Avenue Q

We had a guest in town for a few days who wanted to see some theater, and he couldn't make it to our Hello Dolly date. He was bummed and wanted to see something funny, and since he is a friend of my husband, we knew he would love the raunchy humor of Avenue Q. It's playing at New World Stages which is a great place to see lots of off Broadway theater. My husband purchased tickets ahead of time on TodayTix and it was our first time doing so. The seats were great...

For $45 we sat in row E towards the center. I had a friend who also saw it by coincidence at the same performance, and she got front row tickets for $25, but she moved back to the 10th row just so she wasn't in spitting range. So in the future, you can probably get away with rush tickets for this show. This was also for a Saturday matinee, so keep that in mind. 

The puppeteers were wonderful as they always are. The sound quality was a bit low so it made hearing lyrics difficult (and I know ALL the lyrics so that's bad) 

 I especially enjoyed watching all the doubling up, like seeing the actress who plays both Lucy and Kate Monster be on stage but talk for someone else. This happened with Rod and Princeton as well. The show is a little dated, but not to the point where you can't enjoy it. When I first saw it in 2004, during the Bush administration, the lines in "For Now" were George Bush. Now, it's "Donald Trump." Other small line changes I noticed were during "Mix Tape", because instead of a cassette, Princeton now makes CDs for all his friends.

Hello Dolly

 This was the second time I got to see this production of Hello Dolly. BTW, I should remind you that I've never seen a live production of this show until this broadway revival. I saw the movie when I was in high school and thought that it was ok, and I believe I gave it a 7/10. This was a birthday gift for me from my friend, and he was able to get tickets because....

Donna Murphy was playing Dolly, not Bette Midler....

That's ok, because I've already seen Bette. We sat in the balcony once again. Row E on the house right. The ONE issue I have with the seats was that there was a pole RIGHT in front of my friend's seat. BOO! We were able to move down in the second act to row C, and aside from the obnoxious kweens in front of us, it was a great spot. 

 

 This time I paid more attention to the costuming, the story line, the singing and choreography, and of course the cleanliness of the show. Because the show has already opened and the Tonys have been dealt out, they really feel like a tight knit cast. The supporting cast was SO strong. In fact, Aaron mentioned that the millinery scene that he previously had disliked ended up being one of the best this time around.

Cats

I finally got to see the Jellicle Ball in person! It was magnificent! Aaron thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Still days later he talked about the show and I was able to put the Cast recording on and he didn't protest. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this live and it brought back a lot of memories. 

 

The show is the same no matter when you see it so it is hard for me to find modern pictures. It's so 80's looking, I love it. The only complaint I had had nothing to do with the show but rather the audience. Do not bring children to Cats. It's confusing and they will be bored. They are rude, and you are an asshole if you make others have to deal with your snotty ass kids.

We had great seats in the mezzanine, right on the aisle, row F. It was broadway week so it was 2 for 1. I'd totally do it again for that price.

The Front Page

On a whim, we decided to check out the Front Page on broadway. I had passed the theater a million times because of work, and seen the names on the marquee, so I knew they were relying on good writing and star power. I convinced Aaron to purchase some tickets via TKTS, and we were given great seats right on the aisle in the orchestra. 

 The whole cast was very tight, but I found the female roles to be lacking in dimension. The men were seen as funny, and in control, while the women were so flat that I was happy when they exited, which is sad because I usually love Sherie Rene Scott. Nathan Lane of course was the main pull for me. I've now seen him in multiple productions and he never ceases to amaze me. We were disappointed that John Goodman had called out that night. Oh well.

We had great seats right on the aisle and I couldn't have asked for a better night of live straight theater.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Wow, what a sexy show. I went into the theater not knowing much other than Liev Schreiber was in it, and this story is what Cruel Intentions was based on. Knowing that movie made all the difference. I went to see this with my husband, and my two uncles and I was the only one who really knew what was going on. 

 The story isn't simple, but the main undertone is that the rich and bored social elites in Paris are using sex as a weapon for fun to humiliate others for a laugh. The acting was quite good, though I didn't believe the love between Le Vicomte de Valmont and Madame de Tourvel. The Vicomte was literally going around "grabbing women by the pussy" which was very unsettling, but also very steamy. You could hear the uncomfortableness throughout the audience.

 The costuming was divine and the lead, La Marquise de Merteuil wore the most amazing hats, dresses, and shoes. She was definitely the most evil. The play ended in a way that leads me to believe that the worst is yet to come for her. The play is also based off a novel that came out in 17th century France, which is absolutely scandalous to think they were doing this at that time.

I sat in row C of the mezzanine at the Booth theater and they were spectacular seats! I'd recommend this to someone who wants to see classic broadway theater. It was a little hard to pay attention a times, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It got mixed reviews and I didn't agree with them.

Waitress

This was the second time I got to see this show, and I brought my friend from high school who had never seen a Bway show. I knew this one would be a good choice for her. It's witty, smart, funny, pulls at your heart strings, and the music is amazing.

 Since seeing it last time, most of the cast has changed. Jessie Meuller and Christopher Fitzgerald were both out (damn it) so they had understudies on, and the secondary cast has also gone through a change, so it really felt like a whole different show for me. One of the things that didn't work that well for me was that Becky has now been cast as a black lady, and I thought she was amazing, but there are a few beats on stage where the character Joe "shoos" her off, and says "I don't want YOU" and it felt way more racist than the last time when it was a hispanic woman. Made me feel uncomfortable.

We loved seeing the show, and my friend LOVED "It Only Takes a Taste." 

 The understudy for Jessie Meuller actually came from the ensemble and plays the doctor's wife every night, so I was able to explain to my friend about "tracks" and seeing who in the ensemble would cover the leads. We loved it and had great seats in the 4th to last row in the orchestra on the side. We missed maybe 1 entrance, but nothing huge.

Something Rotten

I bought tickets for Aaron and myself to see Something Rotten because we've been wanting to see a comedy, and I had loved it the first time I saw it. The cast has changed (Brian Darcy James and Christian Borle have left) but it was still entertaining as ever.  I got my tickets through TDF and when we arrived, the box office couldn't find my tickets. I was able to show them my confirmation email so they gave us two random tickets, which were dead center in the second to last row in the orchestra. They were perfect seats.

 Brad Oscar is the only real original cast member still remaining and he commands the stage whenever he is there. "A Musical" was a huge crowd favorite, and Aaron enjoyed it thoroughly. I didn't care too much for the romantic stories; they felt stale and forced.

 The dance numbers were of course what I remember the most about the show. Specifically, the tap dancing. Some people complain that not everyone is wearing tap shoes, but I don't care because I can tell that everyone is still doing the steps. The costuming always makes me gag too, as it's so colorful and beautiful!

 And of course, I loved the story line. What a silly story, to have Shakespeare be the equivalent of a rock star with back up dancers!

Again, we had amazing seats. I would have loved to have sat closer.