help needed :)

[estupido24]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:11am

Hi everyone!

I live in Tel Aviv and I only get to visit the city every 2 years, I want to use your advice on what not to miss while Im visting. 

I already saw: Aladdin, Beautiful, Chicago, Wicked, Book of mormon, Kinky boots, The lion king,Phantom of the opera.

I obviusly want to see Hamilotn, but I've been out of the loop for a really long time so I could use your help with what to see/not see while I'm there.

This Message board has allways been helpful and I trust what you guys say so please help :)

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:18am

So glad you'll be able to make it to the city soon! Could you give us a little more info, such as how many shows you'll be able to see in total, and what your preferences/favorites have been?

[estupido24]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:24am

I would wanna see at least 5-6 shows.

I liked them all but Kinky boots, Book of mormon and Beautiful were the best ones.

I Was wondering about the following shows:

Amelie, Cats, Come from away, Dear Evan Hansen,Hello, Dolly!, In Transit, Miss Saigon,On Your Feet,Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George,Sunset Boulevard,Waitress 

any advice?

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:36am

estupido24 said: "I Was wondering about the following shows:

Amelie, Cats, Come from away, Dear Evan Hansen,Hello, Dolly!, In Transit, Miss Saigon,On Your Feet,Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George,Sunset Boulevard,Waitress "

I'd say the obvious ones you could remove from this list are: Cats (never liked it), In Transit (unless you come soon, this choice will be made for you), and On Your Feet (didn't see it, can't seem to rustle up the desire to do so).

Of the remaining ones, I'd say:

Hello Dolly and Sunset are both star turns that are not to be missed. Sunset is really just Glenn Close owning the stage with a massive orchestra. And beyond Bette, it seems like every element beyond her just adds more and more to make it great.

Dear Evan Hansen and Great Comet are also some of my favorites this season, as both are original (technically, sure, Great Comet is based on 70 pages of War and Peace, but what they did with it is so novel...). They couldn't be any different beyond that, though, with Comet going for a brash spectacle that dovetails into something special, whereas Hansen is a cautionary tale with humor, pathos, and heart that is really moving audiences.

School of Rock is a lot of fun. So, if you are stacking the deck with a lot of heavy shows and dramas, that would be a good palate cleanser. It's not very deep, but it's got charm for days.

And Waitress is just a delight. Sara's songs are just beautiful, and if you're coming in the next few weeks, you can even see her onstage singing them, which is an extra treat.

I didn't see Come from Away, Sunday, Saigon, or Amelie yet.

[Chicken_Flavor]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:38am

You should try to see Dear Evan Hansen as one of your choices! It's is truly amazing. It's extremely popular and everyone is dying to see it. It has a wonderful cast, memorable songs, and it'll make you feel a lot of emotions. (crying)

 

Also I have to agree with you that Book of Mormon was one of the best ones.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:39am

Given those shows and in my humble opinion...

You can totally forget about On Your Feet and In Transit. I also don't really think Cats is worth it for you with this trip.

Hello, Dolly! and Dear Evan Hansen are two of this season's biggest hits, and you'd have to act fast to get tickets. I wasn't the biggest DEH fan, but there are lots of people who'll tell you otherwise.

I am a massive Great Comet fan and would highly recommend it. Of the remaining shows, I'd probably tell you to go with Sunday in the Park with George (also act fast for tickets), Sunset Boulevard, Amélie, Miss Saigon, and Hello, Dolly!, if you can score seats. Otherwise, Waitress and School of Rock are both very good, solid shows. 

[estupido24]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:52am

Thank you all so much! really!

[ameleigh]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 12:02pm

estupido24 said: "

I would wanna see at least 5-6 shows.

I liked them all but Kinky boots, Book of mormon and Beautiful were the best ones.

I Was wondering about the following shows:

Amelie, Cats, Come from away, Dear Evan Hansen,Hello, Dolly!, In Transit, Miss Saigon,On Your Feet,Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George,Sunset Boulevard,Waitress 

any advice?

 

"

My recommendations: Amelie is a DEFINITE yes in my option! You HAVE to see Dear Evan Hansen, it's just incredible! Great Comet is really good, and the staging/lighting are really something magical. Sunset is also fantastic.

I found Sunday in the Park to be HIGHLY overrated. 

Some of the others on your list I haven't seen. I also want to see Hello Dolly and Miss Saigon.

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 5:18pm

estupido24 said:

Amelie, Cats, Come from away, Dear Evan Hansen,Hello, Dolly!, In Transit, Miss Saigon,On Your Feet,Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George,Sunset Boulevard,Waitress 

any advice?"

In terms of ticket demand, the hottest shows right now are Dear Evan Hansen and Hello Dolly! I haven't seen any discount codes for either show for the next few months.

I've seen the remainder of the shows on TKTS at 40% or 50% off the day of performance so you can make your decision once you're in NYC. My advice is to get tix in advance for DEH or Hello Dolly if you can or try to get cancellation/SRO for them.

[hellobroadway]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 10:58pm

Hello Dolly will change your life. GO SEE IT. I saw The Great Comet last night...my group of 5 thought it was terrible. 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 3:01am

Sunset BLVD is the best show on B'way now.

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 5:38am

Seems like now you have to see Comet, just to see which side of the divide you're on... brilliant or horrible?!

[wendy72]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 8:42am

Given your history of show choices, and the one you've listed as your favorites, it seems you gravitate towards the more mainstream shows (absolutely nothing wrong with that! They're all great shows). Because of that I'm not sure I would recommend the outside-the-box quirky/weird shows I love this season like Amelie, Comet, and Dear Evan Hansen, (or Come From Away, which I haven't seen yet). You might be more pleased with more "mainstream" fare like Hello Dolly (hard to get tickets!), Saigon, Waitress, and even School of Rock is terrific fun. Absolutely no judgment here, just trying to think about what you'd actually enjoy! :) Good luck!

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 2:50pm

estupido24 said: "I Was wondering about the following shows:

Amelie, Cats, Come from away, Dear Evan Hansen,Hello, Dolly!, In Transit, Miss Saigon,On Your Feet,Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George,Sunset Boulevard,Waitress"

From your list, I've seen Cats, Miss Saigon (in London, but the same production), The Great Comet, School of Rock, Sunday in the Park, and Sunset Boulevard.

If you've never seen Cats but have always wanted to, go while it's there; otherwise, you can probably skip this one without any regrets. It has some catchy songs, shiny costumes, a whimsical set, and great choreography, but in the end there simply is no point. If you're looking for a story, you won't find it here.

Miss Saigon is an epic show from the era of epic British musicals (which happens to be my favorite genre). While I don't feel that the score is as uniformly memorable as those of some of its peers, it does include several notable pieces (I particularly like This Is The Hour and Kim's Nightmare) and overall I like it better than Les Miserables. The story is dark, gritty, and full of passion and inevitable tragedy. The production is magnificent and the infamous helicopter scene is effectively harrowing.

The Great Comet is, to me, something of a musical blitzkrieg. It employs "immersive staging" (i.e., not a traditional proscenium stage) with much of the audience seated among the performers. The cast is quite large and they spend a lot of time scattered throughout the entire house in various combinations to depict individual tableaux. The score is at times frenetic and loud with many people singing at once, and discerning the lyrics being sung by a specific individual can be challenging. The opening number is intended to serve the purpose of acquainting the audience with the main characters, but it's a spirited song that is hammered out quickly, so I highly recommend brushing up on the story beforehand. There is only one song (Charming) that I could dependably recall afterwards. I paid full price for a front orchestra (insomuch as there is one) seat, and while I could perhaps be convinced to see the show again with some prodding, I would not pay for premium seating again to do so.

School of Rock is a family-friendly show with a cast that includes an astoundingly talented group of young children who all play and sing their respective parts live (when the lights go down, the recorded voice of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber makes an announcement to this effect before the show starts). It's a fairly familiar story of a ne'er-do-well who stumbles into a situation that enables him to redeem himself by inspiring the aforementioned children to embrace their true passions, regardless of whatever paths their respective parents might have already laid out for them. The only fresh element here is the somewhat unexpected inclusion of a child with same-sex parents. It's a lively, fun way to spend a couple of hours, but I doubt you'll remember the experience for long after.

Sunday in the Park with George is an intentionally minimalist revival (there's little more than a bare stage to look at) with a perhaps less-than-intentionally minimalist score. To me, this show often felt more like a play with background music than a musical, per se. The relatively few numbers that seemed like full-fledged songs were beautiful; otherwise, I didn't feel that the music took the story anywhere that dialogue couldn't. The most notable exceptions are the act one choral closer, Sunday, and its reprise at the end of the show, which are exquisitely affecting. While this may sound like a negative critique, it's not intended to be so. Mr. Gyllenhaal can act and sing, and I very much enjoyed the show; given the opportunity, I would definitely see it again. If you go, avoid the first few rows in the orchestra (I sat in the second row), as your view of a quite dazzling visual effect in act two will be seriously impaired. I believe the mezzanine would be preferable for this particular production.

Sunset Boulevard is another revival that's also been described as "minimally staged", but this is only true in comparison to the opulent sets of the original production from the 90s (there's much more of a set here than in Sunday). This production relies on the concept of a movie studio soundstage, which allows the same basic set pieces (essentially a network of industrial stairways, platforms, and trusses) to remain onstage at all times. Smaller props (e.g., a sofa, a desk, cafe tables and chairs, etc.) are moved on and off by the cast as required for each scene. The other major onstage piece is the orchestra, which is large and situated upstage, beneath the rear catwalk. The music from that orchestra is by turns grand, romantic, mournful, and even sinister, but it's always glorious. The ensemble is strong and the roles of the key supporting characters (Joe, Max, and Betty) are effectively realized and sung. But, make no mistake, this is a star vehicle and virtually everyone is there to see Glenn Close. At 70 years old, she sings, dances - and most importantly, acts - almost non-stop for 2 hours and 40 minutes (not to mention the workout of ascending and descending those famous staircases countless times throughout). I've seen this production twice already and will be going back at least once (perhaps twice) more before the limited run ends. I've also paid for "premium" seats every time and have no regrets.

Whatever shows you choose, enjoy them!

Updated On: 3/21/17 at 02:50 PM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 3:55pm

estupido24 said: "

I would wanna see at least 5-6 shows.

I liked them all but Kinky boots, Book of mormon and Beautiful were the best ones.

I Was wondering about the following shows:

Amelie, Cats, Come from away, Dear Evan Hansen,Hello, Dolly!, In Transit, Miss Saigon,On Your Feet,Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George,Sunset Boulevard,Waitress 

any advice?

 I would knock out Cats and On Your Feet immediately based on your preferences. 

Based on those shows I would put Hello Dolly at the top of the list with Great Comet and Waitress as slightly different choices that I think you might still enjoy. They're a little more challenging in their ways but you get spectacle and humor at Great Comet which seems to appeal to you and heart and a score I think you'd like at Waitress. You might also really like School of Rock if you don't mind young performers but I haven't seen it. 

Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard, and Sunday in the Park with George might be a little more serious than what you're looking to see but you'd have to make that call for yourself. Maybe try listening to some of the original albums since they're all available. 

I can't speak on Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, and Amelie as I haven't seen them. Though I think they don't have much in common with the three shows you named. 

In Transit is not a bad choice but with all the other shows, I think there are better options. It is lighter fare and I think it has a kind of popular appeal. If the serious shows all don't appeal to you, I'd consider it. 

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 6:07pm

Dear Evan Hansen, The Great Comet, and Waitress are some of my favorite things I've seen recently. I'm also desperately sad I'm missing Sunday in the Park, it looks beautiful, so I'd say go with that as well. :) 

[jonah3500]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 6:15pm

You can also get tickets to DEH by waiting for 6 hours in the freezing cold to see it for $42