Hello Wicked World!

I'm back, almost home and yet still in class?
I bring bad news, so many shows on Broadway are closing, it makes my head hurt.
Some are calling this the worst season ever.
Well, it's sad so many shows are closing, it seems there is never a shortage of new productions on the Great White Way.
The latest show to post it's notice is "Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein".
While this show has had a healthy run of over a year, it never was the critically or financial darling of it's prettier sister, "The Producers". A great article was posted this morning on NYTimes about how many people were turned off by the production because of it's rocket high premium prices and almost arrogance surrounding the show. The producers decided not to post it's weekly grosses, while all shows do. They also shortchanged the cap of how many group sales they sold which is a dagger in any production because so many survive of these group profits.
I am one of the many people who did not see this production, despite the stellar talents of Roger Bart and Sutton Foster.

Speaking of Sutton Foster, she is Fiona in the new production of Shrek the Musical. Oh yes, it is now a musical. It's still in previews but there are many reports of so-so reviews. If the tourists have their way, it's sure to last on Broadway for some time.

What else is going on in the Broaway world. Hairspray is closing in January (with the original Tracy and Edna) and Spamalot is closing in January as well.

What are things to look forward to in the spring to off-set this major bummer season? Revivals include Guys and Dolls, Hair, Waiting for Godot, and the funny Will Farrell in You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush.

I wish you all a great Thanksgiving, and come see a Broadway show - or i'll be sad.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123625.html

Farragut North & Equus

I was fortunate to get a last minute student rush ticket ($10!) to Atlantic Theatre Company's Farragut North Saturday afternoon.

It was...a great show. One, that I will probably see again before it ends. The play revolved around Stephen as young and ambitious 25 year old press rep for a governor running to get the presidential nomination. Back door politics ensues along with his career and personal life. Chris Noth (yes him), plays the campaign manager(okay, so when I saw it, I thought he was the nominee, and in the play he dresses rather sloppy, and i was like wtf, why are you dressed so bad) anyway, bad stuff hits the fan, and it gets intense but the play and story never losses its focus. It had me hanging to the edge of my seat. It was so good. So good.

Evening show was Equus with several of my favorite NYC friends. Okay, so going in I knew the central premise, kid obsessed with horses, gets naked. That's all I knew.
What a weird and sick and twisted show this was. I am now terrifed of horses because actual humans played the horses with metal shaped heads and hooved feet and suddenly they were like in sync with each other and it was crazy and my mind was blown.
Dan Radcliffe was pretty good. I mean, he is Harry Potter and adorable, so it was lovely to see him change into this crazy kid. So anyway, it was crazy and I don't know how I feel about it but at least I'm feeling somethng, right?

It's November already?

Holy cow, people.
How is it already November 9th? Almost an hour away from double digits.
And so close to thanksgiving (which means home to my dog!)

I've been slacking in my updates because...I am a slacker. so here we go my precious readers(I know you're out there beautifuls).

October was a busy theatre month for me.
I was fortunate to see [title of show], Gypsy, Speed-The Plow- and In The Heights all in one weekend! And with my mom and bff no less.

Let's start with ............. a little [tos]
Oh dear [tos], i love you.
please come in my pocket and stay forever.
Sadly, as reported earlier, [title of show] ran it's course but let me just say, i adored this production.
Having only heard the cast recording (i almost wrote soundtrack, uhoh, im slacking), i knew the general concept but sitting in the second row was pretty amazing.
Hunter and Jeff were fantastic and hilarious and endearing. The girls, Heidi and Susan were perfect in their "me" roles. I adored Secondary Characters and What Kind of Girl Is She, and A Way Back to Then. I felt like the first half really really flowed well and the second part, I was left...waiting, if that makes sense. It got kinda heavy toward the end, which I wasn't expecting but I understand as necessary for the journey.
Anyway, I loved it, I left the theatre smiling (partly because my Amtrak was an hour late and I wasn't sure if I was going to make it on time and the other half because I was 10 minutes away from seeing my Mom).

The next night I saw Gypsy. This was my first time seeing the show and I loved it. But Holy Mother of Jones, it was long. I guess that's how it was done back in the day - 3 hour production. Patti Lupone is god, basically. I was fortunate to see her in Sweeney Todd with my other Broadway husband, Michael Cerveris, and adored her. This production was all about her - and the goddess that is Lauren Benanti. I would love to grow up in vaudeville and then become a stripper! Life long dreams people.

Next night, was kind of a toss up. I ended up seeing the Mamet revival of Speed the Plow, last minute. I adore Raul Esparza, as stated in an earlier blog entry. I half expected him to belt out Being Alive, because the show was in the Barrymore, same as the revival of Company. Jeremy Piven can go either way for me. Love him in Serendpity and yes, Chasing Liberty but kind of don't care for him otherwise. I know, not being a very objective reviewer but hey. Elisabeth Moss was cute.
That is my review of Speed the Plow. Enjoy.

Next night was IN THE HEIGHTS. It needed to be capitalized because this show = my life. Except I don't rap and don't go around dancing and proclaiming my latin-ness. Although, I think I should.
Anyway, this was my 3rd time seeing ITH and my mom's 2nd! Two times - watch out!
This was definitely a favorite of mine because our seats were pretty amazing and it was fantastic to see Karen on again (she was out last time), and of course my girl crush Mandy Gonzalez. Oh and Lin, because well, he's like....awesome.
Mom said she loved it much more this time around and my friend, Elisia, loved it too! I love this show for several reasons but one is that it still makes me cry. Breathe, is the song that struck a cord with me back in March when I saw it in previews (cue me crying in the last row, rear mezz without a tissue). Everything about this show I love. Even the awful parent songs (yeah i said it).
I love in the heights! i love the little mexican flag being waved during Carnival del Barrio.
I love home, i like the climax of home, i love the ending of home. I love in the heights!