9 Shows in 5 Days
9 Shows in 5 Days
theatrespaz
Stand-by Joined: 3/5/05
#19 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:54pm
I decided to create another thread for this, since I think the last one was a bit confusing since I was using an earlier thread.
I got back from another wonderful trip to the Big Apple, and of course all I'm thinking about now is next year's trip. Herald Square Hotel was a great budget choice. Everything was clean and worked so I can't complain there, not like I spent much time in the room anyways. We were able to score some tickets to David Letterman which was fun, guests were Madonna and Julianne Moore. I was finally able to buy Dessa Rose at Virgin (didn't like feel like paying for shipping from Amazon) and I have to say the music is so much better than The Color Purple, more on that later.
Jan. 10
Matinee
Grey Gardens
Un-frickin-believable performances! I did not think the musical as a whole was great, but the performances certainly put it over the top. I felt the first act moved along a bit to slow for my tastes and not all of the songs seemed to fit the show. I say all of this because I thought the second act was perfection. It seemed that the first act was all set up for the second act and not enough story. Christine Ebersole deserves an Oscar for her heart-wrenching performance. Tour-de-Force is the only thing I can come up with that would even remotely do her justice. Mary Louise Wilson was also amazing and had great chemistry with Ms. Ebersole. I was able to buy the DVD in NY and just watched it and am now more convinced at their awesomeness.
Jan. 10
Evening
Mary Poppins
You know a musical is in trouble when the set gets more applause than the performers and the performances. I thought most of the songs were lackluster and the performances fairly subdued. Gavin Lee was the highlight and you could tell he was not sleepwalking through the performance, but giving 110%. The sets were certainly amazing and would certainly like it to win the Tony. Step in Time was the most memorable song. I was in the second row of the balcony and could see everything just fine, I was actually surprised at how good the seats were.
Jan. 11
Jersey Boys
I can certainly see why this show won Best Musical. The whole cast gives it their all. JLY goes through a very well acted transformation from young teen to grown man. Special kudos must be given to Kris Coleman (Hal Miller, and other) who has an amazing voice and must be given a bigger role somewhere down the line. The audience ate this show up and it does have some irrestible songs. Last row in Mezzanine was a bit uncomfortable, but at least I didn't miss anything.
Jan. 12
The Apple Tree
I did not mind the way this was staged with such a minimalist set, but I did not like the musical. Not my cup of tea. All 3 performers were great and I can see why Kristin would be one of only a handful of performers that could pull this performance off. You have to have excellent comic-timing one second and completely sympathetic to her the next. She's on stage a good majority of the time, just her and the bare set singing her heart out. I do not think her performance can touch Ms. Ebersole's though. I'm glad I saw it, because I don't think it will be revived anytime soon though.
Jan. 13
Matinee
The Vertical Hour
A very thought provoking play that was extremely well-written. I felt Julianne Moore was badly miscast, she seemed uncomfortable on stage and did not seem to really understand the text. I don't think she picked up on all of the nuances the play had to offer. Bill Nighy was fantastic. I don't know how he does it, but in film and now in theatre he always seems to have the audience in the palm of his hand. A very well-crafted and complex performance. I also thought Andrew Scott was very good in his role. I would have liked to see his role expanded.
Jan. 13
Evening
The Drowsy Chaperone
Bob Martin is the funniest man on Broadway right now. I could not keep from laughing everytime he had lines, just a hilarious performance that I wish he could do for a long time. Beth Leavel deserved her Tony for another funny performance. I wish the musical as a whole was longer though, I wanted more of all of the characters. Danny Burstein was out, but I thought Joey Sorge did a great job with the role, everyone else was in and thank god for it, because it was the funniest show I saw on Broadway. The cast recording really does not do the show justice, it's a very visual show.
Jan. 13
Late Night
Evil Dead, the Musical
Splatter Zone. Girlfriend loved it. I did not.
Jan. 14
Matinee
Spring Awakening
The best musical on Broadway. Every performer, every song, every scene was amazing. "Left Behind" and the scene that accompanies that was heart-wrenching and beautifully staged. The musical wasn't perfect, but I think that was the point. There were faults, the musical did not move fluidly, the dialogue was a bit stilted (yes, I know it's based off an 1895 German play), but I loved it. I loved the hand mics, it signified that we were stepping of the story and this character was commenting on the action. The songs were not there to move the story forward, they were commentaries on the situation. The Tony for Best Musical and I would love to see nominations for Stephen Spinella and Christine Estabrook, in what I think were very difficult roles to pull off convincingly.
Jan. 14
Evening
The Color Purple
I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this. And the audience was incredibly rude. Kids everywhere who were screaming they couldn't see, eventually the parents just had them sit on the stairs. Whooping and hollaring constantly. Flash photography everywhere you turned. I was appalled. The set seemed unfinished. The performances were great, but the book was lacking in telling a coherent story and it moved so quick, it was hard to keep up. We had seen Dessa Rose a couple of years ago and I had remembered that I wanted to get the Cast Recording because I loved the music and listening to it made me fall in love with it all over again. I thought the music flowed much better and had more of an African theme throughout that I think was lacking in The Color Purple.
That was my trip, can't wait for the next one.
#2re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:22pm
I saw Mary Poppins in London and liked it so much I saw it twice. I thought it was amazing, especially when Gavin Lee walked up the wall during Step in Time. I loved the way Jolly Holiday and the first act finale were staged and appreciated that it was based on the books, which I've read, rather than the movie.
I have no interest whatsoever in Jersey Boys or The Color Purple. I'm coming in Spring to see 3 operas at the Met, but plan to see Gray Gardens, since I thought the movie was incredible and what a terrific story.
NYC Visitor and Broadway Fan
#2re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:23pm
I saw Mary Poppins in London and liked it so much I saw it twice. I thought it was amazing, especially when Gavin Lee walked up the wall during Step in Time. I loved the way Jolly Holiday and the first act finale were staged and appreciated that it was based on the books, which I've read, rather than the movie.
I have no interest whatsoever in Jersey Boys or The Color Purple. I'm coming in Spring to see 3 operas at the Met, but plan to see Gray Gardens, since I thought the movie was incredible and what a terrific story.
I saw a church group do The Apple Tree about 20 years ago, and it was minimalist and marvelous. They did Passionella as a kid's show, with sisters playing Ella and Passionella. It was excellent. Then the church stopped doing theatre altogether. What a shame!
NYC Visitor and Broadway Fan
#3re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/18/07 at 4:41pm
I think they should just rename "The Apple Tree" and make it "The Kristin Chenoweth Show." Honestly, they wouldn't be doing it if it weren't for her. They're even canceling shows for when she does her performances at the Met rather than just having her understudy.
Oh, and I agree with absolutely everything you said about Spring Awakening. Absolutely amazing.
dramaqueen2
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/23/05
#4re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/18/07 at 8:05pm
wow! lucky guy!
i'm glad your trip was so great! =)
hear my song; it was made for the time when you don't know where to go, listen to the song that i sing, you'll be fine..
kaibranch
Understudy Joined: 7/30/05
#5re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/19/07 at 2:38am
I'm so jealous! Too much fun in only 5 days! :)
Thanks for the reviews!
#6re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/19/07 at 2:59am
Ooooo! You've oned-me-up!
My first trip to New York, I saw 9 shows in 6 days.
Your late-night tryst with "Evil Dead" tipped the scales!
Did you buy all of your tickets full-price?
I saw 7 of my 9 via student rush and lotto.
Congratulations on a VERY well-timed and thought-out trip.
What a success rate for you! Great shows too! Covered the
entire spectrum of genre it seems.
MamawhoBoreme
Stand-by Joined: 1/4/07
#7re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/19/07 at 8:13amwow thats amazing i live 15 mins from new york city and i have seen 25 shows in 21 years lol. i am so happy you enjoyed Spring Awakening you described it perfectly. and all your reviews are amazing. i cant wait till you go again just so i can read your reviews!
theatrespaz
Stand-by Joined: 3/5/05
#8re: 9 Shows in 5 Days
Posted: 1/19/07 at 5:27pm
I had some discount codes for 3 shows, the rest I paid full price. But I wasn't necessarily in the Orchestra for all of the shows. I was very happy (and lucky) that I only missed one performer I had wanted to see, it could have been a lot worse.
I only get to NY once a year, I'm only 23 and don't make a huge income, but I try to save most of the year for the trip. I enjoy sightseeing a little and eating in Chinatown, but I come for the theatre, if I could squeeze anymore in, I would.
Spring Awakening is really an amazing show that deserves all the praise it can get. I still think it has a ways to go before we can start calling it a smash hit, but I'm optimistic. And as much as a Tony award doesn't do much for people who live outside New York, the Tony telecast is pure gold (even with such a small TV audience). And I'm confident it will get a nomination and be able to perform.
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