Profile for ColorTheHours048

Danny “Booked and Blessed” Burstein

98 and looking wonderful. Highly unlikely we’ll see her onstage again, but so grateful she’s still with us. I always dream cast her in my head as Mertis in Annie Baker’s John.

Hot take: I preferred her Violet over Deanna Dunagan’s. As far as her age, she famously commented in a profile after she took over the role that the stairs that winded Dunagan really didn’t bother her much. She’s 12 years Dunagan’s senior.

Sutton Ross said: "This article sheds a bit more light on the border concept which honestly is the last thing people want to think about when trying to escape for a few hours."

For what it’s worth, I don’t imagine there are many people going to Romeo and Juliet for escapism. I’d say people are tired of heavy-handed sociopolitical concepts more than they’re seeking apoliticism altogether.

A handful of folks I know have seen it. Unfortunately, the buzz isn’t great (underbaked US/Mexican border concept, uneven performances). Sounds like a skip unless you’re a “must see every Shakespeare in the Park production” completist.

“To be wiiiiild

Wiiiiiiiild agaaaaaain”

Auggie27 said: "It's terrifying to watch, and her money notes - and the song knows where they are - explode while she's moving in a fast, rushing circular motion, the type used in NASA training."

Gurl…

She used to sprint around the Gershwin and belt higher and longer 8x a week. To say nothing of the cherry picker. I think she can handle a few seconds of twirling on a literal playground spinner.

Please! And let it not be anything produced by MTC.

MUSICAL NUMBERS (as of first preview):

Prologue
Morning Class
Star
The Mirror
God and Beast
Flow
Gala Night
Swan Song
Swan Village
Ghosts
Something Bad with Beth
Rothbart
Roof's Edge
Did You Suck His C*ck?

INTERMISSION

The Trial
Far from the Flock
Cygnet
Scratch
Exile
Nothing
Nutcracker Nightmare
Shadow Dance
Village Dance
Death Dance
Finale

OhHiii said: "If a revival of Other Desert Cities is happening, there have to be wheels in motion for one for August....right?"

Yes, it has been actively presented to producers at least twice with David Cromer directing and Deirdre O’Connell and Carrie Coon as Violet and Barbara. Here’s an article about it from 2023.

Unless they have a big A-lister in line for the female role in Three Days of Rain, I can probably count on my fingers and toes how many people would buy a ticket to see the co-lead of a single episode of television in it on Broadway. That play is a snooze, even without Julia Roberts weighing it down. Put it in Cherry Lane for a couple months maybe.

If they True West-ed this, I’d see it a minimum of four times.

I would see those ladies in truly anything. (Even The Gin Game!) But yeah, Other Desert Cities is an unexciting plot twist in search of a play. The only meaty roles are the aunt and the daughter.

That said, my ticket is already as good as purchased if this happens.

TaffyDavenport said: "There's barely any visible balcony overhang in the rear mezzanine at the Lyceum."

You’re totally right. I don’t know which theater I was thinking about, but it’s not the Lyceum.

 

Animal Wisdom has a 9pm curtain on Fridays if you’re in wanting to squeeze in a show and not have to rush. Odds are also good you could get a literal rush ticket for it and still have time to grab food nearby beforehand.

Disney has more than enough money to pay for the additional strings. They’re cutting them because the people at the top aren’t seeing these shows and don’t understand the impact reducing an orchestra can have. There are savvy ways to reduce orchestra size to cut costs without it also sacrificing the integrity; Disney doesn’t know how to do that.

A shame it’s closing with Betsy as Madeline and not Megan. The show just isn’t the same without her.