Last-minute New York trip - thanks and thoughts on the shows (on Page 2)- Page 2

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/6/17 at 5:26am

Danny Devito is my cousin. Go see that.

[itsshowtime2]

Posted: 4/6/17 at 5:38am

I really liked Waitress.  I saw it with the original cast and thought it was a very enjoyable show.  I don't think you would regret it if you chose to see it.

Come From Away was wonderful.  So far it is my favorite show this season.  It was a wonderful experience.  It has a chance to win the Tony and the cast is first rate, though there aren't any big stars here.  It will probably be very similar on tour, but something in my is rooting for you to see it on Bway anyway.

Sunset Boulevard contains great acting by Close.  Her singing was a big let down for me - she is very weak vocally.  I was horribly disappointed.  The show is not particularly great on it's own and I would say skip it unless you are a huge Close fan.  If you want to see a star vehicle, I would suggest War Paint instead.

The Price I haven't seen, so can't really comment on that.  I have a ticket for May, but by all accounts it is another weak show with some star power.  If I were you, I would probably skip this one as you have better options.

So, in summary of the shows you mentioned I would go for Come From Away or Waitress.  Hope this helps.

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/6/17 at 8:52am

bear88 said: "I'm contemplating my realistic, non-Dear Evan Hansen Wednesday night options and currently have it down to this, with pros and cons listed:

...Sunset Boulevard:

Pros - Glenn Close, big orchestra, reasonable prices, unique, only-on-Broadway experience

Cons - I saw it decades ago with Close, and what if she's out for some reason? I don't recall it as being a great musical, just that Close is a great actress."

This is the only show on your list that I have actually seen and therefore feel qualified to comment on. I saw it twice in March and will be returning to see it again at the end of this month. I paid for "Premium" seats every time and I have absolutely no regrets. 

It's true that Ms. Close's singing voice has been known to falter at times during the show. However, she is 70 years old and there is no alternate; she is scheduled to perform in all shows, every week, through the entire run. She missed the last note of the finale the first time I saw her, but she nailed it the next time. From a story perspective, her few vocal shortcomings did not bother me because the character, a former silent film star, actually disdains voice; if her singing voice was beautiful and strong, it would almost be at odds with the character's motivations.

[jbird5]

Posted: 4/6/17 at 11:53pm

Waitress.

Never mind who the lead is, Christopher Fitzgerald's performance is not to be missed.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 4/7/17 at 12:08am

Just my two cents but I don't care how cheap tNatasha and the Great Comet is. In spite of the beautifully transformed theatre/set and the exuberance of the cast, I found the show a collosal bore..  I couldnt figure out what it was about. Nor did I care. Nor did any of the strangers in my row. The two people next to us walked out at intermission. One of the most painful nights I've had to sit through in the theatre.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/7/17 at 12:12am

goldenboy said: "Just my two cents but I don't care how cheap tNatasha and the Great Comet is. In spite of the beautifully transformed theatre/set and the exuberance of the cast, I found the show a collosal bore..  I couldnt figure out what it was about. Nor did I care. Nor did any of the strangers in my row. The two people next to us walked out at intermission. One of the most painful nights I've had to sit through in the theatre.

Exactly how I felt. Terrible, painful, I had no idea what it was all about. I left at intermission myself. The audience seemed bored, texting during the show, etc.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/8/17 at 3:43am

Hi amymchugh. You wrote:

Don't rule out Dear Evan Hansen - I went to NY this past weekend with my kids and got tix on StubHub Friday night for the Sat matinee performance. Worth every penny - the show was incredible!

Any complications with getting Stubhub tickets at your hotel? Did you download and print them at your hotel or pick them up at the Marriott Marquis or somewhere else?

This whole show-picking exercise has proven more difficult this year. We plan to see Significant Other on Sunday evening after we arrive, if we're not too tired. And we've got Great Comet tickets for Tuesday. I don't know if we'll see a show on Monday. And then it gets trickier. I can make arguments for several of the Wednesday musicals, but then argue against myself after I read some of your responses and look at reviews. (A year ago, our "last night" show was Hamilton. That was an easy one.)

I don't know if Dear Evan Hansen is so great to be worth the extra money, hassle, and nervousness involved (because of my possibly irrational worry about getting tickets through Stubhub, something I haven't done before). But Waitress is pretty expensive too (and on tour next year), while Come From Away is proving to be a tough sell with my wife. And I understand her skepticism. It just seems to be the type of show that will tour wonderfully in a couple of years, with its ensemble cast and feel-good message. Dear Evan Hansen has what even its critics regard as a star turn by Ben Platt, and that won't be replicated on tour. I have no idea what we'll think of Great Comet, as it draws such strong positive and negative and responses here. So for our last night, I'm wanting to choose the best musical that is most likely to appeal to my wife and teenager, as long as it doesn't cost too much. At the moment, the Wednesday night Stubhub offerings are more than I'm willing to spend. But hopefully, that will change.

I'm sure I will change my mind multiple times between now and when I have to decide.

Updated On: 4/8/17 at 03:43 AM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/8/17 at 4:56am

@bear88 If you wouldn't mind, what are the Wednesday night options again? 

[cam5y]

Posted: 4/8/17 at 6:32am

Come From Away will probably tour well, that's true. But honestly, don't discount seeing it with this cast. They have been working together on it for years, they've travelled to Gander and performed it for thousands of people in a hockey rink. They're all phenomenal, and they work together incredibly well. It looks effortless but it is most definitely not. 

[bear88]

Posted: 4/8/17 at 10:50am

VintageSnarker, the Wednesday night options are Come From Away, Waitress, Dear Evan Hansen, Sunset Boulevard, and maybe War Paint. We're probably looking for a musical that night. All have their virtues as shows, but there are differences in terms of cost and convenience.

Cam5y, I don't discount that factor at all. I am sure the current cast is wonderful, given all their experience working together. It's a bit like seeing the OBC of Hamilton near the end of their run versus the touring cast. The latter was good, Henry in particular. The former was extraordinary, even with Miranda and Oak out. So I get it. My family may be less enthused about Come From Away, though.

Updated On: 4/8/17 at 10:50 AM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/8/17 at 12:59pm

Of that bunch, I think Waitress is the clearest crowd pleaser. The trouble will be finding 3 tickets together that are affordable but maybe it'll be at TKTS or something. I haven't been checking. My foremost feeling walking out of the show was a sort of wonder that though it touched on difficult topics it managed to be such a feel-good musical. And with the focus on the female characters, I think your wife and daughter are more likely to be into it. 

I have not seen it but War Paint looks beautiful to me and you've got a lot of star power there. I don't know how often you take trips to the city but that seems like one you want to experience as is. Word has been mixed and I suppose it would depend on if those names are selling points to your family. 

Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope you enjoy all the shows you see! :)

[bear88]

Posted: 4/8/17 at 2:07pm

My Wednesday night show dilemma resolved itself when three seats together for Dear Evan Hansen popped up on the website. They're far to the right in the orchestra, Row N, but they're face value.

I don't know how many problems we will have with those seats in terms of views being obstructed. Let me know if you have had wide orchestra seats. But we'll see Great Comet on Tuesday and DEH on the last night of our trip without paying a fortune. So I'm satisfied.

Thanks to everyone. 

[jbird5]

Posted: 4/8/17 at 2:21pm

You won't miss anything. I sat there. Almost all the action is Center Stage.

[jayhawkjen2]

Posted: 4/9/17 at 9:21am

I have no idea what we'll think of Great Comet, as it draws such strong positive and negative and responses here. 

----

I saw it in February. It didn't make any sense and I left there wondering what just happened? But I was entertained!

[bear88]

Posted: 4/9/17 at 7:56pm

Made it to New York, but not in time for Significant Other due to flight issues. It's probably just as well. We're exhausted, and it would have been a tight squeeze even if everything had gone perfectly on the travel front.

Good weather in the forecast. We'll have to decide on a Monday night show tomorrow.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/9/17 at 9:17pm

Thanks for the reminder. I will let my wife and daughter decide. The choices include a lot of revivals of shows we've seen here decades ago, the musical that has never left, shows that are going on tour (including School of Rock), or Groundhog Day.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/10/17 at 4:10pm

Updated On: 4/10/17 at 04:10 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 4/17/17 at 2:39am

Thanks to everyone, on this thread and others,for advice and suggestions for shows and getting tickets. It was helpful, even when you folks are busy disagreeing with each other.

I was a little bummed about not seeing a play, but we decided on Phantom instead of Six Degrees of Separation after failing to get Groundhog Day tickets in the TKTS line on Monday. (This was before Andy Karl's injury.) There's not much to say about Phantom, but I am glad I saw it on Broadway, for the first time in 27 years (when we saw the original version of Six Degrees too), instead of the tour version. I spent much of the show trying to figure out why the musical has lasted so long, and thinking that seeing it up close (in the orchestra) makes it hard to avoid the inherent silliness of the story. But while it wasn't my first choice, I didn't regret seeing the show, because it's hard not to appreciate a 26-28 piece orchestra and the costumes of "Masquerade." Plus, there are few prettier Andrew Lloyd Webber songs than "All I Ask of You."

I really enjoyed Great Comet, although it sure helped that I read through the relevant section of War and Peace before seeing the show. I have always meant to read the novel, and am doing so now, but I skipped ahead so I can get the gist of the plot and then summarized most of it (except the ending) for my wife and daughter. It's not that the story is that complicated, but it helps not to worry so much about keeping track of plot details when you're busy watching - and partcipating in - the spectacle. Dave Malloy does not manage the Hamilton feat or making everything crystal clear, sometimes substituting razzle dazzle for plot clarity and emotional complexity. There were also times when I had trouble understanding some parts of the songs.

But the show is so much fun. You either are going to play along with Malloy's trick of having characters switch back and forth between first- and third-person or you're going to find it distancing and insufferable. So I understand why many people don't like it. But I was firmly in love-it camp. I ate pierogi, got a shaker, and marveled at the dancing, the enthusiasm, and the creativity. (We were in front mezzanine, but I don't know where the "bad seats" are, just different perspectives.) I didn't know a thing about Josh Groban before hearing he was in this show, and he was wonderful. He nails his big song, "Dust and Ashes," but that didn't surprise me. For someone with no stage experience, he just seems to embody Pierre throughout and also carries the last 20 minutes or so of the show in a moving performance. The ending is lovely. Grace McLean has an amazing voice as Marya D. The one song I had heard beforehand was "Sonya Alone" in the video and it seemed a little dull. In the show, however, Brittain Ashford's performance is gripping. Everyone else knows their parts so well, having performed them (in most cases) for years. It just didn't feel like a typical Broadway musical, but it was the sort of Broadway experience you come to New York City to see.

Dear Evan Hansen is a smartly-crafted musical that has taken on the status of an "important" work, which almost works against it. The show also draws almost Hamilton-level fervor among its fans, and tickets are very difficult - but not impossible - to come by. The teenage girls in the audience squealed at the first sight of Ben Platt. (They calmed down, but the atmosphere is a little different.) Platt is indeed very good, perhaps a little too twitchy in early scenes for my taste, but he is a major talent who needs to be outstanding for the show to work. He is, and the supporting cast is excellent, including the not-mentioned-as-often-as-he-should Mike Faist as Connor Murphy. Steven Levenson writes himself into a corner in a story that could and probably should have been a lot darker, and then he gracefully lets everyone off the hook. That approach almost feels necessary, a point my daughter made after the show, but it works against the musical as a work of art. Still, there is much to recommend the show, which raises many tricky and timely issues that aren't safely set 200 years ago.

Updated On: 4/17/17 at 02:39 AM