My Trip Report for NYC July 4 weekend

[Tkristop]

Posted: 7/14/19 at 8:32am

Providing my report from last weekend. Other similar reports have always appreciated as I planned trips so want to pay it forward.

5 shows in 3 days!

#1 The Prom

I got a Rush ticket to this on a whim and am so glad I did. I sat on the 3rd row right orchestra. I found the show to be very funny, yet moving. The music was good, and I really appreciated all of the performances. For me the cast gets my vote for best “ensemble” because there wasn’t just one standout. They were all excellent with good chemistry. So glad I saw this!

#2 Hadestown

I booked this ticket months ago and had a great center orchestra seat. I had read all the reviews here, and I watched the Tony’s so I was most looking forward to this show. It did not disappoint. I didn’t love the music but the story and the creativity blew me away. The standouts were Amber and Andre to me.

#3 Moulin Rouge

I bought this ticket just a couple weeks ago with a lump in my throat for the price of the ticket. I sat in the center orchestra. The set was really amazing and perhaps my favorite of all time. The music was good, and Aaron, Karen, and Danny were fantastic. There were some issues with the ending but I still really enjoyed the spectacle. So much fun!

#4 Tootsie

I bought this ticket months ago also, and I had a great center orchestra seat. I have to say this was my one disappointment. The story was good, but I just didn’t enjoy the music at all. I wanted to like it, and Santino was a standout, but I didn’t think there was any chemistry between the other cast members. Perhaps I was disappointed because all of the other shows I saw before were really good, but it just didn’t live up to my hopes.

#5 The Ferryman

This was another ticket I bought a couple weeks ago. I had a 2nd row right orchestra limited view seat. This was 3 hours 15 minutes worth of incredible acting. It went by so fast. I really enjoyed it, and wow the ending. I left feeling like I needed a drink, but in a good way-ha!

I would also like to say I went into the 4th weekend fully expecting to see some understudies due to the holiday (that had been my previous experience), but luckily I saw none (except Finnula Flannigan was out in the Ferryman).

This was a GREAT Broadway season in my opinion. Thanks to everyone for your recommendations and previous reviews and posts.

[rlj1010]

Posted: 7/14/19 at 10:52am

I saw four shows between July 2 and July 9.

July 2: Hamilton. Not much needs to be said. It's Hamilton. I saw the touring version twice where I live in South Florida and decided I couldn't be in NYC and not see it again. The NYC cast was so much stronger than the 'Philip tour' cast I saw in December.

July 4: Beetlejuice. It was good. Alex Brightman and the set design make the show fun. But I was disappointed how completely different it is to the movie.

July 6: Moulin Rouge! I liked it. My wife loved it. The show was exactly what I was expecting it to be. It's not high art. But it's a fun, entertaining and very sexy show.

July 9: Hadestown Absolutely loved it. My favorite of the trip. The music, the ensemble. It was perfect, in my opinion.

[sm33]

Posted: 7/14/19 at 2:35pm

We drove up to NYC from PA on July 5th to check out a couple of shows, since we were free and Friday had a few additional matinee performances. We were hoping to see Oklahoma! and Hadestown for the second time each, since we loved them both when we saw them earlier this year. 

We won the Oklahoma! lottery for the matinee on the way to the city. Then we bought center orch Hadestown tickets for waaaay under face about 20 minutes before curtain - still $$$, but they were dead center row J so I wasn't mad! Perfect seats.

The only person out of either show was one of the ensemble members in Oklahoma!, which was a happy surprise since I figured the holiday would lead to some absences. 

When we saw Hadestown in April, we were unfamiliar with both the show and the music, and we were completely blown away. But seeing it in July, after months of listening to the NYTW album, I couldn't help but notice all of the changes, and I liked some more than others. It's still an amazing, gorgeous, beautiful show (though I would kill to see Damon Daunno as Orpheus in this version). 

Not exactly an inexpensive trip, but well worth the drive! Still my two favorite shows of the year, though Octet and Yiddish Fiddler are up there, too.