Has anyone seen "A Little Night Music?" We're Sondheim fans and are wondering if these are worth full priced tickets when we visit in a couple of weeks. No discounts and I don't think it's showing up on TKTS (on preview now and opens on 12/13).

Here's a sample. I think it all looks and sounds great (reduced orchestrations aside), but Angela Lansbury blows me away with her subtle brilliance.

http://www.broadway.com/videos/show/...e-night-music/

I love this thread! Music and musical theater has been my life. Kailani, we just saw "The Addams Family" in Chicago - pre-Broadway. I think you are going to like it. It needed some tweaking which I trust will make it even more enjoyable when it gets to NY.

Am considering "Billy Elliot" in Chicago this summer, as well as "Shrek", but can't decide between the two. We can only pick one, as they aren't playing concurrently. One reviewer here loved Billy Elliot and one hated it.

I'd had the privilege of becoming friends with the singer/actor Eric Kunze since I met him after "Whistle Down the Wind". Have been living vicariously through him, traveling all over the country to see him in everything he's done ever since. It makes the performance even more special to have someone you know in the cast. What fun that has been! Can't wait til he gets back to New York someday.

Keep posting everyone, can't wait to read more!

Nena - I have tix to see "A Little Night Music" in two weeks. I bought the tix for another opportunity to see Angela Lansbury. I saw her last year in "Blithe Spirit." How many more chances will there be? Same thing about seeing Rosemary Harris recently in the "Royal Family." A friend of mine just saw ALNM in previews. FWIW, even though I don't always agree with my friend about theater, I trust her when she just told me that CZJ is the weak link. Will she get better by opening night? I doubt it, but as I said, I really want to see AL again.

NP - will look at your link tomorrow.

Just got home from seeing "Love, Loss and What I Wore." I thoroughly enjoyed it. The audience was 99% women. Oprah's pal Gayle King sat behind us. The cast is rotating. Tonight was Rhea Perlman (terrific), Rita Wilson, Kristin Chenoweth, Capathia Jenkins, Lucy DeVito (Rhea and Danny's daughter I think). Actually, the entire cast was great. Kristin and Rita could not only bring you to tears, but tear up themselves as well. I sat in the first row and had a good look. Rita has beautiful jewelry and Kristin should lay off the botox a little. This is really one of those things written for women. Men can enjoy it, but not relate to it like women. It covers all the agonies from girlhood on.

Cant wait to see Love, Loss. Hope it goes on the road someday! Love Kristin especially, but the whole case sounds great.

Centralparkgirl - My son, the theater buff, is also concerned that CZJ will be the weak link. We saw Angela Lansbury in "Blithe Spirit," too. She was amazing.

Neopatrick - Thanks for the link.

I'll go ahead and buy tickets.

CPG -- My very first trip to NYC in 1966 including seeing School for Scandal at the old APA company. It starred Will Geer (Grandpa on the Waltons), HELEN HAYES, and the beautiful Rosemary Harris. It was memorable. I wish I could see Ms. Harris in Royal Family but it will be long closed when I get there in Jan.

On the video I love CZJ in the show. She has a sensuality that is so right for the role in my book, and I find the bit of Send in the Clowns so filled with the right feelings. But she is not "huge" on stage and hope she is able to become bigger and bigger by the time I see it. I'm reminded when I saw Juliette Binoche on Broadway in Betrayal. She just couldn't project vocally or character-wise in the huge theatre. It was such a disappointment after loving her in films.

Want to see HAIR on Broadway - any ideas for budget air/hotel/tickets - coming from florida?

wildbird, where in Florida? I just completely broke tradition for me by NOT booking American for my Jan./Feb. trip. But $69 each way non stop on Jet Blue from Ft. Myers to JFK was too good to pass up.

Tickets to Hair, order in advance using discount codes from Theatremania or Playbill.com.

Hotels. Budget? That's the hard part. I was looking at booking a Queen Deluxe at the Paramount right in the theatre district for $159 in February. I thought that was great, but now I'm going for a month because an apartment I've rented before became available. Those Paramount rooms can be small -- but their Queen Deluxe ones aren't that small and it's really a pretty nice hotel.

When are you going?

Maggi, the choice between Billy Elliot and Shrek is a no-brainer. See Billy Elliot!

Helen Hayes.............wish I could have seen her on stage! Remember her in the movie, 'The Children's Hour?'

NP - my guess is that you would love the play, 'The Royal Family' as well as the production. It's not for everybody.

I know the play itself well, have seen it several times, most recently a couple years ago at the Oregon "Shakespeare" Festival. You're right it isn't for everyone -- lots of "inside" theatre jokes, for one thing.

And three acts, for another! Many people are turned off by that. Imagine, two intermissions!

Confess I didn't read every single word in this thread, but do not think there has been a vote cast for Next To Normal. OMG Alice Ripley! The entire cast. the music, set, story, direction. Well, it's pretty heavy. And funny. But mostly heavy and maybe not for anyone too close to bipolar or depression disorders. Having said that, it was just fabulous. I can't get the music or story out of my head, and even though my nano is on Shuffle, it must read my mind and play Next To Normal 3 songs out of every 7. This is one of the most different and bravest plays I've seen on Broadway in ages. See it while Alice Ripley stays in the lead. Just see it.

I'm usually very easy to please, but I was terribly disappointed in "Next to Normal." While I agree that it was different, and definitely ambitious, we couldn't wait for it to be over. Based on the OP's comments, I wish we'd gotten tickets for Finian's Rainbow!

Next to Normal seems to be one of those love it or hate it musicals with not a lot in between. It has an almost cult like following on the Broadway.com boards, interspersed with people who think it's the worst thing they ever saw.

I saw 'Next to Normal' when it first opened and although I thought the cast was very good and I actually enjoyed it, it was one of those musicals where one song sounded like the others to me. I confess that when you're familiar with the music, it may make a difference and soxgirl has obviously become familiar with it and really likes it. But when I left 'Finian's Rainbow' and 'South Pacific,' I was singing for days. Years ago we saw 'Anything Goes' and I was ready to dance in the street on the way home. 'Next to Normal' didn't do that to me musically. I might have mentioned that I want to buy the cd for 'Finian's Rainbow' - haven't felt that way in ages.

Thanks Howard! I've read some of your opinions in the past and I think we have the same taste. It never ceases to amaze me how, as Patrick mentioned, how some people can love something and yet others hate the same thing with a vengence.

" some people can love something and yet others hate the same thing with a vengence."

It happens all the time; it's just another art form that either appeals to you or not. And when it really moves you, something special has happened.