 | New York City Broadway Shows Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 27 |  |
 | |  |  | Broadway Shows: Hairspray, a terrific and fun Broadway time warp | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
The prime reason that my wife and I chose to visit NYC for our anniversary was to enjoy a couple of Broadway shows. The first one we chose was "Hairspray", a wildly successful musical set in the Baltimore of 1962. Playing at the historic Neil Simon Theater, this light-hearted and yet meaningful story of teen love, generational disparity and race relations, kept our toes tapping and left us with a smile on our faces.
The entire cast was excellent, although Edna (Bruce Vilanch in drag) and Tracy Turnblad (Carly Jibson) were outstanding. I also thought that Seaweed J. Stubbs (Chester Gregory III) did an outstanding job of being a faux-Motown singer.
And gentlemen..... the Penny Pingleton character (played by Hollie Howard) was a supremely talented and active little bit of eye candy if you catch my drift. : )
Hairspray was terrific. But, my favorite part in any play is when something goes wrong. At one point in the show, Edna (Bruce Vilanch in drag) loses her dress accidently. For a few minutes, the cast members try to pin in back on as the play proceeds, but they finally surrender, realizing that the reluctant garment has no intention of being reglued to Bruce's oversized bloomers. The banter among the cast as the scene unraveled was priceless.
And, one other thing. NYC is full of celebrities, and this show was no exception. I got a chance to meet and actually talk to Sara Ferguson (aka Fergie), the Duchess of York. She was quite friendly and, as we'd say here in the south, "down to earth". I just spoke to her and didn't harass her with any celebrity fanaticism, which I'm sure led her to be relaxed and cordial. And since she actually shook my hand, I can say I've touched royalty. : ) Leave a Comment
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| | | | Broadway Shows: Movin Out.....rock and roll ballet a la Billy Joel | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Movin' Out was the second Broadway show that Bonnie and I enjoyed on our recent Big Apple visit. Playing at the Richard Rodgers Theater, this musical features the choreography of Twyla Tharp and the music of Billy Joel. My wife probably summed it up best when she called it a "rock and roll ballet".
The storyline is quite nebulous, and you'd be best served by reading the synopsis in Playbill before the opening number. After that, just try to follow along and insert your own details. While Movin' Out is long on fancy dancing and prancing, it doesn't really "say" that much.
But, don't get me wrong, it was an excellent show. The dance numbers are spectacular, and the lighting and sets are marvelous.
And, the "Billy Joel band" that supplies most of the music was incredible. Michael Cavanaugh, who is the lead vocalist and piano player, is dead-on Billy Joel. I felt as if I"d seen both a Billy Joel concert and a fancy Broadway show. Two for the price of one, as they'd say.
All of the dance numbers are quite good. In fact, a few of them are solidly "R" rated if not beyond. So, being a normal guy wayyy over 21 years old, I had more than a passing interest in what was happening onstage. My mom would have been horrified. : )
And as mentioned above, the Movin' Out Band was terrific. Michael Cavanaugh is an incredibly talented pianist and vocalist. His Billy Joel is perfect. In many ways, just hearing the songs made the price of admission money well spent. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Broadway Shows: Don't buy show tickets anywhere else! | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
The TKTS booth, run by the Theatre Development Fund, is a MUST DO for anyone who wants to see a show. If you have your heart set on a blockbuster, then sure, pay top dollar. However, if you just want to see a good show, why not let fate lend a hand?
The booths sell Broadway, Off-Broadway, Dance and Music event tickets on the day of the show. Tickets are either
half or three-quarter price (plus a $3.00 service charge) and payment is by cash or traveler's check only. Make sure you have enough before getting in line!! Available tickets are posted on boards outside the ticket windows. Once you are there, check out the available shows and decide on a couple of options. I highly recommend off-Broadway productions, myself.
You will meet interesting people from all over the place on this line! Don't buy anything from people who accost you while you are there. Support TDF, it's a great part of the arts community. They do a lot for the public school system too, so I'm biased. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Broadway Shows: Broadway Show Etiquette | Tip Rating: | | | | |
As a stage actor, I have performed off-Bdwy, and have friends currently appearing in Bdwy shows. For visitors who are attending their first Broadway show, here are some tips that you might find useful:
While there is no official dress-code for Bdwy, suits for ladies & gents are always appropriate. Men can also wear a sports jacket & slacks, w/ or w/o tie, or a nice sweater & slacks. Ladies can wear a nice top & slacks, a dress, or blouse/sweater & skirt. This may be the only Bdwy show you will see - why not make it special?
PLEASE REMEMBER-you are seeing a LIVE show; the actors are real people and they can hear you if you talk. I can't tell you how disconcerting is is to hear someone making dinner plans while I'm trying to tell Hamlet to "look like a friend on Denmark!"
Ditto cell phones, beepers, etc. If you think you've turned them off, double check. Then check again.
A little courtesy goes a long way to making your first Bdwy show a magical event! Leave a Comment
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| | | | Broadway Shows: There's a reason it's been on for 25 years | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Phantom of the Opera is supposedly the longest-running Broadway show ever. And, it's easy to see why. The costumes, the bold and moving score, the story.... it's all perfect.
Not pretending to be a theater critic for a moment, I will tell you this... Phantom has the great plus that so many of my favorite movies has... there really are no villains. Sure, the Phanton kills a few people, but it's easy to feel sorry for him. He's desperately in love with the beautiful and talented Christine Daae, and your heart breaks knowing that they just can't be together.
And sure, Carlotta is a jealous little shrew. But she's more of an annoyance than a villainess.
The entire production is stunning, but my two favorite scenes are:
(1) the two scenes where they're gliding on a boat on the Seine. The way that motion and marine travel are set up and presented on stage via darkness, moving candles and a gliding skiff, are amazing. You can almost smell them being out on the water.
(2) the masquerade ball is breathtaking. There is a huge staircase onstage, and each step has 2-3 characters occupying it. Every one of their costumes is festive and exploding with dazzle and color. Incredible.
Buy the soundtrack, if you don't already have it in your collection. (I'd owned my Phanton soundtrack for well over ten years before I even saw the show)
Go see PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Right now, it's showing at the magnificent Majestic Theater over on 44th street. This is one of my favorite NYC theaters....I was fortunate enough to enjoy THE BOY FROM OZ at the same venue a few years ago. Leave a Comment
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