Anything Goes or Sister Act — Page 2

I would have a really hard time choosing between the two shows-I think they're both fantastic.

Sister Act is a fun, fast-paced original musical featuring fantastic turns by Patina, Victoria Clark and Marla Mindelle. I really love the score (I'm a huge Menken fan) and Douglas Carter Beane's book rewrite is very witty.

Anything Goes is a breezy, well-done revival. Sutton is great, and so is Colin Donnell. The choreography is great and the orchestra sounds wonderful.

If I could've only seen one (and, looking in retrospect now that I've seen both), I'd go with Sister Act, probably just because it's a new musical, and I'd always go for something new over a revival, no matter how good either of them are. And, in this case, you're talking about two top-notch productions. I've returned to Sister Act and liked it even better the second time. But I'd return to Anything Goes, too.

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Having just seen both of these productions in the same weekend last month, I'd give the edge to AG, and I say that not having seen either Sutton or Joel Grey, who were both out when I was there. AG is not among my favorite shows, but there's enough top-notch "good" in this production to outweight the boring, overwrought dreariness of the more banal book scenes. SISTER ACT is a decent production of straight-up pedestrian material, and what works and what doesn't are evenly mixed. (And, contrary to much opinion, I found Patina Miller, who honestly wowed me in her college days, to be very good but nowhere near mind-blowing in SA.)

As others have pointed out, there are better shows to see than both of these, but if these are your choices, I'd give the edge to AG. The lows aren't quite as low, and the highs are much higher.

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Heya, show_fan! Having seen Mackey and having heard such wonderful things about Osnes... I really wish I'd have seen Osnes (and that's not something I've said about missing SF and JG). It's a hell of a hard role to make jump off the page, though, so rather than saying Erin Mackey was flat or dull (I won't do that), let's just say she didn't have anything special that made the role "work."

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Thanks everyone for their opinions. Honestly, if Sister Act is normally at TKTS at 50% off, it may win by default as I'm not buying tickets in advance.

I'm sure Anything Goes is also great, and I will eventually see both when their respective tours make it to Southern California.

Who ever volunteered Billy Elliott, I saw it in London before it opened on Broadway. Agree it's a great show, but is also playing the Pantages Theater in LA in 2012, so I can relive Solidarity one more time for less money and closer to home.

Time to start reading the BoM SRO posts on a regular basis for the next six weeks. (but I promise not to start a new one) :)

"Sutton is flawless, magical, etc..."
I agree! I always get emotional at the end of Act I during "Anything Goes". all of that tap dancing is SOO GOOD! It's a feeling you can't get from watching the Tony's performance.


Having said that I've seen SA more recently and I liked it more.
Sister Act has some freaking hilarious nuns and Patina Miller who is funny as hell and deserved that Tony nomination

Not to mention INCREDIBLE new music by the creator of CLASSIC Disney tunes, and a wonderful story.

How was the understudy on Thursday 10/27/11?