25 shows, 14 Days

[koolaid mustache]

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

Updated On: 10/12/08 at 11:19 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 11:24pm

Now THAT's a trip.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 11:25pm

ONE OF OUR SHOWS OVERLAPS! I will be at the Wed. Oct. 15 8 PM In The Heights, the rest of my trip is as follows:

Thursday October 16, 8 PM - The 39 Steps
Friday October 17, 8 PM - Legally Blonde
Saturday October 18, 2 PM - Phantom of the Opera
Saturday October 18, 8 PM - August: Osage County
Sunday October 19, 3 PM - Gypsy

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 11:28pm

GREAT TRIP!


With "13" it was her character's phone, right? How did you give it back?

Also, see you at [title of show] on the 12th, by the way it's at 7:30, not 8:00.

Updated On: 10/8/08 at 11:28 PM

[koolaid mustache]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 11:32pm

Yes, it has been a fantabulous trip, a lot to think about each night while falling asleep!

Ya, it was a prop phone, at the end, a backstage guy came out and asked if anyone had it, I gave it to him, and he made sure I didn't get injured by it, I should have pretended I did, and milked it for free tickets or something!

thanks for the [tos] info!

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 4:09am

Thinking of seeing Seagull or A Tale of TWo Cities?

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 7:14am

Wow, great trip. I would LOVE to do that.

[koolaid mustache]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 11:44am

Neither of those are on the list

I am not really interested in the seagull...

...and tale of two cities...I think I have seen enough bad musicals

(it's like [tos] when I'm juding a show before I see it)

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 11:52am

WOW- this schedule is AMAZING!!! And thanks for the fun reviews.

[feline0favenueQ]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 1:05pm

No Spring Awakening?

[koolaid mustache]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 11:24pm

I have already seen Spring Awakening on another trip (along with lots of other long running shows)

HEY ALL! A few more days have passed, and a few more shows have been seen!

I have 3 days left! WHAT A JOURNEY it has been!

here are more of my reviews/thoughts, again sorry about the grammar, AND there may be SPOILERS!?

Jersey Boys
Date: Oct.9 @ 8:00
Theatre: August Wilson
Price: $27 (SRO)

Quality, just not my cup of tea. The production was good, and there isn’t to much to complain about. I enjoyed my $27 worth, but don’t understand the hype. I understand that it targets a demographic, the boomers, and they have money, but the actual show is nothing great. For being a jukebox musical, it has some taste, but I couldn’t relate to the characters and I had nothing emotionally invested in the show. Not to much to say, it was good, but not for me.

Score: 6/10

Judy and Me
Date: Oct.10 @ 8:00
Theatre: St. Lukes Theatre
Price:$35.75 (discount)

I don’t know. I still haven’t decided if I hated or loved the show, I am right in the middle. The acting was superb. The boy who played the main character was extremely gifted, and I felt for him. The rest of the cast was equally talented, and I really wish them all luck. The story itself is just not cohesive enough, and it had moments where it just dodn’t work. The story seemed like so much, packed in, but at the same time, had a feeling of stretching everything out and nothing happening. The major turn-off I had was during the talk-back where the writter/star of the show was leading the discussion, and even though some people pointed out some critiques he got really defensive and didn’t listen to contructive critisism. That point kind of turned me off as an audience member, and tainted my reaction to the show, as I believe the show has potential, but now see why it is possibly not fully developing.

Score: 6/10

Naked Boys Singing
Date: Oct. 10 @ 10:30
Theatre: New World Stages
Price: $8 (discount promo)

Well, it sure was Naked Boys Singing! The title really says it all, and there is nothing else to it. The songs are weak (with some exceptional exceptions), and the cast is hot, although not all that talented. It is a good late night theatre activity, for bachelertte parties and homos. For $8 I can’t complain to much, and I enjoyed myself for ninety minutes. Don’t go in expecting anything, other than some hot naked guys, and you won’t be dissapointed.

Score: 5.5/10

Altar Boyz
Date: Oct. 11 @ 2:00
Theatre: New World Stages
Price: $40 (discount)

Witty and Fun. This show was everything I thought it would be, which was a fun time. It is no sondheim, or even kander and ebb, but the lyrics are witty and the music is pumping. The story was a little better than I expected, which means I expected very little! The casting was great, and band rocked it out. All of the boys stood out, and I didn’t see a weak link. The choreography was really fun, and made me dance leaving the theatre. Again, it was nothing thought-provoking, but it was well written and put together, and fun!

Score: 7/10

Forbidden Broadway: Goes to Rehab
Date: Oct. 11 @ 4:00
Theatre: 47th Street Theatre
Price: $35.50 (discount)

Best Forbidden Broadway EVER!.Well I have only seen one other real incarnation (Rude Awakening) but this show had so much new material, and updated some old stuff! It still amazes me that these actors are really that freaking talented! It is a fun, LOL afternoon of theatre. Standouts for me were the Patti Lupone number, the Sondheim tribute, and the Equus spoof. REALLY REALLY good! Go see it before it closes, and the all that chat song was funny as well!

Score: 8.5/10
Boeing-Boeing
Date: Oct.11 @ 8:00
Theatre: Longacre Theatre
Price: $36.50 (regular price, rear balcony)

LOL. To be honest, I didn’t have the best time in Act I, it was long and I had to pee, so even though I wanted to laugh, I couldn’t. Too much information? I had semi-high expectations for this show, and they met them. It was over the top fun, and likable. The cast was OUTSTANDING and should win the award for BEST CAST EVER? They were ALL remarkably funny in all the different roles. The curtain call was fun, and it was seriously pee-your-pants funny!

Score: 8/10

Rock Of Ages
Date: Oct.12 @ 3:00
Theatre: New World Stages
Price: $30 (discount)

Fun and Camp! This was a fun show, that fits perfectly in the New World Stages, and I can see being a long runner there. I don’t personaly think it has any great qualities, but it never takes itself to seriously and is definitely an enjoyable time! The music is loud, the actors have energy, and the voices soar on the rock ballads. The characters are enjoyable, think of ot as high class dinner theatre! The band really rocked, and were a total integral part of the show, which was fun to see. The set was exciting, and there was always something to look at. The choreogrpahy and lack of costumes were appopriate, and it all fit nicely together. It was fun, pointless, campy, but ENJOYABLE!

Score: 7/10

[title of show]
Date: Oct.12 @ 7:30
Theatre: Lyceum
Price: $26.50 (Regular Price, rear balcony)

Since I have already reviewed it, all I have to say, is this night blew my mind, The emotion, the energy, and the audience made for an unforgetable night of theatre! I have never seen a show a second time and loved as much as the first until this evening, INCREDIBLE!! On a side note…even though the crowd was all fans and tossers, and SUPER loud, the crowd was still respectable when they kept going!!

Score: 12/10

Updated On: 10/12/08 at 11:24 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/12/08 at 11:59pm

You really should check out Tale of Two Cities! I had a wonderful time, and who knows, you might like it! Plus, if you hang around the stage door afterwards, you can get a backstage tour!

[little_sally]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 12:13am

I agree with RentBoy

[koolaid mustache]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 12:31am

I kinda wanna
but alas i have run outa time

i have decided not to see a show tomorrow, as i found out equus doesnt have monday nights anymore, and nothing else appeals to me...

and Tuesday I have a ticket for Billy Elliot, and I HAVE to see August:Osage County on Wednesdsay matinee, and I really wanna see In the Heights on Wednesday, but if I don;t win the lotto I'll se TOTC!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 6:06am

August is simply one of the most amazing things to his any stage, any where. IMHO.

Enjoyed your mini reviews. THREE shows in one day? Yikes. The most I've seen at a clip is 9 shows in 6 days...with a couple of gigs at Joe's pub thrown in late nights.

Enjoy the rest of your stay!

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 6:12am

I love the fact you went to see some Off Broadway stuff etc as long as the Broadway stuff, truly great trip

[koolaid mustache]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 9:42am

I've been trying to see a well rounded amount of shows!

that and I have already seen Chicago, Hairspray, Wicked, Lion King, Xanadu, In the Heights, Spring Awakening, Spamalot, Mamma Mia, Legally Blonde, Avenue Q on other trips, so I had limited choices on Broadway!

and yes, the three show days have been long, and all of this theatre has started to make my brain go a little crazy!! But it has been a wonderful trip, and I can't wait until May when I come again!! TONYS!!

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:08am

I envy you...and I live an hour from the city.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:29am

That is such a fantastic trip!

[Mealz1042]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:40am

sounds like an AMAZING trip
also sounds like we have similar taste in musicals.
Can't wait to hear how you liked in the heights.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:51am

What?! You've already seen "In The Heights"? Well scrap the lotto and get a student ticket to "Tale of Two Cities." Who knows, it might not be around when you come next, but "In The Heights" will be.

[yankee_fan907]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 11:07am

Haha, seriously, Piragua.
Same for me too!

[koolaid mustache]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 7:15pm

MAYBE

i just have NO interest in it
and I saw IN the Heights in second night of previews, from the back
so i wanna see it now that it has been running, and right up front!!

who knows though, a few shows have been switched!

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 7:21pm

A Tale of Two Cities has Monday nights, if you "sort of wanna" see it you should, I mean I don't know how close you are to the theatre and such but maybe TKTS has a last minute ticket.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 7:30pm

I have not seen Tale of Two Cities but I think you should see In The Heights. It such an enjoyable show and it is amazing.