Don't Quit Your Night Job

Don't Quit Your Night Job announced that they were finally returning after a long hiatus, and it was scheduled for when I am actually here in New York City! Despite the fact that the show started at 11:30 pm (on a Thursday no less), I bought tickets right away. Seeing as I watch their stuff on youtube all the time, and that I actually have the opportunity to see it, I decided I could stay up past my bedtime! We decided to make a night out of the adventure, so Roomie and I went to Max Brenner's beforehand and had a nutritious dinner of chocolate marshmallow pizza. When we got to Le Poisson Rouge, club where DQYNJ was being held, there was a line around the block. We got in line to wait, and Christian Borle (Emmett in Legally Blonde the Musical, Prince Herbert / Historian in Spamalot, and in new NBC show Smash) got in line right behind us! It was a very cool B'way spotting moment, but I decided to leave him be. Inside, it was pretty cramped. Usually performed in a theatre, this time in a bar/restaurant was a kind of experiment. Marc Kudisch, who I had the pleasure of meeting last time I was in NYC, stole the show. He was hilarious, especially in the improved musical "These Boots and Boobs are for Sale" (audience member suggested "boots" but when announcer misheard "boobs," they decided to do both). The singing of "Circle of Life" intro in English and the breakdown of the lyrics was very funny-and informative-as well. They also had two dancers in between each skit who would perform a B'way show as if it could only be performed with two dancers. Those boys were pretty clever! I got back home a little before two, but I'm glad that I went out for a least one late night during my time in New York City. 

It's Delightful, It's Delicious, It's Disappointing

Let me start off by saying that I was super excited to see Sutton Foster perform live again. In fact, that is pretty much the only reason that I bought a ticket to see Anything Goes. I know, I know. It won best revival at the Tony Awards. I didn't particularly care about that (though I was curious to see the play that beat out H2$, which I thought was amazing!), I just wanted to see Sutton! In fact, when I opened my playbill and two understudy slips feel out, I had a moment of panic. Luckily, neither was for Reno, and to be completely honest, had Sutton not been there, I don't think I would've liked the show at all. I mean, it did have a few moments that made me chuckle, however, those were few and far between. Now, I understand that this is a revival. You can tell by watching it that it is a revival--everything is very old school musical style. The set was basically one massive boat piece (yes, it moved a little and some "cabins" would come out on stage) which was not very interesting to look at for the whole two and a half hours (especially since it was pure white with mostly bright white lightening on it--oh! with people in all white costumes for some numbers too!). I will  say that props must be given to the sound engineer; this show had the best sound mixing of any show I've seen. (Can you tell how much my mind would wonder in some scenes if I had time to notice that their sound mixing was great?)  I would also like to point out that Sutton's voice filled the space wonderfully (whereas Daniel Radcliffe's didn't make it past the first four rows). I do want to say something in favor of H2$, they should've gotten choreography over this mess (or BOM, for that matter). While there were a bunch of full company numbers, they all focused on tap.... and they all looked the exact same (with maybe a few of the tap tricks switched around). They did throw in some ballroom numbers, but even from where I was sitting, I thought the actors looked uncomfortable dancing ballroom, and while some of their tricks were nice, they had literally no transitions whatsoever. Can you tell I'm bitter about this production yet? Yes, it was a nice showing of a classic musical, but I don't understand why some of the numbers were where they were or why they happened at all (I caught myself a few times drifting away and had to consciously think "Pay attention!" during some of the songs); I've heard that they rewrote the book for this production, and I feel that they must have left out parts that would've made the whole make more sense. I do want to share some love for Miss Laura Osnes. Laura's voice was sweet, effortless, and pretty, and I look forward to seeing her become a lead actress again come December (I also want to thank her for being the ONLY main actor to come out the stage door).

Stage door time. As you can tell from my previous parenthetical, Laura was the only main actor to come out the stage. Sure, lots of others came out (I think I have a total of 9 signatures?), but not Joel Grey or, whimper, Sutton Foster. I had heard that neither Joel nor Sutton have been at the stage door since previews, but I had hoped that they would anyways. If they had come out the stage door would my review had been more positive? Interesting question. Possibly. Who can really say?  I am left wondering what critics look for when reviewing for best revival, because H2$ was much more enjoyable, fun, and better all around. This show seems built around Sutton in a role that she is miscast. While I do love me some Sutton, and don't get me wrong, she was absolutely amazing with perfect tapping and cast recording quality singing, I wouldn't see this show again or, for that matter, buy the cast recording.

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"So be willing to suspend your need for logic and your intolerance for groaning jokes. There’s a reason this musical is called 'Anything Goes.' It’s a farrago of zinger-stocked dialogue, vaudeville-style antics and musical numbers only pretending to co-exist as a coherent plot."

- Ben Brantley

Walking Along the Hudson

I took the subway all the way to the southern most tip of Manhattan, got off at Battery Park, and wandered up though all the changing parks and landscapes that make up the Hudson River Park. All in all, I walked over 12 miles this afternoon.

I Wannabe Where the Mermaids Are…

Today, I ventured out to Coney Island, where it just so happened to be Mermaid Day! Right off the train, I grabbed a lunch from the original Famous Nathans and headed to the board walk to eat my picnic. How was my lunch? Well, in the drawn out words of Megan Hilty, it was disguuusssssstttttiiiiiiing. You can’t win them all, right? The parade was fun (it was an artsy community parade where anyone can enter if they are dressed up) and had every thing from baby mermaids to dancing pirates. Afterwards, I went walking along the beach, which, while it felt weird to be strolling in sand while still in New York City, was a wonderful way to spend the evening. 

Broadway's Biggest Night 2011, aka Paparazzing the Tonys!

The Tony Awards are Broadway’s biggest night, and to be in New York City for them, well, that’s pretty exciting! Unfortunately, this was the first year that they did not have tickets available for sale to the public due to a change in venue (they lost about half their seats by making the move from Radio City Music Hall to the Beacon Theatre), but I wasn’t going to let that dampen my spirits. What might’ve possibly dampened my spirits (and every other part of me for that matter) was the impending rain that was supposed to down pour on Sunday.  Not having a tv and the broadcast not being streamed online meant that I had to go to the Times Square showing if I wanted to watch the event live. So, I dressed warmly, pulled on my rain jacket, and headed out early to the Beacon to try to paparazzi the action. While already packed, I somehow managed to score a spot on the barricade right across from the car drop off for the red carpet—meaning, I got to see every Broadway star or presenter arrive for the event! What was kind of funny, is that the people around me, who were taking photos as well, had no earthly idea who any of the theatre stars were (I also had to explain what the Tony Awards were for a couple people!)--they would just take photos when the people across the street did, then they'd ask me who that was (which was silly, cause after I gave them the name they then went "oh, who's that?" and I'd have to tell them the show, most of which they hadn't heard of either). Of course, the presenters were all big names and we got to see them too (like Alec Baldwin, Harry Connick Jr., Matthew Broderick, Jim Parsons, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelsey Grammer, James Earl Jones, etc. ). I mainly wanted to see my favorite broadway actress Sutton Foster. I did manage to get a few quick glimpses and shots of her before she disappeared into the crowd (she's in the green dress above!).

After the last arrival, I booked it Times Square in order to watch the telecast on the jumbo screen (I had a little time because the Creative Awards happen in the first 30 mins, but they are not broadcasted). I made it, found a seat, and managed to snag a piece of pizza on my way. The show was great, the best its been in years in fact, and I love that I got to experience Broadway's biggest night while seated right in its very heart.

The Normal Heart

A poster running alongside the Golden Theatre states "Run to The Normal Heart if you want to be reminded of how alive you are!” Tonight, I saw The Normal Heart on Broadway. For those you don’t know, The Normal Heart is a drama about the rising AIDS epidemic in New York in the early 80s and centers around the first group of people who tried to stand up and fight to find a cure. It was, hands down, the best and most emotional play I’ve ever seen. The last thirty minutes of the play held the audience in a gripping silence broken only by sniffles by those who couldn’t hold back anymore, and I’ll admit that the final act had me tearing up something fierce. Joe Mantello did an amazing job in his return to the stage, and I hope he doesn’t disappear again (he swore off acting about 18 years to become a director.  The Normal Heart is his first return to the stage in almost 2 decades!). Supporting actors John Benjamin Hickey and Ellen Barkin, whose monologue received about 5 minutes solid of applause, were absolutely amazing and both completely deserve their Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor and Actress in a Play respectively (writing this post late affords me the knowledge of who won the Tonys!).  Jim Parsons was responsible for our comedic relief between scenes, and he handled the task superbly.  You know, I’ve never really enjoyed going to a play before. I hear people say stuff like “It’s such a cathartic experience,” and I’ve never understood that… until now. The show pulled, no, yanked at your heart strings and would just not let go. In fact, upon leaving the theatre, it was the first time I’ve been a part of an audience that left in complete silence. It felt so eerie and magical all at the same time. Under the marquee, when you finally got outside, they had people handing out letters to all the departing audience members. The letter was written by the playwright Larry Kramer and, along with providing an update on those in the play (it was autobiographical), it called for awareness, understanding, and action for the current AIDS crisis.  The whole letter can be read here, but what gets me is this:

“Please know that everything in The Normal Heart happened. These were and are real people who lived and spoke and died… Please know that an awful lot of people have needlessly died and will continue to needlessly die… Please know that the world has suffered at the very least some 75 million infections and 35 million deaths. When the action of the play that you have just seen begins, there were 41.”

Did I go to the stage door? Of course! It did feel different though. Normally, everyone has just come from a peppy, feel good dance number finale, and this time around, not so. Still, the actors did come out, sign playbills, and take photos, and I managed to get photos with Lee Pace (Ned from “Pushing Daisies), Jim Parsons (Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory), and Joe Mantello himself. While this was yet another stage door that I’ve attended in the rain, the area was completely covered with marquee and scaffolding, so no umbrellas or getting wet! I did have to walk home though, but after experiencing all that The Normal Heart was, it was wonderful to run home dancing in the rain…   

   

How to Succeed... at Ridiculously Crowded Stage Doors

Yesterday, I woke up early and rushed How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (H2$), aka "that musical starring Daniel Radcliffe," or more commonly referred to as "the one with Harry Potter" (the last one seemed to be the most frequently used of those passing by, and their conversations would go like this: "Hey! What's that?" "You know, it's the one with Harry Potter.") Waiting wise, it wasn't too bad. I got in line around 7:40ish and was 9th. The bo opened at 10 and by then I was 11th or so (some people had friends cut) in a line of at least 60 people. It was Saturday, which means the possibility of 2 shows, and having my choice, I went with evening (matinees are iffy for stage door).

Let's talk about the show. HILARIOUS! I can't remember the last time I laughed this much at a show. I know what your thinking, "Kerri! Don't say you can't remember 'cause I know you saw Book of Mormon last week!" Not as funny. I mean, Mormon made me feel like I should laugh in places, but H2$ made me genuinely laugh all night long. The show was so much fun! The set was huge and well lit throughout (the colors of the set were the main thing that changed with the set itself being just a couple large structures), the costumes were time period appropriate and in fun bright colors, and the choreography was well timed and very high energy (while I didn't care for the "Coffee Break" scene overall, it had some amazing partnering!). Let's talk about actors. Rose Hemingway (as Rosemary Pilkington) was very cute and had a sweet little singing voice, while Christopher Hanke (as Bud Frump) was perfectly awful in a role you want to hate (meaning he was good!).  John Larroquette (as J.B. Biggley) was amazingly funny, and he probably got the most laughs all night (and boy did he earn them!).

Haaa...
(that was a sigh by the way)

I sense your growing impatience, I do. You want me to talk about Harry Potter. You have since you started reading. I know. I don't blame you. You'd probably would've liked this post better if it had started with answers to questions "Did you see Harry Potter? Did you meet him? Did you get his autograph? Did you get a photo? "  Well, that's not my style. I'm going to make you read the review on everyone else before you get to Mr. Radcliffe. Now, unless for some reason you started reading this post about 3 paragraphs down, you've earned the answers to these questions. Mr. Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, was indeed in the show last night and he enters by pulling himself up on a swing from the pit (he was a window washer) to thunderous applause. Can he sing? Absolutely not. Does he try? Very much so (and same goes for dancing). While he may not be a singer, Daniel is a great actor. He has great comedic timing and no little gesture or joke escaped without tremendous audience response (though part of this is probably due to the crazed HP fans in the audience). One of my favorite recurring parts was whenever Daniel's character completed an aspect of the book (he's reading a sort of instruction manual called H2$): the stage would darken with only a spotlight on him and he would wink playfully at the audience. It was both cute and funny every time he did it! I must say though that the chemistry between Daniel and John was priceless. They worked off each other very well and kept everyone in the audiences' smiles on all night long. In fact, the whole company seemed very tight, and you can tell that they are having a ball performing this show!

 Stage door. Whoa. I got out of the theatre pretty fast, and it was already packed (I hear people come who didn't see the show). Instead of the barricades wrapping around the theatre, they went straight from the door to a car, meaning that you have maybe 15 feet on each side crammed full of people, and I mean a lot of people! I was maybe 5 people deep (meaning I counted 5 people standing in front of me to the barricade). I would guesstimate that each barricade had at least 60+ people in them (one on each side), with another 75+ people across the street. And, I would venture to say that this was the first stage door (and probably only ever) for the majority of these people. It was a slight shame. The other actors didn't come out or stop or sign. I get it. They feel that the people are there for Daniel, and while that's true for the majority, I still wanted to meet them. Oh well. John Larroquette was very nice. He did personal photos (for those close enough) and would grab playbills that hands were stretching forward through the crowd (he reached for and got mine!). When Daniel came out, the other side erupted in screams (he went there first and we didn't see him right away cause his body guard completely blocks him) and all those people rushed to the fence (heard screams of "You're suffocating me!"). A girl standing next to me said "All! Let's be the sensible side and all agree NOT to do that." Agreed. Daniel did come over to our side and sign stuff for the people on the front, and it really looked like it wasn't going to happen for me. I was standing on my tippy toes holding my playbill out as far as I could, but it didn't seem close enough. An old man an arms length or so ahead of me took my playbill out of my hand, held it another arms length forward, and got Daniel to sign it for me! As he handed it back with a simple "there you go," the girl standing next to me sighed "Whoa! Best person ever!" He then said, "I already got a picture, why don't you come up so you can get a good one?" He moved back so we could move up, and I quickly tried to get a photo before other people filled in his gap. While I am happy with how the evening turned out (I got a nice stage door story, right?), I must say that I definitely prefer normal sized stage doors!