Fun Home on Broadway - Review #17

Another one of those shows... I just didn't know what I was getting myself in.  I saw Sydney Lucas (Young Alison ) in a thing called a fam presentation when I was out in St. Louis for work.  This little girl's singing just blew me away.  Which if you know me, I'm very more drawn to the little dudes, as I always long that it would have been me at that age.  But wow, Sydney has some pipes. 

Her song, Keys, I guess I didn't catch the introduction to the musical very closely, as I only heard, dealing with her father's passing.  So I choose to see this musical, basically all because of one song.

Little did I know I would see in person Judy Kuhn (Helen *mom* ) that I have loved her singing since I bought the USA version of Chess.  Michael Cerveris (Bruce *dad*) that I first saw on a E! tv special about Broadway (touring) shows, and he was in Tommy at the time.  He intrigued me then, however Love Music {sic} was painful listen to on Satellite radio.  In this  production, he kinda had a Mike Myers flair, but when your playing a non-traditional part...  Mike Myers flair fits well.

I met the kids at Stage Door.  Including Sydney as she is the kinda break out star of this show, all the kids are amazingly personable, polite, friendly, and kinda humble.  Their qualities are not often seen in children of that age.

The staging is special as it is based in a "round" theatre.  It was adapted  from a traditional house, and I think it added to the originality and one of the last scenes, I couldn't see it in any other way.  Very unique. 

Music over all is good, maybe not a lot of memorable songs, at least for me, but they are good, and tell and forward the show well.

Acting is amazing... for all of them.

I know in the past I have picked other shows I saw for hope for a best musical win, and the closest competition this year is something rotten, and from the previews I've seen, it seems to be more recycled of other shows...  where this one is very very different.

I love the fact when they used actually landmarks, I knew where everyone of them where.  Including Beechwood, PA  which makes up part of the name of one of my favorite old abandoned railroad grades that does used to go through that town.

I won't tell the story line at all, cause I want everyone to witness it first hand as I did.

I might not be able to give it the highest rating, 3 must see's... but I will give it a 2.6 hehe!

* 2.6 must see's!! (Really good show I recommend it!!)

See it before the Tony's, cause you might not for a while after the Tony's is my prediction!!

Hedwig And The Angry Inch - Review #16

This review is almost 4 months and 2 Hedwigs too late, however some personal issues that surrounded seeing this, made me less motivated making this review.  However that does not reflect on how great this show was.  Now I must say the first two or so times I saw the "movie" version of this show, it was a bit much for this budding homo...  and at first when I saw the above clip of the new version of Sugar Daddie on the Tony's, me being a traditionalist, I didn't care for it.  But the life and energy Neil Patrick Harris put into the role, made everything perfect.  I now love the newer version of Sugar Daddie more than the old one.  Now Andrew as a replacement I expected it to be just as fabulous, this current one (Hall?) I'm not sure if I would risk the money again.... but then I could be wrong there as well.  But if Neil was still doing it, I would say as a lot of Bostonians would, Hedwig is a "Wicked" little musical!!  Even with the tarnish of the person I was trying to entertain and be fun with taking it to the worse possible level, and not being forth coming or whatever...  I say it was one of the best times on Broadway I've had.  Being Next to Normal, Original Les Miz, and this is third...

Run don't walk to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch!

3 must see's!!!

Naked Boys Singing - Review #15

Well... we all know why I went to see this...  And well in most of it I wasn't let down.  After you get over the first....  reveal...  well it was, what it was....  Naked Boys Singing...

Some the music was great... some not as much... Acting was great...  some not as much.. Oh well..  I was surprised to see some of the people in the audience.  Who would have thought Hetro-Older-Asians would want to see  Naked Boys Singing.

Not your Mamma's musical, def not your dad's thank gawd, (well maybe if you have daddie issues and have a sugar-daddie it is)...  But overall, glad I got to see what they were showing!

1 must see's!

Kinky Boots The Musical - Review #14

Well Best Musical? When I didn't care for In The Heights...  No desire to see Book of Morman... and well at one time I didn't have a desire to see Memphis (that one I was wrong about... GREAT SHOW!!) Sometimes me and The Tony peeps.. don't agree.

I hated the above tid bit on the Tonys...  But I ended up getting a low price ticket (sorta) and well....

I really was bored through the show.  A female impersonator, needing boots..  trying to save a shoe factory... well didn't do it.  I love Cyndi Lauper...  well...  sorry Cin, not this time.  I couldn't connect to the songs.. and the one touching one that should have won me over..  was too long and it like changed three different times..  like it got lost on the other side of the bridge...  So yeah...  not so much...  sorry.

Acting well done..  I didn't get to see Stark Sands who is dreamy, saw the replacement who was dreamy in his own right...  Billy Porter can sing and act VERY VERY WELL...  He was amazing in what he did.. again... it was mostly the story and music that failed.  And being a gay male this should be up my alley, then again I'm not much of a Drag Queen fan...

The one scene where Lola (Billy) throws a fight, (yep) to help a bigot to save face, which then you knew it would be the turning point for such bigot and then become a bit more supportive...

Oh well... as with Wonderland and others...  I know my taste doesn't usually go with the mass appeal.  But yeah this one let me down...

must see?

If/Then The Musical - Review #13

Even with a good idea on I was getting into with the story-line or more so story-LINES, you almost needed a flow chart to keep up with the plot.  Music is pretty, however my one unimpressed (who was falling asleep during it) seat friend said a few times that ok, we know you can belt.

Well the first act was ok... and I was following....  Second act started slapping me in the face with my personal what "if's/then's"....  but then the last 5 minutes I was...  huh?  Now in line with Next to Normal you expect it to be deep, but overall this one was complicated.  There is a 3rd tour, then 2nd tour... then going on 3rd tour... but then at the end it was just 3rd tour.  If I would have had a ah-ha moment... then I would have been as smart as seeing and knowing the "twist" in Next to Normal.  Overall I'm interested in seeing it again.. if that says anything...  if I wasn't busy trying to figure it out, I'd enjoy the performance more.  Now saying that...  I absolutely asked the Lovely Jason who plays Anthony Rapp's gay boyfriend in "one of the" story lines...  Ummm I was following till the last 5 minutes, WTH?  When he explained it.. I was like ok... But then you kinda felt..  Wow so the whole show actually didn't happen?  Was this a robbing of 2.75 hours of your life?

So was it?  No, Idina Menzel is incredible, how can she not but be incredible.  And Yeah this is her "Ethel Merman" show. (they used to write shows just for the Merm...)  Love Anthony Rapp. He takes time to do stage door and take pics as long as the flash is of, and very soft spoken (saving his voice because he has some belters in this one as well)... James Snyder, well known for some recent TV/movies... however when I had the light bulb come on, I remember him from something else.  Something he hasn't heard mention for a while.  I told him I still cry every time when he pops the bottle of X or whatever for his suicide on the Bare studio cast recording. His voice is still as amazing as it was when he played the role of Jason in Bare. Speaking of  Jason, Jason Tam as I already mentioned is very cute and talented, would love to sing the "couple" song with a BF just like him, well everyone in the cast is great.  So with the little hint to try to track the story lines...  Overall I do and have recommended people to see it.

1.75 must see's! (Between a Really good show & fair to midlin... but closer to Really Good Show!)

Pippin (Original 2013 Broadway Production) - Review #12

So to make this "news" Hey guess what! I saw Pippin, and its great!  Also this is my 12# review!!!  Please Actors' Equity Association, don't take away my Equity eligible status... well I might be eligible maybe...




Wow 12 reviews...  who would have thunk it?  But speaking of WOW!


When I first heard about Pippin being revived, I was eh..  Then I heard they based it in a Circus format, I was eh... then I heard Mathew James Thomas got the lead part, I was yeah got to at least try to see it.  Then I heard Mathew was living so it was like must get there sooner then later.  Well it was timed with my latest trip to NYC, so I got tickets that would be Mathew's third to last show, as well as Patina Miller who won the Tony for her performance in Pippin. 


During the Tony's I was lukewarm with Patina's performance, in live her energy is fantastic!  Now Ben Vereen version had higher notes...  just saying, that I was hoping I would hear a few more belts in her songs....  but some of her vocal rifts were amazing.  Other then I wish I would have heard more high notes, I loved her performance.




As for Mathew, with him it seems he can do no wrong with me.  He was amazing on the Tony's even more in person, some of his stunts in this show made some of his stunts in Spider Man seem tame.  This man is just so freaking talented.  I can't gush and love him enough.  And from the original, he actually adds more high notes.  Love him!!  I welled during this performance because it was so moving and that his closing night was the next day so you could feel the special vibe in the air.  I just don't understand why he would be leaving a perfect show, esp when he was in Spiderman for the whole run I believe, but I think I saw a interview where he is working on something secrete that might be another big thing.  So so talented, and very humble.  I actually have "looked like" I was stalking him one day after a spider man show.. but it was just... well I wasn't doing it on purpose and the last time I even told him... really I'm not trying to stalk you, and one other time I was in my bus at 46th & 8th waiting for a group and passed by I yell "Mathew" as I was jumping out the door, yeah I think I scared him kinda...  But I told him he was amazing on the Tonys and good job and I will see the show soon.  Well it wasn't soon, but I did see the show!  I was hoping he'd talk a little but the whole scaring the crap out of him at night in NYC, I could understand we he ran away... but I was hoping that my group would have see me talking to Broadway Royalty!


And the rest of the cast were equally amazing.  I love the set, I love the choreography, and well the fact the one dance routine during War is a Science was basically the same as I did when I did it sooo many years ago in Chorus.  A lot of the big dance numbers maintain the Bob Fosse standards so they kept it true to him in that nature.  What a force. 




I also love the fact that there was a lot of very hot muscled good looking half naked boys to watch.  And again I must say there was A LOT of high difficulty technical stunts/routines that they all did perfectly.  However at times you were on overload because you wanted to watch the singer, however you couldn't even keep up on the tricks and wows done by the performers alone. 


I love how they modernize some of the terms..  Like tweet showed up in No Time at all.. and some of those tongue in cheek humor things.  However some of the words changed in the normal part of the songs, War is a Science especially, I didn't like.  And changing King to General.. didn't make sense.  And a few others I caught.  Now I was little lukewarm how Catherine was portrayed...  They made her a bit too timid, and maybe a bit more on the awkward side of the mental side of things.  But could be more on the director's take, and not a hit on the actress Rachel Bay Jones.


Now former Next to Normal Aaron Trivet's replacement hottie Kyle Dean Massey is the new Pippin, and Ciara Renèe is the Leading Player.  Well Kyle Dean will be more eye candy.. because he is more ripped then Aaron or Mathew, but he is a great actor and singer.  And I did love Ciara's performance in Big Fish..  So please run don't walk to see Pippin, "Come Join Us, & waste an hour or two" for a show that is "No" waste of "time at all"!




You know I don't like to over use this rating but here you go, because of the shear energy on that stage every show!   3 must see's!!!

Here is my offical rating scale AGAIN, and a recap of the shows I've reviewed so far...

Here is my offical rating scale

* 3 must see's!!! (Next to Normal type....  RUN DON'T WALK TO SEE IT NOW!!!!! and you need a brain to understand it)

* 2 must see's!! (Really good show I recommend it!!)

* 1 must see's! (fair to midlin?)

* must see? (Reserved for the Lion Kings and Phantom of the Operas, which yeah its ok already..... too much producers making too much money for too long, or for no reason)

* must unsee's it (Flippin Forget it, don't see!!!!)

And shows that I have reviewed up till this recap...

Hopefully this might help you find something quicker...  Especially the rating key, don't want you to have to constantly go to the bottom to see what the devil I'm talking about.

"BIG FISH: A New Broadway Musical" - Review #11

"Cinderella" - (Broadway) - Review #10
"MoTown the Musical" - (Broadway) - Review #9
"Once, the Musical" - (Broadway) - Review #8
“ANNIE” (Broadway) - Review #7
“Matilda” — The Musical - Review #6
“BARE the Musical” - (Broadway) - Review #5
“CHAPLIN” - (Broadway) - Review #4
“NEWSIES” (Broadway) - Review #3
“Wonderland” (Broadway) - Review #2
“Leap of Faith” - Review #1

And I must apologize.  If a youtube clip stops working...  I really can't fix it.  Its all those rich fat cats that think they have to stomp on people and don't want to have achieves of clips and what not.  Which is sad.. because I still well up when I watch the leap of faith, Chaplin & Matilda clips.

 

Contact me through the comments if you have any feedback on this all..  Thanks Guys!  Break a Leg!