A year of musicals, sparked by Hamilton

[bear88]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 3:26am

Last year, I went to New York City for the first time in more than two decades. My wife and I (before we were married) used to go on quick trips there, see shows, and do the usual tourist things. She used to love heading to the TKTS booth after we arrived in Manhattan and seeing something that night.

In April 2016, we saw four shows, catching up on some musicals we'd missed in past years and - after much debate because of what seemed like a ridiculous price tag - seeing Hamilton. I know a lot of people resent that show, thinking it was overrated, that it blotted out other fine shows, and that it wasn't going to do anything for musical theatre outside of a single juggernaut. But for me, it reignited an interest in musical theatre that's always been there but has accelerated since. We have always seen occasional local productions and San Francisco tour stops, along with a few Oregon Shakespeare Festival trips, but this past year has been more intense. I should just blame Lin-Manuel Miranda, but it's not all his fault. Since the New York trip in April 2016, I've seen the following shows (starting with last year's trip):

-- Wicked (NY) - had seen it before, but my daughter wanted to see it on Broadway

-- Book of Mormon (NY)

-- Shuffle Along (NY) 

-- Hamilton (NY)

-- Kinky Boots (SF tour) 

-- In the Heights (Santa Maria, California - local conservatory theatre)

-- Grey Gardens (LA)

-- Beautiful (SF tour)

-- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (SF tour with Darren Criss, Lena Hall)

-- The King and I (SF tour)

-- Fun Home (SF tour - twice)

-- Rent (SF tour)

-- Hamilton (SF tour)

-- Phantom of the Opera (NY) - we'd seen it back in 1990

-- Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (NY)

-- Dear Evan Hansen (NY)

This isn't counting the day I spent watching the videotaped revival of Oklahoma with Hugh Jackman, and then a college version of same musical, or the Sweeney Todd film, or the Hairspray live TV musical (my younger daughter's favorite show). For many of you, this is nothing. You see this many musicals in a few weeks. But it's a change for me, because I'm trying to learn more about the history of the art form. Miranda's ability to combine rap, a genre I usually shun, with musical theatre really was a revelation. But last year's New York trip inspired interest that extended beyond one show. I certainly know there are many people who don't really care about musical theatre but are very interested in seeing Hamilton. But there are certainly other people, if I'm not just an isolated freak, who have gotten more interested in musicals. Of course, our joke after many of them is, "Well, it wasn't as good as Hamilton," but that's part of the fun.

There have been unexpected pleasures. I only got tickets for Hedwig at the last minute, not really knowing what I was getting into, and I loved it. I was very impressed with Fun Home as well. There was no plan to go to New York this spring, but when other options were rejected, I had reserved a hotel room just in case. Now it's my wife, who spurred my interest in live musicals in the first place, who says I have gotten a little too obsessed. We probably won't go to New York next year, as other obligations loom, but I hope to see more shows closer to home. And I really do have to catch a few plays.

Updated On: 5/18/17 at 03:26 AM

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 6:43am

bear88 said: "after much debate because of what seemed like a ridiculous price tag - seeing Hamilton. I know a lot of people resent that show, thinking it was overrated, blotted out other fine shows, and wasn't going to do anything for musical theatre outside of a single juggernaut."

Don't believe the anti-hype.

[bear88]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 4:11am

I forgot the Rent touring production, which I saw not long ago, so I added it in case anyone cares. It wasn't one of my favorites, so perhaps that's why it slipped my mind.

[LJD123]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 6:42am

I just love this thread

Hamilton was not the musical that reignited my love of theater however, it was actually the Mary Poppins tour in Boston.  We brought our then 8 and 10 year old children, and their love of the experience made me love theater even more, having them to share it with!  Now 5 years later we have also seen many touring productions, and made our way to NYC for Hamilton in April 2016 for the experience of a lifetime.  The vibe in the room was ELECTRIC to say the least.  Everyone was so happy to be there and anxious to experience the "cultural phenomenon" it seemed like at the time.  Even after listening to the OBC recording daily for a year, and knowing every word by heart, it lived up to our expectations.  Since then we have also seen some phenomenal shows, and continue to learn more about each other as it has sparked some great debates at our house as we compare the shows we see!

[South Florida]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 8:16am

Great thread Bear, I have a similar story but not quite as auspicious as the run you had.

[froote]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 8:50am

Lovely!

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 9:04am

This is exactly what happened to me with WICKED in 2004. I had always loved certain musical films (SOUND OF MUSIC, MARY POPPINS, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, TOMMY) and had seen BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING on school trips to New York, but the second I heard Idina Menzel sing "Defying Gravity" on the cast recording, I knew I had to see that live. I had to experience it, and I was lucky enough to. 

The flood gates opened and 13 years later, I have 106 Broadway shows under my belt. Not bad for someone who has never lived or worked in NYC lol.

People like to roll their eyes at WICKED, and I totally get it. I see its flaws now, but I still hold that show close, because, without it, I would have never had my HEDWIG or FUN HOME or FALSETTOS or NEXT TO NORMAL experiences. 

Updated On: 5/18/17 at 09:04 AM

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 9:24am

For most of my life, I had no interest in musical theater because it always conjured up images of performers like Ethel Merman and lots of silly choreography and (what I felt were) silly stories, and I balked at the idea of people walking into a room and bursting into song. 

And then one day I read an interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber, in which he talked about how one of the the challenges of writing musicals was "having characters burst into song without it seeming daft". Around the same time, I saw the 2004 film of Phantom of the Opera; the vocal performances left much to be desired, but I thought the music was glorious (no Ethel Merman songs here) and the show was thrilling and gorgeous. Soon after, I saw the real show (i.e., at The Majestic) and was hooked.

Updated On: 5/18/17 at 09:24 AM

[Big Apple2]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 10:53am

Nice story, Bear.  And thanks for sharing.  My story is much similar to yours.  While I’ve always enjoyed musical theater, the intensity increased after seeing Hamilton in NY last Fall when I decided to do the cancellation line as this was the only way I could see it.  Since then, I’ve made another trip to NYC just last week.  Where I live, it would be years before we get the current hit shows.  My wife and I always have to travel and catch the better shows in bigger markets.  Since October, I’ve seen the following:

-- Hamilton (NY)

-- School of Rock (NY)

-- The Front Page (NY)

-- Matilda (NY)

-- Amelie (Ahmanson Theater, LA)

-- Motown: The Musical

-- Dirty Dancing

-- Hamilton (Opening Night, SF) In 3 weeks, my wife will be seeing this for the first time with my daughter, her second.  I might see it again with them if I can score a rush or SRO ticket.

-- The Illusionists

-- Miss Saigon (NY)

-- Dear Evan Hansen (NY)

-- The Great Comet (NY)

-- Cagney (NY)

-- Groundhog Day (NY)

The above is nothing compared to other people’s list.  But it is impressive to me as I’ve never seen so many shows in a span of 7 months.  For now, it looks like a spring and fall visit to NYC will be the norm for us.  Life is too short to be years behind in seeing these shows.  It is also fun to share experiences and relate with others on this board.  The folks who live in and around NYC are so lucky to have and enjoy all this right in their own backyard

Updated On: 5/18/17 at 10:53 AM

[jennab113]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 11:20am

My story is pretty similar.  I've been a subscriber to Broadway Across America in Atlanta for about 8 years and always watched the Tony's but hadn't ever gone to New York specifically for shows.  I had seen 3 shows on Broadway (Beauty and the Beast in 2003, Rock of Ages in 2009, and Newsies in 2012).  Then I listened to Hamilton and got a ticket for May 2016.  It was just going to be a short trip to see the Braves play the Mets and the show and then back home.  I joined here and slowly kept extending the trip until it was a week long. Then I planned a trip for October 2016.  Then I planned a trip for May 2017. In the last year, I've seen:

-Fiddler on the Roof
-Tuck Everlasting
-Hamilton
-Matilda
-Something Rotten
-Waitress
-She Loves Me
-The Cherry Orchard
-Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
-Holiday Inn
-Falsettos
-Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal at Studio 54
-Dear Evan Hansen
-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
-Hello Dolly
-Groundhog Day
-Come From Away

I also saw The Prom at the Alliance in Atlanta because it had a lot of Broadway people in it.  

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 8:57pm

When it comes to theater, I subscribe to the "rising tide floats all boats" theory. If one sees a show one loves, it tends to encourage one to buy tickets to other shows. (The converse can also be true: a lousy show may discourage one from making the effort and spending the money on something else.)

Few people have a precise budget for live theater, so they aren't thinking, "I can see X shows in 2017. Let's make a list." Rather than resenting the HAMILTON hype, I think we should be grateful to Miranda & Co. for sending bear88 to so many other shows.

***

P.S. to Lot666: if you want a performer who knows how to enter a room and burst into song without seeming daffy, you should have seen Ethel Merman.

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/19/17 at 8:56am

GavestonPS said: "P.S. to Lot666: if you want a performer who knows how to enter a room and burst into song without seeming daffy, you should have seen Ethel Merman."

LOL! Unfortunately, that style is simply not my cup of tea (it's precisely the reason why I was averse to musical theater for most of my life).

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/19/17 at 7:48pm

I don't know what style you think Merman offered. As Sondheim says, she was "a great low comedienne" and that's what she did for most of her career. But her performance in GYPSY has been praised for its verisimilitude (as much as any musical character can be realistic).

[Woland]

Posted: 5/19/17 at 11:47pm

For me, it was Great Comet. I saw it pretty much by accident at Ars Nova on a cold and snowy November night. It was an astonishing experience, and it reignited my interest in live theater which had been pretty dormant for quite a while. I've seen a ton of shows since then, and it all started because of that one thrilling night. 

I agree that this is a great thread! It really does take just one show to really hit you and give you the urge to see more.