City Center Encores! 2023-24 season: PAL JOEY • ONCE UPON A MATTRESS • JELLY'S LAST JAM • TITANIC- Page 12

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/30/24 at 1:06pm

I’m already crying thinking about Ramin singing “The Proposal”.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 1/30/24 at 1:07pm

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 1/30/24 at 1:11pm

Sigh. I really can't afford it, but fine, Encores!, take my money.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/30/24 at 1:16pm

I guess they are still trying to find a "name" Broadway actor for Thomas Andrews.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/30/24 at 1:27pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "I guess they are still trying to find a "name" Broadway actor for Thomas Andrews."

Or waiting on a yes from one of the "usual suspects" (Steve Pasquale, Josh Henry, Santino Fontana, etc)

[yyys]

Posted: 1/30/24 at 5:02pm

any discount code yet for TITANIC?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/30/24 at 10:48pm

What an absolute **DELIGHT** is this show! From the second the curtain went up on the divine orchestra until the last bow, I had a smile plastered on my face. My face actually hurts from all the laughing and grinning I did.

The cast. Where to begin? It’s an embarrassment of riches, and everyone is absolutely perfect beyond belief. Sutton Foster and Michael Urie are hilarious together and play off of each other so effortlessly. Nikki Rene Daniels and Cheyenne Jackson’s vocals blended together are goose-bump inducing… Harriet Harris and J. Harrison Ghee are also wonderful.

Special shoutout to Lear DeBessonet who somehow cobbled together a perfect production with two weeks of rehearsal. This honestly felt more polished than a lot of new and even long-running Broadway shows I’ve seen in recent memory. The whole production and performances are so fleshed out and fully realized.

This is an absolute *MUST* see. I can’t recall the last time I had this much fun in a theatre. Top notch in every single aspect.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 2/1/24 at 12:14am

Yep, this was delightful. I was there tonight, and it was the most I've enjoyed a show in ages. I wasn't familiar with the show and came away thinking it was okay, but not great material, but the ridiculously overqualified cast made the most of it and seemed to be having a blast. Foster, Harris, Daniels, Jackson, Urie--all so wonderful. (The only one who didn't work for me was Ghee, but that may have been because I didn't get the point of the character, or his final dance song.) I had no problem with Foster's singing, and she killed at all the comedy.

There was this completely charming moment between Daniels and Foster where they were sitting on the couch together after Foster did her soap bit, and they looked at each other, Daniels suddenly couldn't keep a straight face and had to struggle to keep it together. After hearing about all the fake breaking in "The Music Man," I hope it was genuine and not something they do every night (the fact that Foster didn't break gives me hope), because it really was hilarious and adorable and made it seem like the actors were genuinely having fun.

[idioteque...]

Posted: 2/1/24 at 2:12am

Has anyone done the student rush lately and if so what tickets did you get?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/1/24 at 10:35am

This band for Jelly's Last Jam sounds HOT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQvCNpMhZNE&t=11s

[sondheim94]

Posted: 2/1/24 at 9:03pm

Already have my tickets and I'm really excited to finally hear one of my favorite scores live... that being said, are there some odd choices here? at least, not like "oh duh, they would be perfect!" Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see it and this cast will be phenom, but just... it seems some are playing out of type?

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 9:09am

wsondheim94 said: "Already have my tickets and I'm really excited to finally hear one of my favorite scores live... that being said, are there some odd choices here? at least, not like "oh duh, they would be perfect!" Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see it and this cast will be phenom, but just... it seems some are playing out of type?"

If actors only played to what others think are their usual "types" that would be truly boring. Let them try new roles and step out of what you think they should normally play. Don't pigeon-hole performers. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 2/3/24 at 8:56am

Sutton foster was perfection but the material sucks. The score is awful there’s only two good songs. I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as everyone else did. All the funny bits came from the actors not the writing.  It felt forced especially Michael urie. I did enjoy Harriet Harris. And the orchestra stunning. I hate how gray all the sets were. 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 2/3/24 at 6:57pm

I wouldn’t say Sutton was perfection, but I would say she was very good. She’s best when the character is nimble and goofy, so Fred is perfect for her, but she’s missing the belt. She needs to shout it from the rooftops that she’s SHY! I do think Nikki Renee Daniels was perfection. Her Larkin was a sassy, smart and sweet, and that voice of hers is crystal clear. I enjoyed Urie (and his sweet chemistry with Foster) and Harris because they milked every piece of movement and dialogue, but their voices aren’t great. Jackson’s voice was great, but his Harry wasn’t egotistical or dumb enough for me. He was Cheyenne Jackson in spurs. Obviously Ghee was out (still annoyed that this wasn’t publicized when they knew it was happening), but his understudy was good. Same person who understudied them in SLIH. Didn’t love the Wizard. Wanted more from him. I did like King Sextimus.

The show itself isn’t great, and even though it was only 2hrs and 10 minutes, it felt long. The sets were obviously minimal, but I agree with the person who said they didn’t like the gray. For the most part, I liked the costumes. 

Today’s matinee was Encore’s first “family friendly” performance, so there were many kids in the audience. I don’t know if things were toned down because of that, but it felt oddly sexless in a show about people desperate to have sex. This was like a junior version of Once Upon a Mattress where they just all want their drab prince to find a wife, so he can live happily ever after. No focus on anyone wanting to be “thoroughly satisfied.”

Overall, liked but didn’t love.

[inception]

Posted: 2/4/24 at 7:40am

Saw a couple brief clips on Cheyenne Jackson's insta of him singing - just gorgeous. 

After the Hwood strikes have been waiting to see him back on TV weekly, but bummed to learn the Mayim Bialik's show has been cancelled. It wasn't great but it had Cheyenne Jackson and Swoosie Kurtz.

Jackson seems to be living in LA now so NY stage appearances like this might not be super regular in the future.  But ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Happy for everyone who has been able to see this show!

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 2/4/24 at 11:40am

I just saw pics and it makes sense now: Ghee is attending the Grammy Awards as a nominee today, which explains why they’re not performing this weekend. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/15/24 at 8:09am

City Center released some rehearsal footage for Jelly's Last Jam! WOW, this looks INCREDIBLE! I cannot wait to see this next week!

 

[A Justified Bean]

Posted: 2/15/24 at 8:54am

Playbill posted some other clips on IG too. Very excited for this!

Joaquina Kalukango singing “Play The Music For Me”

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/15/24 at 9:04am

A Justified Bean said: "Playbill posted some other clips on IG too. Very excited for this!

Joaquina Kalukango singing “Play The Music For Me”"

WOW!

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 2/16/24 at 11:51pm

When the clip came up on YouTube and I saw Billy Porter I was like "oh no" because I thought he was directing, but thankfully he's a player in the production.

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/20/24 at 6:30pm

Nice article from the NYT! Jason Michael Webb gives us a preview of what to expect with Jelly's Last Jam at Encores! Is anyone going to the first performance tomorrow?

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/theater/jellys-last-jam-encores.html

[Huss417]

Posted: 2/21/24 at 10:08am

Dylan Smith4 said: "Nice article from the NYT! Jason Michael Webb gives us a preview of what to expect with Jelly's Last Jam at Encores! Is anyone going to the first performance tomorrow?

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/theater/jellys-last-jam-encores.html"

The article is behind a paywall for me. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. :)

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/21/24 at 10:12am

Early reports from friends who were at the invited dress last night are RAVING! Some were even saying that this seemed to be the most “ready for Broadway” production that NYCC has put up recently and they were astounded at how everything came together in 10 days.

I bought a ticket for Sunday night. Not sure if this is going to sell out (judging by the large amount of empty seats for each show) but it seems like it would be in your best interest to go.

[MezzA101]

Posted: 2/21/24 at 10:38am

Huss417 said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "Nice article from the NYT! Jason Michael Webb gives us a preview of what to expect with Jelly's Last Jam at Encores! Is anyone going to the first performance tomorrow?

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/theater/jellys-last-jam-encores.html"

The article is behind a paywall for me. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. :)"

‘Jelly’s Last Jam’ Returns, Bringing a Jazz Tale to a New Generation https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/theater/jellys-last-jam-encores.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XE0.JbP-.GkdTzHscFx2D&smid=nytcore-android-share

[Huss417]

Posted: 2/21/24 at 10:43am

MezzA101 said: "Huss417 said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "Nice article from the NYT! Jason Michael Webb gives us a preview of what to expect with Jelly's Last Jam at Encores! Is anyone going to the first performance tomorrow?

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/theater/jellys-last-jam-encores.html"

The article is behind a paywall for me. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. :)"

‘Jelly’s Last Jam’ Returns, Bringing a Jazz Tale to a New Generation https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/theater/jellys-last-jam-encores.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XE0.JbP-.GkdTzHscFx2D&smid=nytcore-android-share"

@MezzA101 Thanks for this Link. :)