Eliminate a show for me.

[stlrod]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 5:34pm

My wife and I prefer to see original casts in smaller Broadway houses than the big cavern where touring shows come to our hometown so we visit NYC fairly often.  This year, we are coming for a week in May and with Angels in America and Harry Potter taking up 4 slots, we need to eliminate a show.  We are seeing Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, Once on this Island and 3 Tall Women for certain. (I've seen The Band's Visit and my wife has no desire to see it.)  So, we need to eliminate one of the following:  Frozen, Carousel or The Boys in the Band. Have concerns about the initial reports for Carousel and have never seen the movie version of The Boys in the Band but am concerned about what other posters have said about the play itself.  We love all things Disney, but I'm thinking Frozen is the one to go since it will be around longer and will play fine on tour. Any advice would be recommended.  

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 5:44pm

It's all opinion of course, but I definitely wouldn't eliminate BOYS. I personally think it is an important piece of theatrical history and this cast can't be beat!!! I've not heard the greatest things about CAROUSEL, but I've heard even worse things about FROZEN. So if it were up to me out of these FROZEN is the one that would go. My 2 cents, for what it's worth!

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 5:50pm

Without having seen Frozen, Carousel or (of course) Boys in the Band-- my 2 cents are to skip Three Tall Women and enjoy the remaining TEN shows on your list. In a theater trip we took a week ago that included Angels in America, My Fair Lady, Three Tall Women, The Band's Visit and Once On This Island, TTW was hands down the weakest of the bunch by a wide margin. Just sayin'.

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 5:58pm

Three Tall Women isn’t my favorite show, but it has some performances for the ages.

I’d eliminate Frozen - the movie is better and it’ll stick around for a while.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:24pm

Carousel.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:27pm

I'd eliminate Frozen. If you've seen the movie, then you pretty much got the experience.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:30pm

Frozen or Carousel. The cast of Boys alone is worth seeing. It's a 1968 play about gay men, so I'd be more surprised if it weren't stereotypical and hadn't aged in the past 50 years.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:36pm

i would eliminate Mean Girls if its not too late. An insipid night of musical theatre. in my opinion.

 

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:40pm

Frozen.

Even with the not so great word of mouth for CAROUSEL, there is still some wonderful music to hear live.

Having seen the movie, BOYS IN THE BAND turns into a rough ride but is well worth the ride. With this cast in the hands of Mantello, I wouldn't miss it.

FROZEN will tour. But I can understand wanting to see it on Broadway.

Jmo

[Notreallysilent 2]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:40pm

I’d get rid of carousel. It was a nice production of what I think is a very dated show. Frozen has its problems but I left the theater happy and I enjoyed the show. Plus the cast in frozen right now is really good I think.

[stlrod]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:42pm

Definitely got some reassurance for keeping The Boys in the Band so it's in.  Looks like it's going to come down to Frozen or Carousel. My gut tells me we'd probably enjoy Frozen more, but on the other hand, it's pretty low on our ranking of the Disney animated films and at least with Carousel, we'd get some decent choreography.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 6:45pm

Carousel.

[LuminousBeing]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 8:39pm

Get rid of 3TW and see "Yerma!" I haven't seen "Boys," but I did see "Carousel." Joshua Henry's singing alone is worth the price of admission, and Lindsey Mendez is hilarious.

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 9:01pm

Keep Boys. That cast! That director! I despised Carousel in spite of Joshua Henry’s bravura turn. Haven’t seen Frozen.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 9:46pm

I watched Carousel two weeks ago and got to see it again this past weekend and the second time around was SO MUCH BETTER! The chemistry amongst the cast was a lot bettter for me and by the time you see it in May, it would have had its official opening and I think it's a classic. 

I'd skip Frozen if I were you. I saw Frozen twice last week (you can easily get cheap tix on stubhub) and both times the theater experience was a let down due to the audience. A good number of the audience treat the Bway experience similar to going to a movie so yes, during Act 1, at least 10 people (mostly kids and a parent) stood up and went to the bathroom. I understand if people have to go but to do that during a middle of a song versus waiting until the song ends? Also, in both shows I saw during the scene when Anna gets frozen, at least 2-3 kids are heard crying. 

Good luck on your decision!

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 9:52pm

I would get rid of Carousel. It's a revival and there will always be another one. Personally I'm really not a fan of (as stated in the most recent April 2018 Playbill)..."Peck (choreographer) diligently looked at what de Mille created for the original and Sir Kenneth MacMillan for the1994 revival that made Audra McDonald a star - them promptly shelved it and started from scratch." Throwing out what is great is not what drags me to the theater. Ugh.

Frozen is the original Broadway cast in a perfect sized theater. You can't replicate that on tour.  It's a very fun day. My recommendation is to see that one at night if possible. Less young kids in the audience (and I love kids but seriously).

Boys in the Band...what a cast. Enough said.

Updated On: 4/9/18 at 09:52 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 10:41pm

I'd eliminate Frozen. If you've seen the movie the musical will be a let-down. The drop-off in quality is huge.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/9/18 at 10:46pm

Dump FROZEN, even a mediocre production of CAROUSEL is 10X better than that dreck.

And CAROUSEL has an actual adult score.

Updated On: 4/10/18 at 10:46 PM

[Great Dame]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 1:31am

I am purposefully planning a NYC trip next month to see Frozen because I want to ensure I see it on Broadway with the original cast. If I were you, I'd keep it in the mix. Caissie Levy and Patti Murin are magic, and I think if you guys are Disney fans it would be fun to see it with the original cast. Plus I love the show, so I always root for it :) 

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 8:28am

CurtainPullDowner said: "Dump FROZEN, even a mediocre production of CAROUSELis 10X better than that dreck.

Abs CAROUSELhas an actual adult score."

I've not seen either of these two shows, but you're so relentless that I'm beginning to wonder if you're being paid to bash Frozen.

Updated On: 4/10/18 at 08:28 AM

[Great Dame]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 9:03am

Lot666 said: "CurtainPullDowner said: "Dump FROZEN, even a mediocre production of CAROUSELis 10X better than that dreck.

Abs CAROUSELhas an actual adult score."

I've not seen either of these two shows, but you're so relentless that I'm beginning to wonder if you're being paid to bash Frozen."

Right? Every single thread. Even if you don't like it much, I can't imagine hating it on this level. OP, ignore this and go see Frozen and decide for yourself. I saw it in Denver and I agree, the tour won't be the same. Our theater is huge compared to the St. James, it's going to be so fun in a small theater! It's not perfect, but it's entertaining, has great music, fun lighting and effects, amazing vocals, and there's no way you will leave without a smile. It's a heart-warming story at worst, and an absolute blast at best. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 9:43am

CurtainPullDowner said: "Dump FROZEN, even a mediocre production of CAROUSELis 10X better than that dreck.

Abs CAROUSELhas an actual adult score."

Do you have to bash Frozen every chance you get? It's getting a bit old.

Updated On: 4/10/18 at 09:43 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 11:22am

The question asked involved FROZEN so I'm giving my opinion.

It seems if you like a show you can jump in and praise it anytime, but if you have problems with it you are supposed to shut up and stay home.

I will continue to post my opinion when asked, get used to it.

[somecheapfrenchthing]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 11:50am

I saw all three and would eliminate Carousel. Maybe it has improved in the past two weeks, so please take this with a "preview period" grain of salt, but I found it to be mostly dull and disappointing apart from the choreography. I've enjoyed Carousel in the past, but the direction of this revival kept me completely unemotional and I found the caliber of performances to be more inconsistent than most shows I've seen.

Frozen has its downsides but, honestly, even if the show inspires some Disney/spectacle cynicism, it's easy to watch!

Enjoy Three Tall Women! I found it especially enthralling. Sounds like a great trip :)

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/10/18 at 12:13pm

CurtainPullDowner said: "It seems if you like a show you can jump in and praise it anytime, but if you have problems with it you are supposed to shut up and stay home."

There's a difference between intelligently expressing what you feel are problems with a show in order to help others make an informed decision vs. simply chiming in to offer up simplistic and deliberately antagonistic nuggets like "dreck".