Theatre Review: Newsies

OK, so in case you are wondering, yes, I am in the generation of kids who grew up LOVING Newsies. This is why I was beyond excited to hear that it was finally being brought to the Broadway Stage. Let me just cut to the chase: for the numbers I love from the movie it was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. "King of New York" is one of my favorite numbers, so I was THRILLED that it was turned into a tap number. And not just showy tap-dancing, tap moves that made me go WOW.

Ok, so then there are the parts that are not in the original movie. Yes, Alan Menken turned to his bag of  C-rate fillers to use up the rest of the time. Meh. Also, they changed up the original storyline. Now look, I'm not so much of a purest that I was resistent to any deviation from my beloved original. In fact, my biggest problem with the Disney film adaptations is that I already know the plot so they tend to be a bit boring for me. However, the plot changes where just not that good. No offense to Kara Lindsay who is as pretty and sweet as any Disney Princess.

But no fooling around, Jeremy Jordan MADE this musical. I *shudder* to imagine the alternate universe where Bonnie & Clyde was a success and I didn't get to see his performance as Jack Kelly. And honaorable mention goes to Andrew Keenan-Bolger who is the splitting image of his sister (who we saw last night in Peter and the Starcatcher). Seriously, if it was possible for a guy and a gal to be identical twins, this would be it.

Bottom line: If you like the movie absolutely go (tickets starting at $67), but unfortunately, I'm not sure non-believers will have quite the same take-away.

Theatre Reviews: Peter and the Starcatcher

My theatre pal from Texas was in town this weekend and we had two shows planned, but just kept getting barraged with great things about Peter and the Starcatcher. On our way out of seeing the matinee for "Once", we ran into yet another theatre friend on the street who told us about some people who went to three performances in a row. We took one look at each other and silently agreed that our next stop would be the Brooks Atkinson Theatre to find out about lottery tickets. 

We put our names in the old style lottery contraption and left it up to the Broadway Gods. Of course, we got tickets. Somehow, I knew without a shadow of a doubt we would. $27 a piece later we were in our seats waiting for the show to begin, but still not sure what at all to expect. 

What happened next is hard to describe without using the words 'clever' and 'whimsical'. They sound cliche, but are really well suited for the job. As fitting for a Peter Pan story, it was a play filled with silliness and clever stagings which helped unlock that imaginative part of your brain which may need a bit of dusting off.

Adam Chanler-Berat is able to pull of playing the part of a pre-adolescent boy which captures the innocence and wonder that you completely forget that he is a grown man and that this should be weird or creepy. I had a hard time putting my thumb on what it reminded me of, until I realized that he played the daughter's boyfriend in Next to Normal. Another role so full of wide-eyed optimism and hope for the future.

Indeed, the entire cast is spectacular and their ability to work together as one cohesive organism is what gives this play its special sauce, but one star did shine brightest in Christian Boyle. His performance brought me to the point of laughing so hard that I no longer am sure what to do with myself because I physically can NOT laugh harder. Seriously, I found myself half wondering about the possibility of cardiac arrest from laughing. This performance made me want to watch everything he has ever been in and look forward to his future career. I just hope that he continues to be cast in roles where he gets to showcase his incredible talent as he could be the next Tim Curry (but hopefully even bigger).

Bottom line: GO. Tickets start at $59.

Theatre Reviews: Once

My dear friend Scott was in town and he was eager to see Once after hearing a lot of great things about it. I never watched the movie, which worked well for me as I prefer to see things 'cold'. We got to the Bernard B. Jacobs theatre a bit early for the matinee and considered stalling, but just decided to go ahead and have a seat. This couldn't have worked out any better, since before the show they let you hang out on stage for a while, the case even comes out and has a jam session right next to you. I was pretty excited to be on the Broadway Stage and thought it was my debut, but was corrected by my grandmother who informed me that I went on stage with Old Deuteronomy of Cats way back in the day.

This show was beautiful. Literally, "beautiful" is the best way to describe it from beginning to end. The music, the sets, the story. The only critique I have is that I wish I had seen it in a smaller theatre. It is just so intimate of a story, and so quietly and sweetly told, that I longed for the closeness of a small black box theatre. However, that said, it is amazing how they were able to translate this to the bigger stage.

There is one set and the entire cast is on stage for the entire show as they also double as the entire orchestra. This reminds me of a staging of Sweeney Todd I saw a few months ago, which I absolutely loved. It just furthers your awe as an audience member to realize these people are a quadruple threat- singing, dancing, acting AND they play an instrument. Go, go and be amazed. My only suggestion is not to see it as a matinee on a beautiful sunny day, because you will want to cuddle up with a glass of wine afterwards...

Oh and if you go before May 20th, use code ONTCX327 at BroadwayBox.com for 30%+ off.

I Made This: Floral Arrangements

I took a floral arranging class recently and decided to try out my new skills to make my home cozy for my friend's visit. I took a quick trip to the bodega and for about twenty five bucks picked up enough flowers to distribute amongst four vases throughout my apartment. Such an easy and relatively cheap way to brighten up the place!