Posted: 2/14/22 at 6:42am
"I agree. The show is not a My Fair Lady or West Side Story."
It's worth noting that West Side Story lost the Tony to The Music Man
Posted: 2/14/22 at 7:28am
We saw four shows this weekend and I’d put music man 4th out of 4.
Bigserver1- you saw 4 shows this weekend- what were the 4 shows you saw- just wondering- I am also seeing MM in May- and will be getting tickets to other shows while in NY. Which shows did you really enjoy?
Posted: 2/14/22 at 10:24am
Regardless of whether one thinks Preston should be widely known today or not, I think a surefire way to dissuade people from actually learning about musical theater history is acting like a condescending snob whenever someone displays ignorance of it.
Posted: 2/14/22 at 10:33am
BWAY Baby2 said: "We saw four shows this weekend and I’d put music man 4th out of 4.
Bigserver1- you saw 4 shows this weekend- what were the 4 shows you saw- just wondering- I am also seeing MM in May- and will be getting tickets to other shows while in NY. Which shows did you really enjoy?"
We saw Hadestown Friday night - loved it. #1 show from the weekend without doubt. We also saw Company and Six yesterday. Really really enjoyed both. I thought company was fantastic, an incredible revival and loved how innovative and modern it was while still being true to the material. Six was phenomenal. Hard to compare it to more traditional shows as it’s more a 90 minute concert, but I loved every minute of it and thought it was great.
We enjoyed the music man. I left happy, it was a good time. It’s just not up to the standards of some of the other top shows on broadway right now, which surprises me given the cast and budget (and prices…we saw the other three musicals with awesome seats for $100 more than the TMM tickets by themselves).
Updated On: 2/14/22 at 10:33 AM
Posted: 2/14/22 at 10:55am
Bigserver1 said: "BWAY Baby2 said: "We saw four shows this weekend and I’d put music man 4th out of 4.
Bigserver1- you saw 4 shows this weekend- what were the 4 shows you saw- just wondering- I am also seeing MM in May- and will be getting tickets to other shows while in NY. Which shows did you really enjoy?"
We saw Hadestown Friday night - loved it. #1 show from the weekend without doubt. We also saw Company and Six yesterday. Really really enjoyed both. I thought company was fantastic, an incredible revival and loved how innovative and modern it was while still being true to the material. Six was phenomenal. Hard to compare it to more traditional shows as it’s more a 90 minute concert, but I loved every minute of it and thought it was great.
We enjoyed the music man. I left happy, it was a good time. It’s just not up to the standards of some of the other top shows on broadway right now, which surprises me given the cast and budget (and prices…we saw the other three musicals with awesome seats for $100 more than the TMM tickets by themselves)."
What a great trip! You saw four of the most exciting shows to see in New York right now. Glad you had a good time.
Posted: 2/14/22 at 1:49pm
What a great trip! You saw four of the most exciting shows to see in New York right now. Glad you had a good time."
Thanks! It was a great trip. Can’t wait to come back!
Posted: 2/20/22 at 1:21am
Written from the perspective of a different creative& artistic vision guiding this revival, it is a refreshing and totally credible take on Zaks's & Jackman's The Music Man. It is quite long but this makes the new look into the main character and the town folks who eventually welcomed him to the fold very absorbing reading. Forget any notions of how the story was originally explored and the characterizations laid out. I have just read Meredith Willson's "But He Doesn't Know The Territory" and in it, he describes Harold Hill as" a con man... who is a lovable rogue". This interpretation could very well be an equally fascinating view of The Music Man.
https://caroleditosti.com/2022/02/20/hugh-jackmans-indelible-winning-con-in-the-music-man-just-unbeatable/
Posted: 2/20/22 at 5:19pm
For real though, does anyone have any inside info on what’s taking them so long to announce a cast album?
Posted: 2/20/22 at 5:57pm
jo said: "Written from the perspective of a different creative& artistic vision guiding this revival, it is a refreshing and totally credible take on Zaks's & Jackman's The Music Man. It is quite long but this makes the new look into the main character and the town folks who eventually welcomed him to the fold very absorbing reading. Forget any notions of how the story was originally explored and the characterizations laid out. I have just read Meredith Willson's "But He Doesn't Know The Territory" and in it, he describes Harold Hill as" a con man... who is a lovable rogue". This interpretation could very well be an equally fascinating view of The Music Man.
https://caroleditosti.com/2022/02/20/hugh-jackmans-indelible-winning-con-in-the-music-man-just-unbeatable/"
The review of Ms. Di Tosti --- isn't a review. It is a puff piece. Page after page of the most extravagant praise with nary a criticism to be found. I am glad she had such a great time, but it can't be considered a review. More like a happy journal entry. It isn't balanced or measured. Not a mention of the singing, who sang well or didn't, and no real mention of the dancing. I am glad she had a great time.
here is the final paragraph
"This production with this cast, director, choreographer and technical team will never happen again in your lifetime. Considering what the cast, crew and production team went through to present The Music Man opening night this February 10th, 2022, it has been a labor of love that underscores every dance step, every note played, every trill, every laugh by the actors, the musicians, everyone. It is a one-of-a-kind revival that is breathtaking. Do what you can to see it. I will go again if I can get tickets. Here is their website for arrangements. "
Posted: 2/20/22 at 10:08pm
I never said it was a review by Ms.DiTosti. It is a fresh take on how to interpret and how to appreciate this particular revival. The emphasis is on the story of a community into whose lives a man with original nefarious intentions came. The town changed... and so did the man. Beautiful celebration of humanity in a small slice of Americana at the turn of the 20th century.
It is unfortunate that there is no particular thread for pieces like this. If you want to be guided by "official reviews" - fine! But having read Willson's book "But He Doesn't Know the Territory" and an online piece on "The Spirit of River City", I am glad someone like Ms. DiTosti highlighted the many aspects that could make watching this show with the sense of community that she has put emphasis on in her writing.
To each his own!
Updated On: 2/20/22 at 10:08 PM
Posted: 2/21/22 at 12:08am
Bigserver 1- thank you for your reviews- I saw Company in London- loved it- saw Hadestown in NY- liked it-had some philosophical issues with it- will see SIX next time I am in London- seeing MM and Birthday Candles in May- have room for a few more- still trying to decide. So glad you enjoyed your trip.
Posted: 2/21/22 at 8:43am
leefowler said: ""I agree. The show is not a My Fair Lady or West Side Story."
It's worth noting that West Side Story lost the Tony to The Music Man"
And was deserving of it, as it was as innovative in its way as WSS. Those rhythm songs were something new and different, and extremely effective. The show was politically satirical in a way unseen since Finian's Rainbow, yet was a much more grounded show (I roll my eyes at people who disparage Music Man as a "rah-rah-USA! USA! All American show". There is a nasty underbelly of prejudice and fear of intellectualism running underneath it's cozy exterior--a prejudice and a fear of intellectualism easily exploited by a con man...sound familiar?) The Music Man has one of the most well-rounded, smart, capable, kind-hearted female leading characters in Broadway history. A very advanced portrayal of a woman for the times. And a complete anti-hero, just steps away from a villain, as it's charming lead. Maybe West Side should have won the Tony, but one can't argue the 57/58 season heavily influenced the trajectory of the modern American musical.
Updated On: 2/21/22 at 08:43 AM
Posted: 2/21/22 at 6:18pm
austinyourface said: "Regardless of whether one thinks Preston should be widely known today or not, I think a surefire way to dissuade people from actually learning about musical theater history is acting like a condescending snob whenever someone displays ignorance of it."
He’s not acting
Posted: 2/21/22 at 6:18pm
Owen22 said: "leefowler said: ""I agree. The show is not a My Fair Lady or West Side Story."
It's worth noting that West Side Story lost the Tony to The Music Man"
And was deserving of it, as it was as innovative in its way as WSS. Those rhythm songs were something new and different, and extremely effective. The show was politically satirical in a way unseen since Finian's Rainbow, yet was a much more grounded show (I roll my eyes at people who disparage Music Man as a "rah-rah-USA! USA! All American show". There is a nasty underbelly of prejudice and fear of intellectualism running underneath it's cozy exterior--a prejudice and a fear of intellectualism easily exploited by a con man...sound familiar?) The Music Man has one of the most well-rounded, smart, capable, kind-hearted female leading characters in Broadway history. A very advanced portrayal of a woman for the times. And a complete anti-hero, just steps away from a villain, as it's charming lead. Maybe West Side should have won the Tony, but one can't argue the 57/58 season heavily influenced the trajectory of the modern American musical.
"
Superb. This is very eloquently and accurately put.
Posted: 2/22/22 at 6:46am
An artistic impression of the portrayals of the different players in the community of River City --
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaNRFx1O1cq/
Posted: 2/22/22 at 7:10am
Outside of ticket holders returning tickets, are additional tickets released closer to performance date? I swapped my Little Shop ticket for May so a friend could come with and looking for a new show to see in March. But right now the only tickets available are well outside of what I can afford.
Posted: 3/1/22 at 3:44pm
A bit of "Till There Was You":
https://www.tiktok.com/@musicmanbroadway/video/7070184822353693994
Posted: 3/1/22 at 8:16pm
TaffyDavenport said: "A bit of "Till There Was You":
https://www.tiktok.com/@musicmanbroadway/video/7070184822353693994"
Thanks! The romantic resonance seems like the scene comes from a movie!
Posted: 3/1/22 at 8:25pm
Personally, I think she sounds great on this song!!
Posted: 3/11/22 at 1:24am
BrodyFosse123 said: "
"
Hugh always works hard in this campaign. IIRC, he has raised some USD 5.5 million in his past 4 B'way shows. Most notable were the auctions of " T-shirts with Hugh's DNA" - the record was Judge Judy winning one with a USD 25,000 bid. Will the covid world allow such an item ( with DNA) to be auctioned? LOL -maybe it can come sealed, to be opened when we can do such things freely? Btw, according to BC/EFA, you can make an online donation... in honor of a show... if you have seen @MusicManBway in the past, will only see it at some future date or will not be able to see it all ...and cannot give directly to the red buckets, why not do it online? Those were fun times especially if Hugh is doing the auctions.
Updated On: 3/11/22 at 01:24 AM
Posted: 3/12/22 at 10:36pm
Is there a thread on here about how Hugh and Sutton interact with each other throughout the show - reviewing their behavior with each other? I saw the show on 3/10 and they seemed to be trying to get the other to break character - which they did end up doing - having to stall for about a minute in two instances... And another instance was in the library involving a hat and Hugh's reaction to what Sutton does with it. Is this part of the show?
Updated On: 3/12/22 at 10:36 PM
Posted: 3/13/22 at 7:53am
It does seem like there are a couple of moments built into the show where the two of them are allowed to go off script, not in their lines but in their interaction and behavior. It's not the same way every time. And sometimes there ARE cases where hats and books genuinely do go astray, etc. and that can lead to other unscripted moments.
Posted: 3/13/22 at 9:14am
Breaking the 4th wall was a signature stylistic flourish in the Midler Dolly. We got to see Bette's Dolly (funny sometimes, and profoundly moving in "Parade"
, but also -- at key moments -- Bette-playing-Dolly. In asides, in recognition of the audience, in annotating what it takes to perform a show live (leaning against the proscenium during the title number, exhausted). It was the nature of the event, and the audience adored the way it felt organic, integrated. It doesn't work in every show, and from some reports, it isn't entirely successful here. But it's been a piece of this production since previews, reported on this board. Clearly, the stars feel self-presentation as themselves-playing-these-characters is accepted. Whether some like it or not, it's now baked into the staging, another one by Zaks, coincidentally or not.
Updated On: 3/13/22 at 09:14 AM
Posted: 3/13/22 at 10:12am
In fairness to Zaks, Hugh broke the fourth wall in a big way every night in The Boy From Oz, so I'm guessing they were always going to search for some way to let him do that here, too, even in some small way.
