Westchester Broadway Theatre

[bdwybug55]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 1:08pm

Anyone know anything about Westchester Broadway Theatre? Are there productions usually decent? Do they get good talent? I noticed they will be producing "Barnum". That is one of my favorite shows and thought that I might check it out since nobody ever does it. The theatre is so close to Manhattan but I never really see or hear much about it. What's the word?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 1:13pm

I've been there a few times, and yes, the productions I've seen have been fairly decent. They usually get pretty talented actors, too, and often people who have done Broadway, for what it's worth.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 1:13pm

I saw West Side Story and Man of la Mancha at the Westchester dinner theater back in the late 90's...both were excellent. If you really love Barnum, I would definitely consider getting there to see it. I'm sure it will be great.

[michelle4]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 1:27pm

I have worked at the theatre a couple of times and have always been proud to be a part of their productions. It is a great job to get. You get paid decently and get to sleep in your own bed.

[bdwybug55]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 1:44pm

Thanks guys. Like I said NO ONE EVER does "Barnum" so I will certainly take the treck out there to see it and who knows...maybe they will earn a new patron? Thanks for the input. I wonder why you don't hear much about it when it is so very close. I even did a search and didn't come up with terribly much.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 2:28pm

Withoutatrace, that production of Man of La Mancha was the first musical I ever saw on stage :) I saw the West Side Story too and then I think I moved like a year later.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 2:40pm

Cool ronin, maybe we were at the same performance. i went on two different Thursday nights with my 10th grade Spanish class. the food was awful, but the shows were fabulous!

[boxers7]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 2:45pm

Their production of Oliver! last season was splendid! I'm looking very forward to Aida and The Full Monty this season.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 2:47pm

They're doing AIDA?

[boxers7]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 2:49pm

Yupp.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 3:50pm

Yup, I'm very excited, going in February for Aida. I think it runs something like Jan. 27-beginning of March..

[Katecab99]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 4:37pm

i've seen a few shows and thought they were very well done. i didn't realize that they were doing AIDA this season, but now i'll definitley try to check it out!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 4:39pm

That's a busy time, but hopefully if it turns out to be good, I can go up and see it. A lot of their productions closely resemble the Broadway ones, so this one might be worth seeing without making me want to rip my hair out.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 4:43pm

I saw West Side Story there (though I didnt really watch it as I was in one of those suite boxes with my cousins which I wasn't really into theater) and Jekyll and Hyde.

[jasobres]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 4:43pm

I have a pretty weird confession to make: I live in Westchester and yet I have not seen a single show at the Westchester Broadway Theater even though we always plan to go.

[littleredridinghood]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 5:04pm

I saw Miss Saigon there. It was excellent, except for the fact that Kim was quite obviously not Asian. One of my friends was in a production there recently, and while I wasn't able to see it, a few other people did and said it was great.

But yeah, the food is pretty awful.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 5:06pm

This brings back such memories of the Darien Dinner Theatre in CT otherwise known as B's Gaze and Graze.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 5:09pm

I saw Miss Saigon too, that's the first show I saw there, looved it! (it was my first time seeing the show--I bawled)...I'm going to Aida Feb 17th I believe, I'll be sure to post a review.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 6:05pm

I can't remember for the life of me when I went, but I had a great time!

[Kimmygonbefamous]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 7:37pm

I saw Fiddler there back when I was in the 5th grade. I honestly can't comment as to the quality, because I was what, 10? But I remember enjoying it. In fact, I'm currently drinking out of my Westchester Broadway Theatre souvenier glass that contained my virgin strawberry daquiri.

Posted: 1/5/06 at 12:09am

Kim wasn't Asian??! who was Kim in Miss Saigon? i wonder if Aida will be african american! hahahaha!!

[dancinfan]

Posted: 1/5/06 at 11:05am

I hate to be the only voice of dissent here, but I have seen several shows there in the last ten years and been very disappointed. The production values are pretty good (I find the thrust stage very tricky), and the talent is always strong, but the direction and choreography are nearly always subpar, so the shows never seem to pack any emotional punch or live up to their potential. One more huge thing that affects the overall quality is the lousy sound system. The orchestra and every actor sounds like they're in their own little tin can.

PS - I didn't see the aforementioned and raved-about West Side Story. I wish I had.

[Doogie]

Posted: 1/5/06 at 11:06pm

Andrew,

Aida will be played, I believe, by Soara Joye Ross, who was Annabel in Dessa Rose at Lincoln Center last year

Posted: 1/6/06 at 4:28am

sorry doogie,
i was being sarcastic...i am shocked that they didn't use an asian girl for kim..ESPECIALLY when MIKA Nashida was in the cast. there are CERTAINLY enough asian actresses to choose from who would have loved to have done the role! was she REALLY not asian?!!

[tcoppola]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 12:16pm

WBT Miss Saigon Updated On: 1/6/06 at 12:16 PM