The Broadway show thread where we discuss all things Broadway

[MissDisney121]

I just wanted to post and say that the Broadway season that is coming here to Des Moines is amazing! We get the tour debut of Bridges of Madison County, Cabaret, Dirty Dancing, Newsies (!!!), and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Plus we have the best add on possible... Sutton Foster in concert! I am so excited.

 

[JenM]

I just got back from seeing John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This was the first time I’d seen him as Hedwig in 15 years - last time was back on Jane Street when he came back just before they filmed the movie. He was amazing! He ad-libs like crazy, even if you know the show well you just have no idea what he’s going to do.

And he’s a bit battered now...he hurt his knee during a performance a few weeks ago and he’s doing the whole show in a knee brace. He also uses a crutch (covered in glitter, of course) and does a lot of the show sitting on a chair with his leg on a crate. They’ve just written the whole thing into the show. Apparently, Hedwig was kneecapped outside the 6th Avenue Dress Barn by someone in a Michael C. Hall mask earlier that day.

So the audience part has changed a bit due to the knee injury. Instead of going into the audience during Sugar Daddy to do the car wash, he just climbs out from the stage onto someone in the front row. He’s still got amazing moves, which is impressive, since whatever he did to his knee looks really painful.

He also brought back a joke with a phone that used to be in the old show, only it’s updated...and I can’t repeat any of it here.

I’ve seen each of the Broadway Hedwigs so far, and they were all great, but they were playing Hedwig. JCM just is Hedwig. I’m so happy he came back to the show.

 

[AllisonK]

I just got back from seeing John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This was the first time I’d seen him as Hedwig in 15 years - last time was back on Jane Street when he came back just before they filmed the movie. He was amazing! He ad-libs like crazy, even if you know the show well you just have no idea what he’s going to do.

And he’s a bit battered now...he hurt his knee during a performance a few weeks ago and he’s doing the whole show in a knee brace. He also uses a crutch (covered in glitter, of course) and does a lot of the show sitting on a chair with his leg on a crate. They’ve just written the whole thing into the show. Apparently, Hedwig was kneecapped outside the 6th Avenue Dress Barn by someone in a Michael C. Hall mask earlier that day.

So the audience part has changed a bit due to the knee injury. Instead of going into the audience during Sugar Daddy to do the car wash, he just climbs out from the stage onto someone in the front row. He’s still got amazing moves, which is impressive, since whatever he did to his knee looks really painful.

He also brought back a joke with a phone that used to be in the old show, only it’s updated...and I can’t repeat any of it here.

I’ve seen each of the Broadway Hedwigs so far, and they were all great, but they were playing Hedwig. JCM just is Hedwig. I’m so happy he came back to the show.

That is hysterical! I am going to NYC on April 15 for my birthday and my mom and I would LOVE to see Hedwig but there's no Wednesday matinee that day and we're only in the city for the day. Friends of ours saw it about a month ago and raved about it. I would also love to see Kinky Boots or Matilda - my mom doesn't want to see Matilda and Kinky Boots is coming to both Boston and Providence this summer. We'll pick a show eventually, though!

Today is the last performance for a show I'm working on the crew. It's a murder mystery called The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. It's pretty funny, and I had never heard of it before. I had to drop out of the production of Fiddler I am in as I am having thyroid surgery tomorrow and won't be able to sing for a few weeks, BUT I was cast in a production of Legally Blonde! The show goes up at the end of May so I am confident (and so is my surgeon and my endocrinologist) that I will be able to sing by then. My role is (luckily) a speaking role, but I will be singing in the ensemble as well (so if my voice isn't fully back it's not going to be a huge deal - the one song I have a solo in my line is spoken anyways!).

 

[SingingMom]

Saw Hunchback of Notre Dame at Paper Mill Playhouse last night - it was wonderful!! I would definitely recommend seeing it when it moves to Broadway!! Excellent cast. We were in the front row - very emotional!

 

[AllisonK]

My mother and I ended up buying tickets today for The King and I on the 15th! We got a decent deal on tickets, and the last revival of The King and I was the first Broadway show I saw when I was 7, so it'll be cool to see another production of it! I don't remember too much of the first production besides "Shall We Dance" and "Getting to Know You" so I'm pretty excited to see it (plus Kelli O'Hara is one of my favorite actresses!).

 

[SingingMom]

My mother and I ended up buying tickets today for The King and I on the 15th! We got a decent deal on tickets, and the last revival of The King and I was the first Broadway show I saw when I was 7, so it'll be cool to see another production of it! I don't remember too much of the first production besides "Shall We Dance" and "Getting to Know You" so I'm pretty excited to see it (plus Kelli O'Hara is one of my favorite actresses!).

Will be looking forward to hearing your review! As I said, we were at the first preview. They had some work to do to make it run smoothly. Hope they managed it! The theatre is really neat - not a bad seat in the house. We were in the 4th row on the left.

 

[Newsies]

I saw Hunchback of Notre Dame at PMP last night and it was without a doubt one of the most moving pieces of theatre I had ever seen. Everything about it was spectacular- the staging, the choir (Continuo Arts), and the stand out performances were Michael Arden as Quadimodo and Patrick Page as Frollo.

After the show, I decided to head on back to the stagedoor to meet some of the cast. Michael Adren and Ciara Renee were adorable, but then I met Jeremy Stolle. Stolle was in the ensemble, but he has been the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I told him that I was so happy to meet him since I had a friend who loved him so much. He asked me what her name was, and I told him it was Lauren. He immediately knew who I was talking about- Lauren was a massive Phantom of the Opera fan who saw the show many times before she passed away last year. He told me all about how she was special to the cast and that there was a photo of her on the Phantom dressing room. It was very touching.

 

[SingingMom]

I saw Hunchback of Notre Dame at PMP last night and it was without a doubt one of the most moving pieces of theatre I had ever seen. Everything about it was spectacular- the staging, the choir (Continuo Arts), and the stand out performances were Michael Arden as Quadimodo and Patrick Page as Frollo.

After the show, I decided to head on back to the stagedoor to meet some of the cast. Michael Adren and Ciara Renee were adorable, but then I met Jeremy Stolle. Stolle was in the ensemble, but he has been the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I told him that I was so happy to meet him since I had a friend who loved him so much. He asked me what her name was, and I told him it was Lauren. He immediately knew who I was talking about- Lauren was a massive Phantom of the Opera fan who saw the show many times before she passed away last year. He told me all about how she was special to the cast and that there was a photo of her on the Phantom dressing room. It was very touching.

How sweet! Jeremy Stolle is a very nice guy! We saw him at Michael Mott's album debut concert and when DD mentioned that, he was so excited. When we saw Hunchback in the front row, he took his curtain call right in front of me and I called out "Bravo, Jeremy!" You should have seen his smile! I hope we see more of him on Broadway!

 

[Newsies]

How sweet! Jeremy Stolle is a very nice guy! We saw him at Michael Mott's album debut concert and when DD mentioned that, he was so excited. When we saw Hunchback in the front row, he took his curtain call right in front of me and I called out "Bravo, Jeremy!" You should have seen his smile! I hope we see more of him on Broadway!

He's such a sweetheart. I hope he goes back and permanently replaces the clown that currently plays Phantom on Broadway.

 

[slo]

We are a Broadway house.
My 16yr old DD is in the Drama club in HS and she wants to go to Columbia College in downtown Chicago to major in Journalism (to cover theater and other events in the arts) and get a minor in theater.
She has a beautiful voice that many compare to Idina Menzel (if you heard her sing Let it Go, you may actually like her voice a little better, and I'm not just saying that because she's my kid).
Anyway, her and I went to see Newsies in December and we really enjoyed it.
The next production we are going to try and see is Pippin this summer and The Lion King in December.

 

[scrapquitler]

That is hysterical! I am going to NYC on April 15 for my birthday and my mom and I would LOVE to see Hedwig but there's no Wednesday matinee that day and we're only in the city for the day. Friends of ours saw it about a month ago and raved about it. I would also love to see Kinky Boots or Matilda - my mom doesn't want to see Matilda and Kinky Boots is coming to both Boston and Providence this summer. We'll pick a show eventually, though!
.

We just saw "It Shouldda Been You" on Saturday night. It's still in previews, but we got our tickets for 50% off at the TKTS booth and we got front row seats. It was really funny and well done. I'd recommend looking into seeing that if you get a chance.

 

[SingingMom]

DD21 saw the matinee of Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder Saturday because Kevin Massey was under studying the lead and we love him! He was really happy she made it in to see his performance. She really enjoyed it. Then she saw the Radio City Spring show because Laura Benanti is appearing. Said it was corny, but cute.

Sunday we went to see the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music in the movie theater. So wonderful seeing it on the "big screen"!

This coming Sunday DD and I are going to the matinee of Gigi. She's trying to get in as much Broadway as she can before she starts her internship in WDW!

 

[Newsies]

DD21 saw the matinee of Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder Saturday because Kevin Massey was under studying the lead and we love him! He was really happy she made it in to see his performance. She really enjoyed it. Then she saw the Radio City Spring show because Laura Benanti is appearing. Said it was corny, but cute.

Sunday we went to see the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music in the movie theater. So wonderful seeing it on the "big screen"!

This coming Sunday DD and I are going to the matinee of Gigi. She's trying to get in as much Broadway as she can before she starts her internship in WDW!

What fun! Have fun at Gigi- I adore Vanessa and Corey!

 

[bear_mom]

Question re: what's going to playing in June that would be appropriate for middle schoolers?

Dd is going on a school trip to New York towards the end of June and they will be seeing an evening performance on Broadway. Dd has her heart set on seeing Aladdin, but I have tried to tell her that it is most likely too new/expensive for a school group. She is bummed, but I tried to tell her that there are other great shows out there.

She has seen Les Mis and Shrek locally and we just saw Cinderlla touring.

 

[LBIJim]

DD21 saw the matinee of Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder Saturday because Kevin Massey was under studying the lead and we love him! He was really happy she made it in to see his performance. She really enjoyed it. Then she saw the Radio City Spring show because Laura Benanti is appearing. Said it was corny, but cute.
!

DW and I tried to get tickets for Gentleman's Guide for last Saturday's matinee at the TKTS booth, but they only had scattered singles or partial view. The guy at the booth said the lead actor (can't remember his name) wouldn't be appearing.

So we got half price for the Radio City Spring Show. Great seats available last minute. Very enjoyable show. Laura Benanti was great, as expected.

And since it was so warm on Saturday, the topless women in patriotic body paint were out in full force in Times Square.

 

[SingingMom]

Question re: what's going to playing in June that would be appropriate for middle schoolers?

Dd is going on a school trip to New York towards the end of June and they will be seeing an evening performance on Broadway. Dd has her heart set on seeing Aladdin, but I have tried to tell her that it is most likely too new/expensive for a school group. She is bummed, but I tried to tell her that there are other great shows out there.

She has seen Les Mis and Shrek locally and we just saw Cinderlla touring.

DW and I tried to get tickets for Gentleman's Guide for last Saturday's matinee at the TKTS booth, but they only had scattered singles or partial view. The guy at the booth said the lead actor (can't remember his name) wouldn't be appearing.

So we got half price for the Radio City Spring Show. Great seats available last minute. Very enjoyable show. Laura Benanti was great, as expected.

And since it was so warm on Saturday, the topless women in patriotic body paint were out in full force in Times Square.

I think the lead is on vacation, because Kevin gave us a few dates that he would be the lead so DD could see him! Good thing she (and you!) got to see Radio City show since Derek is injured now. DD said he & Laura were outstanding!

As for middle school appropriate shows - Aladdin, Lion King, Mathilda, Gigi, Finding Neverland, On the Town, phantom of the Opera. I hope your daughter enjoys what they have planned for her trip!

 

[theworldneedscolor]

This is my first time in this thread; I assume Off-Broadway shows are acceptable topics in here?

I just watched Bare: A Pop Opera for the first time this weekend thanks to a recommendation...incredible! Of course, I had to watch it via Youtube, but the quality wasn't bad at all. I ended up watching it a second time the other day, and I've had the soundtrack on repeat! It instantly become one of my favorites

 

[LBIJim]

I think the lead is on vacation, because Kevin gave us a few dates that he would be the lead so DD could see him! Good thing she (and you!) got to see Radio City show since Derek is injured now. DD said he & Laura were outstanding!

!

Yes, both were outstanding. I wasn't aware Derek Hough got injured. Looks like it was while rehearsing for Dancing With the Stars. I wonder if he'll be able to finish the run of the Radio City show.

 

[JenM]

Got to see three shows this week:

It's Only a Play: went to see this primarily for Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick (I also saw them in The Producers and The Odd Couple). It was very funny. Lots of 'inside' Broadway show references, and I think the audience didn't get a lot of the jokes. No one has a hysterical flip-out funnier than Nathan Lane ("When have I ever turned anything down? I WAS ON DANCING WITH THE STARS!!!!"), and TR Knight, who replaced Rupert Grint as the neurotic/kleptomaniac British director, was hilarious. He looked like Billie Joe Armstrong with a Cockney accent.

Fun Home: This was an amazing musical. It's based on the graphic novel by Allison Bechdel, and it's about her family - particularly her father, who committed suicide shortly after she came out to her family when she was in college (he was gay as well). Allison is played on stage by three different actresses at different ages - the little one, Sydney Lucas, is only 11 and was nominated for a Tony, and she completely deserves it, she was wonderful. The entire cast is incredible. It was just terrific...it's sad, but it's very funny and incredibly moving. One of the best musicals I've seen in a long time.

Something Rotten!: This was HILARIOUS! It's by the same director of Spamalot, The Book of Mormon, and Aladdin, so if you've seen any of those, you'll love this too. It's basically a more PG-13 version of Book of Mormon. It's about a writer in the 1590s who's putting together the very first musical to try an outdo Shakespeare, who's like a rock star. If you love musicals, you have to see it for all of the references. "A Musical" is one of the best musical numbers I've ever seen. So hilarious!

Hoping to catch The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time this week, before the Tonys!

 

[aprilgail]

We are going to see Mamma Mia next week, one more time before it closes. That was always one of the most fun shows for me- taking my 86 year old mom to see it now!