Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/05
I rushed for the matinee today- first time actually seeing the show since 2st, front row center baby!! Cannot get more incredible than that (imo at least)
I've pretty much already more than expressed my adoration of this show, and my awe at how much better it's gotten since when it first started. But really, truly, seeing it again today reaffirmed that, to me at least, it is as close to perfect as a show could get. Of course there's still the occasional little silly line here and there that could always be tweaked, but that's just getting super nit picky. All in all, the show really could not get much better. It flows brilliantly, there is not a single scene or dialogue exchange that doesn't need to be there, it's a 100% complete emotional journey, and it's just.. it's a roller coaster ride that starts the minute that opening chord plays, and you couldn't get off even if you wanted to.
Oh and maybe it's just because I was RIGHT in front of one of the speakers, or maybe they just have a really great sound system in that theater, but the music has never sounded better. All 6 of those people on stage can belt their freaking lungs out when it's necessary, but also know when to restrain it to further the emotions of what's going on. They.. actually sounded quite a bit better live I think than they do on the recording! And they sound great on the recording! But just.. they can let it rip man. It was ridiculous, during I Am The One and Light and stuff.
And obviously, all of the performances. Perfection. As if it hasn't been said enough, give Alice the freaking Tony NOW please. haha. Ug she is SO AMAZING. And Aaron too. I reeeally really love Aaron (and no, not just because he happens to be insanely insanely gorgeous and I kinda couldn't stop staring at him the whole time haha). He just has this way of playing Gabe, where he's very... taunting. He seems to get so much enjoyment out of watching these people suffer because of him. And yet he's still innately likable. I don't know, I just really cannot imagine anyone else being able to do what he does up there.
But yeah, Jenn, Bobby, Adam and Louis are all SO fantastic too. I will say that I still missed Brian as Dan quite a bit, but Bobby just played him so genuine, and you could tell that he was trying so hard to hold everything together. So it was very very difficult to not like him.
Ok I'm so rambling again, but yeah. Basically, I am more in love with this show than ever and if it does not get the nice long run it deserves, I will be insanely upset.
That is all :P
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/05
Double post, but I just realized that this:
was precisely my view for that particular scene. And it made me literally want to curl up into fetal position omg. Powerful and gutwrenching beyond belief
Swing Joined: 10/9/08
I was at today's matinee, too - second time seeing the show, fourth row, center. It was a fantastic view and a fantastic show. I don't think there are enough positive things to say about the show and performances.
I saw the show today and..wow...just.wow.
A really great show. I wish it great success!
I was at the matinee too. I wasn't blown away like the first time I saw it back at second stage and don't LOVE it as much as I used to, but I still like it. The changes made have VASTLY improved the show. Wow, what a difference. I found the second act to flow much better. The first seemed slow at parts for me and could've been tweaked a little more, I'm just not quite sure where. Seeing it from front row dead center was incredible. Watching Alice cry so much broke my heart.
Updated On: 4/18/09 at 09:03 PM
I was at the matinee too! snl89, I thought I saw you there! My TDF seats were pretty great considering they were, what, $30? Haha, Left Orchestra, E5 and E7. But anyway...
SO AMAZING! Next to Normal completely exceeded expectations! I was completely awestruck by the power and emotion radiating from the stage, especially From Alice Ripley! Such an amazing and moving show, I'm so glad I had the opportunity- no, privilege- to see such a wonderful show! Words can't describe how impressed and touched I am by this show.
How has rush been since the reviews came out? Planning on rushing tomorrow, not sure how early to get there...
It'll be my first time seeing the show again since 2ST... fell in love with it 4 years ago at NYMF when it was still Feeling Electric. I'm excited to see the progress. :)
Not sure what time to get there on a Sunday, but I would say there were around 40 or even more people there today (Saturday), and there's 2 shows just like on Sunday so you have better chances.
Does anyone know if they gave out other seats after the rush seats were all given out?
Broadway Star Joined: 7/9/08
What time did you see the 40 people there? When the box office opened?
I LOVE THIS SHOW!! I rushed this morning at 6:45am for this evenings performance - totally worth the 3-ish hour wait. Alice Ripley is absolutely mindblowing. I didn't realise I would be so touched by this show ... by the end, I was bawling my eyes out. A truly beautiful piece of theatre.
Was there anyone there when you got in line at 6:45?
Funny story actually - I got there at 6:45 and there was already one guy there. Crazily, he'd been there since 4am (which we all agreed was complete overkill). However, he was not sitting in Shubert Alley near the box office but around the corner underneath the huge faces. At about 7:30 6 girls joined us and then at about 7:45 a face popped around the corner telling us that there were people lining up at the box office.
The big group of us went round the corner and after a few greazy looks coming our way from the people at the front of the line, we decided to not argue and we just got in line. I ended up being the 18th seat sold even though I was the second to arrive. Thankfully I was the first single they sold and I ended up on the end of the front row - incredible view of an incredible show.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/05
Yeah, I got there at right around 8:30 today and there was already a bunch of people there, but luckily the big group that was there were all for the evening show. So I definitely lucked out that I was doing matinee
There was definitely a really significant line by the time the box office opened though!
I think next time I go I'll probably try and get there by like.. 7 or 7:30 just to be safe.
I also saw the mat today! I love this show! omg! it was phenomenol
Add my parents and sister to the love! :) We saw the evening show tonight, row E orchestra, and they all LOVED it!!!
Incidentally, Hal Prince was in attendance tonight ~ on the aisle in the row behind me. He was visibly moved to tears at the end. Kevin Bacon was in the row in front of me, but he left at intermission due to idiots harassing him in the men's room.
WHAT!! I missed Hal Prince and Kevin Bacon? I must've been too immersed in the show - probably a good thing :)
today at the mat i was so upset Jenn and Alice didnt come out..but I got Aarons, Adams, Louis, and J. Robert Spencers autographs!
they were all really nice, Louis has no personality though
Hal was in row F and Kevin was in row D. :)
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/05
Yeahh I was sad about Alice and Jenn not coming out, but it was still a really nice stage dooring experience
Aaron and Bobby are both so sweet and friendly! <3 And Adam is adorable. I agree, Louis is nice but he really doesn't have too much of a personality haha
Wait, what happened with Kevin Bacon?
Apparently ~ according to some guys near us at the stage door ~ a lot of people were bothering him in the men's room. Not giving him space or privacy and stuff. And he left.
Huh...must've been bad to get him to up and leave the theater.
Oh well, it's his loss. That second act just rips my heart out every time...
Yeah.
I don't know what happened ~ especially since a) I'm not a guy and b) we all stayed at our seats during intermission. But it's a shame people can't leave celebs some semblance of privacy so they can have lives.
Agreed. It was so nice to see Samuel Jackson, Star Jones (blech), Julianne Moore, etc etc just get to walk around the Belasco at opening night of JOE TURNER'S without being bothered.
But at the same time, celebrities have to know what they're getting themselves into when they go out in public like that. It's the lifestyle they chose.
Threadjacking my own thread...
I dunno about that... Kevin Bacon is not exactly a tabloid machine, as compared to Jen Anderson or Russell Crowe, and yet when you've done that many good movies it seems you can't be left alone, even if you're not inflammatory. I suppose he could have had people with him, or requested help sneaking by the audience from the ushers, but I'm not really sure how it works with all celebs.
It's also possible that there was nothing about it you'd have to be a guy to understand; simply that some @$$-hole likely saw him and, instead of acknowledging him and stating that he was a fan, probably called over all his dumb-@$$ buddies (therefore the entire audience within earshot) to follow him around till he couldn't stand it anymore.
But true enough, it's sad he didn't get to see the whole thing. Hope he gets another chance somehow!
Videos