skynyc

HATED Redmayne...blamed the direction. Missed Lambert because I was afraid it would be the same. Then friends saw Peck and raved and so I went back. And yes, he was terrific...an entirely different show. No interest in Porter. For the sake of the working cast/crew, I hope it lasts through October.

Sad to hear this, because Bio-Musicals can work...although not often. Jersey Boys and the current Just in Time are both amazing. I actually liked MJ, as did the audience around me. It's pretty true to his life from the perspective that he's thinking back while rehearsing the Dangerous World Tour in 1993, before the issues were unearthed. I had some contact with him at that time, and was a huge fan. Neither Cher nor Donna Summer worked that well for me, although I found them both worthy of taking out of town guests when they came. Part of me would love to go to Nashville to see this. Timing is wrong for me now. LOL

He's got good comments here, but why keep changing your name...that's usually such a red flag?

Final performance was great. I got a ticket with Audience Reward points, and friends stood in line for standing room. I got there early to get a shirt, but the merch was completely sold out except for the Pudgy stuffed dogs. Jasmine got a minute long ovation when the spotlight hit her when the curtain rose. And huge applause for each characters entrance. The conductor really ran the pace...lots of big numbers could have had more sustained applause, and several folks were jumping to their feet after every number (Oy.) Ainsley started to break during the first slow line of Just Around the Corner...and the extended cheer got him back on track. Jasmine got a full two minute standing ovation after Something to Cheer About at the end. Her make-up was almost running. Jerry Mitchell came out at the end and gave a quick thank you to all, but didnt' call crew onto the stage. Said that Boop will "be around" hinting at tour, perhaps. So glad to have gone one more time. I think my seventh time...counting one in Chicago.

bump...he's in NY now.

It was a fun show, and I love Dave Yazbeck in general. No formulas in his writing. This wasn't my favorite and honestly, had it stayed off-Broadway, I think it might have developed a real following. But hard to recommend in a season so packed with more traditional fare. And honestly, you're right about the Tony song, ending with the "Your mama's dead...And so are you!" song wasn't the best choice.

London Kiss Me Kate with Stephanie J. Block is on tonight!

He was my last hire before the pandemic in March 2020...and lots of fun. But he's not 6'3". And the physique isn't the same, even then there was no definition. That being said, he did come three times in our hour-plus. And gave me a good pound. LOL. I was put off by the fact he contacted me numerous times in April and May to have another go...but we were in lockdown, and I understand he probably needed the income, but I wasn't comfortable with the risk.

There was a concert version several years ago at Lincoln Center that was sensational. Laura Osnes and Tony Yazbeck led an all-star cast. I was sure that it would come to Broadway...and would have been a hit again!

I know this thread is veering from Redwood, but the projections aspect is interesting to me. I read one post that said they hoped the Tony voters would see beyond the "movie acting", clearly in reference to Sunset and Dorian Gray. And I agree...I enjoyed both performances, and was impressed but not moved by either production. Sunset in particular would have been pointless without the giant screens. She stood and sang (beautifully) a mediocre score which has never sounded better. Truly the definition of a park and bark. The "Joe stroll outside the theater" was interesting, but distracting and became a gimmick. But I'm old. The kids around me LOVED it...(but then again, they'd given up two hours of TikTok to be in the theater.) Sarah Snook is giving a tour-de-force performance, but the first 20 minutes you don't see her...because she's behind the screen. You see her feet, and those of the myriad camera/stagecraft folk with her, but it's pretty great when she finally comes around the screen. Sound design is immaculate. I heard every word...but it made me question what was pre-recorded...was it just what was the extra characters? I do think that the Tony voters will give the awards to the two "movie actresses", but would vote differently myself. Although Sadie is incredible.

For the first 30 minutes, I was wondering what the buzz was about. It felt like a P-town drag show just getting laughs by using the C-word and accusing an uptight woman of being a Dyke. But the last half really got me laughing. The scene at Ford's Theater is truly brilliant. Cole is so funny, and it will be interesting to see how the Tony voters go. I also wonder how in this crazy world, the fact that they can support a very GAY play by a non-cis playwright/performer may be a factor. I do find it rather amazing that this was a finalist for the Pulitzer.

I found the book of SMASH to be so implausible that it irked me. The talent on stage being underused in a parody of the industry. SPOILERS. The ha-ha treatment of both pill addition and alcoholism, and the laxative scene with no repercussion, other than it backfired on him. And even in our "woke" society...I don't think that anyone would scream "body-shaming" over reluctance to cast a plus-sized woman as Marilyn Monroe. The inanity got in the way of my being simply entertained. That all being said...the cast is amazing. Brooks is doing his usual schtick, wonderfully. Robyn is a true triple-threat. Krsytal and John are terrific. I walked out more sad than thrilled. Boop, on the other hand, carried me along, almost completely because Jasmine Amy Rogers is so exceptional. Of course, the costumes and dancing didn't hurt. This is the one I am sending people to. I will probably go again.

Sadly, she had six eleven-o'clock numbers, all of which she sang well, but they became redundant. As a co-creator of the project, she was too close to it. I am a bit surprised that the set didn't get a Tony nod...the projections are spectacular. And the fact that the Tony committee hasn't created a Projections catagory just shows how out-of-date they are. In a lesser year, I think that Zachary Noah Piser might have gotten a Tony nomination as featured actor. He had one of the only really memorable songs.

I saw the workshop last Summer in a church basement, and saw an early preview. They've tweaked and tightened a lot. It's a terrific BIO musical. And I generally don't care for them. But this one is very solid, slickly done, and Jonathan Groff is so talented and natural, he's a pleasure to watch. They cover all the hits...and some of the "not-hits". LOL Costumes and production are awesome. The Roses Dresses got applause at my performance.

Echoing the above...you folks are troopers, putting up with us. LOL. I agree that a default "Everywhere" for search would be great, but it's pretty easy to use the drop down...I just have to remember. thank you again.

I saw an early preview of Smash and was disappointed. i liked, but not loved, the show, but the songs were great. Well, the songs are still here in the musical, and some of the characters names are the same, but otherwise, the book is completely new...and not very good. There are so many little sub-plots, some of them quite dreadful. The talent on the stage is GREAT! Dancing is fun...(I liked Boop better)...and songs are mostly familiar from TV show. But I fear the critics with thrash it. (Or maybe they've fixed some of it.)

I am fairly adept at the tricks for deals, buying with advance coupons for Preview performances, opening day of the box office specials, and Audience Rewards. TodayTix sometimes has good sales. I am not great at the lottery thing...friends see most things this way, but my work schedule doesn't give me the flexibility. But when I think of what $921 would buy, I cannot rationalize it... Heck, it bugs me to pay more than $200, which I do on occasion. But word of mouth on Othello is not great, so that will be a pass. I paid $100 plus 500 Reward points for decent orchestra seat for Glengarry Glen Ross. Seat online selling for $429. Performances are great, but the audience cheered every monologue, every entrance, every slammed-door exit, so the continuity of the show was nil. Guessing 12 show-stopping cheers/ovations/clapping breaks in the second act alone. Not to mention the woman vomiting in the aisle during intermission. I do want to see Good Night and Good Luck, may get up early and stand in line for the front row rush. And Operation Mincement had a discount offer for $199! Oy. Thank heaven for Off-Broadway, but prices there are creeping up. A friend paid $150 for Grangeville at Signature last week. Great show, but I was glad to only have paid $80.

You're truly seeing the cream of the crop. I think you should also throw Maybe Happy Ending into the contention list. It's the most unexpected, and charming musical in a while. Don't let the description deter you.

I raved about Boop in that thread. I will post on Sunday about Smash. I was fortunate to see Just In Time in the Workshop in a church basement on the Upper West Side. Bobby Darin is a complex role, and Groff is certainly up to it. Interestingly, his early life is what made him a star, and makes Act I a rollicking ride. And then he learned something about himself that sent him into a complete tailspin. The second act was less interesting because it dealt with this. His retreat from the world, his depression and foray into music that no one wanted from him. (Even if it was good.) I see it in a couple weeks and will be curious if they've tweaked the story-telling to make Act II more compelling. That being said, Groff, as usual is tremendous. Out of curiosity...what else is on your roster for May? Interested to know the "definites" on your list.

A new, completely original charmer, with an old-fashioned feel, directed by Jerry Mitchell whose mantra about theater is "Let's Have Fun!". After a long day of shooting her black and white shorts, Betty is exhausted and wants a vacation. She uses one of Grampy's wacky inventions to come to the "real world" and ends up in full color at New York ComiCon in 2025. Hijinks ensue. Book by Bob Martin who wrote the books of Drowsy Chaperone, Elf and The Prom doesn't disappoint. It's clever and funny and accessible. In jokes for the true-Boop fans, and contemporary moments. Score is David Foster's first, although he's written songs for Whitney, Celine, Buble, and Groban that you all know. And this score is actually hummable as you exit. Biggest name in the cast is Faith Prince making a fun return as Grampy's long lost love. Jasmine Amy Rogers is making her Broadway debut and is a true triple threat. Her beau, Dwayne is Ainsley Melham, who I would say is Australia's Christian Borle. I saw this in Chicago a year ago, and loved it. Felt it needed some tweaks, which mostly have happened. First Preview last night and it's already on fire. A silly, feel-good entertainment for the whole family with lots of color (and black and white). Costumes by Gregg Barnes are extraordinary. And sets and projections are delightful in both Max Fleisher's World and NY 2025, which a charming Moon-crossover.

I'm not much of a TV watcher...so I've never seen this show, but the Broadway version just came up on Audience Rewards for a low price and good seats, and I got a pair. Did anyone see this in London? Should I watch some of season one before going? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also just got tickets to Dead Outlaw, Smash, Boop, Real Women Have Curves, and Glengarry Glen Ross.

I've mentioned here before that I've seen many different Mama Roses in Gypsy...16 to be exact...and 13 Hedwigs. But don't count either of those shows as my favorites...just amazing examples of roles that can be interpreted in many ways. My faves include Ragtime, Drood, 1776, Nine, and Little Night Music. I've always been a goer, not a doer. But love hearing backstage stories. The community of a show is always so intense and special.

Jane Eyre was against the juggernaut of The Producers. I agree it had some lovely moments, and Barbour and Shaddow were both great. I also remember noticing the lighting for the first time...which means I wasn't fully engaged with what was happening on stage.

Another play to highly recommend. Grangeville by Samuel Hunter is opening tonight at the Signature on 42nd St. Hunter wrote among others, The Whale, which when filmed won Brendon Fraser the Oscar. Hunter excels in creating broken individuals who are desperately in need of something...and usually leaves us with a sense of hope, that they may find it. His Little Bear Ridge Road played in Chicago last Summer and was my favorite new play of the year. Grangeville stars Paul Sparks and Brian J. Smith, both recognizable from stage and screen. Smith played the hot Chicago cop in 2 seasons of Sens-8 and won a Tony nomination as the Gentleman Caller in the Cherry Jones Glass Menagerie. Sparks was in Boardwalk Empire and House of Cards and many others and was in the original Take Me Out on Broadway. Both performers are extraordinary, playing a estranged stepbrothers dealing with the passing of their mother. Show is a taut 90 minutes with no intermission...I expect it will extend by a week or two after the reviews come out. this one affected my entirely party differently. Growing up gay in rural Idaho, which is a recurring theme in Hunter's work (since he grew up gay in rural Idaho) only scratches the surface.

I had fun with him, this was Fall before the Pandemic. He was a little late, and must have had another engagement after, because he was very efficient. We didn't even get to the bedroom...he just came in and took charge. Which actually appealed. Would have liked to get to know him a little after; I do love pillow talk, but after being bent over the arm of the sofa, there wasn't a pillow handy. LOL