I had an AMAZING experience. Reviews included.

[bially082]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 8:37pm

Ok my friend Jason and I went to NYC for Spring Break. I'm an actor looking to move out there in the summer. Within the first two hours in the city we had been onstage talking to the light crew head for the load in at the Jacobs for THREE DAYS OF RAIN, gotten free tickets to Letterman, met the entire cast of Sweeney Todd, and bought cancelation seats in the 8th row Center Orchestra for the Color Purple. ALL IN TWO HOURS and all by accident! We stayed at the jacobs chatting for about an hour and continued to check back in with them through the week as the load in prgressed. We got to know some of the crew people by name. Monday night we saw a sold-out performance of Forbidden Broadway. We made frends with the box-office guy who gave us standing rooms seats that he is not allowed to sell normally. They had just put in a new Sweeney bit and the cast of the real Sweeney Todd was there. We talked at intermission. I think my favorite part of the show was the Robert Goulet section though. I laughed my ass off!

Tuesday we went to Letterman which let out at 6:30, which left us a half hour to go back to the hotel and change before going to DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. 3rd Row center orchestra. Norbert and Greg were out, but both understudies were great. And Pryce was definately the best performance I have ever seen on a Broadway stage, musical or otherwise. I couldn't take my eyes off him. Simply magnificent. He has the Tony for best replacement in his pocket, at least he should... He was very quite but also very polite at the stage door.

I worked it out before I came for the two of us to get a private backstage tour of the Brooks Atkinson theatre. So Wednesday morning, Joe, the house manager at the Atkinson gave us a very complete tour of the theatre including backstage. We had our pics taken on the set and he showed us how the set moves to make the quick change from messy apartment to clean apartment. And then we hung in his office and the non-existant green room before leaving. We made friends with Pat, the stagedoor man there and he gave us his 10th row house seats to the Sat Matinee! TIP:He loves A. Hepburn! And he's really nice and talkative if you take the time to get to know him.

Wednesday afternoon was SPAMALOT from 8th row center orch. Everyone was in! FANTASTIC SHOW. Loved every minute of it, possibly the favorite of the week. Lady of the Lake was a little weak, and can't compare with Sarah, the original. Simon Russel Beal as king Arthur was good, but kept looking at the audience with this "laugh-that was funny" look beofre the jokes were over. At the stage door we got Azaria and Hyde Pierce.

That evening we went to THE COLOR PURPLE from gorgeous seats in the center orch again. This show is so beautiful! Every performance was spot on and perfect! "What about Love" and "I'm here" had people in tears. After the show I bought the book for my mom to have the cast sign. They all came out but some were still waiting for their cars so they went back in after signing. This was easily the NICEST CAST I have ever met! I realized I forgot to have some of them sign the book so I knocked on the stage door and they let me in. Ended up talking to some cast members and being shown onstage before I got a bumch of big hugs and signatures! Pricessless experience and my second backstage Broadway experrience in one day!

Thursday was spent in the library watching archive videos of La Cage and A New Brain. That night we saw AVE Q. Great show. Second row seats. Treekie was out and his understudy was in. I ran into an old proffessor who knew Christmas Eve who in turn intorduced me to Matt, the casting director for the show! We talked about my auditioning for it and I gave him a copy of my CD. He said to give him a call when I come to town in the summer. Afterwards we chatted with Barrett Foa about the show. Ya know, he's a really NICE guy!!!!

Spent Fri in the library watching City of Angels. Then we used our connections at Nederlander to get a one on one backstage tour at the Lunt-Fontanne, where Beauty and the Beast is playing. We saw everything there. They were getting ready for an understudy rehersal that afternoon so the stage managers and even some casting people were there. I broke into the final verse of 'If I Can't Love Her' at full voice on stage with all those people watching. They offered me an audition next month! Then dinner at Sardi's, finally the performance of SWEENEY TODD. I loved it, it's my favorite show. This is the other really nice cast on Broadway. The show was very interesting. It impresed the crap out of me. I can't believe the talent on that stage!

Saturday we went to the matinee of THE ODD COUPLE. I loved the show SOOOOOOO MUCH. Nathan and Matthew were great but the rest of the cast kinda sucked and made me wonder what it takes to get into a Broadway show. Obviously not much... But after having had the tour there it was really cool to watch the show in the theatre. This was my first straight play on Broadway. Great experience. Nathan and Matt are always mad when they come out the stage door.

That night we went to 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. Beyond funny! Don't ever miss this show. I could go into detail about all these shows but this post is already long enough. One audience member got a word right that he was clearly supposed to get wrong so they all laughted and looked at each other for a while and he came up with some really off the wall word that nobody in the world could spell. It was a priceless experience.

Then Sunday we left. This was the best trip I've ever had to NYC. I left with two audition offers, and the memory of 8 GREAT shows!

Posted: 3/24/06 at 8:39pm

Glad you had a good time.

Just so you know, Letterman tickets are always free.

[Yero]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 8:41pm

Can I have some money?
Hehe.

Posted: 3/24/06 at 8:42pm

Nathan and Matt are always mad when they come out the stage door.

If that was your first straight play on Broadway, how would you know?

Afterwards we chatted with Barrett Foa about the show. Ya know, he's a really NICE guy!!!!

This, we all know already.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 8:43pm

that is one awesome experience!!!

cool!

cant wait to go to nyc tomorrow!!! :) it wont be as awesome as that though :) still amazing though...nyc always is

[Dre2387]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:02pm

findyourgrail, he might have seen them in producers and they came out of the stage door mad. i don;t know, just a guess.

[bially082]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:05pm

I've seen them in The Producers seveal times. They are always mad. And I've spoken to Nathan at length in his dressing room for over a hour beofre too. I've met them both many times. They are not happy people in general. And Foa is really nice, which I know you knew, but was he nice enough to go out for a drink with you after the show?

And I know letterman tickets are always free! It was the fact that we tried to get them beofre coming to New York and then like the second person we spoke to in the city offered us two tickets for the next day right away.

Updated On: 3/24/06 at 09:05 PM

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:09pm

Actually, yes. I happen to be good friends with him.

So, maybe you'll think next time before you decide to come on the board and brag about all your "connections."

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:19pm

bially082 -"And Foa is really nice, which I know you knew, but was he nice enough to go out for a drink with you after the show?"

And...let me guess- he paid for your drink and invited you back to his place too- right?

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:20pm

Put the guns away now...

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:21pm

I don't believe a word of bially082 for some reason

[bundy5000]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:22pm

I am so happy for you,That must have been an excperience that you will NEVER forget, I wish I had a life.....

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:29pm

And...let me guess- he paid for your drink and invited you back to his place too- right?

-- Then they made passionate love all night. The end.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:31pm

Well, all things have to come to an end you know

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:33pm

Impossible, ljay.

You KNOW Barrett was having drinks with you and I that night.

[elphieisperky]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:34pm

Guys, come on :) Anyway, sounds like you had a great time, you're very lucky. Wish I could see that many shows in like, a week. Updated On: 3/24/06 at 09:34 PM

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:36pm

B...S...

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:38pm

This can't be true. We all know Barrett came home with ME that night.


Duh.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:39pm

Oh, please Eponine.

Don't even.

He was ALLLLLL over me that night.

You just frontin'!

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:41pm

You know I was there Foanatic! He was all over me too!

Eponine, you wish..


Updated On: 3/24/06 at 09:41 PM

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:45pm

FOAnatic, ljay889, my goodness you two, of course you were there. Don't you remember? We took pictures?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:46pm

Lord, what did I drink that night?

All I remember is a Twister mat...and no clothes.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 9:49pm

Damn. That game of Twister was fun, wasn't it?

[bigrab1018]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 10:06pm

Can you PLEASE tell me how to get all the cool seats and tours and auditions and EVERYTHING you got??
haha, thanks

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 10:14pm

ljay889, and then Barrett and FOAnatic told you to put the pineapple on your head and sing Defying Gravity. But for some odd reason you were doing it before anybody mentioned it.