estupido24 said: "I Was wondering about the following shows:
Amelie, Cats, Come from away, Dear Evan Hansen,Hello, Dolly!, In Transit, Miss Saigon,On Your Feet,Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George,Sunset Boulevard,Waitress"
From your list, I've seen Cats, Miss Saigon (in London, but the same production), The Great Comet, School of Rock, Sunday in the Park, and Sunset Boulevard.
If you've never seen Cats but have always wanted to, go while it's there; otherwise, you can probably skip this one without any regrets. It has some catchy songs, shiny costumes, a whimsical set, and great choreography, but in the end there simply is no point. If you're looking for a story, you won't find it here.
Miss Saigon is an epic show from the era of epic British musicals (which happens to be my favorite genre). While I don't feel that the score is as uniformly memorable as those of some of its peers, it does include several notable pieces (I particularly like This Is The Hour and Kim's Nightmare) and overall I like it better than Les Miserables. The story is dark, gritty, and full of passion and inevitable tragedy. The production is magnificent and the infamous helicopter scene is effectively harrowing.
The Great Comet is, to me, something of a musical blitzkrieg. It employs "immersive staging" (i.e., not a traditional proscenium stage) with much of the audience seated among the performers. The cast is quite large and they spend a lot of time scattered throughout the entire house in various combinations to depict individual tableaux. The score is at times frenetic and loud with many people singing at once, and discerning the lyrics being sung by a specific individual can be challenging. The opening number is intended to serve the purpose of acquainting the audience with the main characters, but it's a spirited song that is hammered out quickly, so I highly recommend brushing up on the story beforehand. There is only one song (Charming) that I could dependably recall afterwards. I paid full price for a front orchestra (insomuch as there is one) seat, and while I could perhaps be convinced to see the show again with some prodding, I would not pay for premium seating again to do so.
School of Rock is a family-friendly show with a cast that includes an astoundingly talented group of young children who all play and sing their respective parts live (when the lights go down, the recorded voice of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber makes an announcement to this effect before the show starts). It's a fairly familiar story of a ne'er-do-well who stumbles into a situation that enables him to redeem himself by inspiring the aforementioned children to embrace their true passions, regardless of whatever paths their respective parents might have already laid out for them. The only fresh element here is the somewhat unexpected inclusion of a child with same-sex parents. It's a lively, fun way to spend a couple of hours, but I doubt you'll remember the experience for long after.
Sunday in the Park with George is an intentionally minimalist revival (there's little more than a bare stage to look at) with a perhaps less-than-intentionally minimalist score. To me, this show often felt more like a play with background music than a musical, per se. The relatively few numbers that seemed like full-fledged songs were beautiful; otherwise, I didn't feel that the music took the story anywhere that dialogue couldn't. The most notable exceptions are the act one choral closer, Sunday, and its reprise at the end of the show, which are exquisitely affecting. While this may sound like a negative critique, it's not intended to be so. Mr. Gyllenhaal can act and sing, and I very much enjoyed the show; given the opportunity, I would definitely see it again. If you go, avoid the first few rows in the orchestra (I sat in the second row), as your view of a quite dazzling visual effect in act two will be seriously impaired. I believe the mezzanine would be preferable for this particular production.
Sunset Boulevard is another revival that's also been described as "minimally staged", but this is only true in comparison to the opulent sets of the original production from the 90s (there's much more of a set here than in Sunday). This production relies on the concept of a movie studio soundstage, which allows the same basic set pieces (essentially a network of industrial stairways, platforms, and trusses) to remain onstage at all times. Smaller props (e.g., a sofa, a desk, cafe tables and chairs, etc.) are moved on and off by the cast as required for each scene. The other major onstage piece is the orchestra, which is large and situated upstage, beneath the rear catwalk. The music from that orchestra is by turns grand, romantic, mournful, and even sinister, but it's always glorious. The ensemble is strong and the roles of the key supporting characters (Joe, Max, and Betty) are effectively realized and sung. But, make no mistake, this is a star vehicle and virtually everyone is there to see Glenn Close. At 70 years old, she sings, dances - and most importantly, acts - almost non-stop for 2 hours and 40 minutes (not to mention the workout of ascending and descending those famous staircases countless times throughout). I've seen this production twice already and will be going back at least once (perhaps twice) more before the limited run ends. I've also paid for "premium" seats every time and have no regrets.
Whatever shows you choose, enjoy them!
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- Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
Updated On: 3/21/17 at 02:50 PM
