#1
Posted: 10/8/08 at 11:19pm
Hey All!
I have been in New York for six days, and seen thirteen shows!
Here are some short reviews, thoughts, etc...
Please forgive the spelling and grammar, I wrote them all late at night!
AND...I am here for another 8 days, and I will attach the planned theatre schedule after the reviews, so if you wanna join, private message me, and COME ALONG!
NYC Reviews
Giant Shark Killer: The Musical
Date: Oct. 2 @ 8:00
Theatre: TBG
Price $20 (regular)
What I was expecting was a good NYMF show, was I got was a good enough Fringe Show. Sure the concept was fun, the actors all talented enough and had amazing voices…BUT the lack of any real story with a meaning overtook this good attempt. The set and costumes were lacking, but if I had seen this at a local Fringe Fest I would have been pleased! There is no point of reviewing any further, as I am sure it doesn’t have an after-life in the NYC theatre scene, and it has now closed, but it was enjoyable enough, and I hope the three actors wonderful futures!
Score: 3/10
Play It Cool
Date: Oct. 3 @ 8:00
Theatre: TBG
Price: $20 (regular)
Potential. I saw this show with a lot of “fancy industry people” and I do think we will hear about it again. The show has a strong book, and a half-strong score. The actors were freaking talented, and showed real depth. The story was interesting and strong; I cried and laughed the sign of good theatre! In my HUMBLE opinion, I would re-write some songs that go NO-WHERE…and re-work the piece as something very “Chicago” mixed with “Spring Awakening” where the songs are almost done as jazz cabaret performances, and the story happens within the dialogue. A great and moving piece of theatre, which I hope has a future outside NYMF.
Score: 7/10
College: The Musical
Date: Oct. 3 @10:30
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
Fun, and Energetic! The show was a fantastic, energetic, FUN night at the theatre. Yes, I am of the demographic the show is aimed at, but the costumes, staging and choreography were really spectacular! The score, although sounded very repetitive at times, and had some themes of “Glory Days” tied in, was well written. The songs were hip and current, but showed some real heart. The actor’s voices were amazing, and Sandy Rosenburg was a KNOCKOUT! The book was weak, and it was almost more of a song-cycle than a real book musical. Some loose ends were never tied up, and the story didn’t really start or end anywhere. I don’t see a huge future for this show on Broadway, as the demographic will be tight and we will probably end up having another “13” or “Glory Days” Fiasco. I can see it being HUGELY popular in regional productions and Universities, or even a possible off-broadway run. But again, I was blown away at the quality of this NYMF show and it really was a FUN night at the theatre. On a side note, the program was amazing, each actor had a facebook page for biography!
Score: 7.5/10
Twilight in Manchego
Date: Oct. 4 @ 1:00
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
This piece is one of the most moving things I have seen in a while. I audibly cried and that doesn’t happen to often. That being said, it definitely has some flaws, but they could all be easily fixed. It was almost like watching a reading of the next great musical. The staging and choreography were fresh and inventive. The roles were played with real emotion, and not overdone. The story was intersting and strong, and had some minor flaws. The score was strong(ish). It was the best new score I have heard in a while, that isn’t pop music, but suffered from some bad rhymes. If I were a producer, I would pick up this show, and it has tons of potential to be something great. The audience loved it, and were visibly and audibly touched.
Score: 8/10
She Can’t Believe She Said That!
Date: Oct. 4 @ 4:30
Theatre: TBG
Price: $20 (regular)
With the quality I have seen with the other NYMF shows, this one fell flat. The main problem I had was that the character took no real journey. It was a biography without a climax. The score was forgettable, although well sung. It could be that I am not in the era to appreciate the show, but nothing really did it for me. The choreography was contrived, and the set was so random it didn’t make sense. The performers did their job with the poor material, and achieved a little success. It was fun, and had some good laughs, but repeated the same thing over, made no real progress, and the ending made me wondering what I had just watched for the last two hours.
Score: 5/10
Gypsy
Theatre: St.James
Date: Oct. 4 @ 8:00
Price: $27 (student rush)
Let’s clear something up, I am usually let down by hyped up musicals, and I don’t have a love affair with Patti, BUT…these were the BEST performaces I have ever seen. EVERYONE involved with this production blew me away. I was caught up in every moment, and couldn’t take my eyes off the stage. Although the stage is high in the first row, the pure emotion that can be witnessed on that stage is breathtaking, literally. During Rose’s Turn I was honestly breathless and in a state of shock. I sat with my mouth open and shaking, then tears rolled down my face, it was a surreal moment, that I will never forget. I loved the set, the costumes, the choreography, and the ORCHESTRA blew my mind! If anyone is left in NYC and hasn’t seen this production…GO!
Score: 9.5/10
The Fancy Boy Follies
Date: Oct. 5 @ 1:00
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
It wasn’t the best of times, it wasn’t the worst of time. The show was gay. VERY gay. The production itself was not to shabby. It was essentially another version of Naked Boys Singing, with more clothes. The songs were fine, singing about everything under the gay umbrella. The actors were hired for their bodies, not their voices. There were some fun moments, some laugh out loud moments, and some moments I sat looking at my program. The story had no fluidity, but that wasn’t the point, the point was….well it didn’t really have a point, other than to entertain some middle-age NYC homos…but overall, I still enjoyed it. As much as it stereotized(?) gays, it was funny, and never took itself to seriously! Could have a life as a review Off-Broadway, something similar to Naked Boys!
Score: 5/10
Jason and Ben
Date: Oct. 5 @ 4:30
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
I am torn. I loved it, and hated some of it. It started out nicely, the songs fit and it seemed organic and real. It reminded me of the movie “Once”. Then something happened, and the story took a left turn. It was wild, and then it turned into something more of a play with some songs, than a real musical. And even though the story was intriging, some of the book writing seemed stale and un-natural. But it was truly intriguing to watch this piece of theatre, and it was something very unexpected. The staging, and use of the simple set was well done, and the audience had a good reaction. It left me thinking, which is good theatre in my opinion. I still don’t know if I “liked” it, but it was intriging and a nice way to spend an afternoon at the theatre.
Score: 6.5/10
The Language of Trees
Date: Oct. 5 @ 7:00
Theatre: Roundabout Underground
Price: $20 (regular)
Unexpected and Undecided. With the short synopsis I had read, and going in blindly, I was pleasantly surprised with the show, and shocked. The acting was incredible, and the characters all were outstanding, The set was exciting, and encompassing of the audience. The show was well written, never stale or boring, and kept the audience listening. The problem I have is that I don’t understand the meaning. I left the theatre, in thought, and wondering what the theme or moral I should have left with was. I would reccomnd taking $20 and seeing this show, it has incredible acting, a well written script and some real amazing moments. Decide for yourself.
Score: 7.5/10
[title of show]
Date: Oct. 6 @ 8:00
Theatre: Lyceum
Price: $47.50 (on-line discount)
Yes, I am a [tos]er. And I have to HONESTLY say…the show took every dream I had of it, and jumped leaps and bounds over those dreams. It was an incredible theatre experience, and I cannot wait to see it again on Sunday. There is nothing to say, except it was complete brilliance. It had laughs, it had cries, it had some sparkly chairs. It had an emotional roller-coaster, and it was real. The singing was where it needed to be, the book was still fresh and funny, and the show was an absolute pleasure to sit through. Never could I have imagined how much the show would actually be COMPLETE BRILIANCE!
Score: 11/10
Young Frankenstein
Date: October 7 @ 7:00
Theatre: Hilton
Price: $27 (lotto)
Awful. I went in with low expectations, but was let down even more. Starting with the lotto, only 6 people showed up, so they offered us as many seats as we would like. On a side note, the front row seats, are really a GREAT view but unfortuneatley, that was the only great aspect. The show had a lot of light, alot of piro-technics and lot’s of loud noises. Thw didn’t have any heart, wit, or imagination. The characters and actors were all really BLEH tonight, the only standout was Beth Leavel. The Ensemble was super sloppy, in the badly choreographed numbers. I had heard that “Putting on the Ritz” was a show stopper, but I waited, and the show never stopped. The score was bad and I can’t remember a single song, and the book was, well, a movie script. The show didn’t work for me at all, and really had no redeemiong qualities, let’s hope Mel stays away from the Great White Way for a while.
Score: 4/10
The Little Mermaid
Date: Oct. 8 @ 2:00
Price: $30 (rush seats)
Pathetic. I wanted to be pulled into the story, and brought along to another land, and have some fun, but I couldn’t. The “family” audience wasn;t the easiest thing to deal with, from kicking chairs, to eating copius amounts of noisy candy, to slurping there soda, these distractors took away any magic that this lack-luster show had going for it. The new songs didn’t blend, and were boring to sit through, the plastic set felt like it had been lifted from Disneyland, with the inclusion of the Dumbo Ride. But the worst part of the show, was the lack of ANY energy from the ensemble, they crawled through the choreography, looked as bored as can be, they couldn’t even to be bothered to call in their performances, they possibly texted them. Overall, I had nothing really enjoyable to say about the show, I almost wished I was back at Young Frankenstein!
Score: 3/10
13
Date: Oct.8 @ 8:00
Price: $25 (student rush)
Fun, Exciting, and Energetic! I don’t know what all the hate was for, I am not the typical “demographic” for this show, but it pumped me right up! I left the theatre singing and dancing to the subway. Sure, it is no sondheim, or Mamet, but it was fun, ORIGINAL, and catchy! It was a fun night in the theatre, with some great one-liners and some really poignient moments! The jokes were on the verge of innaprpriate, but enhanced the show, kids talk like that, kids are witty, and make innaporiate jokes. The curtain call rocked, and those dang kids are talented! I couldn’t find a weak link, and the best part was, they were all into in 110%. They should take these kids and let them teach some other ensembles I’ve seen *cough* LITTLE MERMAID *cough*, what energy, character, and emotion are on stage! During a dance break, one of the girls, accidentally threw her phone off stage and right into my lap, which was a fun mishap to ensue, but she didn’t even blink, she kept going and was 100% professional! BRAVA!
Score: 8/10
Shows Seen: 13
THURDSDAY, Oct 9 @ 8 – August: Osage County
FRIDAY, Oct 10 @ 8 - Jersey Boys
FRIDAY, Oct 10 @ 11 - Naked Boys Singing
SATURDAY, Oct 11 @ 2 Altar Boyz
SATURDAY, Oct 11 @ 4 – Forbidden Broadway
SATURDAY, Oct 11 @ 8 – Boeing-Boeing
SUNDAY, Oct 12 @ 2 All My Sons
*SUNDAY, Oct 12 @ 8 – [title of show]
MONDAY, Oct 13 @ 8 - Equus
TUESDAY, Oct 14 @ 8 – Billy Elliot
WEDNESDAY, Oct 15 @ 2 - ?
WEDNESDAY, Oct 15 @ 8 – In The Heights
I have been in New York for six days, and seen thirteen shows!
Here are some short reviews, thoughts, etc...
Please forgive the spelling and grammar, I wrote them all late at night!
AND...I am here for another 8 days, and I will attach the planned theatre schedule after the reviews, so if you wanna join, private message me, and COME ALONG!
NYC Reviews
Giant Shark Killer: The Musical
Date: Oct. 2 @ 8:00
Theatre: TBG
Price $20 (regular)
What I was expecting was a good NYMF show, was I got was a good enough Fringe Show. Sure the concept was fun, the actors all talented enough and had amazing voices…BUT the lack of any real story with a meaning overtook this good attempt. The set and costumes were lacking, but if I had seen this at a local Fringe Fest I would have been pleased! There is no point of reviewing any further, as I am sure it doesn’t have an after-life in the NYC theatre scene, and it has now closed, but it was enjoyable enough, and I hope the three actors wonderful futures!
Score: 3/10
Play It Cool
Date: Oct. 3 @ 8:00
Theatre: TBG
Price: $20 (regular)
Potential. I saw this show with a lot of “fancy industry people” and I do think we will hear about it again. The show has a strong book, and a half-strong score. The actors were freaking talented, and showed real depth. The story was interesting and strong; I cried and laughed the sign of good theatre! In my HUMBLE opinion, I would re-write some songs that go NO-WHERE…and re-work the piece as something very “Chicago” mixed with “Spring Awakening” where the songs are almost done as jazz cabaret performances, and the story happens within the dialogue. A great and moving piece of theatre, which I hope has a future outside NYMF.
Score: 7/10
College: The Musical
Date: Oct. 3 @10:30
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
Fun, and Energetic! The show was a fantastic, energetic, FUN night at the theatre. Yes, I am of the demographic the show is aimed at, but the costumes, staging and choreography were really spectacular! The score, although sounded very repetitive at times, and had some themes of “Glory Days” tied in, was well written. The songs were hip and current, but showed some real heart. The actor’s voices were amazing, and Sandy Rosenburg was a KNOCKOUT! The book was weak, and it was almost more of a song-cycle than a real book musical. Some loose ends were never tied up, and the story didn’t really start or end anywhere. I don’t see a huge future for this show on Broadway, as the demographic will be tight and we will probably end up having another “13” or “Glory Days” Fiasco. I can see it being HUGELY popular in regional productions and Universities, or even a possible off-broadway run. But again, I was blown away at the quality of this NYMF show and it really was a FUN night at the theatre. On a side note, the program was amazing, each actor had a facebook page for biography!
Score: 7.5/10
Twilight in Manchego
Date: Oct. 4 @ 1:00
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
This piece is one of the most moving things I have seen in a while. I audibly cried and that doesn’t happen to often. That being said, it definitely has some flaws, but they could all be easily fixed. It was almost like watching a reading of the next great musical. The staging and choreography were fresh and inventive. The roles were played with real emotion, and not overdone. The story was intersting and strong, and had some minor flaws. The score was strong(ish). It was the best new score I have heard in a while, that isn’t pop music, but suffered from some bad rhymes. If I were a producer, I would pick up this show, and it has tons of potential to be something great. The audience loved it, and were visibly and audibly touched.
Score: 8/10
She Can’t Believe She Said That!
Date: Oct. 4 @ 4:30
Theatre: TBG
Price: $20 (regular)
With the quality I have seen with the other NYMF shows, this one fell flat. The main problem I had was that the character took no real journey. It was a biography without a climax. The score was forgettable, although well sung. It could be that I am not in the era to appreciate the show, but nothing really did it for me. The choreography was contrived, and the set was so random it didn’t make sense. The performers did their job with the poor material, and achieved a little success. It was fun, and had some good laughs, but repeated the same thing over, made no real progress, and the ending made me wondering what I had just watched for the last two hours.
Score: 5/10
Gypsy
Theatre: St.James
Date: Oct. 4 @ 8:00
Price: $27 (student rush)
Let’s clear something up, I am usually let down by hyped up musicals, and I don’t have a love affair with Patti, BUT…these were the BEST performaces I have ever seen. EVERYONE involved with this production blew me away. I was caught up in every moment, and couldn’t take my eyes off the stage. Although the stage is high in the first row, the pure emotion that can be witnessed on that stage is breathtaking, literally. During Rose’s Turn I was honestly breathless and in a state of shock. I sat with my mouth open and shaking, then tears rolled down my face, it was a surreal moment, that I will never forget. I loved the set, the costumes, the choreography, and the ORCHESTRA blew my mind! If anyone is left in NYC and hasn’t seen this production…GO!
Score: 9.5/10
The Fancy Boy Follies
Date: Oct. 5 @ 1:00
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
It wasn’t the best of times, it wasn’t the worst of time. The show was gay. VERY gay. The production itself was not to shabby. It was essentially another version of Naked Boys Singing, with more clothes. The songs were fine, singing about everything under the gay umbrella. The actors were hired for their bodies, not their voices. There were some fun moments, some laugh out loud moments, and some moments I sat looking at my program. The story had no fluidity, but that wasn’t the point, the point was….well it didn’t really have a point, other than to entertain some middle-age NYC homos…but overall, I still enjoyed it. As much as it stereotized(?) gays, it was funny, and never took itself to seriously! Could have a life as a review Off-Broadway, something similar to Naked Boys!
Score: 5/10
Jason and Ben
Date: Oct. 5 @ 4:30
Theatre:
Price: $20 (regular)
I am torn. I loved it, and hated some of it. It started out nicely, the songs fit and it seemed organic and real. It reminded me of the movie “Once”. Then something happened, and the story took a left turn. It was wild, and then it turned into something more of a play with some songs, than a real musical. And even though the story was intriging, some of the book writing seemed stale and un-natural. But it was truly intriguing to watch this piece of theatre, and it was something very unexpected. The staging, and use of the simple set was well done, and the audience had a good reaction. It left me thinking, which is good theatre in my opinion. I still don’t know if I “liked” it, but it was intriging and a nice way to spend an afternoon at the theatre.
Score: 6.5/10
The Language of Trees
Date: Oct. 5 @ 7:00
Theatre: Roundabout Underground
Price: $20 (regular)
Unexpected and Undecided. With the short synopsis I had read, and going in blindly, I was pleasantly surprised with the show, and shocked. The acting was incredible, and the characters all were outstanding, The set was exciting, and encompassing of the audience. The show was well written, never stale or boring, and kept the audience listening. The problem I have is that I don’t understand the meaning. I left the theatre, in thought, and wondering what the theme or moral I should have left with was. I would reccomnd taking $20 and seeing this show, it has incredible acting, a well written script and some real amazing moments. Decide for yourself.
Score: 7.5/10
[title of show]
Date: Oct. 6 @ 8:00
Theatre: Lyceum
Price: $47.50 (on-line discount)
Yes, I am a [tos]er. And I have to HONESTLY say…the show took every dream I had of it, and jumped leaps and bounds over those dreams. It was an incredible theatre experience, and I cannot wait to see it again on Sunday. There is nothing to say, except it was complete brilliance. It had laughs, it had cries, it had some sparkly chairs. It had an emotional roller-coaster, and it was real. The singing was where it needed to be, the book was still fresh and funny, and the show was an absolute pleasure to sit through. Never could I have imagined how much the show would actually be COMPLETE BRILIANCE!
Score: 11/10
Young Frankenstein
Date: October 7 @ 7:00
Theatre: Hilton
Price: $27 (lotto)
Awful. I went in with low expectations, but was let down even more. Starting with the lotto, only 6 people showed up, so they offered us as many seats as we would like. On a side note, the front row seats, are really a GREAT view but unfortuneatley, that was the only great aspect. The show had a lot of light, alot of piro-technics and lot’s of loud noises. Thw didn’t have any heart, wit, or imagination. The characters and actors were all really BLEH tonight, the only standout was Beth Leavel. The Ensemble was super sloppy, in the badly choreographed numbers. I had heard that “Putting on the Ritz” was a show stopper, but I waited, and the show never stopped. The score was bad and I can’t remember a single song, and the book was, well, a movie script. The show didn’t work for me at all, and really had no redeemiong qualities, let’s hope Mel stays away from the Great White Way for a while.
Score: 4/10
The Little Mermaid
Date: Oct. 8 @ 2:00
Price: $30 (rush seats)
Pathetic. I wanted to be pulled into the story, and brought along to another land, and have some fun, but I couldn’t. The “family” audience wasn;t the easiest thing to deal with, from kicking chairs, to eating copius amounts of noisy candy, to slurping there soda, these distractors took away any magic that this lack-luster show had going for it. The new songs didn’t blend, and were boring to sit through, the plastic set felt like it had been lifted from Disneyland, with the inclusion of the Dumbo Ride. But the worst part of the show, was the lack of ANY energy from the ensemble, they crawled through the choreography, looked as bored as can be, they couldn’t even to be bothered to call in their performances, they possibly texted them. Overall, I had nothing really enjoyable to say about the show, I almost wished I was back at Young Frankenstein!
Score: 3/10
13
Date: Oct.8 @ 8:00
Price: $25 (student rush)
Fun, Exciting, and Energetic! I don’t know what all the hate was for, I am not the typical “demographic” for this show, but it pumped me right up! I left the theatre singing and dancing to the subway. Sure, it is no sondheim, or Mamet, but it was fun, ORIGINAL, and catchy! It was a fun night in the theatre, with some great one-liners and some really poignient moments! The jokes were on the verge of innaprpriate, but enhanced the show, kids talk like that, kids are witty, and make innaporiate jokes. The curtain call rocked, and those dang kids are talented! I couldn’t find a weak link, and the best part was, they were all into in 110%. They should take these kids and let them teach some other ensembles I’ve seen *cough* LITTLE MERMAID *cough*, what energy, character, and emotion are on stage! During a dance break, one of the girls, accidentally threw her phone off stage and right into my lap, which was a fun mishap to ensue, but she didn’t even blink, she kept going and was 100% professional! BRAVA!
Score: 8/10
Shows Seen: 13
THURDSDAY, Oct 9 @ 8 – August: Osage County
FRIDAY, Oct 10 @ 8 - Jersey Boys
FRIDAY, Oct 10 @ 11 - Naked Boys Singing
SATURDAY, Oct 11 @ 2 Altar Boyz
SATURDAY, Oct 11 @ 4 – Forbidden Broadway
SATURDAY, Oct 11 @ 8 – Boeing-Boeing
SUNDAY, Oct 12 @ 2 All My Sons
*SUNDAY, Oct 12 @ 8 – [title of show]
MONDAY, Oct 13 @ 8 - Equus
TUESDAY, Oct 14 @ 8 – Billy Elliot
WEDNESDAY, Oct 15 @ 2 - ?
WEDNESDAY, Oct 15 @ 8 – In The Heights
25 shows in 14 days folks, anything is possible!
Updated On: 10/12/08 at 11:19 PM
