re: Hugh Panaro to be Jean Valjean in Philly's Les Miz May 21
2008, 06:40:33 PM
Low points: Scott Greer is incredibly boring and unfunny as Thenardier, singing "Master of the House" almost entirely on a vocal fry. Don't remember who played Mme., but she was boring and overacted anyway. People were falling asleep during "Master of the House". No joke.
How was the ensemble in this number? A strong, interesting, and occasionally silly ensemble can be the only thing that keeps Master of the House from becoming interminable, especially with a bad Thénardier. I
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re: Seating related question (sorry) Apr 25
2008, 05:46:35 PM
Oh, and if they're out of rush tickets, ask if they have anything in Box A or Box D. The view's crappy, but at Les Mis they were only $10 more than rush. They often don't sell because you have to ask for them in person at the box office.
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re: Where's the stage door? thread Apr 25
2008, 05:29:04 PM
Studio 54's stage door is indeed halfway down 53rd Street; you can exit out the front and go around the block, or cut through the parking garage. They also open the back door after the performances, which will take you right onto 53rd--just make a left and the stage door is right there.
The Broadhurst stage door is right there next to the box office, to your right as you exit the theatre.
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re: Seating related question (sorry) Apr 25
2008, 05:10:38 PM
Depends on the seat, really, and how much you value being close to the action vs. being able to see stuff happening upstage on your side. Do NOT pay money for the seat on the very end in the first four or five rows, because if you get stuck in C16 you won't be able to see ****. Other than that, some of the restricted-view seats aren't bad at all--try to get a low seat number (C14 is miles better than C16), and keep in mind that the view restriction is less severe the further back you go.
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re: Broadhurst Left or Right Apr 24
2008, 11:03:48 PM
Sightline restrictions on the extreme side orchestra are about the same both sides. The only seats in the Broadhurst to avoid are rear orchestra--that is, unless you want to pay full price to have the mezz overhang block half your view of the stage.
IMO the best seats are the first couple rows--the Broadhurst has a pretty low stage, so you won't be craning your neck. Front mezz is also surprisingly close, though legroom is in short supply.
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re: German Cast Recordings Apr 20
2008, 03:17:22 PM
The Vienna recording of Cabaret is actually kind of horrifying; while it's certainly possible to rip away all the context and pretend the show is about Happy Fun Cabaret Time, it will creep the living hell out of anyone familiar with the plot. If you want Cabaret in German (and trust me, "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" will send chills down your spine), get the Düsseldorf one, not the sanitized Vienna version.
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re: Sick actors/actresses giving good performances Apr 15
2008, 06:27:18 PM
Ben Davis, in his brief stint in the Les Mis revival, missed about half his performances from some nasty flu--but when he did make it on, he was one of the best Javerts I've ever seen.
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re: Erik: Autistic? Feb 15
2008, 06:45:47 PM
Yeah, because high-functioning autistics are so well known for their skill in manipulation and deceit. Duh. With such instinctive knowledge of how other people's minds work, it's no stretch at all to imagine an autistic guy having the entire opera house wrapped around his pinky finger.
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re: Songs of woe and suffering - saddest Broadway songs Feb 15
2008, 05:21:33 PM
"I Don't Care Much" (Cabaret) has been mentioned several times, but I find "What Would You Do?" just as devastating in its way.
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re: Parking in the city for the day, any tips? Feb 7
2008, 11:55:41 PM
Find a cheap parking lot in Hoboken or Jersey City and take PATH into the city for $1.50 each way. The only downside is that the last PATH station is on 33rd street, so you might have a bit of a walk.
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re: Any Elisabeth fans on here? Feb 7
2008, 07:21:33 PM
The first thing it needs is an English translation that doesn't suck. ("The Shades of Night are Growing?" Honestly?!)
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re: Les Miz vs. Les Mis Jan 28
2008, 07:35:19 PM
Saying otherwise implies someone is attempting to don an erudite additude they can't really back up with logic.
Since when was it illogical to spell an abbreviation as a shortened version of the full word? If we spelled everything the way it was pronounced, we'd all be buying tickets for Lay Mizerab.
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re: Most Romantic Showtunes Jan 28
2008, 06:21:00 PM
"On the Street Where You Live" - My Fair Lady
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re: Les Miz vs. Les Mis Jan 28
2008, 05:27:10 PM
Les Mis or LM usually. Les Miz if I'm referring cynically to Cammack's multibillion-dollar franchise.
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re: Gifts to give actors Jan 20
2008, 02:29:37 PM
Anyway, small gag gifts or something that looks like it didn't cost you $100 or take you a whole week to put together can be non creepy. I guess it depends on the delivery of the gift. If you're all like, (in a creepy voice) 'Hey there so and so, look I got you a gift!' (and I want you to open it so I can watch your reaction)' then yeah, that would be a mistake. But if it's something cute and if you're nonchalant about it then I don't see why it can't just be a nice gesture and I'm sure some people out there do appreciate it.
Yeah. I gave Aaron Lazar one of thesehttp://www.philosophersguild.com/index.lasso?page_mode=Product_Detail&item=0011">these on his last day of Les Mis, and he just laughed and asked where the hell I found it. Little things like that aren't necessarily creepy, it all depends on delivery. (And in this case it was "Here, just in case you need to get your Enjolras on after you leave the show," not "I saw this on my trip to Paris last month and THOUGHT OF YOU and I've been saving it for you all this time.")
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re: better tickets at the box office? Jan 11
2008, 01:12:35 PM
Yeah, being able to ask for a specific section is a plus, especially for front-row w*ores like me. (Can't afford it every time, but you can get 2nd row side with a discount code.)
Not to mention that at the Broadhurst, where my friends and I have seen Les Mis so many times that the box office people recognize us, they've occasionally gone waaay out of their way to get us good seats.
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re: Who are those who see shows multiple times, and how?? Jan 10
2008, 11:29:56 PM
I've seen Les Mis 60+ times. I used to have to drive back and forth between Massachusetts and Washington DC whenever I went home on break from school, so if the tour was on the way I'd stop and see it. And then I saw the revival an embarrassing number of times, taking the Greyhound up from DC in the morning and back overnight.
Yeah, I still live with my parents. They don't pay for my tickets, it's just easier to buy them because I don't have bills to pay. Student rush, discount code
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re: Les Miz to tour in 2009/2010, produced by NETworks Jan 9
2008, 11:21:29 PM
Wasn't Ramin Karimloo in that Scandinavian tour? Can we have him, please?
Not that I know of, but Matt Cammelle definitely was.
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re: Les Miz to tour in 2009/2010, produced by NETworks Jan 9
2008, 05:34:54 PM
Well, Jeff Kready is 25, from the backwoods of Kansas, and was also non-Eq when he auditioned for the Broadway revival... but I'm glad he got it, because he was a lot better as Valjean than most of the well-known actors I've seen in the role.
(Which isn't to say that I want a non-Eq tour, just that Jeff is awesome.)
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re: Les Miserables Closing Performance Jan 7
2008, 11:14:47 PM
He and Jeff Kready and Ben Crawford all shaved their beards before they left the theater. I can post pictures if you like, heh. They all look very different.
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