kade.ivy's New Year's Week Broadway Bonanza

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 12/24/16 at 11:07pm

Hi all,

I've posted a few questions about particular shows and getting around Manhattan, alluding to the Broadway binge I have planned for this upcoming week. Several of you have kindly asked for my list of shows (and post-show reports), so I thought I'd start a thread, even though I feel very slimy and self-important.

Here's my schedule:

Tuesday, 12/27

2:00 PM - Fiddler on the Roof

7:00 PM - Hamilton

Wednesday, 12/28

2:00 PM - The Front Page

7:30 PM - Sweet Charity

Thursday, 12/29

1:00 PM - Aladdin

7:00 PM - Dear Evan Hansen

Friday, 12/30

11:00 AM - Rockettes (but only if they CHOOSE to perform for me)

2:00 PM - Waitress

8:00 PM - School of Rock

Needless to say, I'm SOOO excited about this trip, and can't wait to share it with all of you! 

Cheers, and Merry Christmas! 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 12/24/16 at 11:43pm

Impressive! Looking forward to hear your thoughts. 

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 11:29pm

All,

With the exhaustion that followed my trip, returning to the real world, and school starting back, I haven't had time to post reviews of my trip. Now I'm making the time, and I'm excited to share my thoughts with you all. First, I'll say that the trip was absolutely perfect. We couldn't have asked for anything better! Now, on to the shows.

FIDDLER - Tuesday matinee. I was surprised and disappointed that Danny Burstein was out during the holidays AND during the show's final week. I seriously considered getting a refund for a few moments. I can only assume something personal was up, as I think he was in the show the rest of the week. At any rate, we decided to stay, as I was still excited to see Judy Kuhn, Adam Kantor, Al Silber, Sam Massell, and Melanie Moore. I'm so glad we did! Adam Grupper was excellent as Tevye, and the production was very timely and moving. This was my first exposure to Fiddler (never seen it onstage or on film), and it did not disappoint. Judy Kuhn received mixed reviews on this board, but I thought she was excellent, as were the other actors I was excited to see and listed above. 

HAMILTON - Tuesday evening. The room was electric: everyone was genuinely excited to just be there, including us. I knew the music by heart, so I had expectations going in. Hamilton is a masterpiece, but it is not without its flaws in lyrics and direction. I was very impressed with Javier Munoz and found him to be a better singer than LMM (based on the cast album). Lexi Lawson was also excellent and made me cry during the final number. BVD and Mandy Gonzalez were in excellent vocal form, but I couldn't help but feel like they and the rest of the principal cast besides Javi and Lexi seemed a bit bored and mechanical (the ensemble was AMAZING). They sounded excellent but didn't seem passionate about the story they were telling. At any rate, we still enjoyed it immensely. The biggest thing I gained from seeing it live was an appreciation for the choreography. This is one of the few shows I've seen where I was genuinely interested in what the ensemble was doing, if that makes sense! 

THE FRONT PAGE - Wednesday matinee. After a delightful lunch at Sardi's, we get in line only to be informed that Nathan Lane is out of the performance. It's not a great record for leading men, I thought to myself. A quick look at TKTS showed that no other shows were available at that point so we decide against a refund and decide to enjoy the show and the rest of the cast. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my Playbill to see that Lane's cover was Tony winner Michael McGrath (not listed in the playbill at all, surprisingly). I LOVED THIS SHOW. I know the first act has been ridiculed on this board, but I quite enjoyed the exposition and found myself laughing several times. Jefferson Mays was HILARIOUS! Slattery was surprisingly funny, as were John Goodman and Robert Morse. I thought McGrath's performance was solid; it definitely seemed like he was emulating Lane in many ways. I've never seen Nathan Lane live, but based on the films I've seen him in, I could definitely imagine him delivering lines similar to the way McGrath delivered them if that makes sense. I hope this production is remembered come awards season-maybe Featured Actor noms for Goodman, Morse, or Mays? 

SWEET CHARITY - Wednesday evening. I had already decided that if Sutton was out, we were seeing something else this night. Luckily she was in the show and in prime form. I've admired her for years, and it was such a treat to see her live for the first time. She can do more with a phrase or even a facial expression than many actors can do with a whole song. So incredible and fun to watch. Every minute in Mr. V's apartment was glorious! One of the best performances I've ever seen on a stage! Also enjoyed Shuler Hensley. I hope this production has a future life, but I don't really see it working anywhere other than Circle in the Square. I would KILL for a cast recording! 

 

ALADDIN - Thursday matinee. This was a repeat for me from 2 years ago. I loved it the first time I saw it but this time...meh. I guess doing a show for 3 years can make you bored. The whole cast was in excellent vocal form, but it seemed like they were just going through the motions at many points in the show. The only exception was James M. Iglehart, but even he seemed to have less energy than when I saw it before. I think part of it may also have been that I saw the show in the middle of 3 consecutive 2 show days. At any rate, I'm still a huge fan of the cast and am thrilled that Adam Jacobs is doing the tour! 

 

DEAR EVAN HANSEN - Thursday evening. This is one of the best things I've ever seen on a stage. My favorite of the trip. Heartbreaking, moving, touching. Seeing Platt's performance the night after Sutton's made me realize that on this trip I saw probably two of the best performances of anything I'll ever see. I don't want to repeat the praise he's received already, but his performance is a masterpiece, as is the show itself. There isn't a weak link in the whole cast. Rachel Bay Jones broke my heart, and Laura Dreyfuss stole my heart! Michael Park and Jennifer Laura Thompson were excellent-I also wish JLT had a song! I know we're only halfway through the season, but I don't see anyone topping Platt for Best Actor, and I'd call Jones the frontrunner for Featured Actress. I'd also love to see Dreyfuss sneak in as a dark horse nominee! As far as the other major awards (Musical, Score, Book), with its presumed main competition being Great Comet (which I didn't see), I think it will come down to voter taste and preference between two extraordinary but different shows. Can't wait for the cast album! 

Rockettes - Friday morning. We had a slot, my mom loves them, and it was Radio City Music Hall! Super fun to be in that space, and the Rockettes amaze me. 

WAITRESS - Friday matinee. Well, I didn't expect to cry at this show. This was probably my second-favorite after Evan Hansen. Jessie Mueller is a revelation. One of the best we have in the musical theatre. Caitlin Houlahan was also excellent-a great rising star! I saw her in the Bridges tour early last year, so to see her making her Broadway debut was exciting, and she's doing great work! 

 

SCHOOL OF ROCK - Friday evening. We ended things by pledging allegiance to the band. Tons of fun. As ALW himself said, it doesn't change the Western musical as we know it, but it has some catchy songs! I thought Eric Petersen was solid, and Jenn Gambatese is giving an excellent performance. The kids, of course, blew my mind. I am a bit puzzled as to why there is a Dewey alternate, though, as I don't see that role as any more taxing than, say, Evan Hansen or Jenna in Waitress, where I assume Platt and Mueller are doing 8 shows a week. At any rate, I was happy to see Petersen, whom I saw years ago on the Shrek tour, in a starring role on Broadway! 

All in all, it was a dream trip, and I can't wait to return! Already planning a Summer 2018 trip to see Potter, Frozen, and, if I'm lucky, the new Sondheim musical and Cranston in Damn Yankees!