Broadway Fall 2015: Which Show Most Excites You- Page 2

[SushJoya]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:06am

@ebontoyan - I think you just convinced me to put Allegiance on my must see list!

[josiahjosiah]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 3:43pm

KING CHARLES III

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

THE HUMANS

OLD TIMES

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 4:43pm

I was really looking forward to "Sylvia" until the zombified Matthew Broderick was announced. I wouldn't go now even if comped, I've wasted far too much time and money seeing the exact same performance from him. So now the one I'm looking forward to most is "Old Times".

 

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 8/27/15 at 9:13pm

Allegiance and On Your Feet. 

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 8/28/15 at 12:58pm

Poll results at this point:

1. Allegiance

2. Spring Awakening

3. Dames at Sea

4. The Color Purple

5. School of Rock

. 

[Pootie2]

Posted: 8/28/15 at 2:39pm

ebontoyan said: "Jbm2 thanks for sharing the link.

 

I will be watching Allegiance for its story (sad and forgotten history but I think needs to be told), the cast (Lea and George Takei's Broadway debut) and the music (its mini cast album with 5 songs from San Diego tryout is absolutely beautiful), not necessarily in that order.  I have been waiting for this show to arrive in Broadway since 2012.

 

The show will be putting out a 10 part video series for on their road to Broadway leading up to their Opening, the first two are already out (how it began, search for a leading lady before Lea signed on for the Broadway production) and I get teary watching them if anyone else is interested the videos are posted in George Takei/Allegiance fb and Twitter pages

 

This show may not be for everyone but I do hope it finds an audience!

 

"

It's not even sad and forgotten, but willfully ignored. My high school history class so long ago barely mentioned the American Japanese internment camps and concentrated on the Nazis instead; more interesting and less guilt? At least slavery and the Civil War have been discussed much more openly, but for some reason the Japanese internment camps are barely known among the adults I've spoken to. Perhaps that atrocity is too contemporary compared to slavery, an historical embarrassment in what should be the great WWII triumph of modern righteousness against tyranny? It's a mark against FDR, in any case.

 

I hope they'll release more of the documentary episodes soon. And as much as I'm happy that Lea Salonga is returning to Broadway, I'm actually more interested in how George Takei, with his significant presence on social media concerning politics and human rights, will effect a new potential audience for this theater piece or theater in general. (And I loved Sulu, what can I say.)

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 8/30/15 at 12:42pm

 

Why no love in the poll for Old Times? A Pinter play that marks the debut of Clive Owens!

[ZeroMustTell]

Posted: 8/30/15 at 1:44pm

I'm relatively new here, so bear with me.

Can someone explain the apparent lack of interest or excitement on this board regarding the new collaboration between legends Al Pacino and David Mamet that opens in October?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/30/15 at 2:57pm

I could understand why there isn't as much excitement for Fiddler on the Roof because it's a show we've been seeing on Broadway every ten years or so. But hey, at least we're not getting it five years after the last revival as we did recently with both Gypsy and La Cage aux Folles.

 

Yes, Fiddler on the Roof has been done a lot, but for good reasons. It's a timeless classic that deserves to be done again every generation.

 

Plus this production has such a great team among the cast and crew, from Danny Burstein as Tevye, to director Bartlett Sher. Who could ask for anything more?

Updated On: 8/30/15 at 02:57 PM

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 8/30/15 at 10:10pm

Jeffrey, I think the problem with my poll is that you can only choose one show. You'll notice on the thread, that several people chose Fiddler as one of their choices. This is the SIXTH production of Fiddler on Broadway, and the movie is shown frequently, and I"ll bet it's not unpopular in high school and college. So, forced to choose one that they're excited about, they'll choose one they're curious about.

Zero, as for Mamet, many former fans have soured on him, thanks to recent didactic dogs like Race and especially the Anarchist. Yes people still admire Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo, but he wrote those decades ago. I"m going to guess the tepid response has to do with Mamet, not Pacino.

 

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 8/30/15 at 11:27pm

"Zero, as for Mamet, many former fans have soured on him, thanks to recent didactic dogs like Race and especially the Anarchist"

 

I think "soured on him" is far too strong a term. He's got far too many skins on the wall both for his plays as well as for his work in film as a screenwriter and director for most of his fans to simply give up on him. I didn't see THE ANARCHIST but I loved RACE and didn't really care it got mixed reviews. However, I thought NOVEMBER was not just bad, but absolutely dreadful.  So at this point, I think his fans, much like Woody Allen's fans are hopeful and cautiously optimistic when a new work is about to come out but will not go just because his name is on the marquee. I think a lot of people are looking forward to see what he comes up with but given the construct you have created where one must pick a single show out of 18 and given that the interest of most of the folks on this board skews heavily towards musicals anyway, it's not surprising in your small sample, it didn't get much attention as THE one show people are most looking forward to. If it's good and Pacino does with a role what Pacino is capable of doing as opposed to chewing the scenery for 2 hours, I think it will get plenty of attention.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:19am

Caught Spring Awakening in LA - and it was one of the most riveting, beautiful, lump in your throat, heartbreaking wonderful pieces of theater I have ever seen - surpassed the original by leaps and bounds

with that being said: Noises Off (i worship andrea martin and never saw the mark rylance production) King Charles III 

 

 

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 8:55am

So, Bob, you haven't "soured on" Mamet, but I believe others have. It's not just his last few plays (and you have to admit you're in the minority on "Race." It's also his belligerently conservative politics.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:10pm

"It's not even sad and forgotten, but willfully ignored. My high school history class so long ago barely mentioned the American Japanese internment camps and concentrated on the Nazis instead; more interesting and less guilt?"

You don't have to answer but how long ago was high school for you? I definitely think that it isn't discussed enough in American schools but I do remember spending a good amount of time on it one year. Maybe in middle school?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:43pm

NewYorkTheater said: "So, Bob, you haven't "soured on" Mamet, but I believe others have. It's not just his last few plays (and you have to admit you're in the minority on "Race." It's also his belligerently conservative politics."

 

Some have soured on him and some haven't.  I haven't taken a broad based poll and I'm guessing you haven't either.  To try to generalize or to think one knows "the public's" view of him would at a minimum seem misguided. Many didn't like RACE, but some,  including some notable outlets like AP and USA Today did. I said it got mixed reviews and I think that is accurate. Regardless, I long ago stopped needing the validation of others to feel it's OK for me to like something others didn't care for or think my opinion is any less valid because it's not in the majority as your comment would seem to imply, smiley face not withstanding.. As far as his politics is concerned, yes, he's pretty "out there" right now and there is not much of anything he is saying that I agree with.  But many seem to have long forgotten the basic tenant of living in a society that allows free speech, that one must defend the right of others to voice opinions whose very words make your blood boil. I don't agree with his politics but I am willing to be objective when I evaluate the quality of his work.  Your comments make me wonder if you can do the same. 

Updated On: 8/31/15 at 01:43 PM

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 2:33pm

Bob, Bob, bring it down a notch. I agree with just about everything you've said.

1. The smiley face was unintentional. I must have done my end parenthesis wrong.

2. I certainly think you're entitled to your opinion.

3. David Mamet is entitled to his political views.

4. This part of the thread began because somebody asked why more people haven't chosen Mamet's new play on my favorites poll. I think the main reason is, as you said, because the poll only allows for one choice.  I'm speculating that the reception towards his recent plays, and theatergoer attitudes towards his recent politics, are also factors.  

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 4:42pm

spring awakening, King Charles III, and School of Rock

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 9:46pm

The top five now are:

Allegiance

Spring Awakening

Dames at Sea

The Color Purple

The Gin Game.

 

[hork]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 9:49pm

I wouldn't have expected The Gin Game to be in the top 5. You guys know it's just two old people playing gin, right?

[BOM]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 9:51pm

Misery and School of Rock.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 9:57pm

VintageSnarker said: ""It's not even sad and forgotten, but willfully ignored. My high school history class so long ago barely mentioned the American Japanese internment camps and concentrated on the Nazis instead; more interesting and less guilt?"

 

You don't have to answer but how long ago was high school for you? I definitely think that it isn't discussed enough in American schools but I do remember spending a good amount of time on it one year. Maybe in middle school?

 

"

'90s. :)

I wonder if region also matters. I checked a map, and the state in which I grew up did not have an internment camp or any other "facility." On the other hand, I had lived on the West Coast for a few years and have seen more references to the history (small local museum, etc.), so perhaps there has been more dialogue in states with a larger Japanese-descent population. At least I'd hope so.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 9/2/15 at 12:12am

I'm extremely excited for Spring Awakening, Allegiance, Fiddler on the Roof, and Fool For Love. 

Also, The Anarchist was one of the worst pieces of crap I have ever sat through on Broadway (Patti LuPone's performance notwithstanding, although how she managed to come off well in that absolute mess I'll never know). So that plus my general distaste for Mamet as a person and playwright means I will probably be ignoring the new play he's written.

Updated On: 9/2/15 at 12:12 AM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 9/2/15 at 12:52am

Not to derail this thread (I'd send you a PM if I could)... but I went to high school in the aughts in New York. I distinctly remember being taken to a museum or exhibit on Japanese internment camps but it can't have been in high school because it doesn't make sense with the curriculum. My AP US History class was a joke but that's a conversation for another day.

 

Anyway, I agree that it's important that the subject be discussed in schools and perhaps Allegiance will help bring the stories of the real people back into the light.