Cooper

Episode 1. Well done! Good acting & script. Glad I recorded it as there are too many commercials. Harris Dickinson, as J. Paul Getty III, looks great both in & out of his clothes.

Yesterday, I saw the new production of Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady at the Vivian Beaumont theater at Lincoln Center. It's been 25 years since this show was on Broadway. The production was excellent!

It's the story of a pompous phonetics professor named Henry Higgins who is so certain of his abilities that he decides to transform a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a lady. He is most successful and manages to fool almost everyone. The big test comes at the Royal Ball.

This is a big production and the large stage at the Vivian Beaumont theater is perfect for it. It has a 32 piece orchestra that leaves the pit and plays on stage for the Ball. The singing and musical numbers are amazing and I enjoyed hearing some of my favorite show time hits: Wouldn't It Be Loverly, With A Little Bit of Luck, The Rain in Spain, I Could Have Danced All Night, On The Street Where You Lived, Get Me To The Church On Time, I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face, Just You Wait, etc.

One of the most outstanding and lively musical numbers was Get Me to the Church on Time. It was so much fun and the choreography was done to perfection.

This show has a lot of very talented actors and singers. Never knew what a great voice Lauren Ambrose had. And, it was nice to see Diana Rigg alive and well. Last time I saw her she was killed off in the Game of Thrones.

This show has it all, from the outstanding costumes, to amazing scenery, big orchestra, wonderful musical/dance numbers, and a very likeable cast that connects well with each other and the audience.

My Fair Lady is currently in previews with opening night set for April 19th.

Went to see the new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" at the Imperial theater. Richard Rodgers once wrote that of all the musicals he wrote, Carousel was his personal favorite. I can certainly understand why. The songs are incredible and, whether or not you've seen this show, you more than likely have heard them or even sung them. It was wonderful listening to those outstanding voices sing; If I loved You, Mister Snow, June is Busting Out All Over and, my personal favorite, You'll Never Walk Alone. In addition to the musical numbers, you have a stellar cast led by Joshua Henry (Billy Bigelow), Jessie Mueller (Julie Jordan) and Renee Fleming (Nettie Fowler).

The show is still in previews and, now that I've seen it, I'd be interested in hearing what the critics have to say. I'm very familiar with this show and thought the voices were excellent. The plot is not the happiest as hard times continue to fall on Julie and Billy but there is some hope at the end with the cast joining hands and singing You'll Never Walk Alone.

I agree with @foxy when he wrote about the missing "chemistry" between the parts of Julie and Billy. For me, the "charming" side of Billy didn't come across.

The official opening of Carousel will be on April 12th.

Saw Jerry Springer the Opera last night at the Signature Center on 42nd St. If bizarre can be used in a good way to describe a show, then, it was most bizarre. By now, most of us are immuned to offensive language and attacks on religions. After all, we survived the Book of Mormon. Just park your beliefs and morals at the door, sit back, and enjoy the show. And, yes, there's even a demonstration by the KKK.

The way the stage is set up, there's seating on 3 sides. In the 1st row on each side sits the cast. They are amusing to watch especially when Jerry is talking with his guests. They also have incredible voices. The OPERA part of this musical should not be overlooked, it's top notch, however, hard to take seriously with all the strange things going on and the shouting out from the cast. A show like this is timeless and political situations are updated to keep it current.

It runs till April 1st. Easy ticket to get at TDF or TKTS.

This has been attempted MANY times here without success, but its a New Year with new motivations, so let's try it again.

Not sure what went wrong with the planning of this meet-up but I do want to clear something up. There have been numerous NYC socials. They were successful because they were combined with an event.

Back in the days of the 20 Club a group of members (both local & visitors) met up every Sunday for dinner & a show at the 20 Club. We announced it in the Strip Club Forum. It was very successful. We did it for a few years. We got to know the 20C manager & bartenders. They would set aside a place for us to sit. We even celebrated members birthdays there. Only when the 20 Club ended its Sunday event, did this end.

I’m hoping some members can team up & make this work again for it can be a lot of fun.

Coop

@Hoover42: Bromance has closed, however, the video @foxy shared shows the highlights & best parts.

I saw Bromance. Glad I read a synopsis before going otherwise I won’t have understood why they were smelling each other’s armpits, shaking hands, & twisting their nipples.

Lots of children in the audience. They seemed to enjoy the 3 Stooges type of routines. The acrobatics were excellent.

Show picked up for me when the 3 amigos stripped down to only their gym shorts & did some amazing routines. Very handsome & talented young men with solid muscular builds.

Got to see the cast after the show. They were sitting at a table, chatting with fans, & giving out autographs. Seemed like really nice guys.

Sara Bareilles singing her hit song “She Used to be Mine” from Waitress.

The play is based on the 2007 movie, "Waitress". It centers around the lives of 3 waitresses who work at Joe's Pie Diner. Jenna (Sara Bareilles) is a gifted pie maker and bakes a special pie with an unusual name for everyday and every occasion. She loves her job but has an abusive husband. When Jenna learns she's pregnant, she's unhappy but strikes up a romantic relationship with her new gynecologist, Dr. Pomatter (Drew Gehling).

It's an enjoyable musical with some amazing voices and songs. Sara Bareilles who stars in it also wrote the music and lyrics for the play. One issue some audience members mentioned was that it was over-miked. Some of the songs were hard on the ears.

The band is right up on the stage and takes part in the show. There's dancing, baking, romance, fighting, lots of laughs, and even an American Revolution themed wedding. At this occasion the band wears their 3 corner hats.

The play has been opened for awhile and the theater had many empty seats. TKTS was only selling premium seats at 50% discount. Got a less expensive seat at the box office.

@Bluealpha3225, During the weekdays/nights I frequent NYC bars in an area of Manhattan called Hell’s Kitchen. There are several gay bars near each other. Right now my favorite is RISE. It’s located @ 859 9th Ave between 55th & 56th Sts. You’ll find a younger crowd (under 35) &, as long as you’re not creepy, you’ll have a good chance of meeting people.

If you’re not comfortable there, try HARDWARE 697 10th Ave & 48th St. or Atlas Social 753 9th Ave & 50th St. or POSH 405 W 51st St. These 4 bars are in walking distance of each other. Do a search for their websites.

There are many other gay bars that attract a younger crowd but the ones I mentioned are ones I’ve been to. I wasn’t happy @Boxers II, also in Hell’s Kitchen.

Hope it works out for you.

Cooper

I'm not in to Broadway shows, but I would like to see Escape to Margaritaville.

Yes, also on my to see list. Looks good. Music by Jimmy Buffett.

That is one amazing list of upcoming shows.

Shows to look for this Spring:

MUSICALS

Escape to Margaritaville Marquis Theatre. Previews start February 16th

Frozen St. James Theatre. Previews start February 22nd

Carousel Imperial Theatre. Previews start February 28th

Mean Girls August Wilson Theatre. Previews start March 12th

My Fair Lady Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Previews start March 15th

Rocktopia Broadway Theatre. Previews start March 20th

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Previews start March 28th

PLAYS

John Lithgow: Stories of the Heart American Airlines Theatre. Already open, closes March 4th

Angels in America Neil Simon Theatre. Previews February 23rd

Three Tall Women John Golden Theatre. Previews February 27th

Lobby Hero Helen Hayes Theatre. Previews March 1st

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Lyric Theatre. Previews March 16th. Two Parts

Children of a Lesser God Studio 54. Previews March 22nd

The Iceman Cometh Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Previews March 22nd

Travesties American Airlines Theatre. Previews March 29th

Saint Joan Samuel J. Theatre. Previews April 3rd

The Boys in the Band Booth Theatre. Previews April 30th

Awaiting the opening of some new Broadway shows, I took a chance in seeing, SpongeBob SquarePants, at the Palace Theatre.

The theatre and stage are decorated in bright colors with all sorts of beach toys from surfboards to noodles. The orchestra is to the right and the members are dressed in colorful tropical wear.

The entertainment is geared for young children. For a Wednesday matinee and a school day, I was surprised to see so many children under the age of 11, however, there were also a lot of empty seats in the orchestra.

The kids loved it. They oohed and aahed throughout the play. The drama evolves around the eruption of Mount Humongous which threatens to destroy their town, Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob and his 2 friends come up with a plan to stop the volcano from destroying their village.

I found it entertaining and enjoyed the songs, dance, and acting. I didn't go in with high expectations but left with a big smile on my face. As the play concludes and the island is saved there are bubbles, streamers, and beach balls shooting out all over the theatre. Again, it's for children and it certainly captured their attention.

Like all Broadway shows there is no use of cell phones or taking photos during play. And, I didn't see any. As for the kids in the audience, their youthful enthusiasm was not a distraction but added to the fun. One young girl seated near me shouted out, "they did it", in response to saving the island. She definitely was caught up in the story.

Coop

According to USA Today, Alexa losing her voice was the winning commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6-8DQALGt4

NFL Bad Lip Reading:

It’s reported that a Super Bowl commercial costs $5 million for 30 seconds.

Australia Tourism Commercial. Danny McBride & Chris Hemsworth.

M&M’s Super Bowl Commercial with Danny DeVito:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZcxeqa1g4

Doritos Blaze vs Mountain Dew Ice. Peter Dinklage & Morgan Freeman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XLkru5Nzd4

Odell Beckham Jr. & Eli Manning. Doing some Dirty Dancing!

As the title suggests, The Play That Goes Wrong, is about all sorts of mishaps that can occur during a live production. As the audience is being seated, some actors are searching the theater for a lost dog, others are stage hands fixing doors, floor boards, fireplace mantel, books, pictures, etc.

The plot is a murder mystery with several suspects. Unfortunately, while the investigation is taking place, everything on stage begins to fall apart and some actors are injured. The cast is very talented and manages to carry out their lines with several obstacles to overcome.

Many in the theater were lol. It's fun entertainment and, if you've seen almost everything else on Broadway, I'd suggest looking into this play.

There were several school groups in the audience which added to the loud laughs and participation.

It's a 2 hour show with an intermission. Tickets are easy to get.

I was reluctant in seeing Anastasia as the reviews were not good, fortunately, I'm not a critic and loved it. This musical ain't just for kids!

Most of us already know the story of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and the assassination of the royal family. So, was it possible one child, Anastasia, survived?

This production is very lively with a wonderful and talented cast of characters. Excellent musical numbers that left me humming some song, not sure its name but it was catchy. Most impressive was the scenery. You go on an amazing train ride from St. Petersburg to Paris. The depiction of the landmarks along the way was incredible. The dancing was very entertaining, from formal ballroom, to night club, to ballet. And, the costumes were done to perfection.

There were 2 young, well behaved, children sitting in front of me. They were mesmerized by this show and were laughing, along with me, at some of the very funny acts.

The leads who played Anya, Dmitry, Gleb, Vlad, Countess Lily, and Dowager Empress were excellent! Dimitry, played by Derek Klena, is a hunk.

Regardless of what the critics had to say, I'm glad I saw it.

Coop

If you were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, you might have caught a number from Dear Evan Hansen. This musical won 6 Tony Awards &, now, has a new lead.

Noah Galvin, from the TV show The Real O'Neal's, has taken over for Ben Platt.

Other than Noah, the cast remains the same. Here's the cast singing, "You Will Be Found".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjmwAwMUID8

Today's NY Post features a story of people purchasing their Broadway tickets from scalpers only to find out they were scammed.

I've seen these scalpers around TKTS & theaters offering tickets for hard to see shows like Hello Dolly, Hamilton, & Dear Evan Hansen. Tourists are an easy target & often get ripped off.

Has anyone had an experience like this?

A scam artist was busted for selling nearly $800 in fake tickets to the hit Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” authorities said Monday as the accused crook was arraigned.

Bruno Lisa, 34, allegedly swindled $400 from his first victim for two forged tickets on Nov. 11, 2017, according to the criminal complaint.

The accused fraudster ensnared his second mark three days later, selling another pair of bogus tickets for $398 to the Tony Award-winning musical, the complaint states.

Both victims had their nights ruined when the Music Box Theatre turned them away and reported the scam to cops.

Last Sunday, Det. Thomas Schick arrested Lisa on the corner of East 39th Street and Madison Avenue and found two more forged tickets in his jacket pocket, court papers charge.