Advice Needed

[hellobroadway]

Hi, 

I am new here. Have a trip coming up in a couple of weeks and was looking for some info to help me select my final handful of shows.

The Glass Menagerie, The Price, How to Transcend a Happy Marriage, Significant Other, Amelie, The View Upstairs, In Transit, and Present Laughter are my remaining options. I have room for 2 of them. Any suggestions/advice/thoughts on these shows would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Hi, hello! For your first pick, I would easily go with Amélie. For your second pick, I'd decide between Significant Other or Present Laughter. Those are just my two cents, given your options!

[JPeterman]

I would agree with Broadway Concierge .... Amelie and Present Laughter would be my two from that list.

I love love love Arthur Miller and I have tickets for the Price, but I haven't heard particularly good things about it so far.

I don't know if you have exhausted all off-Broadway possibilities, but Barrow Street Theatre's Sweeney Todd is really good http://www.sweeneytoddnyc.com/

I also really like most shows the Mint Theater Co. puts on.

[hellobroadway]

JPeterman said: "I would agree with Broadway Concierge .... Amelie and Present Laughter would be my two from that list.

I love love love Arthur Miller and I have tickets for the Price, but I haven't heard particularly good things about it so far.

I don't know if you have exhausted all off-Broadway possibilities, but Barrow Street Theatre's Sweeney Todd is really good http://www.sweeneytoddnyc.com/

I also really like most shows the Mint Theater Co. puts on.

 

"

I had hoped to see Sweeney Todd, but it is sold out for when I'm there unfortunately. I'm for sure leaning towards Amelie. Does anyone have any details on How to Transcend a Happy Marriage? I'm super curious about that one but can't find any reviews. 

[QueenAlice]

Sweeney tickets have been regularly popping up a couple days before each performance. You might keep the slot open as the other shows you are considering would likely be easy to get tickets to last minute.

[hellobroadway]

Should I completely rule out Glass Menagerie?

[neonlightsxo]

Yes, I would skip Glass Menagerie unless you are a mega Sam Gold or Sally Field fan. Also, skip In Transit.

[VintageSnarker]

Can you provide any information what kind of shows you prefer? If you're looking for a rough sampling of opinions, you could check out show-score. 

[hellobroadway]

VintageSnarker said: "Can you provide any information what kind of shows you prefer? If you're looking for a rough sampling of opinions, you could check out show-score. 

 

"

I like shows that could be considered "spectacles". I love celebrities, as long as the show holds up. I also prefer shows with catchy music that sticks with me. Humor is also a plus.

[haterobics]

Hopefully, The Great Comet is already on your list then?

[BroadwayConcierge]

haterobics said: "Hopefully, The Great Comet is already on your list then?"

^^^

[VintageSnarker]

hellobroadway said: I like shows that could be considered "spectacles". I love celebrities, as long as the show holds up. I also prefer shows with catchy music that sticks with me. Humor is also a plus.

Based on that you have to catch Great Comet if you haven't seen it yet. There's totally spectacle, you get Josh Groban, and relatively speaking the music is catchy. I mean, it's not like the classic musicals but there are definitely little phrases that earworm into my brain. 

I think Significant Other might be a little disappointing. In Transit really isn't about spectacle but I think there's some cleverness in how it's staged and there's some dancing. The humor varies but some jokes will land. I can't say the music is catchy though. 

Obviously I can't comment on Amelie, War Paint, and Anastasia yet but personally I'm excited for them.

I'll be seeing The View Upstairs over the weekend so I'll try to remember to report back. 

[hellobroadway]

haterobics said: "Hopefully, The Great Comet is already on your list then?

 

"

Yes, this show has already been booked for my trip! Thanks for the input so far. I'm very curious about The View Upstairs, and How to Transcend a Happy Marriage. 

[perfectlymarvelous]

How to Transcend a Happy Marriage has not opened yet, which is why there aren't reviews. 

[VintageSnarker]

There's some early word on How To Transcend A Happy Marriage on show-score and of course, on here. I would see if there are even tickets available on the night you're free though. It's a small theater and it's pretty well sold. 

[PThespian]

Hmmmmm.....humor and catchy tunes? Sounds like School of Rock to me....I dare you to walk out of the theater without "Stick It To The Man" in your head and not to laugh from opening scene to closing scene.

[jbird5]

hellobroadway said: "VintageSnarker said: "Can you provide any information what kind of shows you prefer? If you're looking for a rough sampling of opinions, you could check out show-score. 

 

"

I like shows that could be considered "spectacles". I love celebrities, as long as the show holds up. I also prefer shows with catchy music that sticks with me. Humor is also a plus.

 

"

I guess that rules out Antipodes.

[n2nbaby]

PThespian said: "Hmmmmm.....humor and catchy tunes? Sounds like School of Rock to me....I dare you to walk out of the theater without "Stick It To The Man" in your head and not to laugh from opening scene to closing scene.

 

"

I really hope you are getting paid by their publicity team.

 

[PThespian]

n2nbaby said: "PThespian said: "Hmmmmm.....humor and catchy tunes? Sounds like School of Rock to me....I dare you to walk out of the theater without "Stick It To The Man" in your head and not to laugh from opening scene to closing scene.

 

"

I really hope you are getting paid by their publicity team.

 

 

"

Feel free to suggest that to ALW. 

[brdwybuff]

Just saw Come From Away. The closing song is running through my head, although all songs were great along with the show. It would be one to consider. I'm gonna download soundtrack now!

[VintageSnarker]

OK, I'm back from The View Upstairs. Based on what you said, I think there's a chance you'd really love it. It's not spectacle on the level of some Broadway shows. There aren't big set pieces or huge dance numbers. But for a small off-Broadway theater and given the story, I think they did a pretty fantastic job with the set and the costumes and visuals. And there are a few surprises that keep up the visual interest but I don't want to spoil them. I would advise you to sit in the center center or on the immediate sides because if you're on the diagonal there are these columns that block your view. 

There aren't really celebrities unless you count Nathan Lee Graham, which I do. He was fabulous. Speaking of humor, all of his jokes landed. I can't say the same for the rest of the humor and especially the millennial jokes but maybe they'll play better with you. There are definitely some catchy numbers because a lot of the music echoes popular music more than musical theater.

I did think the set up was a little too contrived and cliched for me and the characters were a little too stereotypical so I never got to a place of real emotional depth. But I think if you know what you're getting into, it's a fun time. It's... safe. It's not very challenging material. 

[hellobroadway]

Thanks everyone for your input so far. I spoke with my traveling group this morning and I think we've decided to go with a play, since we already have so many musicals booked. It seems to be down to The Glass Menagerie or How to Transcend a Happy Marriage. What's yalls vote?

[hellobroadway]

Scratch that. Now Amelie and Significant Other are back in the mix. If you can't tell, my friends are beyond indecisive...

[wendy72]

I definitely recommend Amelie. I saw it in Berkeley and loved it, and hear it's made a lot of changes for the better. It's so beautiful and I love the music. I would have recommended Great Comet also but it sounds like you already have that on your list. Also I loved Significant Other, for what it's worth, but between the two I would go with Amelie. Good luck!