NYC Trip - Show Reviews

[laurensambrose]

I was in New York from 5/23 until 5/27, and thought instead of spamming all the threads would post a quick summary of the five shows I saw!

Hadestown: Thursday night, back of center orchestra, whole cast was on. What an absolutely spectacular show. My fiancee and I were blown away by everyone in the cast, but especially by Amber, Patrick, and Andre. The score, the direction, the LIGHTING... absolutely beautiful. Only critique is that yes, the leads characters are a little flat compared to the side ones (though Eva and Reeve were great!). Stage door was packed and I was in the far back, but everyone except Andre and Amber came out and were incredibly nice. 

Kiss Me Kate: Friday night, center front row, Hattie's understudy was on (not sure if it was her debut or not). I'll be honest, we're big Kelli O'Hara fans and this was the show that sparked this trip in the first place so I'm definitely biased but I had a great time. It may not go down as one of Kelli's legendary performances but she was lovely as Lilli/Kate. Stephanie Styles has a huge career ahead of her with a debut as great as this, Corbin Bleu is one of the most charming men alive and WOW his big tap number. The gangsters were hilarious, Hattie's understudy did GREAT, and really I loved everyone but Will Chase; it wasn't that his performance was hammy, but something about it felt so insincere. Too Darn Hot from the front row was amazing (James St. Lane actually winked at me, haha!). Stage door was probably one of the highlights of my trip - almost everyone who came out said they recognized me from the front row and said I was a super enthusiastic audience member. Kelli, Stephanie, Corbin, Tom McGowan, and James St. Lane all signed and were SO nice along with various ensemble members. Will Chase's driver/security guard kept insisting he was coming out but it was past midnight and we were tired, so my fiancee and I went home.

Oklahoma: Saturday matinee, full cast, sitting right by the aisle in the middle of the curve. Went in completely blind and was spellbound for the entire production. Rebecca Naomi Jones and Patrick Vaill were robbed of Tony nominations. At stagedoor, all the leads but Ali and Mary came out and were so sweet and friendly. There was actually an adorable moment where a little girl and her dad came over and her dad was encouraging her to hand over her Playbill for Damon to sign... which was from Wicked. He tried to tell them but the girl was clearly shy so he signed it and took a picture with her, it was cute. 

Cher Show: Saturday night, full cast, back center orchestra. Hate to say it but this was the BIGGEST disappointment of my trip. The costumes were gorgeous and the choreography was fun but other than that? I was bored. Yeah, Stephanie sings pretty, but her acting and overall performance weren't that special and I hate that she's the front runner for the Tony. All the other actors fall into the "sing pretty, but nothing special otherwise" category with the exception of Jarrod Spector who I LOVED as Sonny. Didn't stage door.

My Fair Lady: Sunday matinee, Clarke Thorell on as Higgins and a bunch of ensemble understudy/swings going on, third row off the left side orchestra. Going to miss this gem of a production more than I can put into words. Clarke was a wonderful Higgins - more mellow than Harry, but still a great performance. I know I'm going to get accused of being biased because of my username but I wasn't the fondest of Laura as Eliza. Mainly two reasons: 1.) her accent was a mess, and 2.) I simply preferred Lauren's much more vulnerable take on the part. Stage door was probably the quietest one I've ever seen, and none of the actors had pens or sharpies to sign with but all were very nice. Also while my fiancee and I were waiting for a friend, we saw Rosemary Harris leaving with what I assume was her family and spoke to her for a second and she is the WARMEST woman. 

[InTheBathroom1]

Glad you had a great trip. CONGRATS ON THE ENGAGEMENT!!

[victoriafr]

We had the same thoughts on Hadestown! André is so going to win the Tony for Best Featured Actor, and I really think he deserves it. I couldn't believe that set transition into Hadestown, also.

And, God, I so agree about The Cher Show too. I don't know who thought casting three actresses as Cher at different ages was a good idea, but it really didn't work. I don't think that people who produce these biopics grasp a very important concept: in order for it to make a good musical, something has to be particularly interesting about the singer or group's life. Cher's life was just... ordinary for a music star.