Broadway Spring Wish List - Once

There are some new shows that are coming to Broadway in the Spring. Actually, there are a lot of new shows coming to Broadway in the Spring. As much as I’d hoped to see Bonnie & Clyde in the Spring, that’s not going to happen now. But there are some shows that will be on my MUST SEE list for any trips I make to New York in the near future.

Honestly, I’ll probably never get to see most of these, but in a dream world it would happen. So dream with me people! I’ll be writing a series of posts on this. It was my intention to include all the shows in one post, but in the interest of keeping the attention of my readers, I’m going to cover one show at a time.

First up is Once: The Musical.

This show is based on the 2006 film Once, that was independently filmed and went on to become a smash hit, grossing over $20 million worldwide. It’s about a “Guy” from Dublin and a Czech immigrant, “Girl” being brought together by music.

The website for Once says “Once is the celebrated new musical based on the Academy Award®-winning film. It tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a powerful but complicated romance, heightened by the raw emotion of the songs they create together. Brought to the stage by an award-winning team of visionary artists and featuring an ensemble cast of gifted actor/musicians, once is a musical celebration of life and love: thrilling in its originality, daring in its honesty... and unforgettable in every way.”

This show seems to be all the buzz. It was at the New York Theatre Workshop for a pretty much sold out run. All the reviews I read were great. The people I know in New York who saw the show loved it. And it extended quickly due to great reception. Even before the show was through the time for the initial run, a Broadway transfer was officially announced.

Honestly, I know the song “Falling Slowly” but I’ve never seen the movie and know very little about it. However I am dying to see the show partly because people seem to love it so much, but also because “Girl” is played by Cristin Milioti is related to a friend of mine. I’ve never met her, but I know her family is very, very proud of her. In turn, it makes me excited and happy for her.

If you saw the off-Broadway run at NYTW, what did you think? Let me know if my instincts are correct.

Once begins previews at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre February 28th and opens March 18th.

American Idiot - Tour

As many of you know, I am crazy obsessed with American Idiot (the musical). I saw it 6 times while it was on Broadway. I've written about it several times. The first national tour (I'm hoping it's the first of several...but who am I?) opened in December in Toronto. The first U.S. stop was in Detroit, Michigan this past week. When the tickets went on presale, months ago, my best friend and I knew we had to go.

Sure, the drive was going to be long. Sure, it was going to Detroit in the WINTER was risky. But considering the fact it was going to be nearly a year from the last time I saw the show, I knew that it was a no brainer. On that note, this is a two part post. I'm going to give a little review AND I'm going to write about my fantastic/crazy weekend.

Right before we left for our drive up to Michigan (which should have been about a 10 hour drive), we noticed snow and ice in the forecast. Intent on going, we were just hoping that it wasn't horrible. Turns out, driving through ice and snow is NOT fun. And we ended up stopping in the middle of the night (and the middle of the trip) to get a hotel room. An interstate with no lines because there's so much snow? Not a good thing to be driving in at 2:00 in the morning.

Luckily, our show wasn't until Saturday night and we were able to get an early start on Saturday morning and still made it to Detroit with several hours to spare. By the time that we made it to Detroit Opera House that night, I was about to lose my mind with excitement.

Nicci Claspell (Extraordinary Girl)

We were in the second row, but after we'd purchased tickets, I found out there were Orchestra Pit seats (which ended up being for the student rush people, I think). We were a little farther away than I thought we'd be, but the seats were still super amazing. I think the people around us might have thought we were insane with our glitter posters (more to come on that topic) and our lap full of tissues (for the tears that we knew would come).


And then it started.

The story is simple: young people who feel abandoned and ignored, stuck in suburbia are anxiously trying to get away. Johnny, Tunny, and Will are prepared to break out of their suburban lives to find themselves and to find a life different than what they know. Will, played by Jake Epstein, ends up staying in suburbia after finding out that his girlfriend Heather, played by Leslie McDonel, is pregnant.

Johnny and Tunny, played by Van Hughes and Scott Campbell, take off to the big city only to find out that it isn't exactly what they were looking for. A disillusioned Tunny joins the military, leaving Johnny to fend for himself. Johnny manages to simultaneously find a girlfriend, Whatsername, and a drug pusher, St. Jimmy. Whatsername is played by the lovely Gabrielle McClinton, and St. Jimmy is played by Joshua Kobak. While Johnny and Tunny find themselves outside of their home, Will is left with girlfriend Heather and a new baby while trying to deal with what life handed him. 

Van Hughes (Johnny)

An amazingly talented cast graces the stage for the touring cast. Several members of the cast were in the Broadway production, including Van Hughes. Hughes closed out the Broadway run as Johnny. Leslie McDonel, who plays Heather was an ensemble member on Broadway. Joshua Kobak, Krystina Alabado, Jennifer Bowles, and Omar Lopez-Cepero were all in the Broadway production at some point. Add to that some amazing talent new to the show and you have an all-star cast that puts on a fantastic production that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The touring production had changed somewhat. Obviously, there was a nearly entirely new cast. There had also been set changes. No more car hanging from the ceiling (no surprise there). No more platform rising from the stage (also, not a huge surprise). The background had been changed as well. There were no longer posters lining the walls. The walls were mostly black with some writing showing through in spots. Nothing else had really changed and what had changed wasn't an issue as far as the story was concerned.

Scott J Campbell (Tunny)

There had also been some costume changes for the characters (almost all of the ladies in the cast had at least one different outfit than from the Broadway production). The clothing all still fit with the story and the music and no one, other than a person who'd seen the show several times, would have even noticed it at all. Some minor changes in choreography and more glitter than I remember (St. Jimmy’s entrance is glitter filled and I LOVED it!) were also there.

The overall visuals and lighting of the show are still more than present. The televisions flashing in the background serve an amazing purpose of not only having some great visuals, but they represent the generation’s obsession with the media.

I feel the need to see this touring production more times. Honestly, as many as my budget will allow me. There are so many things going on at the same time during the show that it’s often difficult to see everything you’d like to see. It’s part of the reason I saw the Broadway version as many times as I did.

After the show my friend and I took off to the stage door as planned and met up with three fellow “twidiots” that we’d met online. You know a show has power when it can bring people together and forge friendships when you’ve never even met face to face. Currently, I follow five people on twitter that I have met in person who share my love for this show. Four of those five I met online before I met them in person.

Kelvin's poster

I’ve also written about the amazing actors that like to tweet fans back. Because of his super amazing twitter contact, the five “twidiots” have formed an unofficial fan club for Kelvin Moon Loh, ensemble member extraordinaire. Due to a couple of twitter conversations with Kelvin, my friend and I made a card and a poster for Kelvin. The glitter was everywhere and we had to carry them with us into the show. The poster my friend made had all of our twitter names on them, and I got everybody to sign the card I made while we were waiting for the actors to come out.

Kelvin Moon Loh with his glitter covered card!

I could go on and on about how great the actors were at stage door. They were all extremely nice and took time to talk with us (sometimes I think it must be easier to spend time at stage door on tour than it might be for them if the show is on Broadway). Because there were not throngs of screaming fans, I actually got to meet and get the autograph of Van Hughes (something that I was never able to do when I saw him on Broadway (four times!). Meeting Kelvin was amazing and he’s every bit as nice in person as he is on Twitter. I loved talking with Scott Campbell and I’m horrified that I didn’t get a picture with Jake Epstein.

The best part? I’m not sure, but I’ll venture to say that experiencing American Idiot again was the best part. I think it’s rare that a show can touch a person’s heart the way American Idiot has touched my heart. You can read my reasons why in the many other posts I’ve written.

The "Twidiots"

A close second? Meeting my Twitter friends (both fans and actors) in real life. I love that Twitter can bring people together in such an amazing way. And I love that American Idiot was the connection.

So, was the trip to Detroit in the middle of a snow storm worth it? Absolutely. No hesitation. Now to plan my next time to see Idiot on tour. Anyone need me to do odd jobs for you? I’m available for employment. Apparently I need a second job to support my American Idiot addiction.

Company

Back in the summer I saw Company that had been filmed in concert version and shown in select movie theaters. It quickly became I favorite of mine after I ordered the book and another filmed stage version from the mid-90s. Most people would think that my love of Company would be fact that it is set in Manhattan. While that's part of it, I love that Company is a hard, REAL look at relationships, marriage, and being single in a world centered around relationships.

The Circle Players in Nashville are currently running Company at the Keeton Theatre. I'd never seen a production by the Circle Players, but I wasn't disappointed.

Robert, played by Mike Baum, is a single man turning 35 years old that is surrounded by friends who are couples. They all want to know why he's alone, but each couple has their own issues to deal with. Sarah and Harry, played by Rebekah Durham and Geoff Davin, continuously disagree on pretty much everything. When Robert asks Harry if he's sorry he got married, Harry sings the song "Sorry-Grateful" which is as every bit the contradiction that it sounds like.

Southerner Susan and husband Peter, played by real-life married couple Lynda Cameron Bayer and David Bayer, seem to be the perfect couple until the abruptly announce to Robert that they are getting a divorce. While Jenny and David, played by Lindsay Hess and Russell Qualls, offer lots of laughs as they, along with Robert, smoke some marijuana.

By far, however, the most hilarious scene of the show is with Amy and Paul in their apartment on the morning of their wedding. Paul, played by Scott Rice, is thrilled that he's marrying the love of his life Amy, played by Megan Murphy Chambers. Amy, however, is terrified. To say that cold feet have set in is a slight understatement. Amy sings "Getting Married Today" about how she's NOT getting married and all the reasons why we should go home as to not be disappointed when she doesn't get married. This song takes a true talent to pull it off. Megan Murphy Chambers was incredible. She did stressed and crazy in a hilariously convincing way. And while I don't like to compare actors, I've seen two-time Tony Award winner Katie Finneran play this role, and I think Chambers could play on the same stage, easily.

Robert's trio of girlfriends, Marta, Kathy, and April show the single side of life. Quirky Marta, played by Erica Haines, has one of my favorite monologues ever, that discusses New York and the center of the universe (14th Street, if you're interested). Kathy, played by Stacie Riggs, is a former girlfriend of Robert's, and is leaving New York to move back to her hometown. Kathy is the woman who marries because she's ready to marry, not necessarily because she's in love. And then there's ditsy flight attendant, April, played by Melodie Madden Adams. April gives "air head" a whole new meaning. Adams does a great job portraying the sweet, but simple character who ends up being a prime example of a one night stand gone wrong.

Perhaps one of the best roles of the show is that of Joanne. In this production of Company, Debbie Kraski conquered the role with grandeur. The cougar working on her third husband, Larry (played by Daron Bruce) has two of the best songs in the show. "The Little Things You Do Together" at the beginning of the show, and "The Ladies Who Lunch" toward the end. Joanne is crass, blunt, and downright lovable because of her honesty.

Overall, this show was great. I loved the set design, and the talent in the show was fantastic. I do think there were some sound issues during part of the songs, as it seemed like there were times that I couldn't make out certain characters' lines when there were several singing at the same time.

One thing that did kind of throw me off was the time frame for the show. The setting is "Now" for this show. However the original production was on Broadway in 1970. Though the book states "Now" for the setting, some of the phrasing of the characters makes you realize they aren't living in 2012, so the cell phones didn't really fit in my head. Also, the choreography of some of the dance numbers seemed more to fit in with the seventies time frame. I'm not sure that if I didn't know the show that I would have noticed those things, however, so it wasn't a huge deal.

If you have a chance to go see Company at the Keeton Theater, I'd recommend it. Tickets are reasonably priced and you get a great show. Company is running through January 22nd.

Tweet Seats

A little over a month ago I blogged my horror that anyone would ever consider taking out a cell phone to text or tweet during a live performance. I've always been horrified at people who talk, sing, leave phones on to ring, and other things during a performance. It's distracting. It's rude. It often seems to happen to me. In fact, I can't remember the last performance I sat through that I didn't hear anyone talking around me.

However, after reading the initial post about tweeting during a performance, the subject of "tweet seats" was brought to my attention. From what I've read and been told, tweet seats are a type of controlled tweeting. Specific seats are set apart at performances and are typically in the rear or side of the theatre, in order to limit the distraction to the actors and the other audience members. These tickets are often at a very reduced rate, and the tweeting is usually accompanied with a specific hash tag so that they stream of tweets can be followed.

I'm sure that there could be beneficial results from allowing fans to tweet about a show while it's happening. Personally, I write blogs about the shows I see so that I can remember what I've seen and to show my personal respect to the production. I certainly hope other may look to what I write to help them decide what to see, although I encourage everyone to come to their own conclusions about any show.

As print newspapers are quickly becoming a thing of the past, and critics seem to be getting a bad name more times that I'm sure they would care to admit, I find myself looking to the average theatre-goer for advice on what to see. I find other bloggers, others who tweet, and friends who I know have seen shows to find out what they think of a show.

As easy as it would be to blame critics for a show's closing (i.e. Bonnie & Clyde), it's just as easy to see a show loved by the critics come to an early demise (Lysistrata Jones). It's unfair to say that the critics' opinions are the final say in what survives...but it's also unfair to say that they aren't what makes a show survive.

In everything, it can be too easy to make a decision based on a "professional opinion" when what I really want to know is what my peers think. I find this often in the medical aspects of my life (see my diabetes blog). Sure, I want my doctor's opinion, but when it comes down to it, I want to know what other people living with diabetes say. We read review of hotels...by actual people who stayed there. We read reviews of people who have purchased products before we buy the product ourselves. Why wouldn't that apply to theatrical events as well?

I think that more and more theatres are seeing how much we depend on the opinions of our peers. And they are beginning to do things like have tweet seats and as several shows in New York have done, have blogger nights (in which tickets are free, and often there are meet & greets with actors and/or pre-show drinks).

Social media is definitely the wave of the future. As I wrote just the other day, twitter is the new fan mail...and maybe it's also the new way to get reviews on shows. I seriously doubt that critics will ever completely go away. They are paid to see the technical aspects that a casual theatre-goer will often miss. But having a nice balance of where you can get your information seems to be a positive thing.

Do I think that the idea of tweet seats could be seriously misused and abused? Yes. But I think under controlled circumstances, it could be a great marketing tool for shows and theatres that is essentially free for them and cheap for people like me.

I'm curious to participate in a tweet seat event. I probably wouldn't do it all the time, but occasionally it might be a nice way to share information on what I'm seeing that doesn't involve a full written review on my blog.

What is your opinion on tweet seats? Is this something you would participate in? Why or why not? What do you think might be something to help "control" the situation? Or some tips to make a tweet seat event a successful event? I need feedback people. I crave it. Help me out.

P.S. You can follow me on Twitter if you'd like. ;) Find me @cgtheatregeek

Twitter: Fan Mail For the Future

One of the things I love most about live theatre is the access to the actors and actresses. I got my first taste of this when I waited at my first stage door a few years ago. I’d see very few Broadway shows that that point in my life. But I’d hear the rumors of “close encounters” and after seeing the magic that was the musical Next to Normal, I knew I needed to try to see some of the people who performed such magic on stage.

I went to wait at the stage door of the Booth Theatre. I was a “first timer” and didn’t have a Sharpie for getting autographs (a mistake I’ve only made one other time since). The first actor came out the door (Aaron Tveit). I didn’t push my way through and let him get on down the line.

Ignore the face issues. I'd had a long day & all my make-up had worn off! :)

There was a lady standing behind me that could tell I was a tourist and crazy nervous. With my very…pronounced Southern accent, I’m used to getting attention in New York. She told me to push my way up front (there weren’t many people there anyway) so I could get my autographs. I got all the other casts members autographs (save Jennifer Damiano, who didn’t come out that night), and the lady who encouraged me to “get in there” was kind enough to take a picture of me with Alice Ripley. To this day, I appreciate the lady who gave me the courage to do something out of my comfort zone, and to Alice Ripley, who was one of the kindest people I’ve had the pleasure to meet at a stage door.

That was my first addictive taste of not only being in the same room watching magic happen on stage, but then getting to personally thank the actors for doing what they do. Sure, they get paid for it, but how often do you get to tell an actor or an actress that you appreciate what they do? If they are a television or film actor…probably never. But you can with those who frequent the stages of New York (and other areas of the country).

It’s rare that I don’t “stage door” a Broadway production. The times that I don’t seem to be the shows with the biggest names (i.e. How to Succeed with Daniel Radcliff and Follies with…well, the entire cast). I don’t like to fight the crowds. But shows like Jerusalem offered me the chance to have an actual conversation with John Gallagher Jr (of Spring Awakening and American Idiot fame). American Idiot offered me the chance to talk with some amazing actors and actresses and let them know how much their work meant to me. And I finally got Aaron Tveit’s autograph at the stage door for Catch Me if You Can (truly an amazingly sweet person).

While I love my times at stage door, one of the coolest tools that I have found to communicate with the actors and actresses that I love so much is Twitter. So many people blow it off as silly and non-effective. I will very strongly disagree with anyone on this. While I have truly mixed feelings on tweeting while watching a performance (I plan on writing a little more about this in the near future), I LOVE the access to the stars that I get.

Not everyone tweets. But some do. And I’ve found that theatre performers are fantastic about tweeting fans back. I won’t lie, it started with American Idiot. I began to follow and tweet cast members of the show. But then I found that I could tweet members of other casts and people were tweeting me back! In fact, Lexi Lawson (who I saw on tour in both Rent and In the Heights) has tweeted me back the few times I’ve tweeted her (or mentioned her in a tweet).

In just the past week, I’ve had tweets from a tour cast member of the American Idiot cast and from a cast member of a tour of Spring Awakening I saw a little over a year ago. Sure, they don’t know me. There’s no reason for them to tweet me back or tweet me at all. But knowing that they take the time to do that means something to a little insignificant person like myself. The Idiot cast member even mentioned my tweet, along with the tweets of several other fans, in a blog post he wrote.

Essentially, twitter turns actors into “real people” for the masses. Not that they aren’t real anyway, but it gives the fans access that was previously unattainable by the general public. And while I feel it helps me to feel validated in my thoughts and opinions, I think it also lets the actors and actresses have a sense of connection with their fans and lets them know first-hand that they are touching hearts and lives with the work that they do. And who doesn’t want that kind of validation?

There are some superstar tweeters out there. Wallace Smith (one of American Idiot’s Favorite Sons) is a gem. He tweets back, re-tweets, AND he is continually tweeting uplifting words of wisdom and things to brighten anyone’s day. Kelvin Moon Loh (ensemble member in the American Idiot tour) has been a great person to answer tweets AND he blogs. As I mentioned before, Lexi Lawson has been great about tweeting back and seems to try to answer as many tweets as possible. Sometimes you get lucky. I sent a reply tweet to something Steffi D (former Canadian Idol contestant and cast member of the equity tour of Spring Awakening) the other night and she tweeted me back. Aspen Vincent (swing on the Broadway run of American Idiot) likes to tweet back occasionally and also tweets for her cat, Miss Kate Vincent.

Does twitter changes lives? Probably not. But I think it’s the wave of the future as far as fan-actor connections go. No more fan letters covered in glitter and stickers. Instead, we vlog, blog, and tweet to let our “heros” know what we think of them. That colored, glittered, sticker covered letter I sent to Joey McEntire from New Kids on the Block when I was 8? I have no clue if he ever got it or read it. But knowing that I have a tweet that was read by an actor I admire, and that they then took a couple of seconds to tweet me back…well, that means the world to me.

2011 in Review

This was my first full year of blogging about theatre. I wanted to share a brief "year in review" of things that I blogged about this year. A "cheat sheet" of my blog this year, if you will.

-I successfully blogged about all but three of the shows I saw.

-I made a resolution to see more new shows (something I did okay with).

-I purchased my first ever season tickets (to Cumberland County Playhouse).

-I saw Spring Awakening on tour (for the second time) and had stage seats!!

-I got the horrible (although not shocking) news that American Idiot would be closing on Broadway.

-I saw In the Heights on tour and fell head over heels in love with that beautiful piece of performance art.

-I saw American Idiot on Broadway for the last time.

-I saw an amazing production of Tuesdays With Morrie at Cumberland County Playhouse.

-I saw The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures and Jerusalem and got a healthy reminder of how amazing a straight play can be (this coming from a girl who adores her musicals) while discovering the amazing talents that are Mark Rylance and Stephen Spinella.

-I got to experience the wonderful production of Chicago at Cumberland County Playhouse. Four times.

-I did a guest post about New York for a friend.

-I blogged about my opinion on censorship in theatre.

-I said goodbye to Chicago at CCP.

-I fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing Bernadette Peters on stage when I saw Follies in New York.

-I saw Wicked on tour for the second time and took my younger sister with me this time (her first time seeing a professional tour).

-And I said goodbye to a show I'll never get to see (on Broadway at least).

Now, onto 2012. I already have some shows lined up for the new year. American Idiot on tour and a production of God of Carnage in Nashville are up first.

Another One Bites the Dust

I've often liked musicals that weren't beloved by the critics. Don't ask me why. I thought Catch Me If You Can was wonderful. I liked the music, the plot line was familiar. The acting was well done. It made me smile. Catchy tunes? I thought so. Sadly, the critics were not fans and that show closed after 166 performances and 32 previews. From the first preview to the final performance, it was less than six months.

A show I would have loved to have seen was Wonderland. I'd been following it (online, of course) for a couple of years. When I found out it was coming to Broadway, I was very excited. Critics slammed it. It closed after 30 previews and 33 performances. It was there less than two months. The worst part? It closed on May 15th, the very same day I got into New York for a week long trip. I never got to see it. My only hope to see it now is if a tour happens, or in regional and/or community theatre.

Up next? Bonnie & Clyde a New Musical (written by the same person who wrote Wonderland). When I first saw clips of the show, I thought to myself, "this is a show that I will want to see!" They followed up by some songs that were released on their website and facebook page. I loved them all. So there are two for two. The clips were good, the music was fantastic (all my opinion, of course). I knew I'd need to make a trip to New York to see this one. Previews started November 4th. The show opened December 1st. Critics slammed it and an official closing announcement was made today that the show would be concluding it's Broadway run on December 30th. Once again: less than two months total. Once again, a show I'll not get to see.

I have a few opinions about critics AND producers when it comes to Broadway shows. I understand that the point of a Broadway show is to make money. I'm not naive. I get it. I understand that critics review shows for a living. That's their job. They are paid for their opinion. I get that. Once again, I'm not stupid. BUT there are some things that don't make a whole lot of sense to me.

First: critics are not the be all end all of theatre. Sure, they know their stuff. It's why they get paid to do what they do. But I believe that some critics look for things to pick on. Not every Broadway show looks the same. Not every show sounds the same. Not every show is meant for the same audience. I'd rarely take the same people to a showing of RENT or American Idiot as I would a showing of Oklahoma! or Phantom of the Opera (yes, I'm aware that only one of these shows is currently open on Broadway). My point: sometimes critics let their opinions of what they like personally, cloud their view of how well a show is written, directed, staged, etc. Just because you don't like the show Mr. (or Ms.) Critic, doesn't mean someone won't like it.

Critiques should be non-biased. They should look at the quality of the show. They should look at the quality of the talent. They should look at quality of the direction. And they should write about it. Even when I am not a fan of a show, I try to bring out the things about the show that I did like. I try my best to let it be known that while I may not like a story, I am doing my best to look at the show in as unbiased way as possible.

Secondly, producers need to give shows a chance. I understand that money is an issue. But word of mouth is a powerful thing. An audience fan base is an amazing thing. Social media is an amazing thing. And sometimes things just take a little while to catch on. Would Wonderland or Bonnie & Clyde have ever made a turn around? I can't say for sure. But I know the online support for Bonnie & Clyde has been incredible since it was first rumored that the show would be closing. A vast majority of audience goers that I have seen online were saying that they loved the show.

My opinion on that? It is a really crappy time to open a show. Right before Christmas. In an economy like this. Not a smart move. I'm seeing very few shows and doing very little for myself right now. All of my extra money is going toward buying Christmas presents. Period. I think if producers had given Bonnie & Clyde a chance to take off after the holidays, this might be a very different story. But we won't ever know for sure.

All in all, I think critics are too quick to judge a show based on their personal likes and dislikes and producers are too quick to close a show that isn't earning money right away. Either way, let's just hope the world will remember Bonnie & Clyde. Because I don't see any miracles happening to keep the show open. The only positive out of the whole deal is that lead Jeremy Jordan will be free to reprise his role in Disney's Newsies when it makes it's journey to Broadway.

Do you think critics are unjust in their reviews at times? Do you think producers are too quick to pull the plug?