... Like PB & J
Marshmallow and Chocolate
Bacon and Eggs
Mac and Cheese
Cookies and Cream
Bagels and Schmear
You get the idea...
In NYC, its pretty hard to avoid Broadway. Billboards. Signs in the subway.
I commute to and from work/home on the train that stops at 42nd street, commonly known as Times Square and at 49th street. The people that get off the train at 42nd cover the whole spectrum. Business people, tourists (especially in the summer), nanny's with strollers, messengers with their satchels and bikes, people who've decided to walk the line between genders (the drag queens are pretty fabulous), little old men and women who've lived in New York so long that they look like the architecture...the list goes on. But at the 49th street station, more often than not, you see tourists wearing broadway show shirts (either coming from or going to a show), and a whole mess of actors, or stage crew.
It's the hub of Broadway.
It's unavoidable.
I'm the delusional, what you'd call "a not really true", New Yorker who actually likes to go to shows. And since moving to this lovely city a year and a half ago I've seen 6 shows.
Les Miserables
Mamma Mia
Finding Neverland
Something Rotten
Fiddler on the Roof
Kinky Boots
My favorite? Always a tough question. I'd say its close between Finding Neverland and Something Rotten. But if I had to choose, I'd say Something Rotten.
Neverland was a bit of an unknown, not based on anything super popular where you'd be able to know the music. But it was really well done. I was lucky enough to see it when its star, Matthew Morrison, was still performing. The show was really well done, and the cast of kids did a great job. Unfortunately, its run on Broadway in NYC is concluding. Last show is August 21, 2016. But it goes on National Tour after that, so if you can't make it here to see it, look for it near you!
Something Rotten was pure genius. The premise of the show centers around two brothers trying to write a hit play at the time of Shakespeare. Except they can't compete with the great Bard. So, they begin to create the worlds first musical. It's a slap-stick comedy with misunderstandings, foolish actions and a slough of well known musical numbers. Odd bits of Les Miz, Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera, and more make their way into the set. I was near tears or outright crying from laughter for most of the show. Again, I lucked out seeing the original stars, Christian Borle(still performing in 2016) and Brian d'Arcy James. And Brad Oscar as Nostradamus is incredible! (He's still performing in 2016).
Mamma Mia is no longer running in NYC, but it was an amazing show. I'd been in love with the music for a long time, and loved seeing it live.
Les Miz is a classic. I wasn't as familiar with the music, but I saw it after the movie was released so the music was a bit more mainstream. It was a great show. The scenes were amazing. I'll never get over how they do so much in such a tiny space.
Fiddler is a also a classic, and was up for a 2016 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. I thought it was really well done, and the music and costumes were excellent. It's just not the kind of performance you can leave on a high note. If you know anything about Fiddler, you know its centered around Eastern European Jewish displacement in the days of Imperial Russia. So, if you're looking for a lot of laughs, and a feel good show, this is probably not it. Still a great show.
Kinky Boots. Winner of a couple Tonys in 2013; Best Musical and Best Score, to name a few. This show was pretty great. First of all, men who can walk better in heels than I ever will. Some great comedy moments, and a bunch of awesome songs. I went in not knowing much about the show or the music, but loved it just the same.
That's all of the shows I've seen so far... But the list of show I want to see is always growing.
I saw a couple shows on National Tour when I was still living in Wisconsin; Wicked, Lion King, and Mary Poppins. But a friend just told me that the quality of costuming, scenery and overall talent is so much higher in NYC that I really should see them again here. So, perhaps the next one I'll tell you about is Wicked.
Have you seen any stellar shows that I should add to my list? Let me know!
Until next time.
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