7-11: 11 New York Shows in 7 Days!

[daspazoo]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 9:44pm

A MINISTER’S WIFE: Off-Broadway Musical; Mitzi E. Newhouse, Lincoln Center
This show is absolutely exquisite. I caught the World Premiere at Writers’ Theater outside Chicago a couple years ago, and while it’s been tightened since then, it’s still the intelligent and moving chamber musical I remembered it to be. Chicago actress Kate Fry gives a ravishing and natural performance in the title role. Her scenes with Bobby Steggert (as the poet in love with her) are perfection. Marc Kudisch’s singing voice seemed thin at time, but other than that gives a fine performance as well. This show won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I, for one, wish there were more cerebral and sophisticated new musicals like this one.
Audience Reaction: Divided Love/Hate

BOOK OF MORMON: Broadway Musical; Eugene O’Neill
This show is comic brilliance! But the writers were wise to also include an infectious score, a timely and subtle message, and a ridiculously talented cast. I don’t want to give too much away, but I haven’t had such a good time at a musical comedy since ‘Hairspray.’ If you can get a ticket, this is one not to miss. It was such a treat to see this and ‘Minister’s Wife’ in the same day—wonderful works of musical theatre at opposite ends of the genre.
Audience Reaction: Rapturous

SISTER ACT: Broadway Musical; Broadway
Ok, I thought the exposition was drawn out too long (though maybe I’ve just seen the movie too many times) and the set was kinda flat and clunky, but other than that I had a fabulous time. Patina Miller is a dynamite performer, and Victoria Clark is the perfect counterpoint for her. An equally strong supporting cast as well. I didn’t find the guys’ songs to be as strong as the women’s overall, but it’s still a great score. One the nuns start singing, the show really takes off.
Audience Reaction: Loved It

THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL’S GUIDE…: Off-Broadway Play, Public
Ok, so the show could stand to lose 15 minutes in the 3rd act, but the entire show still flew by for me. As usual, it’s a work of staggering intellect from Kushner that doesn’t skimp on an engaging plot either. The entire ensemble cast delivers honest and believable characters that I enjoyed spending time with. Also—I loved the set! It’s really fun to see how they made everything work.
Audience Reaction: Strong, if a little subdued, but it’s a lot to take in.

WONDERLAND: Broadway Musical, Marquis
Hateful. I’d say it’s the worst Broadway production I’ve ever seen, but I slept through half of ‘The Woman in White’ so it’s hard to say. Generic music, cliché lyrics and an insipid book. Unimaginative set and costumes left over from ‘Wicked.’ Though the cast can’t rise above the material, at least they emerge unscathed. I just don’t know where or why they found the money for this. I’m mortified I spent money on this—I should have known better.
Audience Reaction: Enthusiastic from an audience of mostly families

THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE: Broadway Musical, Studio 54
Donna Murphy is perfection, especially the way she changes ages on a dime, but the show around her feels a little unwritten. Nothing is bad, per se, but as much as I wanted to be, I just wasn’t moved. The main conflict doesn’t really emerge to almost the end of Act 1, so it’s hard to get on board by time. A pleasant, if undistinguished, score. I think what it really needed was a stronger director at the helm to help guide the writers with the structure and specifics of the show they intended to write.
Audience Reaction: Polite, and a lot sniffles in Act 2

ANYTHING GOES: Broadway Musical, Sondheim
Sutton Foster can do no wrong, and she’s surrounded by a delightful supporting cast. It’s no revisionist take on the material, but if Golden Age musical comedy is what you’re after, Kathleen Marshall and her team deliver it in spades. If they hadn’t brought down the curtain at the end of Act 1, after ‘Anything Goes,’ I think the audience would have applauded straight through intermission. I just sat there with a huge grin on my face all night.
Audience Reaction: Rapturous

4@15: Off-Broadway Musical Staged Reading, York Theatre
York commissions four 15 minute musicals for the University of California-Irvine NYC Satellite program students. An admirable program, but the results were pretty lackluster—both the students and the writing. I was especially disheartened that all the authors went for some spoof or satire as the subject for their musicals. There wasn’t one honest, straightforward piece of storytelling in the quartet. Doesn’t bode well for the future of musical theatre.
Audience Reaction: Very excited friends and family

TOMORROW MORNING: Off-Broadway Musical, York Theatre
Another musical I saw in an earlier incarnation in Chicago and loved. At the York, the hyper-talented 4-person cast sings the super melodic score with panache, but the show has been cut down from 2 hours to 75 minutes. It’s definitely tighter and clearer now, but I felt some of the heart got lost in the process. Still, it’s a very entertaining night in the theater.
Audience Reaction: Warm

WAR HORSE: Broadway Play, Vivian Beaumont at Lincoln Center
One of the most intensely emotional experiences I have ever had in the theatre. (I was crying so hard, the lady next to me asked if I was ok.) Not only is the story wholly engrossing and captivating, the production is remarkably cohesive and alive. It’s one of those experiences you can only have in the theatre. And those puppeteers working the horses (and the goose)! I felt for Joey (the main horse) just as much as if he had been a human character. This is another one to get tickets to before it’s too late.
Audience Reaction: Very Strong

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Broadway Musical, Neil Simon
Norbert and Aaron are an absolute dream team, and they’re worth the price of admission alone. I was entertained the whole time, but the book could use some more depth and warmth at the center, and the score wasn’t as strong as I hoped—though there are certainly at least 4 show-stopping numbers. The staging is slick and energetic, even if it never quite hits the heights that ‘Hairspray’ did. Overall though, I’d recommend it.
Audience Reaction: Very Strong

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 10:37pm

Thanks for your thoughts! Many of these will be on my list of shows to see for my NYC theatre trip. :)

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 10:41pm

impressive...said the guy who saw five shows in four days. was lucky enough to have caught BOOK OF MORMON and ANYTHING GOES

gotta say that JERUSALEM has really stayed with me...

[zamedy]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 10:42pm

Great reviews! Love your style of writing, too! Glad to see that you thoroughly enjoyed yourself (for the most part). And btw... your reviews also made me really miss HAIRSPRAY (my favorite musical of all-time)! It's so ironic that CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, with so many HAIRSPRAY connections, ended up playing the Neil Simon.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 10:45pm

Wow, quite a trip!
Thanks for the reviews.
If you had to rank them - could you?
I need to prioritize here since I've only seen a few on your list - Anything Goes, War Horse, and Catch Me.

[daspazoo]

Posted: 4/20/11 at 12:45am

A lot of it depends on taste BroadwayDevil.

'Book of Mormon' is the other Don't Miss It! that haven't seen from my list. This is also where I'd put 'War Horse' and 'Anything Goes.'

If you're into dense, cerebral theater, I can't recommend 'A Minister's Wife' or 'Intelligent Homosexual's Guide' too highly either, even as I recognize they won't be to everyone's tastes.

'Sister Act' I would recommend next -- a crowd pleaser, if not revelatory. This is also where I'd put 'Catch Me.'

'Wonderland' I would avoid at all costs, and the other's I'd put in the take it or leave it category.