Broadway Fall and Winter 2014/15

Old Oct 17th, 2014, 06:03 AM
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Broadway Fall and Winter 2014/15

So much is happening on Broadway as the fall season goes into full swing, so why not start a new Broadway thread?

Today is the perfect day to start. Reviews are pouring in for On the Town, a much anticipated revival of the 1940's classic musical. It's BIG, with a huge live orchestra for the great Leonard Bernstein music. Unknowns in cast, who are all getting raves, it seems. This could be a really big hit -- and I can't wait to see in mid-November. Here's the NY Times review -- a love letter from Ben Brantley. Love what will surely be the "pull quote" -- "And now, a show about sex that you can take the whole family to."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/17/th...f=theater&_r=0

And speaking of sex, yesterday I saw Can Can at Paper MIll Playhouse, a new production that is planned to head to Broadway in the late winter or spring. Absolutely delightful. Again, a classic big musical that makes you smile from ear to ear.

And Wednesday of this week I saw Blythe Danner and Daniel Sunjata and a remarkably talented cast in The Country House at Manhattan Theatre Club -- a show business play I found very interesting and satisfying -- more for the acting than the plot though, I'll admit.
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Old Oct 17th, 2014, 06:38 AM
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It is looking like a fabulous season!!

So far this Fall I've seen You Can't Take it With You and I's Only a Play....lined up for the next few months are A Delicate Balance, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Knight, The Elephant Man and Side Show. And I just heard that Hugh Jackman has a new show opening soon.

I would recommend You Can't Take it with You, but not It's only a Play.
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Old Oct 17th, 2014, 06:49 AM
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SusieQQ, we just saw You Can't Take It With You last weekend. I've been in that show twice, directed it four times, and designed it three times, and see about 25 productions of it. I could recite it in my sleep! This production is one of the best! Seeing It's Only a Play in November, and have my tickets for Side Show, The Curious Incident, and A Delicate Balance. As much as I love Bradley Cooper, I'm not sure I'll see The Elephant Man, a play I simply have never liked. The River with Hugh Jackman sounds wonderful -- well hell, it could be him just standing on stage and it would sound wonderful.
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Old Oct 18th, 2014, 04:40 AM
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The cast in You Can't....was such a delight. I am a huge fan of Kristine Nielsen and she along with the others was great.

It's only a Play was a real disappointment for me. Matthew Broderick was a wooden dud. Though, I will say that Nathan Lane (who was on stage the whole 2 1/2 hrs.) was much better in this than in Nance.

All MMHO of course.
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Old Oct 18th, 2014, 04:43 AM
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SuzieQQ, I'm anxious to see It's Only a Play. Many, including reviewers, have said the same thing about Broderick. I've always kind of liked his understated (almost emotionless) delivery, but it seems in this show it simply brings the pace down and just doesn't work. Nathan Lane is a master at frenetic comedy!
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Old Oct 18th, 2014, 02:56 PM
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On the Town is fabulous. It's a real great ensemble cast -- dancers actors orchestra scenery and NYC -- see it!
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Old Oct 19th, 2014, 02:13 PM
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We are going to be in New York right before Christmas. Several months ago I purchased tickets to It's Only a Play for myself and my two mid-twenties daughters for the matinee performance on December 21 - mainly I bought them because of Nathan Lane and Rupert Grint. Besides this play, we are also going to the Rockettes Christmas show. Now I'm in a quandary. It's Only a Play seems to have received a tepid reception and doesn't appear to represent the best of what NYC has to offer. Should I try to sell the tickets, maybe someone might want them on ebay, and look for something else - possibly On the Town or You Can't Take it With You? Or should I just deal with it and it will be fine. Thanks!
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Old Oct 19th, 2014, 03:27 PM
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I just ordered my ticket for The King and I with Kelli O'Hara. Technically it's not on Broadway…..but at the Vivian Beaumont at Lincoln Center. Previews start early March.
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Old Oct 19th, 2014, 04:53 PM
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I am going to tag along with friends who are going to the TKTS booth in January. They are interested in tickets to musicals I have already seen.

What easy to get ticket would you recommend for me? I have never seen Pippen or Cabaret. (Lately I've seen Gentlemens Guide, Matilda, Book of Mormon, Lion King, Ave Q, American Idiot and wicked. I'm sure some of those still aren't at TKTS).
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Old Oct 19th, 2014, 05:08 PM
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Grandma - impressive - they just went on sale to the public today!

My two cents -

Kathleen Chalfant was excellent in A Walk in the Woods as a Soviet nuclear arms negotiator in the Reagan era. I think it just closed.

I very much enjoyed On the Town - wonderful cast with choreography loyal to Jerome Robbins' style. The audience went wild after the big ballet numbers with Megan Fairchild. That level of dance is what one sees at every performance of the NYCB where she is a principal dancer since 2005.

Off Broadway, I recommend The Belle of Amherst with Joely Richardson - makes me want to read Dickinson's poetry again! Also Lips Together, Teeth Apart and Billy Porter's While I yet Live. If you see the latter, read the interview with Porter in the NYTimes. It will enhance your understanding of the play because it is autobiographical. I didn't know anything about his life before.

Broadway - Very much enjoyed Curious Incident (had not read the book), This is Our Youth and The Country House which I thought was well written. The night I was there though, Blythe Danner mumbled some of her lines or perhaps there was an issue with
her mike. Just saw a preview of The Last Ship which I liked especially the music. There were some ballads that were so beautiful. The choreography was tepid.

I have tix for It's Only a Play and I think Matthew Broderick is always wooden! The Nance, by the way, was on PBS again two weeks ago. I loved it as I did when I saw it live.

Looking forward to seeing Disgraced and You Can't Take It With You.
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Old Oct 19th, 2014, 07:28 PM
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The designation for Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off Broadway has little to with location but with the how many seats. I think Broadway has more than 500. Off-Broadway has 100-500, and off-off Broadway has under 100.
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Old Oct 20th, 2014, 04:32 AM
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That's right IMDonehere. 500 is the magic number that divides Broadway theatres from Off-Broadway which have a maximum of 499. While there are more Off-Broadway theatres further away from the central theatre core, location itself has nothing to do with their classification.

Interestingly there are only four theatres (I believe) which are actually and physcially ON Broadway, while there are approximately 40 theatres which are considered Broadway houses. And any show at the Vivian Beaumont in Lincoln Center is DEFINITELY a Broadway production.

Regarding posts from golfmom and Phillyfan, it's always hard to tell others what they should see or do. Golfmom, I say use your tickets. Most agree it's really a terrific show. One doesn't always have to see the "best" to make it a very worthwhile experience. Meanwhile there are actually some who make comments like "On the Town" is just too long", etc., so who's to say which show YOU might like more.

PhillyFan, you can go to tdf.org and click on the TKTS link or even download their free app to see what they are selling each day. January tends to get pretty slow and tickets are often much easier to get for more shows. And if you're going alone, it's amazing what wonderful single seats I've gotten at TKTS last minute -- often just released "house seats" like 5th or 6th row center.
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Old Oct 20th, 2014, 06:08 AM
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golfman, Don't give up your tickets for It's only a Play...just because I had issues with it doesn't mean that you will. Nathan Lane was outstanding! And he is such a "workhorse", spending the whole 2 1/2 hours on stage.

I "bit the bullet" and just purchased a ticket for The River...much more than I normally spend, but it is worth it for me to be in the same room with Hugh Jackman!
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Old Oct 20th, 2014, 06:23 AM
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SusieQQ, to help you justify your splurge, I have it on good authority that Jackman takes off his shirt in The River.
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Old Oct 20th, 2014, 03:46 PM
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Thanks for helping calm me in my moment of panic. I know we all have different tastes, but I appreciate your assurance to keep the tickets. I thought I was being on top of things to get the tickets early; however, after reading several online reviews, I wondered if I should go to Plan B! I'll stay the course and am looking forward to Nathan Lane.
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