7 Shows In 4 Days (May 12-16, 2022)

I just finished up a wonderful trip to the city where I saw a record-setting 7 shows in 4 days. I have scattered my thoughts throughout some of the threads on a few shows, but thought I would recap here...

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Thurs 5/12 at 2PM) - I won to lottery and got GREAT seats (orchestra row K seats 1 and 3). The show has never looked or sounded better. It really looks like a fresh coat of paint was applied to the entire production. The cast was alright. Ben Crawford was not my favorite Phantom - he slipped in and out of a lot of different accents. The Christine standby was fine, but a little weak. John Riddle was a good Raoul. The chemistry between the three leads was a little imbalanced. The Thursday matinee was pretty empty, but there was still plenty of horrible audience behavior that this show is famous for - cell phone use, getting up and down during the show, crinkling. It was nice to revisit this after not having seen it in a couple years, but it definitely wasn't one of the best out of the times I have seen the show. (***)

A STRANGE LOOP (Thurs 5/12 at 7PM) - Interestingly enough, this show was nowhere on my radar when making plans for this trip, but after reading the reviews from you all on BWW and from the critics, I decided to see it, and I am so glad I did. As a an almost thirty year old gay man, there was so much for me to relate to in this show. The book and score are so incredibly strong, unique, and poignant. This show opened my eyes to so many things. Jaquel Spivey is absolutely wonderful. I am really rooting for this to win big at the Tonys. (*****)

THE MUSIC MAN (Fri 5/13 at 8PM) - I had never seen this show done professionally before. This is a very fun and handsome production, but a tad uninspired. It lacks the heart, warmth, and glamour that the HELLO, DOLLY! revival had. Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster are both great and really bring the star power even if they are both giving the exact same performances we have seen them give in time and time again onstage and on screen. I have to say, though, that I think Katrina Lenk deserved to be nominated for best actress over Sutton Foster. (***)

PLAZA SUITE (Sat 5/14 at 2PM) - I don't know what it was about this, but I did not care for this. I think I just found the three plays to be dated and stale. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are fine, but not great. The set and costumes are stunning, but that's about the nicest thing I can say about this. Overall, just "meh". (**)

FUNNY GIRL (Sat 5/14 at 8PM) - This was the biggest disappointment of the trip. It's just a bad production of a bad show with a hummable score. I found very few redeeming qualities outside of the overture and Jared Grimes' tap dancing. The direction is so stagnant, the design is dark and dank and confining, and beanie Feldstein is just woefully miscast. The whole thing looked and felt so incredibly cheap. (*1/2)

TAKE ME OUT (Sun 5/15 at 3PM) - I had seen this done regionally and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to see this again. The performances here are top notch. Jesse Williams and Patrick J. Adams are absolutely wonderful, as it Michael Oberholtzer. Jesse Tyler Ferguson came off as a bit too hammy for me even though I know that's part of the role. The whole production is very well done. The play itself is a tad long and seems to have about three different endings, but it's still a very solid drama. (****)

CHICAGO (Sun 5/15 at 7pm) - I had planned to see SUFFS at the Public, but that was canceled, so I grabbed a front row seat to revisit this. It had been quite some time since I saw the show (I have always loved it), and I am so happy to report that the show has never been better. The ensemble was on fire - none of the sleepwalking and marking I have sometimes witnessed from the ensemble at this show was going on. Lana Gordon was fierce and feisty, and even edges Terra C. MacLeod out as my new favorite Velma. Pamela Anderson is an absolute star as Roxie. She really brings it all to the role, and my GOD those facial expression! Shockingly enough, this ended up being my favorite show of the trip! (*****)

It was a great trip for sure, and it really has me more excited for this year's Tony Awards than I already was! It's so great to be back in the theatre!

I was there this weekend too and saw a lot of similar show to you. I was also at that Thursday matinee of Phantom. I felt similar to what you felt except my opinions were much harsher and I actually left at intermission because I thought everything was so awful.

I was supposed to be at the same performance of Chicago but was having dinner with some friends and some of the people involved with Strange Loop and decided to stay there rather than excuse myself early. Glad I did, but after your report have some slight regrets.

was there a reason why you walked out of Mr. Saturday NIght? Most reviews are positive...



stlrod said: "You and I were at the same performances of A Strange Loop and Plaza Suite.I enjoyed Plaza Suite more than you, mostly for SJP. I enjoyed A Strange Loopbut would probably have enjoyed it more if I could have heard the lyrics better from the 5th row center orchestra. Caught Take Me Out Saturday night and that, along with Into the Woods were the standouts of the weekend for me. We walked out of Mr. Saturday Night."

yyys said: "was there a reason why you walked out of Mr. Saturday NIght? Most reviews are positive.."

While we did have a flight to catch which we would have made if we stayed, the show was just boring and the first act seemed interminable (I did laugh at the $25,000 Pyramid schtick.) I had never seen the movie so it should have been fresh to me but the humor was stale and the songs were pitiful (loved Bridges of Madison County). I had always wanted to see Randy Graff but there was not enough for her (I know I missed her big number in Act 2.) And I felt sorry for Shoshana Bean--she had a smile on her face and was as powerful as ever but still looked like she couldn't wait for her next job. I noticed during the finale of the First Act, it seemed like only the younger 2 performers could keep up with simple steps. This needed a comical production number or something performed by a supporting cast of younger performers. The moment I was ready to leave was when they showed the comic legends and so few were female or minority--just a reminder there is more to be done and this show wasn't accomplishing it. We are probably target audience too (white, 60s, etc.) and loved 700 Sundays.

Updated On: 5/16/22 at 02:46 PM

Phantom4ever said: "BroadwayBob, if you wouldn't mind sharing what was so awful about Act 1 of Phantom I'd be very curious to hear. Thanks!"

I felt they were half a$$ing their way through a half sold matinee show. It's always interesting (in a bad way) to see Broadway performers sleep walk through their roles - no acting, half singing or just plain bad singing [Gerard Butler sounded better singing the Phantom than Ben Crawford did], no energy, no oomph, no spirit (pardon the [very weak] pun), NO LIFE. And believe me when I say that once upon a time PHANTOM was my all time favorite show and I still love the show itself - so it wasn't lack of love for the show that caused these opinions. Morbid as the thought was I found myself wondering if Harold Prince's passing meant that there was no one to make sure the show didn't go to caca.

I also didn't appreciate small, unnecessary changes I noticed - the most glaring being the top of the title song when Madame Giry and the ballet girls came out and interacted with Raoul instead of the Phantom and Christine coming out and down the stairs into the stage. WHY?!?!?!