Wow... it's been a while since I last wrote anything here. I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't really had the chance to really do anything else.
Let's see.. I haven't been running since I have no time. I've been taking my MCSE exams so whatever free time I have have been devoted to studying. Although it has paid off so far. I scored 100% on 2 exams already. I've been reading a bit -- yeah, all chick lit -- gotta love those steamy romance novels.
What else? Hmmm.... I've been to NY this month. That was my second trip of the year. Yes, I did go watch shows again. Duh! That's one thing I would not pass up.
So far I have seen 22 out of the 27 musicals that are currently running on Broadway. It's a lot easier for me to enumerate the ones I haven't seen. I'm at the bottom of my list now. Some of the shows, I'm just not too compelled to watch. Eh, maybe if I end up going to NY and no new shows are out then I'll go watch them.
Anyways, I got to see South Pacific, Gypsy, Passing Strange, The Little Mermaid (again), In the Heights and Chicago.
South Pacific
This was the show that had me almost in a panic. I was trying to find a single ticket and I could not believe I couldn't find a single ticket online during the duration of my trip. I was soooooo ready to get a ticket from a ticket broker because I really wanted to see it. Anyways, I tried the cancellation line and was able to get front row mezzanine seats. Wooohooo! The god seats!
I loved this show. The cast was just wonderful. This is definitely a must see. I wouldn't mind watching it again. If I had to pay more than face value for this show, it would've still been worth it. Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szolt, Matthew Morrison, Danny Burnstein were a joy to watch.
Gypsy
This was the other show that I really wanted to see during my trip. The story and the score were okay but what made this show wonderful for me was because of the cast. This was the first show I have seen that the audience gave a standing ovation before the curtain call. Patti Lupone just blew the top off the theatre with her performance of Rose's turn. It was amazing. The rest of the cast was pretty good too especially Laura Benanti. This was my 4th Sondheim musical.
The Little Mermaid
What can I say? This is my favorite Disney musical. I love the story and I also love the show. My friend, Karen and I went for standing room tickets. Not bad for $26.50. Since I have seen it up close from the 9th row (or maybe closer), I didn't mind seeing it from the back of the orchestra. I didn't mind standing the entire time too since time just flew. It was worth hearing Shere Rene Scott as Ursula and Sierra Boggess as Ariel sing.
Oh yeah, regarding the standing room tickets, you can get them when the show is sold out. Ask for the lower wall. ;)
Yup, I'll probably watch this again in the future.
Passing Strange
I wasn't too sure if I really wanted to watch this show. Anyways, for lack of other shows to watch, what the heck, I went to see it.
It was okay. I wasn't really blown away with it. It's more of a rock concert than a musical. The story is so so although it made for an enjoyable evening. The set was very simplistic. Daniel Beaker who played the lead role was pretty good.
I doubt it if I'll watch this again. It was worth watching at least once. Did I like it, well, it was okay. Did I love it? Nah... Not my type of musical
In the Heights
I still cannot understand the hype for this musical. A lot of people are saying that it's a shoo in to win the Best Musical at the Tonys this year.
I only went to see this because my friend and I won the lottery. I'll watch any musical for $26.50.
The book was so so. I really didn't see the point. My friend was saying that it's very local. There's a lot of references that I really didn't get because I didn't live in Washington Heights. The music was okay. I guess I'd call it forgettable. I cannot remember a hummable song from the show. The lead, Lin-Manuel Miranda is definitely very talented. He pretty much wrote the show.
It was worth watching it once just to see what the hype is all about. I don't think I'll be watching this again.
Chicago
Since I didn't have anymore shows to see, I had to go down to the bottom of my list. Anyways, I was able to get rush seats for Chicago and again for $26.50, I will go wand watch any musical.
I almost fell asleep during act I. It was boooooring! I almost walked out of the theatre during the intermission. I decided to be persistent and actually stay for the second act. Thank goodness I didn't. It started picking up during the second act so it wasn't a complete waste.
Will I watch it again? Absolutely not. I'd rather stick a needle in my eye! I think I'm seeing a pattern. It seem that Kander and Ebb musicals are just not my thing. I'm 0 for 2 on Kander and Ebb musicals. The last one I saw, Lovemusik, eww... I didn't like it at all.
So there ya go... my latest set of shows.
You might wonder what I haven't seen so here's my list. I refuse to pay full price for these. Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, Grease, Cry Baby, A Catered Affair. Yeah, if you want to give me tickets for these, I'll go and watch them.
During my last trip, I decided that I should try to stay away from NYC for a few months. Well, tht was true until the other day when I read that Will Chase and Eden Espinosa are going to be in the final cast of Rent. I loved Will Chase in Miss Saigon. I've seen him several times in it with Lea Salonga. Well, for Eden, I'm a huge fan! I loooooved her in Wicked and I will watch any show that she's in. I gotta find a way to get my butt back to NYC before Rent closes for good in September.
What else? Oh yeah, I decided to start watching regional productions. I went to see Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein) in Walnut Creek last weekend. I took a friend's daughter with me when I went to see it and she enjoyed it a lot. It was okay for me. The main characters were okay - good singers. The lighting felt a little off and didn't accentuate the charater that was singing that much so when there are a lot of characters on the stage, it was hard to tell who was singing. My biggest complaint is that there were too many ensemble members on stage! It felt too cluttered and too crowded. The costumes were pretty good though. Anyways, yeah, I am a theater snob......
Until next time... whenever that may be....
Showing posts with label Broadway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Broadway. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George was the last show I watched on this trip.
The story is a fictionalized story of George Seurat, a painter and his painting called A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
The show is simply beautiful. I loved it. I'm familiar with the score since I picked up a copy of the London cast recording when I was going through my Sondheim phase sometime last year. It was a matter of me trying to fill in the blanks with what I know about the story based on listening to the recording. The songs are beautiful. This is actually my favorite out of all the Sondheim musicals.
The cast was very talented. The principal characters (Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell) were the ones who sang on the Original London Cast Recording so I was thrilled about it.
The show made extensive use of CGI animation for its set which I thought was pretty cool. It was tastefully done and worked very well.
Here's a video of It's Hot up Here (Act II). This is probably from the original production. This isn't from the Broadway revival that I saw.
I'm really pleased with the shows that I have seen on this trip. I really don't have anything else that I want to watch right now that I haven't seen yet on Broadway. I guess I will just have to wait until new shows open up before making my way back to New York. ;)
The story is a fictionalized story of George Seurat, a painter and his painting called A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
The show is simply beautiful. I loved it. I'm familiar with the score since I picked up a copy of the London cast recording when I was going through my Sondheim phase sometime last year. It was a matter of me trying to fill in the blanks with what I know about the story based on listening to the recording. The songs are beautiful. This is actually my favorite out of all the Sondheim musicals.
The cast was very talented. The principal characters (Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell) were the ones who sang on the Original London Cast Recording so I was thrilled about it.
The show made extensive use of CGI animation for its set which I thought was pretty cool. It was tastefully done and worked very well.
Here's a video of It's Hot up Here (Act II). This is probably from the original production. This isn't from the Broadway revival that I saw.
I'm really pleased with the shows that I have seen on this trip. I really don't have anything else that I want to watch right now that I haven't seen yet on Broadway. I guess I will just have to wait until new shows open up before making my way back to New York. ;)
Wicked
Yes you read it right. Wicked. hehehehe.....
This was my Thursday show. My friend, Karen and I decided to do our usual Carmila is in town routine -- Wicked lottery and then if we don't win, we head to TKTS to get me a ticket to whatever is available and then we go out to dinner.
This time we skipped TKTS since we actually won the lottery! Woooohooooo!!!! After trying for the gazillionth time, my name finally got picked! We got front row seats for $26.25. Yay! I tell you once you have sat up close in the show, you don't want to sit elsewhere. I honestly cannot tell you how the show looks from a afar. The farthest I've sat on this show is the 14th row and I have no intentions of sitting further than that.
It's my 8th time watching Wicked. If you have not figured it out yet, let me spell it out to you. Yes, I am obsessed with Wicked. I am a member of the Wicked Addicts club and I have gone through the 12 step program but it never works. hehehe... I just love this show.
The Broadway production is in a pretty good shape right now. The cast is pretty good although my favorite duo is still Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty. It's the first time watching the show that I actually liked Glinda more than Elphaba. The actress playing Glinda (Annaleigh Ashford) was very young but she was pretty good. She added her own nuances to the character which I liked a lot.
Annaleigh's version of Popular:
In case you are wondering, yes I intend to watch the show again in the future. ;)
This was my Thursday show. My friend, Karen and I decided to do our usual Carmila is in town routine -- Wicked lottery and then if we don't win, we head to TKTS to get me a ticket to whatever is available and then we go out to dinner.
This time we skipped TKTS since we actually won the lottery! Woooohooooo!!!! After trying for the gazillionth time, my name finally got picked! We got front row seats for $26.25. Yay! I tell you once you have sat up close in the show, you don't want to sit elsewhere. I honestly cannot tell you how the show looks from a afar. The farthest I've sat on this show is the 14th row and I have no intentions of sitting further than that.
It's my 8th time watching Wicked. If you have not figured it out yet, let me spell it out to you. Yes, I am obsessed with Wicked. I am a member of the Wicked Addicts club and I have gone through the 12 step program but it never works. hehehe... I just love this show.
The Broadway production is in a pretty good shape right now. The cast is pretty good although my favorite duo is still Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty. It's the first time watching the show that I actually liked Glinda more than Elphaba. The actress playing Glinda (Annaleigh Ashford) was very young but she was pretty good. She added her own nuances to the character which I liked a lot.
Annaleigh's version of Popular:
In case you are wondering, yes I intend to watch the show again in the future. ;)
Young Frankenstein
Wednesday was a 2 show day for me. I had tickets to Young Frankenstein (oh excuse me.. Frahn-ken-steen) Wednesday night.
I don't recall ever seeing the movie so I didn't really know anything about the show. Its got mixed reviews but I really didn't care. I like forming my own opinions (well, most of the time).
The show was fun. Lots of jokes. Definitely has lost of talent. Roger Bart was great. It was a plus seeing Megan Mullally live -- she's Karen in Will & Grace. I had no idea that she could sing!
The songs were forgettable. Nothing really that struck my fancy and I'm not too compelled to get the cast recording for it although it was still worth seeing. I had lots of laughs during the show and I enjoyed the show and the performances which is what matters the most to me whenever I watch any of the shows.
I don't recall ever seeing the movie so I didn't really know anything about the show. Its got mixed reviews but I really didn't care. I like forming my own opinions (well, most of the time).
The show was fun. Lots of jokes. Definitely has lost of talent. Roger Bart was great. It was a plus seeing Megan Mullally live -- she's Karen in Will & Grace. I had no idea that she could sing!
The songs were forgettable. Nothing really that struck my fancy and I'm not too compelled to get the cast recording for it although it was still worth seeing. I had lots of laughs during the show and I enjoyed the show and the performances which is what matters the most to me whenever I watch any of the shows.
The Little Mermaid
I had one heck of a travel day last Tuesday and when I was at the office on Wednesday, after a while, I was getting cross-eyed looking at the documents that I needed to go through so I asked my boss if I can leave early and he said yes.
I went to catch the matinée performance of The Little Mermaid. I just went to the box office and asked if they had any available tickets. I managed to get 9th row center orchestra seats. Yup, great seats! This is the reason why I love going to theater by myself. I get really good seats. Yeah, I know, I am spoiled. ;)
I loooooovvvvveee The Little Mermaid! It's now my favorite Disney musical. The set is spectacular. Lots of Disney magic. Definitely high production value. The cast is pretty good. Sierra Boggess is the little mermaid in the flesh! She looks like the little mermaid and her voice is amazing. I love the Broadway Cast Recording better than the animated movie soundtrack. I got suckered into buying the CD of the musical at the theater since I could not get enough of her singing and I could not wait for it to be released on iTunes.
Check out this video of "Part of Your World".
Definitely a must see. For me it's a must see again show. ;)
I went to catch the matinée performance of The Little Mermaid. I just went to the box office and asked if they had any available tickets. I managed to get 9th row center orchestra seats. Yup, great seats! This is the reason why I love going to theater by myself. I get really good seats. Yeah, I know, I am spoiled. ;)
I loooooovvvvveee The Little Mermaid! It's now my favorite Disney musical. The set is spectacular. Lots of Disney magic. Definitely high production value. The cast is pretty good. Sierra Boggess is the little mermaid in the flesh! She looks like the little mermaid and her voice is amazing. I love the Broadway Cast Recording better than the animated movie soundtrack. I got suckered into buying the CD of the musical at the theater since I could not get enough of her singing and I could not wait for it to be released on iTunes.
Check out this video of "Part of Your World".
Definitely a must see. For me it's a must see again show. ;)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
New York in February
Yes I am in New York again that's why I have time to blog. ;)
I've been here since Tuesday night after one heck of a day traveling.
I left SF Monday night to take a red eye flight to Washington, DC for a site walk through of our data center. I only stayed for a few hours in that area before heading back to the airport to catch my 3:39pm flight to NY. I was at the airport since 1:30 pm and we didn't take off till past 8pm that night. Once I got to La Guardia airport in NY, the line for the taxi was so long that it took an hour an a half before I was able to get in on a cab and take me to the airport. Thanks to the crappy weather in NY -- it was snowing.
I've seen 3 shows so far -- The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein and Wicked (yes Wicked!). I still have to watch Sunday in the Park with George. I'll blog separately regarding these show.
Crappy weather but gotta love going to NY at this time of the year for getting tickets to Broadway shows. You can get tickets to just about any show! I love it! I just love it althought I am running out of shows to watch so I guess I do have to go back home on Saturday morning.
I've been here since Tuesday night after one heck of a day traveling.
I left SF Monday night to take a red eye flight to Washington, DC for a site walk through of our data center. I only stayed for a few hours in that area before heading back to the airport to catch my 3:39pm flight to NY. I was at the airport since 1:30 pm and we didn't take off till past 8pm that night. Once I got to La Guardia airport in NY, the line for the taxi was so long that it took an hour an a half before I was able to get in on a cab and take me to the airport. Thanks to the crappy weather in NY -- it was snowing.
I've seen 3 shows so far -- The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein and Wicked (yes Wicked!). I still have to watch Sunday in the Park with George. I'll blog separately regarding these show.
Crappy weather but gotta love going to NY at this time of the year for getting tickets to Broadway shows. You can get tickets to just about any show! I love it! I just love it althought I am running out of shows to watch so I guess I do have to go back home on Saturday morning.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
A Chorus Line
I decided to just get it over with and go watch this show. I've been sitting on the edge and kind of pushing back watching this. Well, since I'm running out of shows to watch, I had to go see it. Plus it's a classic and won the best musical and the Pulitzer prize and ran for 15 years on Broadway.
It was okay. I just feel that something's missing in this production (revival). When the cast performs as one (chorus line), it's quite good. However, when it starts focusing on individual characters during the show, it's kind of lacking. It doesn't have the umph that should be there. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in the show.
An understudy (Jessica Lea Patty) played Cassie's role tonight. I wanted to see Charlotte d'Ambroise since she was nominated in the Tonys for this role. Well, Jessica Lea Patty did not disappoint. She was one of the standouts in the cast.
The finale was pretty impressive though!
A Chorus Line at the Tonys
It was okay. I just feel that something's missing in this production (revival). When the cast performs as one (chorus line), it's quite good. However, when it starts focusing on individual characters during the show, it's kind of lacking. It doesn't have the umph that should be there. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in the show.
An understudy (Jessica Lea Patty) played Cassie's role tonight. I wanted to see Charlotte d'Ambroise since she was nominated in the Tonys for this role. Well, Jessica Lea Patty did not disappoint. She was one of the standouts in the cast.
The finale was pretty impressive though!
A Chorus Line at the Tonys
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Xanadu
Yep, you read it correctly. Xanadu -- a place where nobody dare to go... Seriously, it is a musical and it is on Broadway.
I've read positive reviews of the show so I decided to go see it.
You might ask, how could I possibly enjoy a musical that's based on the worst movie musical ever made in history? LOL! Well, it's campy, it's cheesy but oh so much fun! I had such a GREAT time watching this show! It's that one show that you take with a tongue in cheek attitude. They made fun of the movie, themselves and musical theatre. I guess that's why a lot of people actually like it.
The movie came out in 1980 so I vaguely remember anything about the movie. Now, I gotta go see it since I think they had a lot of references to the movie.
Kerry Butler is wonderful as Kira/Clio. She perfectly channeled Olivia Newton-John in her performance. Wonderful comedic timing. Wonderful voice. When she sings, you just want to listen and you don't want her to stop singing. She's in roller skates and leg warmers almost all night long.
Cheyenne Jackson is such a hottie! Very good singing voice as well.
I think this show is really well cast. The band sounds amazing as well. It's one of those shows that it's either you don't like it or you absolutely LOVE it!
I can't get the song "Suddenly" out of my head. Yep, this is show is starting to become one of my guilty pleasures. ;)
Check out the synopsis from the show's website: http://xanaduonbroadway.com.
Show preview on broadwayworld.com (need a fast connection or click pause and let it load): Xanadu preview from Broadway World
Also check out this performance of Suddenly at Bryant Park. The girl is Kerry Butler but the guy is not Cheyenne Jackson.
I've read positive reviews of the show so I decided to go see it.
You might ask, how could I possibly enjoy a musical that's based on the worst movie musical ever made in history? LOL! Well, it's campy, it's cheesy but oh so much fun! I had such a GREAT time watching this show! It's that one show that you take with a tongue in cheek attitude. They made fun of the movie, themselves and musical theatre. I guess that's why a lot of people actually like it.
The movie came out in 1980 so I vaguely remember anything about the movie. Now, I gotta go see it since I think they had a lot of references to the movie.
Kerry Butler is wonderful as Kira/Clio. She perfectly channeled Olivia Newton-John in her performance. Wonderful comedic timing. Wonderful voice. When she sings, you just want to listen and you don't want her to stop singing. She's in roller skates and leg warmers almost all night long.
Cheyenne Jackson is such a hottie! Very good singing voice as well.
I think this show is really well cast. The band sounds amazing as well. It's one of those shows that it's either you don't like it or you absolutely LOVE it!
I can't get the song "Suddenly" out of my head. Yep, this is show is starting to become one of my guilty pleasures. ;)
Check out the synopsis from the show's website: http://xanaduonbroadway.com.
Show preview on broadwayworld.com (need a fast connection or click pause and let it load): Xanadu preview from Broadway World
Also check out this performance of Suddenly at Bryant Park. The girl is Kerry Butler but the guy is not Cheyenne Jackson.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Curtains
I saw Raul Esparza in Company last year and I really thought he was going to win the Tonys. Well, he lost to David Hyde Pierce. That's pretty much the reason why I wanted to see Curtains. I wanted to see David Hyde Pierce's performance.
I can see now why David Hyde Pierce won the award. Raul is an awesome singer. However, the award isn't for the best singer. It's an award for the Best Actor in a Musical. David Hyde Pierce is a really good actor!
The show itself was good. I went in there with low expectations since it didn't really get high reviews when it first opened a few months ago.
Really notable performances by Debra Monk and Karen Zeimbra.
You can find a synopsis of the show from their website at http://www.curtainsthemusical.com/.
Here's a clip from the show as well. This was during the Tony awards.
I can see now why David Hyde Pierce won the award. Raul is an awesome singer. However, the award isn't for the best singer. It's an award for the Best Actor in a Musical. David Hyde Pierce is a really good actor!
The show itself was good. I went in there with low expectations since it didn't really get high reviews when it first opened a few months ago.
Really notable performances by Debra Monk and Karen Zeimbra.
You can find a synopsis of the show from their website at http://www.curtainsthemusical.com/.
Here's a clip from the show as well. This was during the Tony awards.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Avenue Q in SF
Everyone I know knows that I am a theatre snob. I have always preferred watching musicals on Broadway because the touring company is just not as good but I'm going to retract that statement. Arvin and I went to see Avenue Q here in SF today. I liked it a lot more than when I saw it on Broadway. The cast was amazing! Really notable performances by the touring cast. Well, most of them got to play it on Broadway before the tour.
This is my 16th show for this year. :)
I'm off to NY in a few weeks so I'm looking forward to seeing the shows that I haven't seen.
Cheers!
This is my 16th show for this year. :)
I'm off to NY in a few weeks so I'm looking forward to seeing the shows that I haven't seen.
Cheers!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Lion King meets Elle Woods
This is pretty hilarious. I almost fell off my chair when I saw this. The music is from Legally Blonde the musical.
I love the soundtrack for Legally Blonde the musical. Been listening to it non-stop for the past few days. I saw it when it was still in previews in San Francisco. I might watch it on Broadway next time I'm in New York. I never expected to like it since it'a another movie musical but it was very entertaining.
I love the soundtrack for Legally Blonde the musical. Been listening to it non-stop for the past few days. I saw it when it was still in previews in San Francisco. I might watch it on Broadway next time I'm in New York. I never expected to like it since it'a another movie musical but it was very entertaining.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
My "Wicked" Birthday Weekend
I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday aside from spending it with Arvin and watching my favorite Broadway show -- Wicked. So, when the cast was announced for the LA Production in November and I found out that it was going to be Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty, I immediately got tickets to the show for my birthday.
Dropped Jack at the kennel last Thursday and then off we went to LA. We took the ultimate driving machine for a long drive as well on this trip. I drove part of the way. The car's too fast. I normally just go maybe around 75 mph to about 80ish max on the freeway. With this car, I think I went over 100 mph and was cruising along at an average 80 mph while watching out for the CHP -- I don't want to end up with a speeding ticket! The handling is awesome with this car. Clearly, it also has the power. Having a GPS navigation system in the car is great! We're not familiar with LA but we were able to go where we needed to go. It rerouted us based on the traffic conditions and when we took the wrong turn, it told us how to get back on track.
So last night, we went to see Wicked on my birthday. After the show, I was telling Arvin that I really really want to see Wicked from the front row. You can only sit there is you win the Wicked lottery -- you put in your name 2 hrs before the start of each show and they draw the winners. If you get picked, you can get up to 2 tickets for $25 each. Anyways, I think he knew how much I wanted to see the show from the front row so he agreed to go try the lottery today. We went and played the lottery for the matinee performance. Arvin's name got picked!!!! So we were able to get tickets for the front row today! I keep on telling him that he's my lucky charm. I've tried the Wicked lottery in New York so many times already and I have never won. He kept on telling me that I picked well. He gave me my heart's desire -- to watch Wicked from the front row and the big plus was Eden and Megan were the ones performing!
I'm going to focus more on today's show since I got to see it from the front row. Our seats were almost dead center on the front row. You had to look up a bit from were were were sitting since we were so close to the stage but it wasn't such a big deal. I can't explain how awesome it is to watch your favorite show with your favorite performers from the front row. I absolutely LOVED it! The cast in LA is so much better than the cast on Broadway. I really liked this cast a lot. They're all so talented. Eden was amazing! I absolutely love seeing her perform. She has the best facial expressions and she absolutely rocks when she's on stage. She knows how to suck you into the story and makes you feel how she feels when she's performing. I've seen so many shows and not a lot of performers can actually do that. Seeing her fly in Defying Gravity from where I was sitting was just breathtaking. That scene never fails to give me goosebumps. Megan was wonderful as well. She really knows how to work the crowd and her comedic timing is awesome. Eden and Megan are still my favorite duo in Wicked. I've seen the show so many times but I still got really teary eyed when they sang For Good. I could see how sad they both were while singing that song and they were even crying so what can I say, I got carried away.
As of today, I've seen Wicked 7 times and I have seen 15 shows this year (Wicked 3x). I'm probably going to skip Wicked for a while even if I end up in NY again soon. I'm not too thrilled with the current Broadway cast-- they pale in comparison with the LA cast. We'll see once the cast changes if there is a compelling reason for me to go watch the new cast. It's too bad I don't really get to go to LA for business. I would love to see the show again as long as Eden and Megan are still in it.
I'll never forget this birthday weekend. I really couldn't ask for anything more. It really meant a lot to me being able to see my favorite show with my favorite performers from the front row with Arvin.
Dropped Jack at the kennel last Thursday and then off we went to LA. We took the ultimate driving machine for a long drive as well on this trip. I drove part of the way. The car's too fast. I normally just go maybe around 75 mph to about 80ish max on the freeway. With this car, I think I went over 100 mph and was cruising along at an average 80 mph while watching out for the CHP -- I don't want to end up with a speeding ticket! The handling is awesome with this car. Clearly, it also has the power. Having a GPS navigation system in the car is great! We're not familiar with LA but we were able to go where we needed to go. It rerouted us based on the traffic conditions and when we took the wrong turn, it told us how to get back on track.
So last night, we went to see Wicked on my birthday. After the show, I was telling Arvin that I really really want to see Wicked from the front row. You can only sit there is you win the Wicked lottery -- you put in your name 2 hrs before the start of each show and they draw the winners. If you get picked, you can get up to 2 tickets for $25 each. Anyways, I think he knew how much I wanted to see the show from the front row so he agreed to go try the lottery today. We went and played the lottery for the matinee performance. Arvin's name got picked!!!! So we were able to get tickets for the front row today! I keep on telling him that he's my lucky charm. I've tried the Wicked lottery in New York so many times already and I have never won. He kept on telling me that I picked well. He gave me my heart's desire -- to watch Wicked from the front row and the big plus was Eden and Megan were the ones performing!
I'm going to focus more on today's show since I got to see it from the front row. Our seats were almost dead center on the front row. You had to look up a bit from were were were sitting since we were so close to the stage but it wasn't such a big deal. I can't explain how awesome it is to watch your favorite show with your favorite performers from the front row. I absolutely LOVED it! The cast in LA is so much better than the cast on Broadway. I really liked this cast a lot. They're all so talented. Eden was amazing! I absolutely love seeing her perform. She has the best facial expressions and she absolutely rocks when she's on stage. She knows how to suck you into the story and makes you feel how she feels when she's performing. I've seen so many shows and not a lot of performers can actually do that. Seeing her fly in Defying Gravity from where I was sitting was just breathtaking. That scene never fails to give me goosebumps. Megan was wonderful as well. She really knows how to work the crowd and her comedic timing is awesome. Eden and Megan are still my favorite duo in Wicked. I've seen the show so many times but I still got really teary eyed when they sang For Good. I could see how sad they both were while singing that song and they were even crying so what can I say, I got carried away.
As of today, I've seen Wicked 7 times and I have seen 15 shows this year (Wicked 3x). I'm probably going to skip Wicked for a while even if I end up in NY again soon. I'm not too thrilled with the current Broadway cast-- they pale in comparison with the LA cast. We'll see once the cast changes if there is a compelling reason for me to go watch the new cast. It's too bad I don't really get to go to LA for business. I would love to see the show again as long as Eden and Megan are still in it.
I'll never forget this birthday weekend. I really couldn't ask for anything more. It really meant a lot to me being able to see my favorite show with my favorite performers from the front row with Arvin.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
NY Trip 4 Show Quota
I was in NY last week and I went to see 4 shows. If a lot of the theatres weren't dark (no shows) on Monday's, I probably would've seen 5 shows. Oh well, I shouldn't be complaining when I got to see 4 shows right?
Tuesday (5/8/2007): Les Miserables
The only reason I actually went to see this show was because Lea Salonga is in it and currently playing the fole of Fantine. She's in it for something like 15 minutes in Act 1 then comes back in maybe the last 5 minutes of the show in Act 2.
This was the first time that I've actually seen Les Mis. I know most of the songs (Surprise! Surprise!) in the show. The cast was pretty good. I really don't understand all the hype and when people start raving about it and telling me that is is such a great show and it's their favorite show-- well, I've come into a conclusion that people say that because it is such a popular show and a lot of people have heard about it. It is such a depressing show about the French revolution and almost everyone dies in the end. Not really my type of show. Well, I guess you won't see me blogging about it again in the near future unless one of my favorites actresses/actors are in it and I'd watch it for the sake of seeing them perform. If ever I go watch it again and non of my favorite actors/actresses are in it, that means, I went to watch it while I'm on Vicodin or Valium.
Wednesday (5/9/2007): Wicked
Did you think I'd ever go to NY and not watch Wicked? Well, it depends... I didn't get to see it during my last trip. Anyways, one of our vendors gave me free tickets to the show. Who am I to refuse them? What can I say, I'm weak. ;)
Julia Murney is now playing the role of Elphaba. She's a really good actress. I love how she delivers her lines. Very good singer as well. I liked how she portrayed the role. However, I still prefer Eden's singing. Eden's a more powerful singer than Julia. Don't get me wrong. Julia's a good singer however when she pushes her voice like in the money song Defying Gravity, her voice starts cracking.
As for Glinda. It's currently played by Kendra Kassenbaum (sp?). I really didn't care much for her portrayal of Glinda. I thought it was weak. Well, I may be a little bit biased because I so love Megan Hilty as Glinda. I thought Kendra's delivery of her lines were kind of rushed and a lot of the humor in the best lines got lost.
I still think the show is worth seeing with the current cast. If it's your first time seeing the show, you'd still be wowed with it. I think the problem with me is I've seen it with a better cast so I would be comparing the cast with the ones that I've seen in the past.
Thursday: 110 in the Shade
This has got to be my favorite show on this trip. It's a limited engagement show and I really wanted to watch it since I wanted to see Audra McDonald perform.
It's not difficult to figure out why Audra has won 4 Tonys. She is just amazing. When she sings, she makes you feel what she feels. I love the sound of her voice. You could really hear in her style of singing that she's a classically trained singer. Her voice is so beautiful and so clear.
The show's story is about a spinster who is looking for companionship and love. It is based on an old movie. I think the movie is called The Rainmaker.
Friday: LoveMusik
I really should avoid musica revues. They're just not my thing. This show is more of a musical revue of the works of Kurt Weil (composer) and the relationship between him and his wife. The performers were wonderful however, the book was weak. In several areas, it just dragged on and on. This is the second time I've seen Michael Cerveris. The first time was in Sweeney Todd. In that show, he was talking with an English accent. I had a hard time understanding him. In this show, he was talking with a German accent and it was soooo hard to understand what he was saying. Note to self, only go watch Michael Cerveris if he is talking with an American accent.
The story was forgettable, the songs were also forgettable but I still don't regret watching it. The only thing I regretted is that my time was so limited that I should've gone and watched something else that I would've liked a lot better. But then again, the problem is, I've seen so many shows that I really am running out of shows to watch on Broadway. They don't make shows as fast as I am watching them! ;)
Tuesday (5/8/2007): Les Miserables
The only reason I actually went to see this show was because Lea Salonga is in it and currently playing the fole of Fantine. She's in it for something like 15 minutes in Act 1 then comes back in maybe the last 5 minutes of the show in Act 2.
This was the first time that I've actually seen Les Mis. I know most of the songs (Surprise! Surprise!) in the show. The cast was pretty good. I really don't understand all the hype and when people start raving about it and telling me that is is such a great show and it's their favorite show-- well, I've come into a conclusion that people say that because it is such a popular show and a lot of people have heard about it. It is such a depressing show about the French revolution and almost everyone dies in the end. Not really my type of show. Well, I guess you won't see me blogging about it again in the near future unless one of my favorites actresses/actors are in it and I'd watch it for the sake of seeing them perform. If ever I go watch it again and non of my favorite actors/actresses are in it, that means, I went to watch it while I'm on Vicodin or Valium.
Wednesday (5/9/2007): Wicked
Did you think I'd ever go to NY and not watch Wicked? Well, it depends... I didn't get to see it during my last trip. Anyways, one of our vendors gave me free tickets to the show. Who am I to refuse them? What can I say, I'm weak. ;)
Julia Murney is now playing the role of Elphaba. She's a really good actress. I love how she delivers her lines. Very good singer as well. I liked how she portrayed the role. However, I still prefer Eden's singing. Eden's a more powerful singer than Julia. Don't get me wrong. Julia's a good singer however when she pushes her voice like in the money song Defying Gravity, her voice starts cracking.
As for Glinda. It's currently played by Kendra Kassenbaum (sp?). I really didn't care much for her portrayal of Glinda. I thought it was weak. Well, I may be a little bit biased because I so love Megan Hilty as Glinda. I thought Kendra's delivery of her lines were kind of rushed and a lot of the humor in the best lines got lost.
I still think the show is worth seeing with the current cast. If it's your first time seeing the show, you'd still be wowed with it. I think the problem with me is I've seen it with a better cast so I would be comparing the cast with the ones that I've seen in the past.
Thursday: 110 in the Shade
This has got to be my favorite show on this trip. It's a limited engagement show and I really wanted to watch it since I wanted to see Audra McDonald perform.
It's not difficult to figure out why Audra has won 4 Tonys. She is just amazing. When she sings, she makes you feel what she feels. I love the sound of her voice. You could really hear in her style of singing that she's a classically trained singer. Her voice is so beautiful and so clear.
The show's story is about a spinster who is looking for companionship and love. It is based on an old movie. I think the movie is called The Rainmaker.
Friday: LoveMusik
I really should avoid musica revues. They're just not my thing. This show is more of a musical revue of the works of Kurt Weil (composer) and the relationship between him and his wife. The performers were wonderful however, the book was weak. In several areas, it just dragged on and on. This is the second time I've seen Michael Cerveris. The first time was in Sweeney Todd. In that show, he was talking with an English accent. I had a hard time understanding him. In this show, he was talking with a German accent and it was soooo hard to understand what he was saying. Note to self, only go watch Michael Cerveris if he is talking with an American accent.
The story was forgettable, the songs were also forgettable but I still don't regret watching it. The only thing I regretted is that my time was so limited that I should've gone and watched something else that I would've liked a lot better. But then again, the problem is, I've seen so many shows that I really am running out of shows to watch on Broadway. They don't make shows as fast as I am watching them! ;)
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Company
Day 7 of my musical theatre marathon... I really wanted to watch this show. I love Sondheim's music and wanted to add more of his work to the list of musicals that I've seen. This was also highly recommended by one of my friends who loves musical theatre like me.
I really didn't know much about this show. All I knew is Raul Esparza was in it and the show was directed by John Doyle -- the same guy who directed Sweeney Todd, another Sondheim musical that I saw last year.
I loved the story and the score. I'm looking forward to getting the cast album for this show. The orchestrations were wonderful. Sondheim's musicals are known to be very difficult to sing. Raul Esperza ripped through the score especially in the last song of the show entitled "Being Alive". I absolutely loved it. He has the markings of getting nominated or even possibly winning the Tonys this year.
As for the staging of the show, I'm not really too thrilled about it. I'm not a big fan of John Doyle's style which is having the performers double as the musicians. It's difficult to connect with the chracters when you see them marching around acting and holding instruments at the same time. Sure it's unique and some may call it revolutionary however, I still prefer the "traditional" staging wherein the performers act and sing and the playing of instruments are left to the orchestra. The set is minimalistic. No moving parts. The lighting is absolutely gorgeous. To get the best effect of the show, the mezzanine seats are actually the best seats for a John Doyle production.
I think this show is worth seeing. I enjoyed it.
I really didn't know much about this show. All I knew is Raul Esparza was in it and the show was directed by John Doyle -- the same guy who directed Sweeney Todd, another Sondheim musical that I saw last year.
I loved the story and the score. I'm looking forward to getting the cast album for this show. The orchestrations were wonderful. Sondheim's musicals are known to be very difficult to sing. Raul Esperza ripped through the score especially in the last song of the show entitled "Being Alive". I absolutely loved it. He has the markings of getting nominated or even possibly winning the Tonys this year.
As for the staging of the show, I'm not really too thrilled about it. I'm not a big fan of John Doyle's style which is having the performers double as the musicians. It's difficult to connect with the chracters when you see them marching around acting and holding instruments at the same time. Sure it's unique and some may call it revolutionary however, I still prefer the "traditional" staging wherein the performers act and sing and the playing of instruments are left to the orchestra. The set is minimalistic. No moving parts. The lighting is absolutely gorgeous. To get the best effect of the show, the mezzanine seats are actually the best seats for a John Doyle production.
I think this show is worth seeing. I enjoyed it.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
The Apple Tree
Day six of my musical theatre marathon. I was supposed to meet up with a friend for dinner. We had to change our plans so I was left with no plans by 6 PM tonight. Off I went to TKTS. I was planning on watching Company however the only remaining seats were partial view seats so I decided on watching The Apple Tree instead.
I've heard mixed reviews about this show and didn't really know what to expect. At the beginning of my trip, I was thinking that the only reason why I would actually go and watch this show is to see Kristin Chenowith perform on stage. She's the original Glinda for Wicked and deemed as one of the musical theatre superstars of this generation.
They really should just rename the show as The Kristin Chenoweth show. She totally stole the show. She has one of the most amazing voices that I have heard in musical theatre. Very good actress and excellent comedic timing. Her co-performers were wonderful as well.
There's nothing sophosticated about the set. It was pretty plain. Nothing in the set really had the wow factor in it. So what really carried the show were the performances of the 3 leads. It's a funny show. Music is quite good. It's divided into 3 different parts -- different stories for each part. The first part was set in the Garden of Eden. The second part was about the justice system -- the lady or the lion and the 3rd part was about Passionella the Chimney sweep.
The show was at Studio 54 on 54th Street. The theatre looks a little bit run down now. It probably looked a lot better when it was a club.
I've heard mixed reviews about this show and didn't really know what to expect. At the beginning of my trip, I was thinking that the only reason why I would actually go and watch this show is to see Kristin Chenowith perform on stage. She's the original Glinda for Wicked and deemed as one of the musical theatre superstars of this generation.
They really should just rename the show as The Kristin Chenoweth show. She totally stole the show. She has one of the most amazing voices that I have heard in musical theatre. Very good actress and excellent comedic timing. Her co-performers were wonderful as well.
There's nothing sophosticated about the set. It was pretty plain. Nothing in the set really had the wow factor in it. So what really carried the show were the performances of the 3 leads. It's a funny show. Music is quite good. It's divided into 3 different parts -- different stories for each part. The first part was set in the Garden of Eden. The second part was about the justice system -- the lady or the lion and the 3rd part was about Passionella the Chimney sweep.
The show was at Studio 54 on 54th Street. The theatre looks a little bit run down now. It probably looked a lot better when it was a club.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Grey Gardens
Since my friends and I didn't win the Wicked lottery tonight, off I went to TKTS to just wing it and see what shows were available. Yes, I tried the lottery again. I've lost count of how many times I've tried and I have never won the Wicked lottery yet. One of these days, I will win! I can feel it! ;)
I decided to go watch Grey Gardens since I've heard people talk about Christine Ebersole's performance in the show. I had very little knowledge of the show and what it was all about. Anyways, I took the leap and decided to watch it tonight.
It's about the disfuctional relationship between a mother and a daughter living in Grey Gardens who were pretty much loons. The musical is based on a documentary of the same title.
The Act I was a little bit slow for me. A lot of the character building was happening in this part of the show so it kind of dragged a little bit. Act II was definitely so much better compared to Act I. I enjoyed Act II a lot more than the first act.
Christine Ebersole is magnificent in her role. I can see why people are saying that she is a front runner for the best actress award at the Tonys. Her acting and singing is wonderful. I definitely loved her performance.
The score is pretty decent however there are not a lot of hummable songs in the show. It's worth seeing at least once even just to see Christine Ebersole perform.
I sat right next to a very nice lady and was talking to her before the show and during intermission. She's also been trying to squeeze as much theatre as she could on her trip here in the Big Apple. I had several CD samplers that a friend of mine gave me so I gave her 2 of them and she was quite happy about it. Yep, I recommended that she watch Wicked.... hehehe....
I decided to go watch Grey Gardens since I've heard people talk about Christine Ebersole's performance in the show. I had very little knowledge of the show and what it was all about. Anyways, I took the leap and decided to watch it tonight.
It's about the disfuctional relationship between a mother and a daughter living in Grey Gardens who were pretty much loons. The musical is based on a documentary of the same title.
The Act I was a little bit slow for me. A lot of the character building was happening in this part of the show so it kind of dragged a little bit. Act II was definitely so much better compared to Act I. I enjoyed Act II a lot more than the first act.
Christine Ebersole is magnificent in her role. I can see why people are saying that she is a front runner for the best actress award at the Tonys. Her acting and singing is wonderful. I definitely loved her performance.
The score is pretty decent however there are not a lot of hummable songs in the show. It's worth seeing at least once even just to see Christine Ebersole perform.
I sat right next to a very nice lady and was talking to her before the show and during intermission. She's also been trying to squeeze as much theatre as she could on her trip here in the Big Apple. I had several CD samplers that a friend of mine gave me so I gave her 2 of them and she was quite happy about it. Yep, I recommended that she watch Wicked.... hehehe....
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Mary Poppins
I saw the most amazing set that I have ever seen on stage! It's in Mary Poppins the musical currently playing at the New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street. It was just wonderful. All the set transformations were seamless regrdless of how big the set was. It's the most beautiful set that I have ever seen in a Broadway musical.
The show had a lot of magic in it. The effects that they have done in the show were very impressive. The endless bag was present. Mary Poppins took out a lot of stuff from her bag! She slid up the banister. Bert walked up one wall on stage, dancing upside down on the ceiling and down the other wall in Steps in Time. Mary Poppins flew several times during the show which was wonderful to see but the best part for me was seeing Mary Poppins flying away at the end of the show. It was just amazing!!! I've never seen anything like it on live theatre.
Wonderful performances tonight by the cast. The "Banks" kids were very cute. The best perfomance for me was by Gavin Lee who played the part of Bert. He's brilliant in the role. Each time he was on stage, you just can't help but focus on him. Ashley Brown was wonderful as Mary Poppins. She sounded great, good onstage presence and she's a good actress. Although, I felt that there was something missing in her performance. I can't put my finger on what's missing. I knew that she was playing the role of Mary Poppins however, it did not feel like she was Mary Poppins for me. I kind of had a hard time connecting with her character. Nonetheless, I still thought she did pretty well.
A co-worker of mine went with me tonight. Our seats were wonderful! We were on the 10th row of the orchestra, right at the center. The sight lines were great from where we were sitting. This is the only show so far this trip that I actually paid full price. I wished it was at TKTS however, I don't see it happening for a while.
Mary Poppins is definitely worth watching. It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Just a spoonful of sugar... ;)
The show had a lot of magic in it. The effects that they have done in the show were very impressive. The endless bag was present. Mary Poppins took out a lot of stuff from her bag! She slid up the banister. Bert walked up one wall on stage, dancing upside down on the ceiling and down the other wall in Steps in Time. Mary Poppins flew several times during the show which was wonderful to see but the best part for me was seeing Mary Poppins flying away at the end of the show. It was just amazing!!! I've never seen anything like it on live theatre.
Wonderful performances tonight by the cast. The "Banks" kids were very cute. The best perfomance for me was by Gavin Lee who played the part of Bert. He's brilliant in the role. Each time he was on stage, you just can't help but focus on him. Ashley Brown was wonderful as Mary Poppins. She sounded great, good onstage presence and she's a good actress. Although, I felt that there was something missing in her performance. I can't put my finger on what's missing. I knew that she was playing the role of Mary Poppins however, it did not feel like she was Mary Poppins for me. I kind of had a hard time connecting with her character. Nonetheless, I still thought she did pretty well.
A co-worker of mine went with me tonight. Our seats were wonderful! We were on the 10th row of the orchestra, right at the center. The sight lines were great from where we were sitting. This is the only show so far this trip that I actually paid full price. I wished it was at TKTS however, I don't see it happening for a while.
Mary Poppins is definitely worth watching. It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Just a spoonful of sugar... ;)
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Hairspray
I've been feeling tired and sleepy almost all day today. I was telling a friend that if I went and watched Les Miserables tonight, I would be sleeping in the theater and probably even snoring. I needed to go watch an upbeat musical. Yeah, I could've probably gone back to my hotel room and went to bed but that's no fun and I'm in New York city. So, off I went to the Neil Simon Theatre on 52nd Street.
Hairspray has a lottery on the day of performance. The start taking names 3 hours before the curtain rises and pick the winners 30 minutes later. I got to the Neil Simon 5 minutes before they drew out the names. Luckily enough, there were enough tickets for everyone who put their names in the lottery so we all won!
I was at the front row. Sight lines weren't that great because the stage is kind of high so you're pretty much looking up most of the time however, can't beat getting front row seats for $25!
The music was quite good. Not that memorable but there were definitely hummable songs. The performers were wonderful. It was a cutesy feel good musical and it kept me awake.
The big plus for me was seeing Diana DeGarmo from American Idol. She didn't really have any big solo numbers in the show but when she sang, she CAN sing! She definitely hit a lot of money notes tonight.
Hairspray has a lottery on the day of performance. The start taking names 3 hours before the curtain rises and pick the winners 30 minutes later. I got to the Neil Simon 5 minutes before they drew out the names. Luckily enough, there were enough tickets for everyone who put their names in the lottery so we all won!
I was at the front row. Sight lines weren't that great because the stage is kind of high so you're pretty much looking up most of the time however, can't beat getting front row seats for $25!
The music was quite good. Not that memorable but there were definitely hummable songs. The performers were wonderful. It was a cutesy feel good musical and it kept me awake.
The big plus for me was seeing Diana DeGarmo from American Idol. She didn't really have any big solo numbers in the show but when she sang, she CAN sing! She definitely hit a lot of money notes tonight.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Monty Python's Spamalot
Tonight's show was Monty Python's Spamalot. I wasn't really planning on watching this show on this trip. However, it was at TKTS when I went there after work. This is a popular show on Broadway and in my past trips, tickets for this show has been kind of hard to come by so when I saw it on the TKTS board at 50% off, naturally, I decided to watch it.
I had a wonderful seat. It was dead center on the first row of the Mezzanine. There were no heads blocking my view at all. I would call them god seats! The stage was close enough to see the facial expression of the performers. Gotta love going to shows alone. I always, always manage to get really good seats (yeah, I forgot to mention that at SA last night, I was sitting on the 4th row. Close enough to see the facial expressions and far enough to not have spit landing on me but yeah, I was seeing spit flying all over the place!).
Spamalot is an enjoyable show. Lots of laughs -- lots of good jokes. It is a silly show. I was laughing during the show. However, after the show, I kind of felt a little bit disappointed and wished that I had picked something else. The performers were good. However, I love musicals that have good musical scores. Spamalot came up short in this area for me. I don't really feel compelled to go buy the soundtrack. There was one hummable song in the entire score -- Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. I thought it had more of a variety show feel to it than theatre. They're opening up in Las Vegas and I can see that it probably would appeal to people visiting there.
Well, at least I know what it's all about. If I had to rank it on the list of musicals that I've seen, it'll be towards the bottom. Not really my type of musical and seeing it once is enough for me. It left me wanting more -- a LOT more than it could offer.
I had a wonderful seat. It was dead center on the first row of the Mezzanine. There were no heads blocking my view at all. I would call them god seats! The stage was close enough to see the facial expression of the performers. Gotta love going to shows alone. I always, always manage to get really good seats (yeah, I forgot to mention that at SA last night, I was sitting on the 4th row. Close enough to see the facial expressions and far enough to not have spit landing on me but yeah, I was seeing spit flying all over the place!).
Spamalot is an enjoyable show. Lots of laughs -- lots of good jokes. It is a silly show. I was laughing during the show. However, after the show, I kind of felt a little bit disappointed and wished that I had picked something else. The performers were good. However, I love musicals that have good musical scores. Spamalot came up short in this area for me. I don't really feel compelled to go buy the soundtrack. There was one hummable song in the entire score -- Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. I thought it had more of a variety show feel to it than theatre. They're opening up in Las Vegas and I can see that it probably would appeal to people visiting there.
Well, at least I know what it's all about. If I had to rank it on the list of musicals that I've seen, it'll be towards the bottom. Not really my type of musical and seeing it once is enough for me. It left me wanting more -- a LOT more than it could offer.
Spring Awakening
I love Spring Awakening!
I went to watch it last night. I had very high expectations for this show since I'm familiar with the songs and love the sound track (I bought the soundtrack when it came out since it had good reviews plus I wasn't too sure if I could make a trip to NY before it closes). It was very interesting hearing the songs in the context of the story. I really knew nothing about the story.
The show did not disappoint. From the moment Lea Michele stepped on stage, the show had my attention. The cast was wonderful -- especially Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher and Lea Michele. The cast in this show is very young but very talented and each of them deserved to be on Broadway.
The set was very minimalistic. Pretty much there was no special effects that would distract your attention from the story. The story kind of lacked some type of cohesiveness. There were several concurrent tracks based on the characters of the show. It pretty much was about teen angst and growing up in an era where free thinking was being frowned upon. SA was very different from the typical musicals wherein the characters would be having a conversation and then all of a sudden, they would bust out into a song and a dance. The songs were more of the inner monologues of the characters and what they thought about the situation at hand. It had a little bit of similarity with Dead Poets Society. Notable songs for me were the following: B*itch of a Living, My Junk, Totally F*ucked, Left Behind.
Check out the "Bitch of a Living" video below from the show.
More clips and sample music on the SA myspace page.
It might not be the kind of musical that you would take a prude to. There is onstage nudity however it was done very tastefully and pretty much in the context of the story.
I went to watch it last night. I had very high expectations for this show since I'm familiar with the songs and love the sound track (I bought the soundtrack when it came out since it had good reviews plus I wasn't too sure if I could make a trip to NY before it closes). It was very interesting hearing the songs in the context of the story. I really knew nothing about the story.
The show did not disappoint. From the moment Lea Michele stepped on stage, the show had my attention. The cast was wonderful -- especially Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher and Lea Michele. The cast in this show is very young but very talented and each of them deserved to be on Broadway.
The set was very minimalistic. Pretty much there was no special effects that would distract your attention from the story. The story kind of lacked some type of cohesiveness. There were several concurrent tracks based on the characters of the show. It pretty much was about teen angst and growing up in an era where free thinking was being frowned upon. SA was very different from the typical musicals wherein the characters would be having a conversation and then all of a sudden, they would bust out into a song and a dance. The songs were more of the inner monologues of the characters and what they thought about the situation at hand. It had a little bit of similarity with Dead Poets Society. Notable songs for me were the following: B*itch of a Living, My Junk, Totally F*ucked, Left Behind.
Check out the "Bitch of a Living" video below from the show.
More clips and sample music on the SA myspace page.
It might not be the kind of musical that you would take a prude to. There is onstage nudity however it was done very tastefully and pretty much in the context of the story.
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