being thought of as having no taste or whatever. (To this day, starrs and I continue to bait each other about our opposing views of the show. Are either of us rude? No way....Right, starrs?)

I've never considered any of my "disagreeing" (I'll use that word rather than "critical") comments as "sport." And, in the future, when the occasion arise, I will continue to disagree....and I promise not to be rude!

Howard, apart from the rudeness which I think we're now in agreement about and hopefully can put behind us, it seems to me that you are looking for errors. What I said about 'Arcadia' was not an error to be corrected, but merely my opinion. You fail to see that I didn't make a mistake that needed your correction; I expressed an opinion. And if you see the current production and wish to comment or even disagree with me, I welcome that. The purpose of this thread has always been to create dialogue about theater and perhaps inform others about current productions in NYC. Many of us here, including myself, have strong opinions. But even a correction (if someone cited the wrong playwright or whatever) should be done graciously - don't you think? No one wants to come to Fodor's to be in a battle zone. It should be engaging, informative and above all, respectful.

For NY'ers you guys are overly sensitive. Can you imagine if someone actually said something that was insulting?

You are discussing Broadway, not warfare where someone's son or daughter might die. Get some perspective.

And most of all there should be a sense of fun.

I don't wish to belabor this discussion, but I think you've missed my point. I was not citing an error. I was stating my opinion. Perhaps I said it wrong. Perhaps it is only a case of semantics. In your discussion of Arcadia, you wrote, "The dialogue has so much food for thought that one needs to pay attention to take it all in." I simply meant that a theatergoer should always pay attention to the dialogue to attain the maximum theatrical experience. I probably would not have made any comment had you written (note my added words in capital letters), "The dialogue has so much food for thought that one needs to pay attention MORE THAN ONE USUALLY DOES [or words like that] to take it all in."

I certainly didn't mean to create a cause celebre!

Amen, Aduchamp1!
And, since we have tickets for Priscilla for a week from tomorrow, thanks, Neopatrick for your positive posting about the show!

I guess you said it wrong (to quote you). Anyone else would have understood what I meant, but you now have actually corrected it. Are you a retired teacher?

Now THAT was rude (both the teacher insult and the 'anyone else would have understood it')-- despite a smiley face which I guess is supposed to make rudeness OK? Howard, you should have added a smiley face after the 'Duh' and then no one would have been offended.

I must admit that when I read the Arcadia comment I sort of chuckled too. Wouldn't everyone have chuckled if you said, "I saw King Lear and you have to pay attention to take it all in"?

But Auduchamp has it right. This thread should be light and fun, and there's no point in getting all riled up if someone wants to state an opinion or if it happens to like something you didn't or vice versa.

Thank you, Patrick. I guess everyone else didn't understand it after all! No further comment--or retort--needed!

NP - There was nothing rude in what I said. As has been said to you before - you sure love your words.

I have the greatest respect for teachers and nothing in my post indicated otherwise. So glad you had a chuckle. I look forward to reading something you post that is light and fun. Now I'm chuckling too.

c'mon guys, play nicely. I just want to hear about good theatre productions for when I'm in NYC in mid May.

You probably already know that Priscilla is an Australian story, you may not know that some of the references in it have been changed to suit American audiences, so it will be interesting to see if that works or not. I read that they've dropped references to Kylie Minogue and replaced them with references to Madonna.

I read that they've dropped references to Kylie Minogue and replaced them with references to Madonna

Must be a period piece.

I'll try to remember in the future that there is nothing rude about saying "everyone else understood it". Seems I've been told specifically before that that exact phrase was indeed rude. Either it makes a difference who says it, or else the smiley face makes any such personal slam not rude. If I live to be a hundred I'll never understand how some of you exempt yourself from the same comment being rude that you say is rude when others use it.

Auduchamp is also right pointing out the overly sensitive feelings being expressed here.

Honestly, Centralparkgirl, was it necessary for you to say to me, "it's been said to you before -- you sure love your words", just because I DARED to explain MY opinion? I thought you just finished saying we are allowed to express our opinions, and I defy you to find anything in my post that was the least bit rude -- unlike your snide retort back to me. If anyone said to you "Centralparkgirl, you sure do like your words", you'd be screaming about the rudeness. Admit it, wouldn't you? So why was it OK for you to pull that out of the air and insult me? Are you still upset about some disagreement of opinion done months ago? I thought you just said we are all allowed to have our opinions. Get over it already.

And you were the one who said to Howard, "let's put that behind us. . ." then just couldn't help bringing it all up again with "anyone else would have understood" even when clearly there was no need for ANY further comment from either side. Read that little post again in its entirety.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I guess you said it wrong (to quote you). Anyone else would have understood what I meant, but you now have actually corrected it. Are you a retired teacher?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

How in the world can you insist that that comment was not rude and how can you justify the post at all other than saying "I'm now getting in the last word"?? There was no point in the entire post other than giving a final dig. Can you honestly not see that?

I'm sorry you don't see it, but you are making personal insults and "splitting hairs" as much as anyone here. Do you honestly not understand that? You said "I will never be rude to another poster". Do you honestly think it's not just as rude to tell someone they were incapable of understanding something that everyone else understood as using the "duh" word to point out something that was or should have been blatantly obvious?
Come on, get over it. They are very much the same in my book. The only difference is that you said one and the other was said to you.

This is always a great thread. An apology has been made. Is it possible to move on and get back to discussing Broadway?

There's a time and a place to do the "dog with a bone" stuff but my fear is continuing this back and forth will negatively impact this long-standing thread series going forward.

Joe, thanks to you and the Times Review and my accidental wandering on Friday (tour guide's afternoon off), I WILL be seeing Peter and the Star Catchers at a price I can afford.

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc/2011/03/march-25-2011-exploring-nyc-past-and-present.html

Now in an attempt to get back to talking about Broadway -- nothing has been said here about Wonderland, now in previews.

Here's a very interesting "review" from a poster on BroadwayWorld.com. Just try to ignore the lack of CAPS and all the . . . It tells more about the musical than I've been able to get from press releaases:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WONDERLAND -- first preview thoughts

i liked it!

for a second, i thought i would love it... but i ended up REALLY liking it...

i'm not into the ALICE IN WONDERLAND story... i'm not AGAINST it... i enjoyed the DISNEY cartoon when i was younger... it was never one of my favorites, but my dad bought me a cheshire cat figurine and i was kinda happy that he did... i put it next to my "prehistoric scenes" models... the ones you could snap together and then create a a stone age world on your book shelf... i was OBSESSED with the "prehistoric scenes"... so, it was a big deal that i made room for my cheshire cat figurine on that SAME shelf... a REALLY big deal...

but, THAT was the extent of my liking ALICE IN WONDERLAND...

anyway...

the show is FUN... i thought it was going to be ANOTHER interpretation of the same "alice" story... but... really...

it is MORE "alice in wonderland"-adjacent...

it ASSUMES you know the story... and a lot of the humor is drawn on that... it is really MUCH more like... THE WIZ.... and i LOOOOOOOVE... truly love... THE WIZ...

in this show... alice is middle-aged and she plummets into WONDERLAND on a SERVICE elevator... a pretty cool effect... and she is greeted by a CHORUS of "disney-styled" ALICES...

why not?!!!

then we meet the WONDERLAND version of the caterpillar... cheshire cat... the white rabbit... and JACK the WHITE KNIGHT...

JACK the WHITE NIGHT is super, scary HOT... DARREN RITCHIE... and his introductory number is a FULL ON... BOY BAND... BACK STREET BOY... SONG AND DANCE moment...

WHYYYYYY NOT?!

it is TOOOOO CUTE/FUNNY...

up to this point, i LOVED the show... i enjoyed EVERY song... the dialogue was fine... the jokes were funny... a few CLUNKERS.... but some VERY FUNNY... the audience laughed HARD... i did too...

then, it gets a little scatter-y.... they take a simple story and make it unnecessarily confusing... if it just STAYED simple... it would be fine... because, eventually... after some nonsensical and wordy detours... it DOES get back to simple, upbeat, entertaining themes...

i enjoyed all the songs... and all the leads are talented... JANET DACAL is an excellent ALICE... she is NOT the ALICE you would expect and that is what makes her good... she OWNS it... i liked her... i rooted for her...

i hope they have enough time to trim it down and focus the story... just some MINOR shaving... but, if not, i am STILL cool with what is there...

it is creative... it is funny... it is entertaining... and i look forward to OWNING the ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING... i haven't felt that way since IN THE HEIGHTS !!!! no, wait... AMERICAN IDIOT...

i will definitely see it again after it opens....

why not?!!!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The show is by the Jekyll and Hyde and Scarlet Pimpernel team --the type of music that is often not everyone's cup of tea. It's been in workshops for a couple of years and apparently has been rewritten and rewritten. There is a lot of hype about Kate Shindel's performance. She apparently plays a very evil Mad Hatter.
I'll be seeing it the first weekend in May.

starrs - you are so right. Thank you.

Yes, once an apology is given, we should just move on! Let's do.
Or even better would be to ignore any comment to begin with that seems questionable and just assume it was meant in jest or as a simple difference of opinion. Then we could REALLY move forward.

Geez, NeoPatrick.

HowardR, would you please post your review of Priscilla after you see it? Or anyone else, please.

If we (5 friends) want to see Priscilla in early June, on a Sat afternoon or evening, should we buy them now to get good seats? I saw $147 tickets yesterday, center stage orchestra, Row P. Think we should get them now?

PeaceOut, I'll definitely post a review next Sunday after seeing the show.
As for buying tickets, since you're talking about a weekend performance, I would definitely buy them now! Unless you want to pay the high premium ticket price, you probably won't do any better!
I certainly wouldn't wait for possible discount offers. The current one expires April 18. Who knows after that? And even if there is one, the tickets for a Saturday performance certainly will not come close to what you say you can get now.

PeaceOut, I'm not sure what you mean by center orchestra. The Palace Theatre's orchestra section has a center aisle. If the seats are around 101 to 116 or so, then that's pretty center, but if they are more like 125 to 128, they are really to the sides. And row P is about 5 rows under the mezzanine. Have you checked on front row mezzanine? I'd WAY rather see Priscilla from there than from Row P even if it is pretty far to the side.

As to discounts -- really hard to say, but around Tony week (first week of June) and being a Saturday, I'd say your chances aren't great for getting a discount. If you like good seats and can grab front row mezzanine I'd grab those at full price in a heartbeat.

As to reviews, I think Priscilla is one of those shows that if you like big (gay themed) mindless fluff then you'll like it. If you don't, you won't. It's really pretty much that simple.

And now the reviews are coming in for How to Succeed. So far with reviews by LA Times, Entertainment Weekly, Toronto Star, and USA Today -- it's almost a unanimous rave -- particularly for Daniel Radcliffe (although the Toronto paper suggests he's only a 2 and 1/4 threat, not really a triple threat).

Pretty amazing since when I walked by the theatre at 5 this evening, everyone was going in for Opening Night.

Yea, it seems reviewers stopped reviewing opening night some time ago, and now review from previews.

Well, many more reviews are now in on How to Succeed and still most are mixed positive to absolute raves with the exception of the Washington Post which was pretty negative. Only Ben Brantley of the NYTimes was downright and outright nasty. It's hard to imagine that so many critics praised and even raved about Daniel Radcliffe, yet Brantley treated him like the worst thing that ever happened on a Broadway stage. Did Brantley just take a nasty pill before writing the review? Or did he just have an axe to grind about a young popular "celebrity" being cast -- that's what it actually sounds like. I, of course, haven't seen it, but I've been surprised at how many regular theatre types have gone expecting to see Radcliffe fall on his face and instead ended up raving about his charm and exuberance on stage. Did Brantley see the same guy?

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/theater/reviews/how-to-succeed-in-business-with-daniel-radcliffe-review.html?ref=theater

Thanks for your advice re: seats for Priscilla. I will look again for mezzanine, amd see if my friends are ready to take the leap to buy now.

Last night, I saw 'The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures' at the Public Theater. The play was much longer than the title - 3 hours and 50 minutes of not so good theater. My son wanted to leave after Act I and with hindsight, I should have jumped on the subway and gone home to catch Mildred Pierce on HBO. Much of the cast was not convincing and the script came off as not genuine. Staged shoves between characters looked like staged shoves. The background of union issues, longshoremen, etc. was not interesting to me. What was interesting is that the actor in the lead, Michael Cristofer, is a Pulitzer, Tony and Golden Globe winning writer for 'The Shadow Box.' I particularly did not like his performance. I did like the set in an old Brooklyn brownstone.

If anyone has seen this, I'd love to know what you thought.

CPG, I know this is off-topic re Braodway but since you brought it up -- I'm sorry you sat through the rest after Act I, because Mildred Pierce was amazing. And the previews of parts 3,4, and 5 look like it is going to get even better. Stay home on next few Sun. nights.

I am looking forward to all the upcoming theater reviews on this thread...lots of people are seeing new shows in the next few wks!

Thanks emd3 - I hope they air part 1 again. I will look for it. I am usually home on Sun. nights, but my son was in town and I thought we would like it - big mistake. He did love 'Arcadia.'

I have to say that while I certainly enjoyed How to Succeed much more than Ben Brantley, I agree with him on much of his criticisms, particularly those directed toward Daniel Radcliffe. He's ok in the role, but he tries too hard, and you can always see him trying really really hard.

I'm interested to hear some other opinions because the show for me was absolutely not a rave (though my partner, who had not seen it before in any incarnation, was much happier with everything that I was and, I believe, really enjoyed everything about it). I wouldn't recommend it for full price even though most people will have to pay that because of Harry Potter being in it.

Since I haven't seen How to Succeed yet, I can't say whether I'd agree with Ben Brantley's comments or not. (To be honest, I've never particularly liked the show to begin with and I find J. Pierpont Finch an unlikeable character for starters.) But I was really a bit taken back not so much by what Mr. Brantley said, but rather HOW he said it. It seems pretty well known that Ben Brantley is opposed to Hollywood or TV stars coming to Broadway, and his starting with a comparison to a tacky show like Dancing With the Stars was already a dead give away about how he felt about the show BEFORE he saw it.

Here are my comments from another message board.


"Regarding whether Mr. Brantley's review was cruel and nasty or just good writing, let me say that I realize many critics (Mr. Brantley included) love to come up with clever put downs -- it's part of what they do to set them apart.

But surely anyone here who is an actor would have to agree that some of his comments were just plain mean, and if actors weren't required to have very thick skin, such comments should be enough to make most people give up their career.

He could have said, "Daniel came to the show untrained." But instead comparing him to Dancing with the Stars, he chose to say, ". . .teaching some unlikely non dancing celebrity. . . to star in a big Broadway musical." It's one thing to call the guy untrained, but quite another to dismiss him as "unlikely" to start with. Can we say "mind was made up"?

He could have commented that Mr. Radcliffe was stiff in the role and wasn't sure of himself. But any actor would cringe at being told "you can almost hear an unseen coach's voice whispering. . .telling him when to do what."

It's one thing to say that an actor was uninspiring in the role, or even dull or bland. But "the prevailing blankness of Mr. Radcliffe's face" is probably the biggest insult to an actor since the famous Dorothy Parker insult of Katherine Hepburn "She ran the whole gamut of emotions from A to B."

Of course, as a critic Mr. Brantley has the right to say those things, but I can't help wonder if he didn't jump to hyperbole for the sake of being clever. After all, he did give Mr. Radcliffe a 6 out of 10 -- but these comments seem more aimed at a 1 or 2 out of 10."

And Doug, what I really don't understand is that whole "prevailing blankness" line. That doesn't sound at all like your "you can always see him trying really really hard" -- one doesn't do that with a blank and expressionless face. Your comment more closely matches many others I've read. Even those who didn't particularly like him seemed to all say he really put everything into it, whether it worked or not. I honestly get the impression that Ben Brantley was busier "grinding a few axes" regarding his feelings for big budget shows built around celebrities that he was about honestly reviewing the particular production. But this review of course wouldn't be the first time for that.

Doug, your comments about the different reactions of you and your partner illustrates one of the obvious trusims of theatergoing, namely, one's experience as a theatergoer is the leading, if not only, determinant of how much a person likes (or enjoys) or dislikes a show.
Before I go any farther, please, please, don't attack me. I'm NOT saying that experience makes you a better judge of what's good and what's not good. In fact, we experienced folks are often at a disadvantage. We often seem to compare what we just saw with what we've seen in the past. You know...."Oh, xxx was good, but not as good as yyy." Too often, it's just because of that attitude that perhaps the 2-to-3-hour theatrical experience wasn't the joy that it could have been.
Doug's less-enthusiastic reaction to the show, compared to his partner's is quite understandable. He's saying that he enjoyed a previous production of the show more. But, at the same time, he is NOT saying, "Don't see this show" and he's telling us that the person with him at the show thoroughly enjoyed it. Now, chances are that a very small percentage of the current theatergoing public saw the original show 50 years ago or the revival in the intervening years.
So, there you have it. I've previously seen the show, and based on Doug's comments I probably won't see the show. However, the vast majority of you reading this have not seen show, so maybe you--as first-time viewer--should get tickets.
Anyway, perhaps I've gone on too long. I hope I've made my points clear. Maybe I just wanted to point out the value of Doug's comments!

Kristen's headed back to Broadway? I sure hope so -
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Kristin_Chenoweth_Scott_Ellis_to_Reteam_on_Broadway_20110328

signed,
starrs, one of "those" theatregoers who WILL choose a show if a favorite actor/actress is in it

starrs, just be prepared for the possibility of seeing a favorite in a bad, bad show, such Patti Lupone in the recent Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Even she couldn't make it worth our time!

Yeah, I know HowardR. I went to see Cherry Jones and Swoosie Kurtz in Imaginary Friends...and well....was glad I got to see them on stage. The play? Not so much.

But, it's still a draw. A friend told me recently that he saw Katharine Hepburn on stage. When I asked about the play, he had to stop and think what the play was. But, he saw (my) Kate on stage. I'm envious.

I couldn't imagine Promises, Promises making it after Kristen and Sean left the production. I just couldn't see the show making it without them. And, IMO it wasn't the right vehicle for Kristen - but I was glad I got to see her in it.

I received an e-mail regarding a new discount website that will go into effect this week. Not vouching for it but thought you might be interested.

Below is the copy from the e-mail:

"Love seeing shows but hate seeing how much your tickets cost? Then join MyBroadwayDeal.com and fear ticket prices no more!

MyBroadwayDeal is the revolutionary new way to see Broadway's best shows at the absolute lowest prices. It's like Groupon or LivingSocial but EXCLUSIVELY FOR THEATER TICKETS!

When you sign up at MyBroadwayDeal.com you'll receive a brand new ticket deal - usually 40 - 80% off - in your inbox every week!

SIGN UP TODAY and you could
WIN A $500 GIFT CERTIFICATE
good for tickets to any Broadway show!

Frank, I'm curious if this is like other "discount" clubs for Broadway I've gotten emails for. Usually you PAY a monthly or yearly fee to join, but there is no guarantee than any of the codes are any better than all the free ones at BroadwayBox, Playbill, Theatremania, or others.
I see it says you can sign up now for emails -- but there is no information about how you "join" or "get the deals" and no examples of what shows are currently available at what price. (Yes, I'm aware it says "coming soon". Why am I suspicious?

I am not sure if I should post this because it's not about an upcoming or ongoing theater event, but rather a one night tribute that I attended tonight - Angela Lansbury and Friends Salute Terrence McNally. It was so moving and intensely personal that I would like to share it. Almost everyone who participated had a personal story about Terrance and his influence on their life or career (Angela Lansbury, Edie Falco, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Raul Esparza, Alan Cumming, Emily Skinner, Marin Mazzie, John Glover, Tyne Daly and others). They spoke, sang and acted and the talent on the stage was huge. John Doyle (Director of Sweeney Todd, etc.) was the eloquent mc. There was a surprise guest at the end (chosen by McNally's partner) and it was the doctor who's operated on him many times for lung cancer (beginning a decade ago). She, too, spoke beautifully about his courageous and seemingly successful battle with cancer and how he continued to work through treatment and challenges. Everyone considers him their friend and cherishes that.

At the very end, McNally came on stage and spoke. He thanked his father for taking him to theater. He also thanked Angela Lansbury (who previously thanked him for bringing her back to Broadway in 'Deuce') for saving his life. He said that years ago, she calmly told him, 'Terrence, you drink too much.' He said that he went to AA the next day and probably wouldn't be here today without her.

Okay, enough said. Tonight was one of the best night's ever in theater for me.

Oh and coincidentally, there were two guys sitting next to me who were at "The Intelligent Homosexual, etc." last night as well. They left after Act I, but wanted to know the ending. How funny is that?

CPG, was the opera singer, Joyce DiDonato at the tribute? Did she sing?

Hey -- I was there (at the Terrence McNally tribute too) too and it was truly amazing. Yeah his doctor and Angela Lansbury and everyone else was amazing.

Here's my question:

One of the actors did a phenomenal speech from one of his plays about living in Manhattan and more specifically living in the Village. I need to get my hands on this play! THANKS

yk, yes. She was fabulous. McNally apparently is a huge opera fan and she was there to entertain him.

Sue - where were you sitting? Try 'Unusual Acts of Devotion.'

TDF - Mezzanine row H 108 - were you the person next to me?

No. I was in Mezz E 5,7 and then moved down to A 5, 7. The first two rows were empty and we got lucky. We could see McNally and friends at the little tables in front of the stage.

Along with "Priscilla" and a couple other things the Shubert office got for us this coming weekend, we are also scheduled for "The Divine Sister" and I'm never sure if these Busch things are going to turn out to be simply very amusing or uproaringly funny...but then again, it's New York.

Neo: "Why am I suspicious?"

I think it's legit since I received 2 e-mails, 1 from Ken Davenport, the Broadway producer, and 1 from Talkin' Broadway, a well respected theater website.

You don't have much to loose by signing up, I would doubt there will be any cost involved. I know I wouldn't pay for any discount program.

Dukey, I think there is a direct relation between how funny the Busch things are and how many cocktails you have before seeing one. I've heard various opinions on how funny Divine Sister is, as expected.

How weird is that, that CPG and Sue were both at that event. We know they both live in NYC and love theater, but still, of all the places for them to be in NYC on a Mon. night in March.

CPG, I'm glad you posted on this. Many instances of Broadway people being supportive of each other and causes. This one was personal and it is nice to read about it.

And while here, let me put in a word for SueNYC's blog on living in NYC and all things NYC. I've been reading it lately and have benefited from it. Good info, and a nice writing style.

Thank you emd3. I know people are reading the blog from the hit rate but I get little or no feedback so I really appreciate yours. I still have to do a quick post about the rest of the Triangle Day and there are so many more things I want to post about and I have so many postcards to get up there. No if only I could figure out how to get paid to do this!

CP - I was stuck in middle even though there were several seats in the row ahead of us. Thanks for the play lead = when I make a trip to the drama bookshop, I will no doubt post about it. (I really did love the whole evening but that speech really got to me).

emd3 - going to watch M. Pierce Thurs night!

Sue - yeah, that was a good one, but I liked so many (the guy with phone, Alan Cumming's reading, etc.)

I saw "How to Succeed in Business" last night. We got rush tickets so our seats weren't very good, but I liked it far more than I thought I would. I'm not usually a big musical fan, but the staging was a lot of fun. Daniel Radcliff was very likable and he has a strong singing voice. His dancing isn't that great, but even if not intentional, it fit the character so I didn't have a problem with it.

I rarely go to the theatre. But I saw two shows in previews this week:

Baby It's You, which I enjoyed although I would recommend only for fans of the Shirelles and other groups of that era. I knew nothing about Florence Greenberg and the story of Scepter Records, and found that interesting. I doubt if this will have a long run.

High with Kathleen Turner. That woman is a star! Good writing.

eks - I'm seeing both this week; good to hear you liked them.

I saw 'That Championship Season' tonight and I think I'd have to agree with Ben Brantley that the cast overacted although I enjoyed the Coach the most. As far as the script, I wish I had seen the original back in '72 when it probably had more bite.

We saw "Catch Me If You Can" last night. Was able to snag Premium Tickets, Row G, 2 on the aisle for $77 each. The show was really enjoyable, great sets and wonderful performances. A real oldtime big Broadway musical, running 2 1/2 hours (hate those one act 90 minute shows). Will be interesting to see the reviews next week.

(hate those one act 90 minute shows)

Frank, it's interesting that you feel that way. My husband loves them! I like them all, but I frequently feel that most plays are a bit too long including the one you saw last night. I'm curious to see that review too. I hope Norbert Leo Butz will be up for a Tony.

PCGirl: Just don't think with the price of tickets you should be out of the theater at 9:30PM or even worse, 3:30PM on a Saturday matinee.

Now if the prices were reduced for short shows that might be a different story. I realize it's not about quantity, but if you can get length and quality, to me that's the best combination.

Not expecting great reviews for CMIYC, probably not edgy enough for the New York critics.

Sorry to report that we did not like Priscilla Queen of the Desert at all. And, while most of the audience seemed to be enjoying the show, it was equally obvious that there was a significant number of audience members who agreed with us.
We found the show, in the words of the NY Times reviewer, "monotonous and mechanical."
We felt let down and little sad about the experience. We entered the theater feeling that we really, really wanted to enjoy it. Being aware of the mixed reviews the show received, our attitude was, "It'll be a fun show and we'll have a good time." As I said, we really wanted to like it.
We have seen the movie several times and love it. To us, the show lacked the heart, warmth and compassion for the characters that made the movie such a pleasurable experience.
I know, I know, some of will say that we were expecting too much. Believe me, we weren't!
Having said all that, I'm sure that a lot of you who'll read this may very well enjoy the show. We didn't!

I saw Up In Central Park last week - Off Off Broadway on the Upper West Side (physically on Broadway actually) - It's a fun show and it is still playing this week. They do take TDF vouchers if they have seats.

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc/2011/04/up-in-central-park.html

Saw "Priscilla" this past Sat night and yes, enjoyed it, but can understand why some might be "disappointed."

Then again, we also saw the latest Charles Busch thing downtown and, as usual, hysterically and ridiculously funny.

Perhaps it's the attitude one goes in with. I remember walking out of the ORIGINAL "Sweeney Todd" on Broadway because I was bored to tears so to each their own.

BTW, don't you wonder, just a little, why all those "other people" who are apparently not liking a show just SIT THERE????????

dukey1 - I'm not sure I follow. Do you mean as opposed to walking out during intermission?

First of all, Dukey1, of the hundreds of shows I've seen, I've only walked out of one...and I've seen some pretty bad shows! I love the theater, even less-less-than perfect theater. Further, with the price of tickets today, I still hope to get at least some of my money's worth before the final curtain comes down.
As for Priscilla, the thought of walking out at intermission never entered our minds, as we kept hoping that it would get better! As I said, we entered the theater really wanting to enjoy this show....and actually, we felt sort of sad that it was a disappointment, that we didn't like more.
Yes, indeed, dukey1, to each his own....We've seen Sweeney Todd four times. It's one of our all-time favorites!

Thank you for your review of Priscilla, HowardR. I wonder if having seen the film set you up to dislike the play?

And glad to hear you liked it, Dukey1. Because I will be seeing it with friends in June. So I will hope for the best. Will post back with my impression of it.

I don't understand your point, PeaceOut. If anything, it would seem to me that having seen and liked the movie would set me up to like, not dislike the show.
And it stands to reason that in the reverse situation, it would follow that if I didn't like the movie, I don't think I'd want to see the theatrical version.

I don't know, Howard, I kind of get that point. I've been to dozens of movies which were made from books, and friends I go with who LOVED the book always seem to hate the movie.
To be honest, when I first saw Priscilla in London I was convinced it wouldn't be as good as the movie which I liked, so I was quite surprised that I did enjoy the stage musical. No, it's not the same as the movie, however. Overall, I see your point, Howard, about lacking the "heart, warmth, and compassion" of the movie. Granted it's more about the music, dance, and just being over the top than it is about any of those things -- certainly more so than the movie.

On the other hand, I went "knowing" I wouldn't like the actor playing Bernadette, convinced whoever it was couldn't compare with Terence Stamp in the movie, but I ended up preferring Tony Shelton in the musical as Bernadette. I found the character not just an "angry old queen", but someone who actually was trying to still get something out of life. That's kind of an oversimplification -- but the important part was I actually felt Tony Shelton gave more depth to the character of Bernadette than Terence Stamp, even though (or possibly because) he didn't play it as serious as in the movie.

I think a lot of people are trying to compare Priscilla with LaCage, and I find them totally unrelated shows. LaCage is very much filled with pathos, heart, and sentiment. Priscilla, not so much at all.

I'll also again point out that I have NOT yet seen Priscilla on Broadway and I do know some changes were made. They did try to give more "weight" to the story of the father and son, and perhaps none of that is really working. Maybe they should have stuck with just making it about "fun" rather than attempting to add more heart to the show, especially if it just doesn't work.

Patrick, my compliments on a very well written and thoughtful posting. I'll be curious to read your comments after you see the American version.
As for the supposedly added "weight" to the story of the father and son, it really didn't add any "heart" (or whatever you want to call it) to the show. (PS: Though your comment probably wasn't aimed at me, I'll add that I didn't compare this show to La Cage.)
I've written enough about my experience and will leave it at that.

Howard, you're right. The LaCage comment was NOT aimed at you. Like some of the other comments it was based more on other Broadway websites. You are not alone in saying that the father/son thing which has been "developed" more for the American version isn't really adding anything worthwhile.

Howard, you said, "We have seen the movie several times and love it."

Sometimes a person may have loved a work of art in one form (like a film) and then been disappointed when the story is translated to another medium (i.e. theater). I thought that could apply to your situation. It gives you certain expectations of the play. That's what I meant.

I know that whenever I have high expectations of a film-- one that everyone else loves, for example-- I am usually disappointed. It's the unknown films that take me pleasantly by surprise. I may just be a contrary person!

We saw That Championship Season a few weeks ago, agree w/you CPG, enjoyed it but did feel a bit overacted at time. Also thought the coach was great.

Have tickets to War Horse in a couple of weeks, am really looking forward to that one!

Bookmarking.

I saw a preview of 'Baby It's You' last night and although the music is so wonderfully nostalgic and the voices good, I think musicals about real groups (Jersey Boys, Million Dollar Quartet (although not really a group)) are not my thing for some reason.

owlwoman - please post about 'War Horse.' I can't wait to see it.

I am wondering how dressed up I should be for seeing Priscilla in early June. Can you regular theater goers give me some direction?

I will be flying to NYC, and am most comfortable in dressy pants. I would like to wear a nice pair of dressy slacks and a silk blouse/jacket. I assume that will be fine?

People will be there in all kinds of outfits, including jeans and Tshirts. That may be good and that may be bad, but you'll find a wide cross section of clothing at the show. Dressy slacks and silk blouse/jacket will be just fine.

When shows move to off Broadway - do they still use the same cast and sets, or are the shows simplified somehow? Has anyone seen Avenue Q lately? If so, I'd love to hear what you thought.

Thank you, starrs!

volcanogirl, there is no simple answer to your question. Shows moving from Broadway to off Broadway is not a very common event. More often you'll see the opposite -- a show starting off Broadway and then moving to Broadway when it has the potential of being a "big hit". Rent and In the Heights immediately come to mind -- and many would say that often shows like that were 'better' in their smaller off Broadway venue.

Regarding Avenue Q, some modifications were done in terms of set to fit the smaller theatre, but the show was a little unusual as a musical to begin with in that it was a single set.
Regarding the same cast -- that's also hard to say. Any Broadway show goes through numerous cast changes when it runs a long time, and while a few of the actors moved with Avenue Q off Broadway from the Broadway cast, I'm pretty sure none of them were from the "original" Broadway cast.

While I haven't seen Avenue Q at World Stages, I honestly think I might like the show better in that nice venue as opposed to my seats way back in the orchestra when I saw the original production on Broadway. Often I much prefer a small theatre.

For those of you who haven't seen the wonderful current revival of La Cage Aux Folles, you only have until May 1 to catch the show, as it closes that day. The NY Times recently gave a most favorable writeup of current leads--Harvey Fierstein and Christopher Sieber.

Thanks, Patrick; I appreciate your input. I hadn't thought about the venue being smaller, and that does sound appealing and more intimate. Avenue Q looks witty and funny to me.

Avenue Q is a delightful show. The Off-Broadway version has gotten high marks from the critics.

emd3 said it first!.........Today's NY Times gave an unqualified rave to Anything Goes!

" For those of you who haven't seen the wonderful current revival of La Cage Aux Folles, you only have until May 1 to catch the show "

I really wanted to see this show and already had a ticket for my June visit. Too bad. Still, it now frees up a night to choose something else.

Right on, emd3:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/theater/reviews/anything-goes-with-sutton-foster-joel-grey-review.html?ref=theater

Forgive me if I missed this in the thread as it is long. Has anyone here actually seen Mormon? I had been very excited to see it but the review posted gave me pause although others have been so positive.
thanks in advance.

Wondering if anyone has seen or has thoughts on The House of Blue Leaves?
We would be seeing it next week during previews.
Thanks,
2sweets

I'm glad to see a rave for Anything Goes. I have tickets the first week of May, but have been a little surprised by MANY comments elsewhere about Joel Gray who in previews has apparently been totally lackluster and often forgetting his lines. His role, though a small one is given star billing with Ms. Foster based on his background, but when theatregoers started saying "he's just all right" or even "he's just awful and brings the show down" I was stunned. Perhaps he's gotten better in this little role that often steals the show? Although for a "co star" billing, the NYTimes review seems to pass pretty lightly over him.

Anyway, everything else I've seen about this production (including some YouTube clips) tells me it's got to be great. I'm especially anxious to see Laura Osnes in the normally thankless role of Hope who has been getting a lot of great nods from those seeing the show. I saw her do South Pacific and was totally wowed, and then I recently saw her as Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde the musical which is headed (hopefully) for Broadway next year and she was just stunning in the role. And of course there's the great Sutton Foster.
In my book, musicals just don't get any better than a great production of Anything Goes.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
jubilada, if you meant you paused due to the mention of "the foul mouthed Book of Mormon" well, there's no denying that. It's pretty wild in that department. But realize that Ben Brantley also RAVED about that show. His foul mouth comment was meant just as a matter of fact, and not to be construed as a negative -- unless naughty themes and words bother you. If they do, then yes, probably stay away from Book of Mormon.

2sweets, our posts overlapped or I would have addressed your House of Blue Leaves comment as well. That's one of my all time favorite plays (and one which I've directed twice) so I've been very anxious about this production -- although the last Lincoln Center production of it with John Mahoney, Swoozie Kurtz, and Christine Baranski seems unbeatable in my book.

Here's a link you might want to browse through -- these are reviews of previews (so you know that the show may get better by the time it opens) and they are mostly by avid theatre goers and quite a few of active theatre "workers" in NYC -- not by professional theatre critics. You often have to read between the lines, but I can't remember many of these links that are so universally negative in their comments of any show before. Sounds like other than Edie Falco's performance, no one thinks it's really working.

http://broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1030185&dt=59&boardid=1

I am so glad Anything Goes is getting it's well-earned reviews. I thought Joel Grey was very good in his role! He is older now, like all of us lol, but he didn't forget lines or miss a beat when I saw the show last month, and his diminuative stature and his persona were perfect for the role, I thought.

Sutton Foster is just beyond phenomenal. Now I really wish I had seen her in Thoroughly Modern Millie - so why didn't you guys tell me to go see that one?? Maybe that was before the Broadway Banter threads started...lol

I had hoped to see Anything Goes again before it opened, as now the discounts will stop. But alas, at least I got to see it once at an incredible rate in wonderful seats. That production of Anything Goes reminds me of the scene in "Last Samurai" when Ken Wantanabe is dying on the battlefield, and he says as he is dying, his last word, (as he is having visions of blooming cherry blossoms), one simple word..."Perfect." That is how I felt when I left the Sondheim theater. How often do you get that?

God I love Broadway.

NeoPatrick: no, no problems with foul mouthedness;
It was the WSJ review which called the show amateurish and mediocre, suitable mainly for 12 year old boys!
here's the link:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704050204576218451086713370.html

emd3. I was lucky enough to see Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie years ago with tickets from TKTS. I am really hoping to see Anything Goes when I am there in late May this year. I am watching for discount tickets now

hpeabody - the local radio stations are already promoting the show and quoting the NY Times. There won't be discounts for a loooong time. But, if you find one, please post here! Having said that, some shows are worth full price. I just might have to bite the bullet myself

Broadway Box has codes for Anything Goes good through May 15, but it currently says "must buy by April 8" Today! That's the code I used to get front row mezzanine at $99 for May 11.

Patrick, I too cherish fond memories of the production of The House of Blue Leaves starring John Mahoney, Swoozie Kurtz nd and Christine Baranski. That devastating final scene still remains a vivid memory.

I saw 'High' with Kathleen Turner a few days ago. I thought Evan Jonigkeit's Broadway debut was impressive. It's always exciting to see fresh young talent in theater. There was a lot to discuss after this play (that's a good thing), but I was left with a number of loose ends. I'm not sure if it was some plot details or Stephen Kunken's performance (the priest) that diminished it somewhat for me.

For a newbie wanting to purchase tickets on-line, what sites do you recommend? Hopefully with discounts. Broadway Box is good?

www.playbill.com register for a user id to check for discounts

Both broadwaybox.com and playbill.com are recommended for discount offers. For full price you're better off going to the "original" agent, either ticketmaster.com or telecharge.com, depending on the show.

Thank you, both. I will try those two.

When I double-checked full price at Ticketmaster just now, I found much better seats available today, same price level, for the exact same performance. Row P first time I looked, amd Row E now. Huh? Confusing to this newbie. I guess house seats were turned back in, or some such. I wish my four friends would make up their mind on buying seats!

We saw a preview of 'People in the Picture' with Donna Murphy today. Her performance was wonderful. She shifts back and forth as the same character as young and elderly; she does it seamlessly. At times this play could be Fiddler on the Roof meets Mel Brooks. Although the end of Act I was slow, by the end of Act II, it is so moving that many (including me) needed a tissue. The choreography was nothing special; I did like how they did the sets. The book and lyrics were written by the author of 'Beaches,' the novel that the movie of the same name (with Bette Midler) was based on. Some of the music was by Mike Stoller. I recommend this one!

Thanks for the comments re: The House of Blue Leaves.
We are trying to decide between that show and Good People.

If that choice were mine, I'd definitely make it Good People. (In fact that IS the decision I made.)

"Catch Me If You Can' reviewed today.

http://theater.nytimes.com/?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1302527338-GyHEhym3Cqa41QcK/kAhtQ

I still feel despite this review and my own criticisms, this will be popular.

As I predicted earlier in this thread, the reviews for CMIYC were poor. In spite of that, we throughly enjoyed it (may have partially had to do with great seats at a discount)and I agree with CPG it will be popular, like the Adams Family was/is despite reviews.

Catch Me just isn't edgy enough to garner good reviews, of course as we saw with American Idiot and Spring Awakening, good reviews and Tony awards do not guarentee a long run.

"Catch Me just isn't edgy enough to garner good reviews". I don't know, Frank, the RAVE of this week in reviews was Anything Goes,which is even way less edgy than Catch Me if You Can.

American Idiot did NOT win any Tonys (except for lights and set design) and had very mixed reviews (although the all important one from the NYTimes was a rave). And Spring Awakening which did get mostly raves and won a raft of Tonys, ran for over 2 years. Admittedly that's not a very long run on Broadway.

It just seems impossible to determine what's going to make a show a sure-fire hit these days. Look at Wicked which got mixed reviews and an outright pan from the New York Times, and lost the Tony to Avenue Q which got mostly raves that year. Who would have guessed that Wicked would still be playing to totally sold out, non-discounted houses 7 and a half years later, while Avenue Q quietly closed and moved off-Broadway to a tiny house?

The Catch Me If You Can situation sounds a lot like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by the same team, which seemed very popular with audiences, got mixed reviews, and didn't have a particularly long run, but over a year.

Any opinions/thoughts on the new show with Chris Rock?

<<Has anyone seen Avenue Q lately? If so, I'd love to hear what you thought.

My sister and I saw this at World Stages last year and we enjoyed it - it's a fun show.

karens - 'Motherf**ker with the Hat.' See the first post in this thread. I enjoyed it - great dialogue.

Edgy aren't my favorites despite reviews. I think of Passing Strange, Next to Normal or even Spring Awakening. Give me a South Pacific any day!

karens:

Read an article in the NY Post last week about "Mother*****"

"But "Motherf**ker" is in trouble. Last week, the show took in just $239,000 in a theater with a gross potential of $867,000. The advance is well under $1 million, and Saturday night, as rival shows played to packed houses, "Motherf**ker" went up before just 600 people."


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/rock_in_hard_place_o1v1l8lqUkmmKwvmy7F50H#ixzz1JE6WgGwC


Neo: "the RAVE of this week in reviews was Anything Goes,which is even way less edgy than Catch Me if You Can."

Anything Goes is one of the classics with a Cole Porter score, the raves were predictable.

We saw the Patti Lupone revival back in the 80's and enjoyed it, but probably won't see it again. In general I'm not a big fan of pre 1960's musicals.

Frank - this is a whole other topic, but I'm wondering if in Motherf**er's case, the audience that they're trying to attract can't afford $131 plus tickets. The prices are out of sight and this isn't even a musical. If they are trying to attract young adults (using Chris Rock as the draw), that audience does not plan ahead with discount tix and can't afford full price - at least all the ones I know - even the ones who grew up in NYC and were 'raised' on theater. Just my rambling thoughts...........

And that show, btw, has gotten tons of press.

CPG: I think in general Broadway audiences are older and I'm sure the title will be a major turn-off, I know it is for me.

Chris Rock is funny, but I'm not sure most people want to see him in a serious role.

Also even at a discount, the price of a ticket is still around $90 for an orchestra and mezz. seat.

Unless it gets rave reviews, I think it will have a very short run. We'll see the reviews tomorrow.

That show is only scheduled to run until June anyway, not a long run, but it remains to be seen if it will run even that long. That's an amazingly bad showing in the previews gross sales department!

The issue of price combined with older and younger audiences is interesting. It seems there's seldom difficulty selling $200 or higher seats for major rock concerts to younger people. Not that the same people would go to a Broadway show. But I do recall how many younger people paid full price a few years ago to see Sean Combs (or whatever name he was using that year) in A Raisin in the Sun, a show where the play itself was certainly NOT the attraction to younger people. And let's be honest, the price isn't stopping tons of very young audience goers from buyng tickets to go see Harry Potter on Broadway -- the vast majority of those could care less what the show itself is.

Hasn't Chris Rock lost his momentum as a big draw? I have no idea, just asking.

I paid $35 for orchestra seats and I went with a girlfriend on a whim because we both wanted a laugh. With a higher price, I never would have considered it. I am no Chris Rock fan and he doesn't have the lead although they're hoping his name will bring them in. I recommended it to a friend who's an avid theater goer who had no interest. Her comment after seeing it was that it was so well written. Having said all that, it seems like the show is in serious trouble. I'm curious about the review.

As far as younger audiences, the ones I know (post college, but under 30) fall into two categories. A few can afford the $200 rock concert tix and do go. The others, enjoy theater, but don't go because the tix are too expensive for them; they don't go to rock concerts either and wouldn't dream of blowing $200 for a ticket. As far as the Harry Potter fans, I'll bet their parents are paying for those tix.

I agree with all you say, but when I said "very young" to see Harry Potter, I really didn't mean high school kids and younger (very young to me is probably older than very young to a lot of people) -- a friend told me last week when she saw How To Succeed, over half the audience seemed to be in their 20s to 30s. Those are the ones I was referring to -- and presumably the same people who would be going to see Chris Rock -- if he had the same kind of popularity with the Yuppie set (is that still a viable classification or am I showing my age further?) as Daniel Radcliffe.

By the way, my friend, who is about my age, also saw Book of Mormon last week. The age discussion came about because she was so thrilled to see TWO shows where the average age seemed to be under about 40 -- a rare sighting on Broadway these days. Perhaps there IS hope for the future of Broadway after all.

Throwing this statistic into this interesting discussion of Broadway audiences: Studies show that 2/3 of those attending Broadway shows are tourists. This tourist facor does, in part, helps explain in a general sense why certain shows play longer than others. It certainly helps explain why shows like Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, The Lion King and Mamma Mia, Wicked and Jersey Boys continue to draw substantial audiences after years and years of performances.

When we saw 'People in the Picture' this past Sat afternoon, my husband commented that this was one of the few times that he did not raise the average age of the audience. Many reasons for that including preview matinee with lots of TDFers and the subject matter. This play, if it's a success, will not compete with Wicked, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, etc.

This may help ticket sales! It's all about the words.

Motherf**ker's review:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/theater/reviews/the-with-the-hat-by-stephen-adly-guirgis-review.html?ref=theater

Good review, but I'm glad I saw it when I knew almost nothing about it. Sometimes no expectations adds to the enjoyment.

"Hat" got a good (not rave)review in the NY Times, but marginal in the NY Post and NY Daily News. Everyone liked the show but most hated Chris Rock, they say he is out of his league.

I can believe that, since every time he opens his mouth with his high pitched voice you want to laugh and I guess that's not what the play is about.

Not a good sign for a star vechicle.

"Hat" got a good (not rave)review in the NY Times. . ."

Frank, did you read a different NYTimes review than I did -- the one by Ben Brantley? I'd consider that review a RAVE, but after your post I just went back to reread it to see if somehow I missed something. I'd sure call it a rave filled with things like referring to "The characters portrayed by a marvelous, intensely focused five-member ensemble" and saying it was directed with "fire and tenderness". He even describes the set as "contrasting gems of self-portraiture".

He raved about every actor INCLUDING Chris Rock whom he referred to as making his "solid Broadway debut" and then added "Mr. Rock fits the part effortlessly. (You can easily imagine Ralph as a spellbinder when he testifies at support group meetings.) And Ralph’s straightforward confidence makes his logic-twisting all the more disarming."

In fact, try as I might I could not find one negative or even semi-negative thing in his review, other than what I'd consider the tongue in cheek "complaint" that it's hard to advertise the title. The comments about the characters being contradictory or hard to pin down in emotions were all things he was saying MADE the play effective, and surely should not be construed as negatives -- as he sums it up in his final paragraph which really makes the review a RAVE in my book: "Ms. Rodriguez’s Veronica is a sleekly feral amalgam of domesticity and destructiveness. And Mr. Cannavale, in his best work to date, exudes the magnified emotional presence you associate with verismo opera. That Jackie’s emotions, like those of everyone in “Hat,” are a muddle doesn’t mean that they don’t burn clear, or bright enough to scorch." Most actors would kill to get reviews like that!

I don't read the Post or the News so I am not familiar with the reviewers in those publications. And I think most people would agree that even a rave review doesn't guarantee that any one theater goer will feel the same way as the reviewer. (I usually don't.) But, I think if one reads Brantley's reviews often, they will realize that in context of all his reviews, this was a very strong review. And btw, some plays with very strong reviews just don't make it and others with tepid reviews survive for years.

I am not one who hated Chris Rock. I thought he was good, but not as good as the rest of the cast. He has an extremely distinct voice and it was hard for me to forget that he was Chris Rock. I have seen him in several tv interviews recently discussing his Broadway debut. I am not a Chris Rock fan, but he's been nothing but humble about learning the Broadway craft.

I guess I didn't read Brantley's review close enough. I have to admit I don't give the New York Times review much more credence than the News, Post or New York Magazine. I read at least 5 different reviews if I'm considering seeing a show and try to find a consensus. Of course some shows I'll see regardless of reviews, just because I want to see it.

Below is an article summarizing Chris Rock's performance.


http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/chris-rock-fails-to-win-over-critics-in-broadway-debut_1212201

Very excited Hair just announced a limited run this summer.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/149812-National-Tour-of-Hair-Will-Play-Limited-Summer-Run-on-Broadway

I actually have something to contribute!

I just saw Driving Miss Daisy on Saturday night with some friends. About two months ago I was watching "A Month by the Lake" and got to thinking about how I'd never seen Vanessa Redgrave on stage. I googled her, and found out that she was on Broadway right now, and bonus: she was opposite James Earl Jones.

I called my theater/foodie friends, cajoled them with a weekend of fine dining and the show, and we made the plans.

We saw the very last performance. Vanessa was spot on with her accent but for a few minor slips (kind of a British/Southern accent... but only for a moment). I had never seen the movie, if you can believe it. James Earl Jones was fantastic, of course, and Boyd Gaines too. I hadn't heard of Boyd Gaines before this I don't believe.

I found out over lunch the next day that my friend who joined us (native NYer) could have gotten us backstage. I will NEVER let him live that one down. "Oh, I didn't know you were going to see Driving Miss Daisy! My brother works in wardrobe - he was tweeting about the last show last night". Oh, grr. Just grrr. (He knew, he just forgot - I told him back when I got the tickets).

Glad you enjoyed it flygirl. I saw VR in another play and her accent was off the entire time, so I know what you mean. What a shame that you didn't get to go backstage!

cpg, I'm curious...What was the Vanessa Redgrave show you are talking about?
flygirl, I'm surprised you haven't heard of Boyd Gaines. He's has won at least two Tonys for previous performances. He excels in both musicals and straight plays.

In 'The Year of Magical Thinking,' she had the strangest accent - not American and I found it to be distracting. When I saw her in 'Long Day's Journey' years ago, her accent was fine.

'Jerusalem' - I don't know where to begin on this one. I went to see Mark Rylance who I had seen in 'Boeing Boeing' and 'La Bete.' He gives a remarkable 3 hour performance in a play that is difficult to fully comprehend.

'How to Succeed' - maybe it's because I sat thru 'Jerusalem' yesterday, but I enjoyed this. The theater was packed with adoring Radcliffe fans - 20 something year olds who grew up on the Potter books. His dancing was the weakest part of his performance, but I think I enjoyed this more than the revival with Matthew Broderick.

Brantley's review of 'War Horse:'

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/theater/reviews/war-horse-from-national-theater-at-lincoln-center-review.html?ref=theater&pagewanted=1

Not a rave. Is he always cynical about sentimentality? I can't wait to see it.

I have no idea what an "American accent" is (there are hundreds of various ones), but I found her absolute perfection in A Year of Magical Thinking as did every critic I read. She did use an "affected" voice. Have you ever heard Joan Didon speak? It is a bit disarming, but when I finally heard and saw Joan Didon on the Today show, I was stunned that Vanessa Redgrave totally caught her essence in every way.

I was using the term American accent loosely as one would a British accent (even though there are hundreds of them as well). The point I was making is that she sounded odd and it was distracting - not just to me. I have heard Joan Didion speak and didn't make that connection at all at that time. I haven't heard her in years and can't recall at this moment what she does sound like.

About accents - one of the problems with 'Jerusalem' is that the actors' speech is in a small town, south of England, working man type of accent (for lack of a better description) and chock full of colloquialisms. A lot is hard to catch. Still, Mark Rylance was amazing.

Any recommendations for restaurants for a pre-show dinner? Would love to know your favorites - any kind of food.

Side question for HowardR - Do you think there's a chance that "Sam's Place" on E 39th is owned by the same folks that owned Sam's in the Theatre District? It was my favorite little place and the descriptions sound very similar -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d524516-Reviews-Sam_s_Place-New_York_City_New_York.html

volcanogirl, I mentioned it on another thread, but I really like the West Bank Cafe.
http://www.westbankcafe.com/location.html
A review - http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/west-bank-cafe/

Here's another option that was on my list (based on Fodorites' recommendations, but I don't remember who.
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/osteria-al-doge/

We decided on Good People and got tickets for next Tuesday night.
There wasn't much selection left so we are in the back of the center mezzanine...hoping where it's a small theatre, those seats will be OK.
Was able to use a broadway box code and get them for 52.00 plus fees so we can't complain...
Getting very excited...we have an early flight out in the morning and other than Sat night, the weather looks good for our stay (we fly home Wed night).

Thanks again for the help picking our show!

zsweets, we're seeing Good People tomorrow. Will let you know what we thought of it. The theater is small, so your seats should be fine.
starrs, We, too, used to enjoy Sam's. I'm not sure if it's the same owner, but you could be right.
volcanogirl, I'll put in a plug for our favorite restaurant, Chez Josephine (on 42nd Street just west of 9th Avenue)....excellent food, ambiance and service, hosted by Jean-Claude Baker, the textbook host!

starrs, I don't think there's any relation between those two Sam's.
From the "Great Restaurants" website:

"Sam's Place is a quaint Italian restaurant that serves incredibly fresh Northern and Southern Italian food in the Murray Hill section of the East Side. For the last 16 years, the cozy atmosphere places diners in close quarters, where they receive the warm charm of owner Massimo Biber, the former host of Tre Scalini on 58th street."

I miss the old Sam's too.

'Peter and the Starcatcher' - clever, well written, creative, wonderful - It's been extended until 4/24. See it if you can. Did I mention clever?

I'm very happy to report that we loved Good People. We thought it was one of the best things we've seen in years. Frances McDormand was truly outstanding and should be a Tony favorite.
Plan to see it soon, as the show is only playing through May 29. There are discounts available for Tuesday through Thursday performances on broadwaybox.com and playbill.com.

Seeing Peter on the 24th! Can't wait.

Sue - wish I could get a script to go over all the references and allusions in the clever dialogue. I hope you enjoy it!

Interesting article about the woman present at the recording session of the Million Dollar Quartet -
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704613504576269122528197658.html

She was dating Elvis at the time and her story in interesting.

Well the reviews are out on Wonderland. Ouch. Anybody wanna buy two discounted front row mezzanine seats for Friday, May 5?

After viewing a bunch of photos of the show on the Playbill website last week, I had not desire to see the show. The reviews verified that my eyesight was a good judge!

'Clybourne Park' by Bruce Norris has won the Pulitzer for drama. I enjoyed it a lot.

Yes, I really enjoyed Clybourne Park -- I think we had a brief discussion about it on here last year when it was running off Broadway. It's also getting raves and is quite popular in London where it's currently playing. So now I'm curious if it will return to NYC and this time be ON Broadway.

Kathleen Turner's new show High isn't lasting very long. It's closing over the weekend after eight regular performances.

I saw WAR HORSE yesterday. WOW! Truly amazing. 5 minutes into the show and I'd already forgotten that these are puppet horses. The handlers played them so well that I really thought they were real horses on stage. It definitely lived up to my super-high expectations. I'm very glad that I followed Fodorites' advice and bought a discounted ticket in advance (~ a month ago). I don't think discounts are available anymore, and the show I went to yesterday was completely sold out.

Thanks yk, seeing it Sat., did the same as you did (got the discount tickets). I'm really psyched to see this!

P.S. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that I'm visiting NYC during School vacation week. I thought I could wait until the day of and decide which show to see based on TKTS availability (I subscribe to its email & twitter feed). Unfortunately, none of the shows I had in mind were available (Anything Goes, Good People, How to Succeed). I ended up spending my 2 "free" nights at the opera house.

Very happy to report, as was HowardR, that we loved Good People!!
We actually were in the very back row but could still hear and see just fine-the seats were very comfortable.
We went Tuesday night and the show was sold out.
The entire cast was great but we especially enjoyed Estelle Parsons and, of course, Frances McDormand.
The 2 hours passed so quickly I couldn't believe when it was over!!

Reviews are in for Sister Act which opened last night and they seem overall very good -- mostly raves or very positive, a few mixed, and only one or two real pans. I was surprised by this show in London where it got very mixed reviews, but I loved its energy and score (unlike the movie which "borrowed" songs, the stage version is all original score). But it's also been reworked -- mainly the book -- and re-directed by Jerry Zaks. I was really impressed by Patina Miller in the leading role but some critics are comparing her to Whoopi Goldberg which is kind of unfair in my book. There's no way Whoopi could sing THESE songs to even half the effect that Ms. Miller does! I'll be seeing it two weeks from last night.

Saw 'Good People' tonight and second what 2sweets thought. Frances McDormand was wonderful and Estelle Parsons was perfect.

Beautiful review of 'Jerusalem:'

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/theater/reviews/jerusalem-with-mark-rylance-review.html?ref=theater

What was especially interesting to me was that Brantley said the play was revised for clarity of cultural references for the American production. It seems I would have had an even tougher time had I seen it in London. Mark Rylance, as I've said in an earlier post, gives the most amazing performance.

Back to Good People for a moment, we should not leave out Tate Donovan's name on the list of outstanding performers in that show. He, too, is deserving of high praise.

Yes, virtually all the reviews for Jerusalem are raves -- but ALL seem mainly to concentrate on Rylance. Some of the comments are priceless including the reference that he has no understudy because without him there would be no play, and the comment that even his limp is so real the critic wouldn't be surprised if Rylance allowed himself to be run over by a car just to make it perfect. If his place wasn't already confirmed as perhaps the best English speaking actor today, I think this performance will give him that mark.

It's also interesting that the comments about the play itself seem to range from "absolute brilliance" to "too much about nothing".

With the rave reviews in for this week's opening of Jerusalem, it has certainly been the best year in recent memory for serious new drama on Broadway. Think about it....four new plays that have wowed the critics and theatergoers---Other Desert Cities, Good People, War Horse and Jerusalem.

Loved Loved Loved Peter and the Star Catchers. I hope it gets another life so the rest of you can see it.

Is anyone else attending the 28th Anniversary Celebration of the NY Pops on Monday, May 2 at Carnegie Hall? I got a $72 10th row orchestra seat via a Playbill discount. Many stars to perform -- Kelli O'Hara, Christine Ebersole, Angela Lansbury, Tom Wopat, Greg Edelman, Tyne Daly. . .

Today's review of 'Born Yesterday.' I see it tomorrow.

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/theater/reviews/born-yesterday-with-jim-belushi-robert-sean-leonard-review.html?ref=theater

Four of us saw 'The Minister's Wife' at LCT. The opinions ranged from 'worst thing I ever saw' to 'really enjoyed it.' I was in the middle. It's 95 minutes, no intermission. I only enjoyed the last 30 minutes or so.

Sue - I would love to see Peter again on Broadway - maybe.....

Saw War Horse on Sat., it was very good and it is incredible how the pupeteers bring the horses to life. While I enjoyed it very much, wasn't as blown away as I expected...could be from all I had read (thought it was a little slow at times). Yet I would still recommend.

owlwoman - I haven't seen it yet, but I have experienced what you described when hearing raves about movies, books, etc. I hope that I am blown away; seeing it on 5/7.

Discount for Good People found on Broadway Box. Good through 5/29/11. Says discount through 5/8/11, but when in link says through 5/29/11. For Sat 5/28/11 I got Premier Circle mid AA for $89.00 + fees. I think a mistake in pricing, but not gonna complain. It should be $95.00 I believe. Maybe they just raised the price??? I'm looking forward to it

http://www.broadwaybox.com/shows/good_people_nyc_tickets.aspx

BroadwayBox April Website Discount Offer for
Good People
at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Orchestra, Premier Circle, Mezzanine A-B:
Tuesday-Thursday evening performances: $89. Wednesday matinee performances: $89. Friday-Saturday evening performances: $95. Saturday-Sunday matinee performances: $95.

ALL PERFORMANCES:
Mezzanine C-E: $70, Mezzanine F-G: $62.
All prices include a $2.00 facility fee. Valid for performances through 5/29/11.
There is a 6 ticket limiT.

House of Blue Leaves got a poor review in the NY Times with the exception of Edie Falco's performance.

"But, except when it’s spoken by Ms. Falco — who gives a transfixing performance as a medicated madwoman longing to feel — there’s little that’s transporting here in Mr. Guare’s wild, yearning language."

"Ms. Falco, whose varied, nuanced acting has long been familiar to television viewers in shows that include “The Sopranos” and “Nurse Jackie.” Clad in a worn nightgown and tatty cardigan, her face as open as a new wound, Ms. Falco endows the anguished Bananas with such unvarnished emotional transparency — and clinical exactness — that it hurts to look at her."

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/theater/reviews/the-house-of-blue-leaves-with-ben-stiller-and-edie-falco-review.html?adxnnl=1&ref=theater&adxnnlx=1303784480-tY77evBC2AGZ/4XBamyPLg

I saw 'Born Yesterday' tonight. I really, truly, wanted to love it, but I didn't. The first act was flat - no spark, no chemistry. The next two acts were better. The set is beautiful. Jim Belushi does a great job. I especially bought tix because of Nina Arianda (after seeing her in 'Venus in Fur') and although she transforms herself into Billie, I thought she played her too childlike, especially in Act I. I expected sexy and dumb, not juvenile and dumb. She was commended in the Times' review for playing Billie differently than Judy Holliday, but it just missed the mark for me. There were tons of empty orchestra seats; everyone moved closer.

Would very much appreciate a recommendation or 2.
Booked a 5-nt. trip this week for late May and have purchased tix to "How to Succeed...", "People in the Picture" (my daughter's choice) and "Wicked" (surprising her - I know she likes the music♫♪). Cannot get "War Horse" at all for any of my free nights/afternoons. Sold out (And the tix on stubhub are too $$$)
Does any play or musical pop out as something that would be enjoyable for mother/daughter ages 40&14??
(We'd love "Book of Mormon" but prices are just astronomical).
Oh, and I know that my daughter does not want to see "Billy Elliot" or "Anything Goes".
Thank you so much~

How about 'Catch Me If You Can?'

Mamma Mia is a lot of fun. Be sure to stay in your seat after you think it has ended. Someone gave me that advice before I saw it and will pass it along. I think I will be in NYC the same time as you

thank you Centralparkgirl and hpeabody for those recommendations ☺
hpeabody - I'm going 5/19-5/24

I just stumbled upon a website that gives the overall impression of reviews from various newspapers for on and off Broadway http://www.didhelikeit.com/

If you look at a few different shows, many are a mixed bag. Although there are a handful that are positive or negative across the board.

Has anyone seen "Jerusalum"? Looks like it's gotten good reviews, but I'm curious what fellow Fodorites thought of it.

Iantana - you're welcome. The lead is adorable! Your daughter should love it.

hazel1 - I saw it. Mark Rylance gives an amazing performance. However, it's three hours of dialogue that at times is hard to fully comprehend because of the dialect and colloquialisms. And yet some of the character's tales were brilliant. If someone were visiting NY and this was their one opportunity to see a play and it was full price, I would say pass on it. Rylance was brilliant and yet it's hard for me to give it an unqualified recommendation. I have seen him twice before and I'm glad I got to see him again; however............

I'm in NYC now for the month and starting to see a ton of shows. Monday night I enjoyed the 28th Anniversary celebration at Carnegie Hall with lots of performers and last night saw Tyne Daly next to me at the Sardi's bar before a show and complimented her on her number on Monday night.
Last night was The Addams Family. I missed Nathan Lane. Roger Rees who has replaced him is a fine actor, but just plain NOT funny. Bibi Neuwirth was a delight, however, and Brad Oscar and Jackie Hoffman as well as the very funny Heidi Blickenstaff as the boyfriend's mother steal the show.

But I was surprised that no one yet has mentioned the Tony nominations which came out this week. Here's the full list:

http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

The biggest surprise may be the number of nominations for Scottsboro Boys, which may not have been everyone's cup of tea, but sure has garnered a lot of critical interest. Too bad it's gone (but not forgotten, with a West End opening coming up, and some discussion of a return to Broadway). I guess it sometimes takes a while for Kander and Ebb shows to gain audience recognition -- remember the first production of Chicago?

Quite an interesting article by Ben Brantley about the Tony nominations:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/this-time-the-tonys-grow-up-and-get-it-right/?ref=theater

Yes, it is an interesting article. I especially like the part where he point blank admits it makes him "especially" happy that "big time movie stars" weren't nominated. Yes, Mr. Brantley, you've made us well aware that you don't like them taking over Broadway time and time again. Since the Broadway world almost revolves around Brantley as if he were a God, I wonder if his reminders of his dislike of performances by big time movie actors in the form of his reviews and articles actually helped make his wish come true.

On another note, saw the matinee of Good People today. Now that is a brilliant show -- great script, perfect dialogue (as David Lindsay-Abaire always gives us) and a wonderful cast and direction. Sad that it can't extend again due to Master Class coming in, but I look forward to that production starring Tyne Daly as well.

Patrick, I'm glad to see you agree with me about the brilliance of Good People. To me, it's what outstanding playwriting is all about and should be be Exhibit A in any playwriting class!
Patrick, however, I don't agree with your take on Brantley's comments about movie stars. He was not expressing a dislike for them. Rather, he was expressing pleasure that some top actors who are not big time stars did get nominated. Here's what he wrote:
"...There are a lot of them [male actors] who were not only eligible for Tony nominations but also worthy of them. I'm perfectly happy with the slate that made it, especially given that Joe Mantello (of 'The Normal Heart') and Bobby Cannavale ('Hat') aren't big-time movie stars like Ben Stiller and Robin Williams (who were not nominated, though they were just fine). Mark Ryland (of 'Jerusalem') and Brian Bedford ('The Importance of Being Earnest') aren't movie stars either, but they are something like theater royalty, albeit of different generations...."
I don't see that as him expressing a dislike of performances by big time movie actors, but rather citing pleasure at the recognition given four outstanding performances.

We saw 'The Book of Mormon' tonight - totally, over the top irreverent with a terrific cast. We all loved it. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. (It makes 'Avenue Q' pre-school stuff.)

The playbill did not list any of the musical numbers; I never saw that before.

Howard, come on now. You read Brantley and KNOW that he has most often expressed his distaste of big name movie stars on Broadway. That's no secret. Read it again --he says he was especially happy that the ones who were nominated were NOT big time movie stars which really IS the same thing as saying he's glad the big name movie stars DIDN'T get nominated. He even mentioned two big time movie stars who weren't nominated -- clearly his way of saying "good, these guys weren't nominated".

It would be quite a different matter if he simply proclaimed his joy with the ones who were nominated, but by his specifically pointing out that they aren't big time movie stars it is clearly his way of saying that he's glad big time movie stars weren't nominated. It's kind of hard to ignore that. Otherwise what was the point in even mentioning big time movie stars?

cpg - thanks for the link. "...Hey, I like horses; I’ve even gone out with a couple..."

So jealous that you saw "Book of Mormon"! I'm dying to go with my daughter during our trip (2 more weeks!) but I just can't justify the expense. $245+ per ticket. Guess I could try for rush/lottery tix~

have to add that the $245 "Book of Mormon" ticket is for an obstructed view seat!

At the Stephen Sondheim, is there a ramp to the Mezzanine or just stairs? DH can't do stairs very good - with a 47% frozen knee after operation that didn't work. But really have to see Anything Goes!

I believe there's no ramp to the Mezzanine at the Stephen Sondheim, but I can't say that with absolute certainty as my seats are down in the orchestra. There should be an elevator up to the Mezzanine level, though you might still have to negotiate fairly steep stairs to get to the seat. This might be worth investigating further, however, as this theater is a new-build and might be more fully accessible than in its prior life as the Henry Miller.

Actually, the website for the theatre says that the mezzanine is AT street level and you take an escalator down to the orchestra seating so it sounds like you could be in luck. I'll be going next Wed night and can check it out further. When are you going, Brahmama?

I'm amazed at how un-accessible theatres in NYC are. Yesterday for Good People I stood and waited while they found two security guards to lift a wheelchair up the four of five steps from the street lobby to the main lobby -- they don't even have a ramp there, which seemed amazing to me.

Doug,
Thanks for the reply - I guess a simple phone call might answer my question - or maybe not. Sometimes live people are a rarity on telephone lines.
Patrick,
Good to hear from you again and read your opinions! We are coming in on the 26th for 5 days. It would be great if you could check out the situation on Wed night.
Now that we need some basic accessiblity, esp while we are traveling, it is indeed amazing to see the lack of it. Before we needed it, I plead guilty to never noticing. But I still remember how grateful we were in Chicago when the buses "knelt" down for us and our bags!

Patrick, I think it's a matter of interpretation! Anyway, you know that we'll never agree about Brantley.....and I'll leave it at that!
Good to have to back in the city!

Yes, Howard. I was going to say that we are saying the same thing -- but in a different way. When a guy says I'm glad the guys who were nominated aren't big name stars -- I see it as he's glad that the ones who ARE big name stars weren't nominated. And you see it as he's glad the ones who were nominated AREN'T big name stars. But the bottom line is, isn't it really the same thing? Kind of looking at the glass as half full or half empty. I guess I tend to be the "half empty" observer in this case.

Brahmama, do you already have your tickets? If so where are you sitting and I'll check it out specifically. I'll be in front row Mezzanine on Wed. night. (my favorite seats for most musicals especially those with great choreography). And I agree with you about the difficulty of getting definite answers to such questions on the phone.

lantana - I'm baffled about the price of tix for Mormon. I paid $145 (inc those horrendous fees) and they were unobstructed - a regular orch seat. Are you talking about premium seats (front center orch)?

cpg - I guess word of mouth has been way too good
I'm checking thru broadwaybox for a tight date range in late May.
Least expensive are $245 for obstructed view. There are mezz and orchestra seats for $700+ !!
Sadly, I'm out!

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/129101-Arthur-Laurents-Legendary-Librettist-Playwright-Screenwriter-and-Director-Dies-at-93?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4dc3e3adc2340165%2C0

Arthur Laurents died.
Thanks to cpg I recognized him at West Side Story and got his autograph on my Playbill.

lantana - I looked on playbill.com and they offer premium seating at obscene prices for late May. There doesn't seem to be seats available at the regular (obscene price imo). I guess the producers have decided to scalp as well as produce. There is nothing that is worth $300 - $400 per seat for me.

lantana, here's some general advice about purchasing full-price tickets:
Do NOT go to broadwaybox.com or playbill.com. Instead, go to the "original" source of the tickets, which would be either ticketmaster.com or telecharge.com. For The Book of Mormon, it's telecharge.com (or by phone, 212-239-6262).
The broadwaybox and playbill websites are great for discount tickets, but not the best source when you are paying full price.

Thank you HowardR for that info. I had no idea about the full-price ticket situation. I appreciate your help very much.
I did look on telecharge and there are no seats available for my dates (5 nights later this month). I even checked for just one ticket and there is nothing!
CPG - I agree - nothing is worth $300/$400 per seat to me either.
BoM is one hot show! Maybe we can catch it next time
Thanks again!

I should add that those "secondary" sites for tickets will often have tickets, while the "original" sites do not, but as you've experienced, those tickets that are available are very expensive!

OK - I saw Born Yesterday today and we saw the understudy for Billie Dawn in the role (the woman who usually plays the manicurist) and she was FABULOUS! I think she nailed the heart that the reviewers were complaining that was lacking.

Also, Wed night I saw Murrow's Boys in Brooklyn. Incredibly timely after "the wedding" and Bin Laden's demise and all the talking heads still talking. It was a play about the guys who broadcast world war II live and broadcast into our livingroom when I was a growing up in the 50's and 60's. SEE IT!

I've just completed my first full week in NYC this month and thought I'd summarize the 6 shows I saw.

Good People: Wow. Definitely the best of the best this week. This play is brilliantly written, directed, and performed. It's rare for a show to shine so brightly in all three of those categories. Frances McDormand is simply wonderful, Estelle Parsons and Becky Ann Baker back her up with great comedy. And the rest of the cast shines as well, but the real star is the great writing and perfect dialogue of David Lindsay-Abaire.

Sister Act: The best of the musicals I saw this week. I had seen it last year in London and they have improved the book considerably as well as changing a few of the songs to a greater effect. The show is, of course, pure fluff but very well done from beginning to end. A most entertaining night of theatre.

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark: A very unusual and well done play by the Pulitzer prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage (Ruined and Intimate Apparel). It has to do with a white actress and a black actress in the 1930s who are friends (or more?) and are cast as a Southerner and her maid in what becomes a sort of cult classic film -- and where their lives go from there. The rest of the play takes place in 1973 and 2003 with some of the cast playing the same characters and some playing other characters. Outstanding theatre. Karen Olivo (Anita in the recent revival of West Side Story) and Stephanie J. Block (an Elpheba from Wicked and Judy in 9 to 5) give particularly great comic performances. Act II begins with a film of the "famous" scene from the movie done by the two actresses in the show. Very clever and good.

Wonderland: This new Frank Wildhorn musical based on Alice in Wonderland does have some book problems -- not knowing exactly where it's going particularly in Act II, I'd say. But the score is simply terrific even though as usual Wildhorn tries to make every number the BIG number of the show. (Imagine Wicked with every number being as "big" as Defying Gravity and you'll know what I mean). The staging and costumes are simply wonderful and I'm dumbfounded how it could not get a single nomination in the tech categories of the Tonys, nor how Karen Mason and Kate Shindle were passed over for supporting actress nominations. I liked this show a lot more than the critics did! It pokes fun at itself as well as a lot of other things including other musicals. Comparisons between this show and Wicked are VERY obvious -- so it's not surprising that it didn't wow the critics (just as Wicked didn't), but I doubt it will get quite the audience love that Wicked got -- although the almost full house the night I saw it gave it cheers galore and an almost instant standing ovation.

Catch Me if You Can: Well, I liked this show a lot less than most of the critics. I like the story telling staging of the show, but found it just kind of dull. Ben Brantley hit the nail on the head talking about how only one number in the show really wows you. When that number came up, I instantly remembered his review and knew this was THE number. But Arroon Tveit, although an excellent singer, just didn't have the natural charisma to convince me of his incredible "con man" charms -- or enough to carry the show. And while I like Norbert Leo Butz, I really didn't get why he seemed to playing the cop as a sterotyped old man -- he seemed like a guy in disguise to me, not a real character. The show just didn't do it for me.

The Addams Family: I know this show never got great reviews, but I would have liked to see it with Nathan Lane. Roger Rees who took over his part is a great actor indeed, but simply wasn't the least bit funny. In fact the whole show really wasn't very funny. Even the usually very funny Jackie Hoffman as Grandma didn't get a single huge laugh. Maybe the fact that the house was over half empty didn't help. I will give nods though to Brad Oscar as Uncle Fester and Heidi Blickenstaff as the boyfriend's mother who had more energy and comedy timing than the rest of the cast put together.

This week includes Anything Goes, Jerusalem, and The M****r with the Hat. I'll report on those next weekend.

NeoPatrick - these are priceless reviews. Thank you!

Has anyone seen Born Yesterday?

Did anyone see Born Yesterday?

Yes - look up on the thread - a few of us have seen it - I really enjoyed it.

If you want to see Born Yesterday, you better plan on it soon, as the show probably won't be around too much longer.

The NYT writes today about "Spiderman 2.0". Too funny! Do you think we will see 2.5, 3.0 or will this update be the winner?

Based on NeoPatrick's recent show reviews, which I read aloud to my daughter last night, I bought tickets to "Wonderland" for May 23d. I just went to Playbill.com to try and look up the exact length of the performance and there on the front page is the announcement of the show's May 15th closing date!
What will I need to do to get a refund?

I was able to find the info I was looking for on ticketmaster's site
"Canceled Events - You'll get an automatic refund for tickets bought online or by phone using your purchase payment method..."

Brahmama, do you already have your tickets? If so where are you sitting and I'll check it out specifically. I'll be in front row Mezzanine on Wed. night. (my favorite seats for most musicals especially those with great choreography). And I agree with you about the difficulty of getting definite answers to such questions on the phone.

Patrick,
I apologize. I overlooked this paragraph somehow. We don't have tickets. I was poised to buy them and didn't and now I regret it. They were right orchestra row Q, but one was an aisle seat.
I'm still hoping that another will show up - and if I get another chance, I'll nab it.
Have a great Wednesday night!
I noticed your post reviewing (I assume) the shows you have seen this week, and I'm going back there now to get some ideas.

lantana, sorry about that. Yes, I found out last night also that Wonderland is closing already. It never ceases to amaze me the power of the critics and the Tony nominations with shows, as well as the lack of a big name to draw crowds. I found Wonderland far better than many of the musicals currently running on Broadway -- and I don't think it's just me who liked it.

Love your reviews, Neopatrick!

Thanks NeoPatrick. "Wonderland" sounded like a lot of fun. You made my daughter and me want to see it!
I'm looking forward to your next set of reviews

An interesting article below about actors' memories of Arthur Laurents who died last week:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/theater/on-arthur-laurents-memories-from-stephen-sondheim-and-others.html?_r=1&ref=theater

We saw 'War Horse' last weekend. I thought it was so well done and moving and as has been said many times before, the puppetry was truly amazing as was the staging. I think this should be on a must-see list for drama in NY. It truly has been a very good season for drama.

The horse puppets from War Horse were out on the Lincoln Center LAWN earlier this week for the reopening of the lawn. Here's a slideshow of the puppets:
http://lincolncenter.tumblr.com/post/5365846777/lincoln-centers-illumination-lawn-located-on-the

Amazing puppets. Thanks for the link.

I love this thread. Read it, but don't usually contribute. But I'm going to NYC (May 24 - 28) and am wondering if "Book of Mormon" sells standing room. I know they have a lottery, but if that doesn't work, I'd be glad to wait in line at 6 AM. It's worked for me in the past to get "impossible to get" tix.

Yes, they do sell standing room. According to a post on another website, it has been suggested that you get in line for standing room at about 3 PM. They sell standing room tickets AFTER they hold a lottery. That lottery is held 2 and a half hours before the performance, then they sell standing room. Good luck.

I've posted this before, but with all the hoo-ha over Book of Mormon it might be a good time to repeat.

The organization Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS can often get house seats for sold out performances. The cost is twice face value -- of which half is a tax deductible contribution to the AIDS foundation. Premium seats are face value plus $150 tax deductible donation. The link below gives specifics and phone numbers. Consider this before buying from ticket brokers. At least the premium goes to a good cause. I used them a few years back and had wonderful 5th row center seats for Hairspray during it's heyday with Harvey in the lead. Really nice people to work with on the phones. Just call, give them your dates and they will let you know if they can get tickets for your desired show.

http://www.broadwaycares.org/care-tix_tickets

Thanks for the SRO info.

Also, great info re: Broadway Cares.

I finally did a post about Murrow's Boys for my blog. See it before it ends.
http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc/2011/05/murrows-boys.html

Brahmama, I didn't get back to you about the seating at Anything Goes, but I got the impression you weren't worried about it any longer. You do enter the theatre from the street without any stairs to the mezzanine level -- BUT -- you enter at the very top or back of the mezzanine and there are a lot of very steep steps down to the front row of the mezzanine, not for the faint of heart or the slightly disabled! There is an elevator down to the orchestra level, but I sure never saw the escalator that the website says they have. So it probably would be much easier if one had seats in the orchestra, unless you wanted the last row of the mezzanine (which IS the balcony as well).

So for the week, I saw
Jerusalem: Wow. Mark Rylance is once again amazing, and I loved the entire production. It's sometimes hard to get into a play about people whom you neither like nor care about, but he manages to give this very unlikeable character enough heart that you actually understand him and even feel for him by the end of the play. The script itself is well written I thought and by the end of the play there is much to think about and reflect upon. I love a comedy that turns serious at the end and actually makes a point. I WOULD call this a must see for anyone into really good theatre. (Although my first choice for a new "MUST SEE" play would still be Good People).


The M***********r with the Hat. OK, once again, hard to get into a play about people you neither like nor care about and that was true of this one as well. I found it less well written than Jerusalem and rather heavy handed with the dialogue. One minute characters seemed to want one thing and the next minute something else. Why did any of them have any kind of relationship with any of the other ones? I was never able to figure out who really had any true feelings for anyone else, if in fact anyone did. Meanwhile, f****, how many f****** times can the word f*** be used by the f******* characters in one f******* play. It's just too f******** much for me -- maybe because I have no use for people with such a limited vocabulary. Yes, I know that's how these characters talk, and maybe that's why I really don't care what happens to them. At least the characters in Jerusalem used other words as well and actually said many more intelligent things.

Anything Goes: Well, a musical just can't get much better than this. Fantastic in every way. Yes. I liked it even better than the Patti Lupone revival at Lincoln Center.

The People in the Picture: Saw this with Fodorite Rhea at Wednesday matinee. Donna Murphy is terrific, changing back and forth in age constantly in the show with an immediate believability. But the show seems just very heavy handed sentimentality. Kind of "let's make a musical about the Holocaust and that will really get to the audience". I also didn't think that much of the music -- perhaps the Yiddish theatre songs were the most fun, but also very hard to understand especially when the whole group was singing. I don't think either of us understood more than a couple of words in the big opening number.

Patrick,

I'm taking my mom and her friend to NY in August. We'd love to see the show but I'm concerned about getting the ladies seated. Frankly, my knees aren't what they used to be either.

I'd read earlier that the mezzanine is at street level but getting down those steep stairs sounds tricky. How are the sightlines from the back of the mezzanine? Or would you suggest tickets in the orchestra and taking the elevator?

Thank you for 4 more fun reviews, NeoPatrick! My daughter and I are going to see The People in the Picture this weekend (she read through most of the offerings and this is the one she chose) and I hope we'll enjoy it. Everything I've read mentions how great Donna Murphy is. You've prepared me well, I think

Lucky man to be seeing all these shows!♫

Oops, by "the show" I meant Anything Goes.

edevee, The Stephen Sondheim Theatre has a surprisingly small mezzanine/balcony with only 9 rows total. The top row of the mezzanine is actually no further back than the back row or the orchestra, and probably preferable to that last row of the orchestra, due to the high rake of the seats up there. There is a hand rail and the climb down isn't that bad -- but I was playing up the negative as the original discussion was for a partially "handicapped" person.

Thank you, Patrick. I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share your experience.

Anybody have any thought on Hair? I booked tickets today for 5 rows back for a good price? Is this too near/are they not good seats? Its my first time in NY and Hair is one of my Favorite musicals, the cast seem outstanding on the tour. I would like to see another maybe but should I wait until closer to when i'm going to but tickets (the 13th of July) I was thinking something along the lines of 'Anything Goes' or 'How to Succeed' Did someone mention Spring Awakening too? Is that in town? That is also another fave =) Thanks, all help appreciated

Hi all,
As a Chicago theater-goer, here are a couple transplanted shows that I wanted to recommend

'TJ and Dave' at the Barrow Street Theatre. These two guys do long-form improvisation every Wednesday night at ImprovOlympic. I've watched them through the years and they're incredible to watch. Theater gladiators. Their dates aren't confirmed at Barrow Street, but they do shows there from time-to-time, and it looks as if they're coming back.
http://www.barrowstreettheatre.com/whats-on/whats-on.asp

Also, I was going to recommend Steppenwolf's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' with Amy Morton and Tracy Letts (Pulitzer prize playwright of 'August: Osage County') but when I checked, it's not coming to Broadway until the fall of 2012. (Bit of a wait- sorry. But it was really, really good production of this play. I saw the Irwin-Turner version, and Steppenwolf's knocked it out of the park.) Keep it in mind!

Oh - and I mention 'TJ and Dave' because their improv is very "theatrical." Not what you imagine with improv comedy, with disjointed scenes/sketches. I hesitate to label this comedy -- I've seen very dramatic and dark things with these two. Hope some of you can catch it!

yk - thanks for that link. Would have loved to have seen them, but I'm out of the country. I love the one of the horse drinking water!

ArtyJones, have you seen Hair on tour? I can't speak for the NY theater, but I couldn't imagine not being up close. I got 6th row aisle seats for NY - can't wait! It's my favorite show.

ArtyJones, either you wrote down Hair by mistake or you've been scammed into buying tickets for a show that is not nor will not be playing in New York. Do you possibly mean Rent, which will be reopening off-Broadway in mid-July?

No, Howard. The National Tour of the recent revival of Hair is playing at the St. James from July to September -- 10 weeks, I think total.

Ooops! So, how come it's not included on Playbill's list of upcoming shows? I had doublechecked that before responding.

Just saw a soon to be forgotten musical - The People in the Picture. Donna Murphy was amazing. This is a grand attempt to create a history of the Yiddish theatre/holocaust musical or as CP? put it above - a cross between Fiddler and the Producers. It succeeds on lots of levels but I didn't leave the place humming the score.

Oddly, at Studio 54, the view from the mezzanine really framed the sets and action but it was difficult to understand the singing. We went downstairs for the second act and could understand the words better but had less of an appreciation of the staging.

My favorite line was a direct reference to Field of Dreams (where did all these people come from!)

I agree completely, SueNYC. And although it's only been a week since I saw it, I honestly couldn't conjur up a single tune or even partial tune from the show.

Has there been any feedback on the new "re-tooled" Spiderman that began previews last week?

HowardR Oh Good God for a second there I thought I was scammed, but I knew that im not THAT stupid xD
absolutkz Sorry did I imply that I had seen it on tour, forgive me, I mean the cast seem outstanding from the youtube vids and the feedback from London! I cannot wait too =)
Thanks NeoPatrick, for clearing that one up

ArtJones, the current cast is awesome ( not sure which cast you saw on youtube)! I knew nothing about the show, fell in love, and now addicted to the soundtrack. Now that I know the music, wanted to see again. Will be interesting in NY since it's a larger theater then Boston. Ony bummed I got presale tickets, and then got 2 offers for half price I'm sure you will love the shows; it's a fun night.

Howard, Hair IS listed on Playbill's list of "current" Broadway productions. I believe they move to that listing once tickets go on sale.

I have watched all casts on youtube but im a massive fan of the current cast especially Steel Burkhardt, obviously. The old DVD was bought for me years ago, actually it was a video xD Fell in love then, even more so the theater version. It is by far my favorite musical ever as cheesy as it sounds. Yeah I did the same with my tickets too because when I saw it announced for Broadway when im over State side I just panicked and bought them straight away. And I had been so rash in approaching this situation all along, Naive old Irish.

Do rent the movie of Hair. It is even better than the show. It has a plot, some great 1970's New York shots and great dancing.

Plays are usually listed on Playbill.com before they go on sale - sometimes even months before. It's a good, quick way of finding out what's coming up.

What's happened here? Nobody seen any plays in the past week?

Well, I saw Book of Mormon on Tuesday night. I still hurt from laughing. Such energy and fun from beginning to end. I think this is what many of the shows I've seen in the past month have lacked. There wasn't a dull spot in the show, and the book (as well as the song lyrics) are surely some of the funniest ever written.

And although I hadn't written about it yet, last week I saw the very funny, campy, over-the-top country western musical off-Broadway, Lucky Guy. I would have recommended it for its pure fun value, but since it's closing this next week, I guess I shouldn't bother. The star was the very funny Leslie Jordan, the 4'11" very Southern, very "queeny" guy from Will and Grace who had the love/hate relationship with Karen.

I also failed to report back on The Normal Heart which I saw last week. I had seen the show (by an amateur group not long after it was written and it was deeply depressing. This time -- as a "period" piece about the early discovery of AIDS, it seemed more a heartwarming and bittersweet ode to that time. Without trying to spoil things, throughout the play the white walls (which look like painted brick until you look closely and see they are inscribed with newspaper headlines about AIDS) have projected on them the names of AIDS victims, starting with the first 50 known cases. By the end of the play when literally even the walls of the theatre light up with thousands of names, there really can't be a heart in the theatre untouched. And I for one was overwhelmed by Ellen Barkin's amazing monologue of anger at the lack of cooperation in attacking the problem or even admitting it existed.

On Friday night, I saw a production of God of Carnage at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ. It was very good, although didn't quite match the effects of the original in NYC. My favorite role -- that of the mother of the boy who did the hitting -- was played by Ann Herada, who originated the role of Christmas Eve in Avenue Q (the Asian girl). Once again that role steals the show for me.

OK - I just saw an off off Broadway production of Marat/Sade (I had seen the Royal Shakespeare Co production in the 60's. We were in the first row, the next row was the last row. It was an intense well done production. For those of you who are not familiar with play, the official title is...The Persecution and Assassination of Jean Paul Marat as performed by the inmates of the asylum of Charendon under the direction of the Marquis de Sade. Need I say more?

Patrick, thanks for the recommendation of Avenue Q. We loved it!

Just an example of what I previously posted. These are three future plays posted on Playbill.com. - 'Man and Boy,' 'The Columnist,' and 'Relatively Speaking.' All three sound quite interesting to me. Take a look.

Sue, where is Marat/Sade playing? I did a couple of searches and can't find a mention of it anywhere. I too saw the original production (but in the US). I'd have enjoyed seeing that this weekend.

What I did --big mistake -- was to accept a half price offer for a preview at Union Square Theatre for a play called Desperate Writers ($32.50) It's billed as a comedy, yet I don't think I laughed, chuckled, or even smiled once. The script makes no sense and wouldn't pass in a beginners' playwriting class. I can't believe how such a horrible play (and one so amateurishly acted) gets backed to open in NYC -- especially after now reading the horrible reviews of it LA. If someone offers to pay YOU $100 and a free ticket to go see it -- DON'T -- it still wouldn't be worth it. The only smart thing the playwright did was to avoid an intermission. But even that didn't fully work, people got up and walked out throughout the show. It was painful.

Ah well, today I see Priscilla to complete my NYC stay. At least that should leave me with a smile on my face.

Sorry, last performance was last night.

http://www.mosesmogilee.com/maratsade.html

On Friday they had a waitlist so you probably would not have gotten. Went for 9 dollars thanks to TDF -- This production needs a longer life. I saw it in NYC too but I think it was done by RSC

Incidentally, RSC is taking over the Park Ave Armory later in the summer and reproducing the Globe in the drill area and doing several Shakespeare plays as part of the Lincoln Center Festival.

The following link is from an amusing article by Ben Brantley with some real truth to it. Enjoy!

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/theater-talkback-stage-resuscitation-for-career-challenged-celebrities/?ref=theater

i know it's not summer yet, but this thread is way too long. I will start the summer thread. If anyone can put a link to this one in the new thread, please do.