I just saw A Gentleman's Guide to Love and murder in previews....think of it as The Book of Mormon for my generation. Well crafted fun musical and I discovered that people around me hadn't seen Kind Hearts and Coronets.

Get your tickets while it is still in previews. Happy Marathon Day tomorrow.

Saw Twelfth Night a couple weeks ago. It reaffirmed that Mark Rylance is a comic genius, but the whole production was brilliant

Saw Big Fish yesterday. Overwhelmingly amazing staging. Some great big production numbers, and a whole lot of heart in the second act. Not a memorable score or book overall, however.

Thanks NeoPatrick

lantana, here is a short review of Richard III from a Broadway message board posted by someone whose opinions I usually value.
I would have seen Richard III if there was ever a Wednesday matinee, but there isn't. And it would be hard to top Kevin Spacey's brilliant Richard III I saw two years ago in London.

"i found this, overall, the weaker of the two plays. Whereas I adored Twelfth Night and all in it, i found Richard III more uneven and less gratifying. Mark Rylance, who delivered what has become of my favorite performances ever as Olivia, is a very *funny* Richard, but ultimately it's a performance that, for me, can easily be pointed to by detractors. I felt that that the constant humor and overall festive atmosphere undercut the play terribly, and that it did lack a certain "tragic" feeling. I also felt that the ensemble, who each shined so wonderfully in Twelfth Night, all felt secondary to Rylance- it also does not help that their characters are not as individualized as they are in Twelfth Night. For me, Samuel Barnett alone stood out. The rest were overwhelmed by Rylance.

This is not to say I did not enjoy the production. But it was a letdown following the nigh-perfect other production it's coupled with."

Thank you so much, NeoPatrick. I appreciate this information/warning. I'll try not to be (too) discouraged :)

I walked by Duffy Square around 3 this sfternoon just as TKTS was about to open and was surprised to see just
about every Broadway show--except for The Book of Mormon, The Lion King and Wicked--available. Yes, even this season's three biggest hits--Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown--were available, some with a 50% discount!

What a great week to be in NYC!
Still amazed that Wicked is still a sell-out after 10 years on Broadway, with continual national tours and several host cities to long productions. ((l)) it.

I too noticed yesterday how many shows are half price right now. I suspect closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas that may change, but even a couple of shows I was sure would sell out (Twelfth Night and The Glass Menagerie among them) are easily gotten at TKTS at half price right now.

And a reminder for those looking for plays rather than musicals, there is a separate line at TKTS for "plays only" that usually involves NO or LITTLE wait at all.

Saw the latest production The Glass Menagerie today, and I strongly urge all to get tickets. It's a brilliant production, with four outstanding performances. We expected Cherry Jones to give her usual outstanding performance, but we found that the other three were equally as good.

Did anyone watch the PBS presentation of Sondheim's Company over the weekend? We thought this Company company (!)--including Neal Patrick Harris, Patti Lupone and bunch other name performers--did am outstanding job.

So, between the two shows, we had a pretty goo theatrical weekend!

Howard, I saw Company at a movie theater when it first came out a couple of years ago. It was one of those "Fathom Events" things.

And a bit of sad news: the musical Big Fish has posted a closing notice, so it's going to be gone by the end of the year. Those traveling in January and beyond can cross it off their lists.

Missed Company this weekend, as we were too busy seeing Tosca in HD Live from the MET -- sensational.

But did anyone see the recent Merrily We Roll Along on Fanthom Events?-- that's the one I really wanted to see but too late on a "school night" and nearly an hour from our home for the nearest showing.

Hmm. What happened? I was going to comment on Doug's mention of the closing of Big Fish -- but looked above and can't find the review of it I was sure I posted a couple weeks ago. Did I really not post it here?

We saw Big Fish and enjoyed it. There are some huge theatrical numbers, fantastic sets and costumes, but sadly not a real "memorable tune" among them. It had some real pathos at the end but took so long to get there.
Still I am sad that such a big musical isn't getting more of a chance than just a couple months run. I found it way better than some of the other much longer running shows, but admittedly I'm not much for the jukebox musicals which seems to be dominating right now.

And as I mentioned on another thread, last week I saw Little Miss Sunshine, one of the most anticipated Off-Broadway musicals of the season. But again, while it was fun and often funny, it just lacked any musical number that really rocked us. In fact, most of the numbers seemed so non-melodic they reminded me of acting exercises where actors are asked to improvise singing their lines. It really seemed like the tunes were being made up as they went along. That could have been fine, except why did they cast such amazing singers for the roles and then not let them actually SING great songs?

Patrick, you never commented on your reaction to Buyer & Cellar. I'm wondering whether that means you didn't like it, hm?

Well, I wouldn't say I didn't like it. I thought Michael Uhrie was simply brilliant and charming all at the same time. And for the first 45 minutes or so I thought it was terribly funny, but after the very funny story about buying the doll was over, the show seemed to go nowhere. I didn't get the whole point of the James Brolin thing or the ice cream thing -- it just wasn't funny or seemingly important, as well as most of the other stuff. I sure didn't care about the main character having to choose between Barbra and his boyfriend -- we had no reason to identify with the boyfriend anyway as he just seemed like a "bitch". I totally missed the point of the entire rather long sequence about The Mirror has Two Faces. Maybe if I had seen that film it would have been funny, but I didn't and it wasn't. I just felt the hour and 40 minutes was about twice as long as it needed to be for what was essentially a "single joke". After we understood Barbra's infatuation with the buying and the role play thing which had been accomplished about midway through, what else was there?

I realize that some are just loving this show, although the small theatre was only about 2/3 full and most of those were apparently well discounted tickets. On the way out, mostly I heard people saying things like "yea, it was cute". I guess that's about how I felt about it. Although admittedly it made me want to see Michael Uhrie play something else. He is really talented.

Sorry you didn't like it more than that, Patrick, especially since I had strongly encouraged you to see it. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. My wife and I (and several posters on the forum) are among those "just loving the show."

I agree with Neo as I usually do. While Michael Urie is
a good talent & my reason for seeing this show, the best scene was the doll scene. This past Saturday's performance was totally full w/folks laughing just when a person's name was mentioned. While entertaining it did pall after a bit.

One nice thing was my friend was sick so stuck w/2 tix. But
they offered to let me use the other ticket after this closes
on Jan. 5 which does not happen on Broadway.

A Gentleman's Guide got great reviews. I told you to see it early!

Yes, Sue, and thanks to your previous favorable comments which was the final "convincer," we got tickets and will going over Thanksgiving weekend. And, adding to the pleasure, we got discount tickets at a great price!

OH, yes, I see Gentlemen's Guide this Wednesday. Glad I bought a discount front row mezzanine seat last week. Those reviews may mean an end to the discounts soon. But any more, who knows?

I failed to post regarding seeing Mary Louise Parker in The Snow Geese last week.

This is a play based (rather strongly so) on Chekhov's The Sea Gull. But it is placed in New York State in 1917. I never thought it would be possible to make The Sea Gull slower and more "boring" than the original, but they managed. As one review mentioned, at the end of the first act, projections of geese flying away fill the the theatre and they are the lucky ones -- they get to leave.

Seriously,there was some very fine acting, but it could have been called The Snow Turkey rather than The Snow Geese in my humble opinion.

The critics pretty much agreed with you about The Snow Geese, Patrick. This show is a prime example in today's era of high-priced tickets of why I'm very selective about getting tickets in advance of shows' openings.

In the case of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Marriage, there were some positive advance signs, including word of month (thanks Sue!) and reviews of earlier productions of the show.

On another front, there's news that Spider Man will close in January, with plans for a revised version to open in Las Vegas in 2015. When it closes, the $75 million show will still be deeply in the red, according to reports.

Any scoop on If/Then? I'll probably buy tickets just to see Idina Menzel. Coming back in Feb. I'll want suggestions for a week's worth :-)

Darn.
It doesn't open until March.
I received an email this week and thought it might be playing. :-(

Absolutely loved Gentleman's Guide!

Glad to hear it Patrick and thanks for posting your comment so soon after seeing it. We can't wait until we see it in 10 days.

My 21 yr old daughter and her friend ended up seeing a matinee of Glass Menagerie today. Her briefly texted review: "AMAzing!! Great seats. We loved it." She thought Cherry Jones was awesome.

In concierge mode Thursday, since she was out running the streets there and had to be considerate of her friends' schedules, I was all ready to get her tickets to After Midnight. (And very much appreciate the help of valued fodorites,) After reading the reviews, and seeing Zachary Quinto's affecting monologue on the NYT website, they decided to go with the play, and went ahead and paid for good seats.

(We have some family connections with the Williams family, besides currently living a few miles from the real life apartment. I went to Mrs. Williams' house with my mother when I was a child, thought she was a typically scary old lady. Tennessee's pesky kid brother Dakin and his wife came to our wedding, and at the reception he stood in a corner at one point reciting Blanche DeBois monologues.)

I agree with NeoPatrick about how good Spacey was as RIII; I thought he found just the right amount of humor. Would love to see Rylance's Olivia.

Your daughter made a very, very wise choice. This production of The Glass Menagerie is indeed a classic.

I would LOVE to be in town to go to this!

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article...88381481237582

Upper West Siders, Victoria Clark, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Ricky Ian Gordon, Kelli O'Hara, Greg Naughton, and David Hyde Pierce are joined by other Broadway favorites, Kimilee Bryant, Brian Cross, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Lindsay Mendez, Mary Louise Parker, and Cantor Ari Priven along with singer-songwriter Jane Kelly Williams to celebrate the holidays and raise funds for much needed repairs for the historic Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew. The evening will be filled with song and jubilee from this star-studded cast. The benefit is produced by Gina Boonshoft and directed by Barbara Grecki. The musical director is Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

St. Paul and St. Andrew is a vital part of the fabric of New York City's Upper West Side. Home to four churches and a large synagogue, Congregation B'nai Jeshuruni, this century-old building also houses New York's largest emergency food program, the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, a shelter for homeless women as well as a large tutoring program. One of their kitchens provides Meals-On-Wheels for Upper West Side seniors. The 115 year old landmark is in urgent need of repair. The roof, front steps, sidewalks and areas throughout the building must be fixed in the next several months.

Thank you Starrs… I just bought a ticket! The church is at the end of a cross town bus ride for me so I'm well aware of its situation. Have never seen Kelli O'Hara on stage so really looking forward to that….. plus plus plus!

If anyone is interested, tickets for the new Disney production of Aladdin are on sale at a discount right now for previews (some mid-week shows only). It begins in late February, and the deal runs through early April, which is likely right before or after opening.

Doug, I've been following the blogs on Aladdin which just opened in Toronto. The reviews have been mixed, but mostly on the more negative side with quotes like "Aladdin's carpet is missing some magic", "the show lacks charm and heart", and "This Aladdin not ready for Prime time". But it does have lots of super staging and effects. And it shouldn't be forgotten that Beauty and the Beast only got one favorable review when it opened, yet it ran for 13 successful years.

Good point, Patrick, about the reviews for Beauty and the Beast. While that show was very profitable, Disney has had mixed results with other stage adaptations. While The Lion King is and Mary Poppins was a big moneymaker, both Tarzan and The Little Mermaid were not profitable shows.
And, as far as "super staging and effects" go, Spider Man has certainly proven that that's not always enough to guarantee success (meaning profit, of course).
Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing the film, Saving Mr. Banks (starring Emma Thompson and Tom Hahks) about Disney's experience in convincing the author of Mary Poppins to allow him to make that movie. It opens around Christmas time, and previews make it look very inviting.

Anyone seen "Domesticated" by Bruce Norris at Lincoln Center? He's an interesting playwright, and directed by Anna Shapiro. Sounds promising, but I know the NYT review wasn't great.

I don't mean to put a damper on any Disney show. The current buzz on Frozen and the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks must be what's making my Disney stock go up -- over 25% since buying it just 8 months ago, and one of today's highest gains on the DOW. Go Disney!

Regarding Spiderman, that's a complex issue. It's amazing how full houses usually are especially for a show not making a profit, and not all discounted tickets either. They had the highest volume (dollar wise) sale ever in the history of Broadway, for example. But their costs were just enormous and unreasonable. Not much of any way to make that up.

Continuing the discussion of the Spider Man saga, the show has been far from the capacity level the past few months, and discounted tickets, if not the majority of those sold, at least have accounted for a sizable proportion of the tickets sold. From everything I've read, the show would have had to have played at capacity level (with all tickets at full price) for years to just to earn back its investment. It's almost as if the show was doomed from the start.

ChgoGal, see if you can link to this discussion:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/r...=1065323&dt=50

Howard, yes, I agree the show was doomed from the start as their "nut" as they say was much too high. But actually they've been ranging generally above 75% capacity which is higher than even some long running hits like Phantom, Chicago, Once, Mama Mia, and Jersey Boys. And their average ticket prices have been pretty much the same as those shows as well. But even Phantom doesn't come with the overhead costs of Spiderman -- and that says nothing of the cost of the various lawsuits either!

So next comes King Kong. Early reports suggest the same sort of problem.

But remember, Patrick, 75% of capacity is not good enough for an expensive show like Spider Man!
My gut feeling about King Kong is that it just doesn't have the right "image" (for want of a better word) to be a successful musical.
Thank goodness for a show like A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder to reassure me that quality can indeed still prevail on Broadway!

@NeoPatrick: Thank you for that link. Reviews appear to be just as divisive as the playwright. Guess I'll pass and wait for his summertime offering here in Chicago, called "Qualms." Maybe he's trying to put plays out there too fast...?

"But remember, Patrick, 75% of capacity is not good enough for an expensive show like Spider Man!"

???? yea. Exactly! That's why I also said "I agree the show was doomed from the start as their "nut" as they say was much too high" and "even Phantom doesn't come with the overhead costs of Spiderman -- and that says nothing of the cost of the various lawsuits either!"

My point was simply that it isn't a simple matter of numbers of patrons that make a show a hit -- or even a matter of how many discounted tickets are sold. It's really all about the difference between costs and income. Some shows can run for years with mediocre attendance and nearly all discount tickets. Others (like Spiderman) need higher attendance. And statistics can be misleading. For example -- more tickets were sold last week for Spiderman than there were for Book of Mormon! Or put another way -- more people see Spiderman every week than do Book of Mormon!

Of course, someone could argue that The Book of Mormon would undoubtedly attract more people if its theater was as large! But, then you might say that's besides the point! (PS: Patrick, I'm enjoying this exchange!)