The Broadway show thread where we discuss all things Broadway

[wilkeliza]

Have you sat in the seats on the sides of the front orchestra? I bought the seats in either end of row A. Hoping that as the seats next to us are $300 more that they will be okay!

These should be fine. I think you miss some extreme left or right depending on what side but that is much less than you miss sitting in the far back orchestra.

Are you on the last/first seat of each row or just in orchestra left or right?

 

[shoney]

I saw the traveling version of Book of Mormon this weekend. Honestly I wouldn't see it again. I felt like I paid $200 for a live version of South Park. I understood it would be explicit and vulgar but wasn't really prepared for the crudeness. In the end I'm glad we had a nice date night out and did see the show but this show is not for everyone and there were many unhappy people in the theater when the lights came up.

We saw it on Broadway and I don't recall seeing any unhappy people. We took our teen sons and they enjoyed it too. Lots of people were buying stuffed frogs on the way out ... LOL

 

[NJlauren]

We saw it on Broadway and I don't recall seeing any unhappy people. We took our teen sons and they enjoyed it too. Lots of people were buying stuffed frogs on the way out ... LOL

I saw it on Broadway as wel and really enjoyed it. However the woman next to me left after the first act.... So I do get that it isn't for everyone.

 

[wilkeliza]

I saw it on Broadway as wel and really enjoyed it. However the woman next to me left after the first act.... So I do get that it isn't for everyone.

My future father in law wouldn't even step food in the theater once we played him the cast album. We had already bought the ticket for him and everything. My further MIL wanted to go so badly is why we took them but he then said he wasn't going to go. Thankfully we were able to sell the ticket to someone else so we weren't out the money.

He kind of was the same way with Hamilton. He ended up enjoying Hamilton a lot but there were a few times he scoffed about it. He's in his late 70s so prefers more "traditional" musicals and plays. He also walked out of Rock of Ages and went and drank at Sardies while everyone else enjoyed the show. I've pretty much stopped suggesting we take him and just take MIL now.

 

[shoney]

I saw it on Broadway as wel and really enjoyed it. However the woman next to me left after the first act.... So I do get that it isn't for everyone.

I totally get that it isn't for everyone. But it has been on broadway for quite sometime and playing to sold out audiences, so it must be for a lot of people.

Phantom wasn't for me. I found it dreadfully boring! Other love it.

 

[wilkeliza]

I totally get that it isn't for everyone. But it has been on broadway for quite sometime and playing to sold out audiences, so it must be for a lot of people.

Phantom wasn't for me. I found it dreadfully boring! Other love it.

People are walking out of Hamilton at the Act break. Broadway shows don't care who stays for the entire show haha. Once you buy the ticket your money is theirs and is all that matters. I don't think Book of Mormon is that great of a show but it go critical acclaim so it has stayed around. Hamilton on the other hand I think is absolutely brilliant but I recognize why some of the older theater crowd has walked out. They are buying tickets because it is the "it" thing to do and then get there and realize they don't like rap music or can't process the sheer volume of words.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

People are walking out of Hamilton at the Act break. Broadway shows don't care who stays for the entire show haha. Once you buy the ticket your money is theirs and is all that matters. I don't think Book of Mormon is that great of a show but it go critical acclaim so it has stayed around. Hamilton on the other hand I think is absolutely brilliant but I recognize why some of the older theater crowd has walked out. They are buying tickets because it is the "it" thing to do and then get there and realize they don't like rap music or can't process the sheer volume of words.

Totally unfair, by the way

I think my desire to see Hamilton is getting a bit out of hand. I had a dream about winning lotto the other day. And a daydream about a random generous stranger on the subway giving me tickets. I'm just dying to hear Act 2, but refuse to listen til I see the show.

 

[wilkeliza]

Totally unfair, by the way

I think my desire to see Hamilton is getting a bit out of hand. I had a dream about winning lotto the other day. And a daydream about a random generous stranger on the subway giving me tickets. I'm just dying to hear Act 2, but refuse to listen til I see the show.

It kind of is. I've only left 2 shows at the Act break. Once was because I was violently ill (nothing like the flu hitting in the middle of a show) and the other was because the show was just sooooo boring (Come Fly Away). Besides that I tough it out because you never know what might happen in Act 2 that saves the piece.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

It kind of is. I've only left 2 shows at the Act break. Once was because I was violently ill (nothing like the flu hitting in the middle of a show) and the other was because the show was just sooooo boring (Come Fly Away). Besides that I tough it out because you never know what might happen in Act 2 that saves the piece.

Yeah, my mom and I went to see something that we truly hated (it was a collection of short plays, can't remember the title or playwright), and our tickets were $5. We seriously considered leaving, but we just had to give Act 2 a chance. We spent that second hour being bored stiff.

 

[Imzadi]

I was walking by Book of Mormon tonight at 4:35 at they were doing the lottery. There was only about 20 people doing it. Don't they pick 5 winners? So chances are good to get a pair. Especially as the weather is now colder.

I would have done it, but I've been up since 5am, so I probably would have fallen asleep during the show, if I had won.

 

[NJlauren]

I was walking by Book of Mormon tonight at 4:35 at they were doing the lottery. There was only about 20 people doing it. Don't they pick 5 winners? So chances are good to get a pair. Especially as the weather is now colder.

I would have done it, but I've been up since 5am, so I probably would have fallen asleep during the show, if I had won.

Everyone is at Hamilton now, maybe I should try Mormon sometime soon !

 

[Imzadi]

Everyone is at Hamilton now, maybe I should try Mormon sometime soon !

I talked to a friend who is a concierge here and she said that ticket reselling groups have been buying up groups of the Hamilton tickets to scalp resell for much higher prices. The normal $150 orchestra ticket is selling for $500 at some place and she said she saw someone pay as much as $1500 for front orchestra.

 

[wilkeliza]

So The Color Purple is fantastic. This staging is very minimalistic but the cast is amazing. I have not read the book, seen the movie, or know anything about the original production and I was in pieces by the end.

 

[LargoLori]

So saw Hamilton for the 5th time this week. I've been very fortunate in that. I will caution anyone that the last 5ish rows are partial view. It isn't bad and I was fine since I've seen it before but just know if the mezzanize overhang is above you the second level of the stage is cut off. Thankfully not a lot goes on up there but I just thought I would warn people who are trying to get tickets.

Seeing the Color Purple tomorrow and am very excited!

Do you mean the last 5 rows in the orchestra section?

 

[tasha99]

Hamilton was brilliant and went by in flash. So glad I got tickets for September (and better ones--front row of the lower mezzanine). I do think being up a little is an advantage as they did great things lighting the stage floor.

Spring Awakening was less entertaining for me, but very worthwhile. Also great things with lighting. My daughter said the signs were very dramatically done and that the translation was beautiful. There were a LOT of ASL students in the audience, and I saw something I never thought I'd see at a live performance: a girl on her cell texting through the last 30 minutes of the show. She was across the aisle, so it was too awkward to say anything. After the play, I called her on it, though. It made me so mad--all the people behind her in the audience (and me to the side--I had a hard time focusing with her screen lighting up the dark). Not to mention the actors, who could surely see it. If she was so bored, she should have gone out to the lobby. Same girl was crunching on potato chips through half the show. I didn't even know people ate snacks at live shows.

 

[Imzadi]

For those asking about "Misery", I saw it last Saturday afternoon. Let me start by saying I had only seen the movie once, thought it was good - but never watched it again, but when I saw this was coming to Broadway and starring Laurie Metcalf (who I like, and have seen in another show a few years ago on Broadway) and Bruce Willis I thought it was the perfect cast for this show and was really interested in seeing how it would be done. The show was enjoyable, the set was cool and while I won't put a spoiler in here, I'll just say that by walking in the theatre to my seat that the atmosphere was already set - completely awesome! The show is only an hour and a half with no intermission and for the most part it was fast paced with only a few slow spots. Laurie was awesome and I knew she would do well playing Annie. Bruce was good, although he really doesn't have as much to work with as Laurie in terms of character. I'm glad I saw it and would probably see it again but the tickets were pricey so I don't know. The set was great and the show is pulled off by only 3 actors.

DD and I saw Misery on 11/12. She couldn't decide what she wanted to see, but as soon as she heard about Misery and read who was in it, she knew what she wanted to see. The set is FANTASTIC. It's set up on a rotating base so you can see the outside of the cabin, the bedroom, and the living/kitchen area, depending on which scene is happening. Bruce Willis was fine, but Laurie Metcalf was amazing as Annie. One thing that bothered my daughter was that the audience chuckled quite a bit. I pointed out to her that some of the lines were quite funny, but with further though am wondering if perhaps Metcalf is more accustomed to a comedy delivery style and so that's why people were laughing... or maybe we were just expecting more darkness and horror than what we saw. Anyhow, it was a good show and I didn't think $70 for mid-mezzanine level seats was too bad.

Thanks for letting us know how you two felt about Misery.

 

[NJlauren]

I talked to a friend who is a concierge here and she said that ticket reselling groups have been buying up groups of the Hamilton tickets to scalp resell for much higher prices. The normal $150 orchestra ticket is selling for $500 at some place and she said she saw someone pay as much as $1500 for front orchestra.

You can see that on ticketmast alone. If you put in a date for next week or even 5 months from now there are sections of seats on resale on there website. Sometimes balcony going for $700 or $800. I check frequently since this bothers me so much!

 

[PigletsPal2]

I just finished the best class! Stetson University Lifelong Learning (non-credit personal interest classes) offered its third session of Broadway Musicals (I've attended all three, and the instructor has promised a fourth class in the February session). The classes meet once a week for three weeks and are "taught" by a former Broadway dancer. He was Dance Captain in several smash hits (he was included in some of the videos we watched.) I don't know what they saw the first week because DD was in emergency gall bladder surgery and I missed class, but last week we saw some amazing clips as we discussed the theme "Love_________Style." The first was British - My Fair Lady, then Italian - Nine, then Asian - The King and I, and finally American - Annie Get Your Gun. This week's theme was What Would You Do? We saw clips from The Color Purple (fantastic voices!). Miss Saigon, and Cabaret. The instructor was very knowledgeable and had some interesting insights into various productions of each show. I'm glad I was sitting in the back because I cried during the Miss Saigon clip. It hit too close to home - DH was on the penultimate chopper to leave Saigon when the city fell.

But it was a fantastic session and I can't wait for February! Anyone living in the Orlando area is encouraged to join us. The classes are held at the Celebration campus of Stetson University.

Queen Colleen

 

[wilkeliza]

Do you mean the last 5 rows in the orchestra section?

Yes. Sorry I didn't make that clear. I haven't been in back mesz of the Richard Rodgers since In The Heights so I am not sure if back mezz has issues or not.

 

[wilkeliza]

Hamilton was brilliant and went by in flash. So glad I got tickets for September (and better ones--front row of the lower mezzanine). I do think being up a little is an advantage as they did great things lighting the stage floor.

Spring Awakening was less entertaining for me, but very worthwhile. Also great things with lighting. My daughter said the signs were very dramatically done and that the translation was beautiful. There were a LOT of ASL students in the audience, and I saw something I never thought I'd see at a live performance: a girl on her cell texting through the last 30 minutes of the show. She was across the aisle, so it was too awkward to say anything. After the play, I called her on it, though. It made me so mad--all the people behind her in the audience (and me to the side--I had a hard time focusing with her screen lighting up the dark). Not to mention the actors, who could surely see it. If she was so bored, she should have gone out to the lobby. Same girl was crunching on potato chips through half the show. I didn't even know people ate snacks at live shows.

They sell snacks at the bar but usually they are quieter things (m&ms anf twizzlers). Now on the cell phone thing I would have gotten up and spoken to an usher. It is so disrespectful. I will have to check twitter to see if any of the performers called the girl put online.