Trip to New York--Suggestions

[theatregrl0456]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 6:24pm

Hello everyone,

This coming June I am going on a trip to new york, with a group of students from my school. We get to choose what shows we will see when we are there. I was wondering what you would suggest that we see and why. I am starting to get some ideas of my own but would like to here what other people would say. I'm getting very excited for this trip.
Any help/suggestions you can give me would be great!
Thanks!

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 6:27pm

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It's the funniest show ever. It's a comedy that anyone can appreciate. Plus theres not a bad seat in the house. However if your looking for a huge production show with dance numbers and songs you've probobly heard before I would say A Chorus Line or Phantom of the Opera. Both are classics.

[keely2]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 8:13pm

Assuming it's all still open (this includes shows that have yet to open, actually):

110 in the Shade
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Chicago [assuming the stunt casting is not too gross]
A Chorus Line
Company
Curtains
The Drowsy Chaperone
Grey Gardens
Gutenberg! The Musical!
Jack Goes Boating
Jaques Brel is Alive and Well... [if Constantine is gone]
One Child
Prelude to a Kiss
Spring Awakening
Translations
Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen

I haven't seen all these (actually, heh, I've only seen 4 of them); the list is based on my personal experience, but probably more on others' reviews and on what I know about each show.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 9:04pm

Of that list, assuming this is for High School, students would probobly be bored with Company and Grey Gardens. Spring Awakening you would need to notify parents of the subject content before hand.

[ahmelie]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 9:40pm

I'm going up with my school in May, and as much as I pushed for Grey Gardens, it was rejected. We settled with A Chorus Line and Curtains.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 10:22pm

I'm a high school student and am enamored of Company every time I see it.

[i*heart*fame]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 12:57am

Same, but with GG as well. I can't wait until second semester when I will be able to see them as often as I would like! First semester senior work-load=death!

[WICKEDcool19]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 9:58am

this is completely irrelevant but when you go to new york or whatever make sure you go to jamba juice.

haha im such an idiot, but i need to go there everytime im in the city, its delicious!

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 3:52pm

Where are you from? Is it near a touring city?

Some shows will play (or have already played) in that nearby city in essentially the same production that is playing in NY so unless there is a specific performance you want to see take that into consideration. The ones that have toured or will tour soon or will play regional engagements include: Poppins, Rent, Phantom, Mamma Mia, Wicked, Spelling Bee, Jersey Boys, Hairspray, Producers, Les Miz, Chicago, Spamalot, Avenue Q, Beauty/Beast. There may be more but that is a good basic list of shows that will hit venues out of NY.

I found Tarzan utterly lacking as a show. Easily the least exciting show now playing. While I have to admit I am in a definite minority, this new production of Company (a show that I love) is painfully uninvolving for me. The Color Purple is good, not great, and is a small story with mostly small characters in a great big show.

There also are other shows that have not opened yet: Legally Blonde, Journey's End (which is a great play from the 20s), Talk Radio, Radio Golf, Curtains, Inherit the Wind, Pirate Queen, Moon/Misbegotten.

That said:
**Grey Gardens; you may not see a performance as luminous as Christine Ebersole's for quite a while;
**The Year of Magical Thinking with Vanessa Redgrave which hasn't opened yet, but look at that actress;
**Deuce with Lansbury and Seldes;
**Spring Awakening which in my opinion is the best new musical to come down the pike in quite a few seasons; NB-leave your teachers and squirrelly friends at home. This show deals with adult themes and deals with them fairly directly.
**If you have never seen A Chorus Line on stage, go; a so-so Chorus Line is better than 75% of what is out there.
**I am sure The Drowsy Chaperone will tour, but I don't know when.
**If The Coast of Utopia has extended into June, spend the money, buy the cheap (although $65 for each part of a trilogy isn't cheap) and go see all three parts.

Don't forget a host of Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows either.

So there you go. Welcome to New York. Enjoy.

Posted: 1/11/07 at 9:55pm

Hairspray. Although I have yet to see the show, I hear it's just electric and it brings the house down.

Curtains sounds like it's going to be a major hit and if you like murder mysteries, this is a show for you.

I also suggest you checking out Altar Boyz off-broadway. I was always interested in seeing this musical, but I was a little skeptical at first. I didn't know exactly how they were going to pull off the Christian boy band thing as entertaining. I saw it last month on tour and I loved it soo much! It was hilarious and easily one of the best shows I've ever seen! I even went again the second night and I'm wearing out my cast recording as I type. If you don't catch it in New York, maybe you can see the tour when it comes to your city (if it hasn't already).
Updated On: 1/11/07 at 09:55 PM

[StarStruckGB]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 10:30pm

Hahaha.....Jamba Juice, haha.
<3

[theatregrl0456]

Posted: 1/12/07 at 4:19pm

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
I had already been thinking about what WOSQ said about the shows touring. I live near grand rapids so we get some shows but they can take a while. But I go to Chicago a lot, so I can see shows there too.
I would love to see Spring Awakening, but I don't know how well that will work out with the school group. We have one free night, that we can see an extra show on and that is the show I would like to see then, sooo hopefully. Same with Avenue Q.

I'm also pretty interested in The Drowsy Chaperone, does anyone know when it will tour?

We have to see Beauty and the Beast, though i'm not sure why, and i'd rather not seen as it is about everywhere right now, There's been about 5 productions near where I live in the past year. We're also probably going to see Wicked. I really wish we could see some newer stuff that won't be/isn't touring. But a lot of the people I'm going with don't see it that way.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/12/07 at 8:35pm

I'm sorry you have to see Wicked in New York. I has 3 production around the country. If you could I would suggest A Chorus Line.

[theatregrl0456]

Posted: 1/12/07 at 8:49pm

Yeah. I pushed for a while but i can see that I won't be able to change any more minds.
I would much rather see A Chorus Line than Wicked, however our community theatre did just do a production of it so .

[nate2]

Posted: 1/13/07 at 1:37pm

1. Spring Awakening
2. The Pirate Queen
3. Les Miserables
4. Legally Blonde
5. Wicked
6. A Chorus Line
7. Avenue Q
8. Mary Poppins
Updated On: 1/13/07 at 01:37 PM

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 1/13/07 at 3:29pm

traditional- phantom

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/13/07 at 4:22pm

I would see Les Mis if you can't see ACL.

[dramatothemax]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 12:52am

You could sneak into the stage door at Spring Awakening, kidnap all the boys and shove them on a plane to Las Vegas for me. No worries, I'll pick them up at the airport hahaha

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 9:24am

My school has a trip to NYC in early June too!!

Not sure what we'll end up seeing, but my sponsor told me that if the shows the class voted on end up all being shows I've already seen and don't have any interest in seeing again, I can go see another show. Umm, yeah, I'm going to take that offer...

Well, this isn't because I'm a diva or anything strange like that. My mom won't let me go unless I see shows I haven't seen three times before. =/