Some Short Reviews. Just An Opinion, Not A Statement.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 3:49pm

I saw many shows while in New York City, a short review:

***** Excellent
**** Very Good
*** Good
** Just Ok
* I got bored

The Wedding Singer: The best show in town, so much fun, I had to see it several times. The best cast, the best choreography, the best score. Go see it!!! Stephen Lynch is Awesome! and so is the rest of the cast. Don't be bummed if you get to see Tina Maddigan instead of Laura Benanti, they are both fantastic. *****

Shining City: A very long play, I found myself very bored, but the acting was really great. Oliver Platt and Martha Plimpton were great as well as the rest of the cast. **

Disney's Tarzan: I hated Disney's The Lion King and The Beauty and the Beast is underwhelming. But Tarzan was a surprise, despite the bad word-to-mouth, the show is very enjoyable. Phil Collins' score is great. The cast works very hard and it shows. Loved it. ****

Sandra Bernhardt, Everything Bad and Beautiful: I love Sandra, she does what she does, like no one else. Very unique. Loved her show. Her self love message was all over. It made you feel great. She sings a lot of old songs and some new ones. Among them Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" and P!nk's "Just like a Pill", too bad she is not too friendly with her fans, and that is a big turn off. Show: *** Sandra's attitude: *

Doubt: This Pulitzer and Tony Award play is a masterpiece. It will make you have "doubts", hehe. Excellent acting by Eileen Atkins, Ron Eldard and Adriane Lenox. Excellence can be found in a play. *****

Slava's Snowshow: Horrible, just horrible! *


History Boys: The Tony Award winning play, was boring and it doesn't have an interesting plot. Some eye candy though. *


Spamalot: It was the silliest musical i have ever seen in my life. It gets old after the 3rd song. Thank goodness i got a $ 21 ticket!*


Burleigh Grime$: This play about NY excecutives couldn't engage me. But TV stars Mark Moses and Wendy Malick were great, as well as the rest of the cast. **


The Phantom of The Opera: I had to see Jennifer Hope Wills again. The show is not the best show, but it has good songs and great singers. Plus I finally met Kathy, hehe. ***


Bridge & Tunnel: Sarah Jones is very talented. This show though, belongs to Off Broadway or Off Off Broadway. Although I share her political views, the fact that i pay to see someone expressing them, won't change a thing. Probably Bush lovers are not the people who would go to see this kind of show, so it won't change anyone's mind about the issues that are treated in this one-person-play, also i find it unfair for the big Broadway shows to have a show like this with just one actor, these shows should have big casts and orchestras in my point of view. *

Updated On: 6/26/06 at 03:49 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 4:16pm

I saw History Boys on June 10th and loved it. Supherb cast. Just wish I had brushed up on my French! I thought the plot was quite interesting.

I also saw "Spring Awakening" off Broadway and loved the music. That is one to see before it closes.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 4:21pm

WOW! We actually agree on some things.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 4:53pm

About Bridge and Tunnel....Why should this show have a large cast and orchestra? It is designed as a one woman show to showcase her talents.

[tearsforhari]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 5:30pm

Hey, don't pick on muscle about "Bridge and Tunnel." I have been saying the same for years. From a consumer point-of-view, the price of admission is too high for barebones. But of course, if a show isn't playing on-Broadway, it isn't eligible for the Tony and some inappropriate shows get displayed there....we've had this discussion already...

Updated On: 6/25/06 at 05:30 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 6:10pm

I am not picking on anyone. And I was not part of the past discussion. And the price of her show is less than the price of a musical. $86. And what you may see as inappropriate may not be to others. Theatre isn't always a big show.

[tearsforhari]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 6:33pm

Oh, I know that you are not picking on anyone now. But even $86 is not that far from a musical. I don't mind one-person shows. Eve Ensler's The Good Body was very good. Of course, I got in for $20 of my hard earned money. For $90, I would have expected it to goto a charity contribution.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 7:41pm

"History Boys: The Tony Award winning play, was boring and it doesn't have an interesting plot. Some eye candy though. *"

the mind boggles.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 7:49pm

Just an opinion! But I agree ZONEACE. I could kick myself for not buying the book in script form before leaving the theatre. (I did buy the t-shirt at intermission) But I plan to order it if possible. I think the show said a lot about how teachers teach (or think they should)among other things. And the script crackled with some wonderful dialouge. But to each his own. I am sure not everyone enjoyed the show as much as others.

[mabel]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 7:57pm

I can see thinking that The History Boys is overhyped or what have you, but "horrible"?!?! To each his own, I suppose, but I can't say that I agree with most of your reviews. Takes all kinds, and I guess there's a show out there for everyone.

[little_sally]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 7:58pm

The History Boys doesn't have an interesting plot? Huh?

[tearsforhari]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 8:01pm

I wonder how different out-of-towner opinions (i.e. most of America) compare with natives?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 8:58pm

I'm so glad you loved Doubt, muscle. It is the best play I have ever seen!

[freshasadaisy]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 9:31pm

"i find it unfair for the big Broadway shows to have a show like this with just one actor, these shows should have big casts and orchestras in my point of view."

As an actor and audience member, I'm so glad that this isn't the case. How boring it would be... After all, big-budget, flashy musicals aren't the only things that belong on Broadway. There is other meaningful and entertaining theatre out there that deserves to be seen and experienced.

I'll shutup now.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/25/06 at 11:44pm

I agree that not all shows on Broadway should be big flashy musicals. I think Broadway should just showcase the best in theater. I think people know going into Bridge and Tunnel that it's a one women show. I don't think people are buying the ticket expecting to see this big flasy Broadway musical with huge sets. It's just a small intimate one-women show. I like that. I wish there were more intimate, small theaters on Broadway.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 2:48am

Mabel, i didn't think History Boys was "horrible" i used that word for "Slava's Snow Show", anyways, yes Rentboy is right, i knew it was a one woman show, but what i feel is that, for example Bridge & Tunnel makes about us$ 900.000/month, and that is what some musicals with a cast of 30 and an orchestra make. And it just seems wrong to me, but it's a personal issue i've got, i don't expect people to agree with me. I just feel it's not fair for the actors and musicians, but hey, i am not an actor or a musician, so i don't even know why it bothers me, i guess somehow i want as many people who dream of working on a Broadway show to get to do it, i am not sure.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 3:37am

Sorry, I'm not sure I get your point?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 3:43am

Im sleepy, so maybe i don't make any sense, but let's say if i have a one-man-show with me as the lead and i the show makes 1.000.000 bucks a month, i don't know how it works exactly, but let's say i get to keep 600.000 a month and the rest goes the rent of the theatre, the director, all the employees and the ads. I just wouldn't feel like its fair that people would pay the same to see just myself, or an entire big cast with a live orchestra.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 4:32am

Are you trying to say that you would rather have that so more people would get paid?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 4:47am

So more artists would be employed.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 4:52am

Okay. I don't agree but Okay.

[mabel]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 9:01am

Mabel, i didn't think History Boys was "horrible"

You gave it *, which according to your rating scale was "Horrible." Yeah, you didn't actually say "History Boys was HORRIBLE," but that's what your rated it.

Updated On: 6/26/06 at 09:01 AM

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 9:13am

i also dont really agree with what muscle is saying
but hey, we all have our own opinions
:P

[mabel]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 9:19am

Oh, and WHEN did Bridge and Tunnel ever gross anything near equivallent to a big budget/cast musical?!?! Last week it brought in $190,540 (70% attendance), while Jersey Boys brought in $1,038,229. Mmmm...seems about right to me. I just scrolled back a bit in the Playbill Grosses, and the only time a musical will take in a weekly gross in the Bridge and Tunnel range in when it's a colossal trainwreck playing to 30% attendance, like Ring of Fire.

The only time a one person show is going to be taking in as much as a big musical is going to be something like Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays. Did you have problems with that as well??

OK, to a certain I get what you're saying. It's kind of annoying when you think of shelling out $100 for a one person/single set show, but if it's good what difference does it make? I'd rather have spent $100 to see I Am My Own Wife than Lestat. I'd rather see one person brilliantly acting a great play than see 30 people running around in an oversized musical mess.

Besides, you should note that the average ticket price for Bridge and Tunnel is $57. Most people aren't paying full price, and if you did, then I can't help you. Discounts are everywhere and you certainly could have gotten tickets on TKTS. Is the show worth $90? Probably not. But, then again, I don't think there's a whole hell of a lot on Broadway that is. However, I would venture to say the show and Sarah Jones' performance is well worth $45.

Sorry this is so long and rambling!

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 6/26/06 at 9:32am

i agree with what you said, mabel, about rather seeing one person brilliantly acting a great play than see 30 people running around in an oversized musical mess. i am so glad that bridge and tunnel is doing pretty well, and that sarah jones has her chance to shine on broadway. after all, she didnt win a tony for nothing! :)
btw, mabel, love your sig!