Went back tonight-- the show closes tomorrow. Audience response was tumultuous, and I understand why: even with the weaknesses (heavy-handedness, implausibility, similarity to other shows) this is a very very successful production, with great performances, inventive staging and a score that has a lot of wonderful moments. I had seen one of the early previews and loved it, but committed to going back before it closed...Jerry Mitchell seemed to have ti
Saw it last Saturday night and loved it. Yes, it has some of the same themes as THE PROM, and it echoes BILLY ELLIOTT a lot, but it has a fantastic energy all its own. I really liked the score a lot (the songs called out by the other folks on this thread are all indeed strong-- lovely and funny), and the show is staged beautifully. The lead performers are wonderful (The young lead is particularly fantastic). I will go back before the end of t
I just re-read some of the main LA reviews (LA Times and Variety) and, while they weren't raves, they were the kind of out-of-town reviews that would still encourage you to work on a show. Far from "so bad it's good". Reviewers liked the score a lot and felt there were lots of good things in the production. The book, though, really needed work (I agree-- and as much as I loved the version I saw in Atlanta, I admit the book needed much att
I saw the Atlanta production 5 or 6 years ago-- at the Alliance-- and loved it. The score was beautiful, the story was quite interesting (and true) and I would have sworn it was going to Broadway. I actually went back to see it several times during its run...I thought it was quite powerful.
You can, indeed, hear several of the songs on Manilow's Scores album, and I'd recommend them, though they are immensely more meaningful
I really enjoyed the show, and thought the Broadway leads were hilarious. Laughed throughout and went back to see it again.
That said: the choreography felt overdone and the dancing was....strenuous. It's a talented group up there, but the relentless dance moves only seemed to point out that this 'backwards' Indiana high school evidently was very, very multicultural....and was seemingly populated with people in their mid-to-late 20s
will echo the sentiment that David Garrison's JOE was something special. I didn't love the production but I did find things inside it that i DID love: Garrison's JOE, Andrea Burn's brilliant IT'S AN ART, and the Burns/Munoz duet on the Miranda song A VERY GOOD DAY. The show is problematic for me-- too disjointed and lacking power except on a few of the choral numbers (and above-mentioned ones), and this staging didn't address
The MOST meta of all meta songs has to be THE SONG THAT GOES LIKE THIS from SPAMALOT.
I would also include WITH ONE LOOK from SUNSET BLVD
There are entire shows that are built on a Meta foundation: SPAMALOT, BOOK OF MORMON and SOMETHING ROTTEN all constantly comment on themselves and the conventions of Broadway and actors. I happen to love MORMON, get a kick out of SPAMALOT...and, well, there's SOMETHING ROTTEN.
Wonderful. Can hardly wait. I scrolled down the responses expecting to see the usual mix of wariness and skepticism and dismissiveness and .... well, it mostly generated excitement and anticipation. They made a spot that even Fosse would have loved. I am very hopeful for this and will be ready and waiting this April!
I try to see every Alliance musical production and have been everything from thrilled (HARMONY) to deeply underwhelmed (BULL DURHAM, GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY and AIDA). There have been a bunch of crowdpleasers that I've just enjoyed (THE PROM, SISTER ACT) and a few that I was convinced could eventually become good -- but didn't (BRING IT ON). I'll be in the audience in a few weeks for EVER AFTER.
IN THE HEIGHTS was indeed underrated during its Broadway run, including by ME. During its Broadway run, I saw it, was underwhelmed and thought it was too crowded, too episodic and way too schematic. In this case, though, I think the production itself was responsible for under-delivering on what is really a brilliant show.
I have subsequently seen several high school, college and regional productions of the show and realize it's a big, beautiful, he
I've been going to shows for 40+ years so I've had a lot of great experiences. This year I had three of particular note:
-- ENCORES presentation of GRAND HOTEL, which was transporting
-- Serenbe Playhouse (outside of Atlanta) production this summer of TITANIC (when the enormous cast assembled at the end of the show to deliver that final number-- as the ghosts of the passengers who lived and died-- I thought it might be favorite moment during a performa
Just saw it tonight and have to agree with all the enthusiasm. It's wonderful. Great performances, great staging, great band.... and makes you appreciate this fantastic show in a whole new way. Whole cast delivers, especially Skybell, who re-defines Tevya for me. It's a brilliant, grounded, real portrayal I won't ever forget. Loved this production beyond words. Joel Grey deserves kudos for brilliant directi
SomethingPeculiar said "The first production was by an a-list musical theatre director at a major regional theatre (Kathleen Marshall/Papermill), but –– with all due respect –– the new director and theatre are not quite on the same level of notoriety (Susan Booth/Alliance)."
Uh, with all due respect, that's a strange comment. Both Papermill and The Alliance are first-rate regional theatres. I'm very familiar
There are two shows I've seen regional productions of that should have made it to Broadway:
WINDY CITY, the musical version of THE FRONT PAGE that was a hit on the West End. Saw a good production at Papermill in the 1980s...and I LOVE that score.
and HARMONY, Barry Manilow's musical about a true-life singing group in pre-WW2 Germany. Saw the Alliance Theatre's gorgeous production a few years ago and thought it was powerful,
forgot about HOW NOW DOW JONES and its delightful songs, esp "Gawk Tousle and Shucks".... and DEAR WORLD's really lovely numbers mentioned in other posts
and "I Don't Remember You" from THE HAPPY TIME is great-- I just have never seen it so have no idea if it's a mediocre show!
I would have included the TITANIC opening number, esp since I remember disliking the original Broadway production so much, but Serenbe Playhouse's astounding production
The Kennedy Center Honors are one of the highlights of my year, and have been, well, forever. I think acknowledging an individual work like HAMILTON is smart, relevant and very deserved. I can't think of any other individual work that has had such an impact on so many aspects of our culture. And the fact that the show deals with matters of great importance to the past, present and future of our country-- and the wonderful way it has engaged so many new audi
I am sad to say this, but PRINCE OF BROADWAY. I saw it, am sure I watched the whole thing, vaguely remember a nice Tony Yazbek number and wondering why they chose the numbers they chose. I was tremendously disappointed by the show, especially because I was sure there was something more profound and exhilarating to say and show about Hal Prince's work....
...and then I saw the GREAT PERFORMANCES documentary about Prince last week and it only underlined my di
