The Broadway show thread where we discuss all things Broadway

[crazymama]

I love Hedwig! I first saw it in October 1998, when John Cameron Mitchell was still playing her. The second time I saw him was in January 2000, which was my 5th time seeing the show. It was just before they started filming the movie, and he came back for a few weeks to get back into character. Michael Pitt, who played Tommy in the movie, was in the audience that night as well.

We actually saw the show twice in that night. We saw Matt McGrath as Hedwig at the 8:00 show, then we came back for the 11:00 show to see John. He was out of control, it was great! He was just ad-libbing like crazy, and even letting the audience finish some of his lines, since everyone pretty much knew the show by heart anyway. He even followed a guy into the bathroom at one point. It was hysterical.

I hadn’t seen it since that night when I saw NPH in June, so I was amazed how well I remember it all. There were a few updates and changes - the John Mayer line was Phil Collins in the old show, an Anderson Cooper reference was Larry King, and the joke about Luther running off with the bag boy (which I won’t repeat in its entirety here) was new.

The Hurt Locker stuff was all new - did you get one of the joke Playbills? That was amazing. And instead of the Belasco jokes, they were jokes about the hotel the theater was in. The hotel - and this is actually true - had been where the surviving crew members of the Titanic had stayed when they finally made it to NY. So Hedwig did a tribute to them: “You poor souls, blasted by man’s hubris and washed up on cruel shores. I, who am simply blasted and washed up salute you!”

I love the new version of Sugar Daddy! I was never a big fan of the country version either. My favorite part of the movie version of Sugar Daddy is watching Andrea Martin trying to get the people at the restaurant into it.

Andrea Martin is so good in that role. I just love her. She was a great Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein too! I saw that one in previews in Seattle. I did get a Hurt Locker program... there were lots scattered around us. Lena Hall was just amazing in the show! And she was just so darned personable to everyone in the line up afterwards. We were staying at the Millennium practically next door to the Belasco so we got to ogle Hedwigs glittered up marquee mug daily. The day after NPH closed up went Rannells. It was so cool to see!

 

[JenM]

Andrea Martin is so good in that role. I just love her. She was a great Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein too! I saw that one in previews in Seattle. I did get a Hurt Locker program... there were lots scattered around us. Lena Hall was just amazing in the show! And she was just so darned personable to everyone in the line up afterwards. We were staying at the Millennium practically next door to the Belasco so we got to ogle Hedwigs glittered up marquee mug daily. The day after NPH closed up went Rannells. It was so cool to see!

I loved Lena Hall! I was so happy she won the Tony. I saw her in Kinky Boots back in January just before she left for Hedwig. She didn’t have that much to do there, but she blew me away as Yitzhak.

Andrea Martin is awesome. I’m sorry I missed her in Pippin. Annie Potts played that part when I saw it in March, and I didn’t get a chance to get back this month when she came back.

 

[SydSim]

My daughter and I really liked it. The set is quite cool and cleverly done. The night after we saw it we wound up at a "cabaret" where Seth Rudetsky was interviewing James Snyder (Josh). I was close enough to practically touch them both. James seems like such a nice and down to earth guy!!

I was at Seth Speaks on Wednesday afternoon.

 

[wilkeliza]

Kind of shocked I didn't find this thread until now.

Started the season off in our traditional fashion. I went to first preview of On the Town. I try to see every musical on its first preview (and a sprinkling of plays) and then again after opening. It is a lot of fun to see the changes.

On the Town was good. It is an old school musical so I imagine it won't be everyone's cup of tea. The couple in front of us actually left at intermission. I loved it. It pretty much had everything except tapping. The music was beautifully song by a talented cast and the dancing was top notch. There was however a long dance sequence after almost every song so I'm sure there are a few people who aren't use to musicals with these massive dance numbers that don't necessarily add to the plot.

If you love iconic style musicals give this one a shot.

 

[crazymama]

I was at Seth Speaks on Wednesday afternoon.

Who did he interview when you saw him?

 

[JenM]

Saw Andrew Rannells in Hedwig last. He was fantastic! We were second row center, so I got splashed when he spit his drink on the guy in the front row, and my friend caught the 'shroud of Hedwig'. It was awesome. He did do the car wash, and he also took someone's drink and took a few sips from it as he was dancing in the aisle.

I loved Andrew in Book of Mormon, and it's really funny because he still does that 1000-watt smile face (like when he made his entrance on the parachute), so you can still see a little Elder Price there. It seemed like he did even more ad-libs than NPH, there were definitely a few that were different than the ones Neil did.

Overall I think Neil was more naturally funny, but that didn't diminish Andrew's performance at all. There was so much anger and hurt in his performance, and was still totally hilarious when he needed to be. He just rocked it.

And Lena Hall is a goddess. She's just incredible!

 

[crazymama]

And Lena Hall is a goddess. She's just incredible!

I second that motion!!!!!!

 

[SydSim]

Who did he interview when you saw him?

Jose Llana was one of them. I can't remember the name of the other two men, but they were authors.

 

[c.w.e.m.]

My husband and I won the Kinky Boots ticket lottery Sunday afternoon. Tickets for $37! The seats were great! The show was wonderful! It made me laugh and cry! What a great message!

 

[JenM]

My husband and I won the Kinky Boots ticket lottery Sunday afternoon. Tickets for $37! The seats were great! The show was wonderful! It made me laugh and cry! What a great message!

LOVED Kinky Boots! I won the lotto back in January, and I had the best time!

 

[wilkeliza]

Just got back from The Last Ship. It was amazing. It is like Once and Billy Elliot had a child musical. The music is amazing and the direction and choreography is superb.

Definitely go see it if you can.

 

[Kimberle]

We saw Matilda over the weekend. What a great show!!

 

[czycropper]

Glad to hear that The Last Ship is good.

My DD's high school theater program is going to see it in a few weeks and my DD wasn't sure whether she wanted to go. The program is going to a show a month either to Broadway or PaperMill. I'm going with them to see CanCan at the PaperMill on Oct. 15th.

 

[wilkeliza]

Glad to hear that The Last Ship is good. My DD's high school theater program is going to see it in a few weeks and my DD wasn't sure whether she wanted to go. The program is going to a show a month either to Broadway or PaperMill. I'm going with them to see CanCan at the PaperMill on Oct. 15th.

Tell her not to read any of the Broadway forums about it. I saw it last night and genuinely enjoyed it. However I went online after and the forum community trashed it. Of course these are the same people that trash everything so I don't know what I was expecting.

The music is much better than what is on Sting's album of it that came out last year.

It is a good musical but know it is a dark musical. That was the major complaint of most of the Broadway forums I read. I love dark musicals so I enjoyed this. There hasn't really been a successful dark musical in a long time so just make sure she knows it isn't one of those happy go lucky makes you feel good musicals.

 

[suzannen]

I was lucky enough to be at Sunday's night opening night performance of "You Can't Take It With You." Show was excellent, so, so funny and energetic. The cast ensemble was fantastic with some of the standouts being Kristine Nielsen as Penelope Sycamore, Annaleigh Asford as Essie (the ballerina), and, of course, James Earl Jones as Grandpa Vanderhof.

It's a great show for the whole family, so I highly recommend it to everyone here.

 

[nycdisneygal]

I saw Once this week. It was sooo good! The music was beautiful. Paul Nolan was fantastic. Cant believe it is closing.
I did get on stage before the show and had some wine while the performers did a song

 

[crazymama]

Okay so has anyone seen my beloved Dexter as Hedwig? For those of you who have followed this thread you know that I am on the "lottery" plan for getting to NYC before Michael C Hall closes. Well... its not going well... I have won about $30 total in scratch tickets. I figure my daughter and I need about $5000 to make this a go. So I am short about $4970 at this point. Ah life....
But... I still believe!!!!!

 

[wilkeliza]

Okay so has anyone seen my beloved Dexter as Hedwig? For those of you who have followed this thread you know that I am on the "lottery" plan for getting to NYC before Michael C Hall closes. Well... its not going well... I have won about $30 total in scratch tickets. I figure my daughter and I need about $5000 to make this a go. So I am short about $4970 at this point. Ah life.... But... I still believe!!!!!

Haven't seen him het but am buying tickets this week for it. Would you like me to perhaps grab you a playbill so at least you have that?

 

[JenM]

I saw Once this week. It was sooo good! The music was beautiful. Paul Nolan was fantastic. Cant believe it is closing.
I did get on stage before the show and had some wine while the performers did a song

I’ve seen Once three times now. I love it, it’s one of my favorite shows. I’m hoping to get back one more time with my mom before it closes.

 

[JenM]

Okay so has anyone seen my beloved Dexter as Hedwig? For those of you who have followed this thread you know that I am on the "lottery" plan for getting to NYC before Michael C Hall closes. Well... its not going well... I have won about $30 total in scratch tickets. I figure my daughter and I need about $5000 to make this a go. So I am short about $4970 at this point. Ah life....
But... I still believe!!!!!

I haven’t seen him yet, but I’ve heard some audio of his Hedwig and he sounds fantastic. I only work three blocks from the theater, so I’m hoping to try the lotto for it sometime soon.

Good luck with your lotto!