My Broadway Review

American Idiot

January 7th, 2010

When you’re interested in hearing a fun musical, think about seeing the American Idiot musical in April. The show will feature the music of Green Day and the great singing of some big Broadway Stars. The previews begin in a little while, but the real performances are going to be starting in April. We have heard that this might be the most popular show of the season. This kind of combines with the trend that we’ve seen in the last few years of famous pop music being converted into a show for Broadway. Just think of it. Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys, and Billie Elliott have very similar concepts behind them, although the actual stories vary pretty widely. It’s going to be interesting to see how they decide to put this show onstage, but we don’t have too many details yet, since they are still in the rehearsal process. Just a few weeks to go though!

A Closing

December 30th, 2009

It’s only been about 6 weeks since the show actually opened and now it’s already leaving. Ragtime had a good run this year though. In their auditions earlier this spring, they were able to put together some great performances that won them a spot on Broadway. The previews were great and the reviews of the show were almost all positive. They found a way to make this older show seem more interesting and relevant all over again. A reviewer even went as far as to say that it was what made musical theater seem worthwhile. As this production winds down, though, we should congratulate the cast and crew on putting together such a good version of this show, which, while it didn’t last very long at the Neil Simon Theater, was still top quality entertainment.

Carnage

November 27th, 2009

When God of Carnage opened earlier this year, or at the end of last year, there were some high expectations. It’s has largely met those expectations with the winning of awards and selling a lot of tickets. But lately, the show is slumping in their sales. It has been interesting to ask people why. Some people think that a lot of the people who want to see it already have. Others didn’t know anything about it and might go check it out. If you’re one of them, let’s review what this show is about. It’s about two sets of parents who have to get together to discuss their children, who got into a fight in school and one of them lost a tooth during the fight. They end up discussing everything else and their deeper feelings about the world come out. It’s a funny commentary on the world and their new cast will be just as good as the first.

Avenue Q Reopens

October 23rd, 2009

It’s only been a little while since Avenue Q closed on Broadway. With the musical showing great possibilities for us this year, they reopened it off-Broadway the last few weeks. It’s not all that different from the original productions and we have really enjoyed it. This is a fun show for people, because it reflects the cynicism of people at a certain stage in life and it has great music. Ave Q mixes puppets with the story of a college grad who is naive but excited as he leaps into life. The reviews have been good, especially since the producers got a bunch of veteran performers to lead the show and we really enjoy it a lot. People have anticipated the new version of Ave Q for many months and they have been lining up to enjoy the music and the hilarity since they found out that it was actually opening.

Sliding Disney Characters

August 28th, 2009

When you want to see Disney characters on the ice this year, you will enjoy them performing some of the best material that Disney has to offer. Disney on Ice tickets are still available for all the rest of their shows. The casts across the country are performing as many as 10 different shows at once. High School Musical is one of the most popular, especially with the teenager crowd. Finding Nemo, based on the movie, is also one of the fan favorites in recent years. No matter which show you want to see, these are some of the most entertaining performances around. You will see favorite characters in costume on skates, singing your favorite songs. Enjoy the show!

Babes in Toyland

August 3rd, 2009

The show Babes in Toyland is one of the plays that is interesting to watch. I ran across this review of the newest production and the reviewer turned out not to like it that much. They have written something very different from the operetta of the early 20th century. They have some swearing and some odd thematics compared to the original. They do perform the original songs but none of them are particularly well done, it would seem. It’s an odd mix of old music and new script and the cast hasn’t quite figured it out. At the same time, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that they are trying something new with a script that everyone already knows. Innovation onstage is very helpful and after that it might get even better. We’ll see if they improve the picece at some point in the near future.

Perfect Wedding

July 21st, 2009

Well, it’s not a kind of show that you’ve never seen before. It’s actually a fairly typical one: man wakes up with another woman on the night of his own wedding. In this version of the story, “Perfect Wedding”, that’s the most shocking thing that happens. It’s kind of too bad that they don’t get much more out of the chain of this plot. There are plenty of possibilities with this particular idea. It appears, however, according to this review, that the show doesn’t distinguish itself in any meaningful way from other similar productions. It’s kind of loud. That’s about all that they say. Meanwhile, some people really like this kind of show. It’s a fun slapstick show and not everyone cares if it’s a new or different show; it’s good enough to have a fun play to see and then just have a good time. It’s all about what you personally like.

Tonys

June 8th, 2009

The Tony Awards were given out last night in New York City. It was one of the most watched awards in several years. The biggest awards went to “Billy Elliott”, including Best Musical, the musical about rock stars from England. The three young men who play the lead role are sharing the best actor award. Elton John, however, did not win best score, being edged out by a less well-known musical. Meanwhile, God of Carnage took home “Best Play” and a few others. The play that came over from France earlier last year has become one of the most discussed shows on Broadway. It deals with social conflicts on many different levels and is incredibly entertaining. People will keep seeing these shows on through this year, and they both deserve it!

Disney

May 22nd, 2009

If you have kids and you want to take them to a great show, then I have just the right show idea for you! Get some Playhouse Disney Live tickets and you will get the opportunity to see one of the best family shows around right now. Featuring all your favorite Disney characters from the best preschool shows in the world, you can take your kids on a great adventure through the world of Mickey and his friends. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse will be having a big party and you’re invited. But Mickey is looking for the best music for the party. He enlists the help of the Little Einsteins, as well as Pooh, Tigger and Darby and Handy Manny and they end up finding the best music around! It’s a great show and you shouldn’t miss it when it comes to your town!

Andrew Jackson Roasted

May 18th, 2009

 

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is one of the newest shows in the off-Broadway world and it’s also one of the most unusual. It is a concert version of the life of Andrew Jackson, president of the US back in the 1830s. He is regarded as a strong president, but also a scourge for lots of people in the world. This production does an interesting job of battling out against the character, who seems to be reduced to a caricature of a person. He acts a lot like the way that American culture expects a hero to be, only weak in a way that we can accept and otherwise always virtuous. It’s a tough character to portray, but the creators clearly don’t like him at all, showing this with the costuming and sets that make it seem that he lives in a ridiculous world. A caricature of the world of the pioneers. Check out the full review!

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