Show Options next week?

[nanillo17]

Posted: 1/27/15 at 12:26am

Hey all, I'm headed out east for work next week, 2/4-2/8, and decided to make it another Broadway week to catch some shows I didn't get to see in the fall. I have a few must sees and am hoping to catch between 6-8 shows depending on my schedule. I have 4-5 must sees and am trying to decide on what to catch if one of those don't pan out or I have extra time.

Must sees:
Curious Incident
Disgraced
Let The Right One In
Chicago (my mom played Sugarland nonstop a few years back so I need to see Jennifer Nettles, plus I've never seen the show - two birds, one stone)
Hedwig with JCM (saw it with MCH but need to see JCM hopefully in one of the 10PM shows)


Potential options:
Beautiful (I'm torn because I'm seeing this as part of a subscription package later in the year but feel like I should watch it for Jessie)
Hamilton (unlikely I'll get a ticket, but I will be entering lotteries as many times as possible)
Aladdin (love Disney but not getting a "must see" vibe for this one so not jumping to the top)
A Delicate Balance (I was very excited about this cast but it seems like overall feel for it is lukewarm at best, is it worth seeing?)
Or I could go see some of my faves from the fall again: Matilda, On The Town or You Can't Take It With You


If anyone has any thoughts or recommendations on other shows to see (Off Broadway thoughts?) they would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/27/15 at 12:34am

Then She Fell, Let The Right One In, Every Brilliant Thing, Nevermore.

[JPeterman]

Posted: 1/27/15 at 12:54am

You have probably already figured this out, but if you are interested in seeing both Disgraced and Hedwig, and you are trying to see as many shows as possible, definitely see Disgraced on a Friday or Saturday at 8 pm, and then Hedwig at 10 pm the same night. The shows are 1 block away from each other. We did that this past Saturday night. After seeing Disgraced at the Lyceum, we got to the Belasco at 9:35 pm, just as they were letting the line of people start to enter the theatre.

I liked A Delicate Balance more than most on this board seemed to. I enjoyed the acting more than the play itself, all of the actors were excellent.

Hedwig with JCM is fantastic, don't miss it. He is definitely the most well-rounded of all 4 of the Hedwigs.

Curious Incident is my favorite play I saw this past year ... a must see.

I do not see much off Broadway, but regarding other Broadway shows that are newer that you may not have seen .... I would recommend Honeymoon In Vegas. It was a fun night at the theatre. A nice balance to Disgraced.









Updated On: 1/27/15 at 12:54 AM

[BwayinVan]

Posted: 1/27/15 at 1:08am

What Jessie Mueller does as Carole King is something that cannot be missed. Go see Beautiful. It was a wonderful night at the theatre. Yes it's going on tour but who's to say that Jessie is too.

[Susanswerphone]

Posted: 1/27/15 at 5:44am

JPeterman is right about Disgraced and Hedwig. Same night, back-to-back is your best option.
With so many other options, I wouldn't waste time on shows you've already seen.
If your want other OB recommendations in addition to your must-see:
Between Riverside and Crazy
A Month in the Country
I'm Gonna Pray for You So Hard

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 1/27/15 at 10:22pm

I would second "Between Riverside and Crazy". Heard nothing but good things about it and Stephen McKinley Henderson is a fine actor.

[nanillo17]

Posted: 1/28/15 at 12:06am

Thanks for the help so far, so many new options to add/pick from. The Disgraced/Hedwig double header was definitely the plan, need to figure out if Fri or Sat.

I'll bump Beautiful up to must see and am intrigued by a few other options - Then She Fell, Every Brilliant Thing and Between Riverside and Crazy. Now need to figure out how I can maximize shows per day, haha.

I wanted to see if there was a way I could do Let The Right One In with the 10:30pm Then She Fell since they're in Brooklyn but it seems too risky on timing and wouldn't want to lose my ticket if I tried and failed.

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 1/28/15 at 12:08am

I second Beautiful. The show is amazing, and Jessie Mueller is phenomenal. When the tour hits L.A. I'm just not sure if there is any way I can see it again though. As good as it is, Mueller has spoiled me for this show. It would be hard to see it without her, to be honest.

Beautiful would definitely get my vote, if for no other reason but to see her tour de force performance.

I'm with you on the Disney thing. Worked for Disney for years out here in California, and I still love the place and cling to the magic and philosophy that Walt stood for in his park.

Because of that though, I wanted to see Aladdin. Just out of curiosity.

It was very good.

But then again, I couldn't help but think that it should've been. Disney has a gazillion dollars. They should have the best costumes, sets, etc. The show should be perfect from top to bottom.

Still, Beautiful and Bullets Over Broadway were the standouts for me. Gentleman's Guide was very good, too. As was Cinderella. Of the shows I saw I would probably put Aladdin third or maybe fourth with Beautiful first and Bullets second.

Now I have my own dilemma. in NYC the first week of April. The shows will be flourishing, but unfortunately I won't be able to see all the ones I want to see. I'll have to choose four or five from the following: On the Town, The Visit, American in Paris, On the Twentieth Century, Finding Neverland and Gigi. Would like to see them all, but won't be in the city long enough.
Updated On: 1/28/15 at 12:08 AM

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/28/15 at 12:18am

Is seeing Hedwig only one time enough?

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 1/28/15 at 12:35am

Though I respect Blaxx, I'd offer a dissenting opinion re THEN SHE FELL. Compared to the thrills of SLEEP NO MORE, we found THEN SHE FELL excruciating to endure, and couldn't wait to get out of there. Amateurly acted, minimally designed, leaning heavily on the so-called attractions of the one-on-one experience, we found it a wan imitation of the spellbinding dream states created at SLEEP NO MORE.

Just a word of dissent amidst all the raves you'll read elsewhere.

[nanillo17]

Posted: 1/28/15 at 4:20pm

Thanks for the input, I really want to go to Sleep No More but want to go with a few friends as I feel like I'd want to compare experiences with folks. For this trip I'm going by myself and Then She Fell felt more like something I could go to by myself. Not sure if it'll work out with my itinerary but if it does I might give it a shot.

haterobics, you're totally right, seeing Hedwig once is not enough. This will be my 2nd time and I wouldn't say no to going again if I'm back in the city before it's done.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 1/28/15 at 4:34pm

I really liked Aladdin, I'm sure odds are that's gonna be touring within the next couple of years. However, if I had to chose, Beautiful with Jessie Mueller!

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 1/28/15 at 4:42pm

nanillo, I've done Sleep No More by myself several times and actually found it much more thrilling. I went with a friend one time and we hardly saw each other, but when we did (she had purple hair at the time so she was easy to spot) it almost took me out of the moment a little bit. I would highly, highly recommend Sleep No More...there's also a pretty active online presence/community for fans of the show if you're interested in discussing it with people afterwards. Some of them are a bit nutty and obsessive but they were super helpful when I needed assistance figuring out a one-on-one the last time I went. :)

[nanillo17]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 10:48pm

Thanks again for all of the suggestions, I just got back from my trip last night and saw 8 shows total so figured I'd share my thoughts on them.

Tue PM (Chicago) - This is one of those shows for me that I used to think "I'll watch it eventually" but, like Phantom with Norm, I went to see it out of interest for casting and I'm glad I did. My initial draw was Jennifer Nettles (one of the few country voices I enjoy) but I left in awe, and a new fan, of Carly! I thought both were great but Carly's attitude was perfectly Velma and it left me wishing I'd seen her in Pippin because I'm sure she slayed that role. Overall I did enjoy the show, it's fairly bare bones relative to others but it works remarkably well and the performances were really good all around, with Carly as the clear standout for me.

Wed Matinee (Curious Incident...) - It took two tries for me to finish the book so I wasn't originally rushing to see this but I really enjoyed the use of the stage in this show as well as Alex's performance. It's such a physical demanding role and he was great in it. It was particularly rewarding seeing how certain elements of the book were handled, like the subway/train station scenes. The buildup of the train set near the end of the first act was a great scene as well.

Wed PM (Beautiful) - I'd gone to the previous two performances and left as Jessie was not in so I was glad when third time was the charm and she was in. Overall the show was good, not amazing, and had a lot of great songs but really the performances were what made it. Jessie was wonderful, as expected, I love her voice and the way she feels the music as she sings it was great. Having said that, I came away as a major fan of Anika Larsen, totally loved her performance. Her and Jarrod had great chemistry together and with Jessie. Scott Campbell is by no means bad but I felt he was easily the weak link in the cast. One of my favorite moments actually came at intermission when I saw, and made eye contact with, Jessica Keenan Wynn whom I absolutely loved in Heathers last year. It seems she was brushing up on the show getting ready for next month so that was a nice surprise for me.

Thu PM (Let The Right One In) - I knew going in that I would likely enjoy this show but it was all I ever thought and more. It began and "Old Skin" by Olafur Arnalds was playing so I knew the tone it was going for right there. The music and movement in certain scenes of the show were mesmerizing for me, they created such a good ambiance that felt perfect for the piece. As I discussed with my seat neighbor at intermission, I wouldn't necessarily call it dancing but more like lyrical movement and it was so affecting and well done. It made me feel something inside when I was watching, I love it when theater does that. The performances were great all around, Rebecca Benson was excellent as Eli - her intonation, movement and looks were haunting. I love that the piece also had us on the edge of our seats, I jumped, sat back and grimaced in a variety of scenes. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

It's been a long day so I'll post my thoughts on the other 4 shows tomorrow!