Just back from NYC (Sweeney Todd and Jersey Boys)

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 2:41am

Hey all... my wife and I just got in from our 2 day trip to the big apple. We had a GREAT time, as always... here's what ended up happening. We tried the WICKED lottery 3 times... and of course... lost all three times. The crowds were bigger this time around than they have ever been. I have no idea what is going on with this show. It must be an amazing show... because its nearly impossible to get tickets to. We have tried about 12 times already. Its starting to seem like we'll never see this show unless we pay full price.

Anyhow... first show we saw was SWEENEY TODD. I was unenthusiastic about it. It wasnt a bad experience for me, dont get me wrong... but i really didnt care for it at all. I thought the performers were all very good (with the exception of the girl who played Joanne... she annoyed the hell out of me. Her singing and the way she scrunched up her face every 2 seconds).

Patti Lupone was marvelous. I think shes the only reason I sat through the whole thing without falling asleep. I'm not sure why i didnt enjoy this show like everyone else has. SWEENEY TODD was the one show that everyone on these boards recomended... everyone seemed to love it... maybe I had overhyped it too much in my head? My wife thought it was pretty good. she wasnt obsessed with it but she enjoyed herself. I didnt care for the first act... but i thought the second act was pretty exciting and definitely more entertaining.

All in all we had a good time though... it may not have been my type of show, but it was still better than sitting at home!

The second show we saw was JERSEY BOYS... we were at the box office by 7 a.m. and were the 18th people in line. somehow, by a miracle, we got the last pair of Student Rush tickets for the 8p.m. show. And let me just say... THANK GOD!! WHAT A SHOW!!

I was enjoying myself so much i wanted to jump out of my chair and dance and sing along to all the songs. I'm only 25 years old, so naturally Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were well before "my time". But their music was all my parents ever played around the house when I was a child growing up. So i knew almost every song by heart... the four guys in this show were all outstanding. I mean REALLY AMAZING! I was so impressed with Lloyd's "Frankie Valli". That guy is one helluva performer. I think he's been my favorite performer from all the shows I have ever seen. I can definitely see why they gave him and the show the Tony award.

We wanna go back and see it again!! The trip was well worth it just to see JERSEY BOYS.

We're gonna try and go back to NYC in January... and try to get tickets for Wicked (again), The Drowsey Chaperone, and The Wedding Singer....

Thought i'd let you all know we also stumbled by Ushers debut in "Chicago" and saw all the celebs and got tons of pictures of that too... that was fun!

By any chance does anyone know when Lloyd will end his run in JERSEY BOYS? As well as all the other guys? I'd love to fly my parents to NYC and take them to see the show... but i want them to see it with the OBC!
Updated On: 8/25/06 at 02:41 AM

[Just_John]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 2:56am

I'm glad you had a good time, but believe me Wicked is not worth paying full price. If anything get the half price partial view seats, which are very good. Or just wait till the hype dies down and it'll be at TKTS.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 3:01am

thats what I figured JustJohn... so many people have told me that WICKED is the greatest experience on earth... lol... and then many have told me that its "cute" but nothing special... my wife and I just want to see it already! I'm sure we'd like it alot... but i dont want to pay full price.

Anyhow... we've been waiting for the hype to die down for years... lets hope we dont have to wait forever. or maybe we'll get lucky and win lottery one day.

We really want to see MARY POPPINS when it opens... it used to be both our favorite disney film as children. I have heard that the London production is amazing... i'm guessing the one in NYC will be great as well.

So far no show I have ever seen has made me laugh as much as Avenue Q... but i'd rank Jersey Boys and The Producers right up there with Avenue Q as the shows we've enjoyed the most so far.

I'm sure a serious die-hard Broadway fan would think i'm crazy... haha.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 3:03am

"Patti Lupone was marvelous. I think shes the only reason I sat through the whole thing without falling asleep"

Same here, but well, i kinda fell asleep the last 5 mins of the show anyways. You should have gone to see The Wedding Singer like i told you and get a glimpse of the original cast. You wouldn't fall asleep during that show.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 3:17am

you're right muscle! from now on i promise to only listen to you... lol... no but seriously. We were ready to see The Wedding Singer in case the Jersey Boys tickets fell through... but we were lucky enough to score the last pair. We'll do wedding singer next.

There is a slight chance we may go to NYC again early Oct. Will the OBC still be playing then?

Also... no one's answered my question on when the OBC for Jersey Boys will stop performing? anyone know by any chance?

[mijofly19]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 7:30am

Glad you liked Jersey Boys, and sorry you didn't enjoy Sweeney. Patti is great though.

According to his website, JLY's Jersey Boys contract is up on October 6. He recently signed a deal with ABC, so it is possible that he would be leaving on 10/6. I don't know anything about any of the other three guys.

Hopefully The Wedding Singer will be running when you come back in January, but I'm not sure if it will last that long.
Updated On: 8/25/06 at 07:30 AM

[snazzier]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 10:00am

Glad you had fun at Jersey Boys! It's definitely a lot of fun-- I'm planning on taking my dad next week.
As mijofly19 said, John Lloyd will most likely be gone on October 6th. I'm sure that whoever takes over for him will be great! There's also a tour starting in December with the first leg being in San Fransisco, so maybe you can catch them on the road.

If you want to see The Wedding Singer, try and get there soon. Who knows how long they'll stay open. I mean, Dirty Rotten is closing this weekend with barely any notice.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 10:21am

Johanna.***

Perhaps you are not familiar with the show. I knew the shgow very well upon seeing the revival so maybe there were things you missed. Lauren Molina reinvented the role and helped me appreciate it more so than the ingenue interpretation.

I'd take Sweeney over Wicked any day.

[joshy]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 10:56am

Joanne is in Sweeney Todd? Does she sing Ladies Who Lunch (on a Little Priest)?

[almostxfamous]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 11:52am

The entire OBC will not be in The Wedding Singer in October. Constantine Maroulis will have already taken over the role of Sammy from Matthew Saldivar, and will be well into his eight week run.

John hasn't confirmed or denied that he's leaving the show in October. John said at the stage door that nothing had happened yet, but he would stay with the show as long as they wanted him. He said we'll see what happens.

[new_philosophy_girl]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 12:03pm

cubanpab...when did you see Jersey Boys?

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 1:36pm

cubanpab, JLY's contract is supposed to be up in October but he said in an interview that he wants to do it as long as the producers want him to do it, but if he was to leave in October before you saw it again, then hope that Michael Longoria takes over. You will not be disappointed with him. I just saw him this past Wednesday and he blew me away(His rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" received a standing ovation that I think I helped start).

Personally, I'd take both Sweeney Todd and Jersey Boys over Wicked.
________________________________________________________________
"That's our song. Oh What A Night, Ces Soirees-La, french. Number one in Paris, 2000, ten weeks. Not bad for a song from thirty years ago."
-Jersey Boys
Updated On: 8/25/06 at 01:36 PM

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 7:08pm

hey new_philosophy... i saw Jersey Boys Wednesday Night August 23rd... it was amazing.

Worrell who is Michael Longoria? is that the guy that played Joe Pesci? I heard he takes over for JLY from time to time... in my mind it seems almost impossible to find anyone who could play the role as well as JLY... but i'm sure Longoria does a great job.

I doubt i'll get to see JB again this year... if we go back in October we want to try and see Mary Poppins and of course Wicked and The Wedding Singer...

However someone mentioned that Constantine Maroulis would be in the wedding singer??? and both my wife and i LOATHE him... so i'm not sure i could sit through the show if he was in it.

If anyone wants to see photos of our NYC trip, including the celebs arriving for Ushers debut in "Chicago", check out our photo gallery:

http://www.monandpab.com/photoalbum/nyc0806/index.html

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 7:13pm

"You should have gone to see The Wedding Singer like i told you and get a glimpse of the original cast. You wouldn't fall asleep during that show."

Well, no DUH. The Wedding Singer is a lively musical comedy, and Sweeney is far from it.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 7:49pm

Great shots! You have a great eye. Beautiful wife (you're not so bad either!).

Too bad you didn't like Sweeney. Not everyone's cup of tea (although it should be, dammit!). Were you familiar with the score before seeing it? It helps. Rent the DVD with Angela Lansbury. You might enjoy it better.

If you wish to see Mary Poppins, get tickets now. It's selling fast and there's hardly a seat left for the first 9 months of the run.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 8:32pm

cubanpab, Michael Longoria is the one who plays Joe Pesci, but when JLY is out then Michael Longoria, Dominic Nolfi, or Matthew Scott(I forget who the other understudies are) goes on for him. I haven't seen Dominic as Frankie, just Tommy and I saw Matthew as Joe Pesci(didn't like as much as Michael) and in the roles that Titus Burgess originated and the Kris Coleman is in right now, but I did see Michael and he is just amazing as Frankie Valli. His voice is a little more stronger than John's(being that he doesn't use his falsetto as much as John), but Jonh still looks more like Frankie Valli than Michael does, but if you see Michael you won't be disappointed.

Also, I took a look at your photos and I saw myself, my mother, and my sister in one of your photos(We're in the photo you took of the marquee and some of the rush line is in the shot as well, we're the ones by the door under the marquee closest to the stage door, I have a hat and headphones around my neck).
________________________________________________________________
"That's our song. Oh What A Night, Ces Soirees-La, French. Number one in Paris, 2000, ten weeks. Not bad for a song from thirty years ago."
-Jersey Boys

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 8:51pm

hey worrel! i remember you!! my wife and i were nervous that we wouldnt get tickets to the show... the girl right behind you, the really young one, was annoying the hell out of us. right before they started selling the tickets a friend of hers just showed up and got in the line. we heard her say she was going to buy two tickets of her own. we were so mad because we had been in line for a while.

luckily, when we got to the box office, the friend had forgotten her student ID and she was denied tickets. then my wife and i went up and we got the last two seats for the 8pm show. imagine if that girl had brought her ID? we wouldnt have seen the show... i'm glad she forgot it! and i hate people who jump in line like that.

anyhow... so cool that you're in my photos. :)

i'm looking for mary poppins tickets now... lets see what i find.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 9:08pm

Glad you enjoyed JB, and sorry you didn't enjoy Sweeney! I guess it isn't for everyone.

JLY may leave in October. I'm not sure when the Boys go into negotiations, but when they do, all of us will definitely get some sort of notice as to who's staying and who's leaving. All the main guys have said that they do want to stay! We'll have to wait and see.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 9:11pm

i hope they do! when i saw it, the guy who plays Tommy DeVito was out... Dominic took his place. and I thought he was really good. of course i cant compare him to anyone since i've never seen the original guys perf.

I'd love to see it again with the OBC... but we'll see when we go back to NYC... and hopefully when we do, the OBC is still around.

[smashingasian]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 10:26pm

cubanpab, great pictures! The quality is awesome, what kind of camera do you use?

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 11:02pm

smashing... i use a Canon Rebel XT DSLR Camera... :) thanx for the nice comment!

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 3:16pm

"the girl right behind you, the really young one, was annoying the hell out of us. right before they started selling the tickets a friend of hers just showed up and got in the line. we heard her say she was going to buy two tickets of her own. we were so mad because we had been in line for a while."

Oh My God, she was. That's one reason I started bringing my cd player with me when I go to rush shows particularly Jersey Boys(the other being out of sher boredom). She was going off about how she was going to see Usher in Chicago and how she saw his younger brother and that she wants his autograph(I just tried to tune her out as best I could).

When her friend got in line that was really rude, but I guess the fact that she forgot her id was a kinda karma for her rudeness by cutting the line.
________________________________________________________________
"That's our song. Oh What A Night, Ces Soirees-La, French. Number one in Paris, 2000, ten weeks. Not bad for a song from thirty years ago."
-Jersey Boys

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 5:43pm

i know. my wife had to stop me a few times because i almost told her to leave the line. i wouldnt have cared if she had just stood in line to keep her friend company, but to then say she was going to buy two tickets of her own. it made me really mad.

but like you said... karma is a bitch.