Smash: Under Pressure

I loved this scene from Smash, Season 2. There's nobody else around, and it has a backstage vibe to it. I also love this song and I'm a sucker for scenes that get the whole cast together. They're walking around the Broadway streets early in the morning as they head to the theater for the Tony's.

Walking around in that row of streets between Times Square and Hell's Kitchen is so electrifying, theater after theater, posters and actors' names on marquees. That there are dozens of amazing shows you could walk into on any week night is one of the reasons I love New York.

Smash was by no means an amazing show but I was always drawn to it because of the peek it gives into the creative processes of writing, casting and producing a show. I love that they cast so many real theater performers, including my favorite Will Chase!. I never got to see Jeremy Jordan in Newsies but I got to meet him in Smash. I super hate his character but love his voice, and I absolutely can't wait to see him in Last 5 Years. I'd love to see Megan Hilty live, she's such a bombshell. The show didn't make a McPheever fan out of me and she was probably my least favorite on the show; her voice is unfortunately also the thinnest compared to her formidable Broadway-trained co-stars. But that's ok, she gets the poppier tunes and I  a lot of them (especially hers and Jeremy's songs) are on loop on my iPod.

It was a delectable guilty  pleasure and with two full seasons it would make for fantastic binge watching. And when I want to see the beautiful theater streets again... cue video.

The Heiress

Matthew Crawley!!!! + 100000 points

Another fine play. When Dan Stevens walked out all the girls gasped and started clapping, yes, of course, including me. At the intermission the ladies in the row behind me were speculating about whether he was still on the show (they hadn't shown his - Spoiler! - death yet in America) and I couldn't resist turning around and shaking my head. One lady said I'd just given them a spoiler to which I replied that if I hadn't watched ahead I would have been spoiled by their mention of - Spoiler! - Sybil's death. They apologized and I apologized and we all started laughing and promptly shut up because the second act was about to start! Hi again Matthew!

It was February and freezing; New York was in fact going to be hit by a blizzard in a couple of days. But I sped out of my seat and to the theater door line. It's so awkward to be there by yourself because who is supposed to take your photo?? Sure, you have the front-facing selfie camera on your phone but the resolution is never good. I've been beside girls before who flat out say they're too busy to take my photo with X celebrity but guys oblige. And the lovely man beside me, begrudgingly maybe, obliged. Dan out the theater door and was in front of me -- I came to watch you all the way from Manila!, I gushed. A slight exaggeration, sure, but he flashed me a gorgeous smile and I handed my phone to the contracted-guy-next-to-me for the photo. Except, damn! It was on camera! Omg, I'm so sorry Matthew Crawley! I told him to move on to the next person while I fixed the setting (ughhhh jahe) but reminded him to come back to me! And he did. Haha what a guy.

Oh the play! Yes, it was alright. Jessica was charming and I liked that the source material, despite being written in 1947!, didn't stand for his gold digging. Charming night at the theater.

Bye then, Matthew.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

A family friend was taking me around NY the last time I was there and he and his partner had been dying to see Ms. Johansson back on Broadway. They were also gushing about a scene where leading man Benjamin Walker wears only a towel. All in all, Tennessee Williams isn't my usual cup of tea but I didn't mind the idea of seeing either of those things in person.

I didn't have any strong feelings about the show, good or bad. As I said, just not my cup of tea. Scarlett was good and I enjoyed seeing Ciaran Hinds live. Hi, Julis Caesar / Mance Rayder! The plot was of course interesting but for some reason it didn't grab me. The sets were gorgeous, bright, airy and lush despite being humid and Southern. All good.

Book of Mormon

January 2013

Put this on my list when it first came out finally got to see it last year! This was the first ticket I booked when I found out I was going to New York. I didn't reach the original cast but I was so excited to find out that the new Elder Price was none other than Mattchior, Matt Doyle who I saw in Spring and got the nickname after he played Melchior one night.

This show was so ridiculous and didn't take itself too seriously at all. I mean, "I have maggots in my scrotum"?! Come on! "Sal Tlay Ka Siti" was so serious and funny at the same time. And the baptism scene written like a love scene. Come annnnn. To end Act One was "Man Up", time for Elder Cunningham to step up! That song really made me cry. I loved this show so much.

chasing Will Chase

Dear Will Chase,


I was lucky to have been told by the stage door guy at the Imperial that you don't usually do the autograph line and walk away immediately. So I was well positioned to chase you down 44th St. for an autograph and a photo.


I love Rent, see. I first saw it live in a local Manila production maybe a decade ago and fell in love. I regret never watching Rent on Broadway but thank god for this digital age when theater performances can be recorded and immortalized on DVD, then get distributed worldwide via peer-to-peer sharing.

I finally got to see Rent "Live on Broadway" a few months ago. I plugged my USB into the player, sat on the floor in front of my TV and entered Alphabet City on December 24th, 9pm EST. Mark shot without a script! Then there was you, tuning the Fender guitar. And what a Roger. Words I had memorized for years felt like they were being sung for the first time.


I usually like Mark better than Roger, dorky vs brooding you know? But not your Roger. Your performance brought me to tears and made me fall in love with him, that first time and many viewings since.


Which is why I KNEW, being back in New York, that I was not going to miss Billy Elliot if it killed me. The chance to hear you in person! I won't pretend that I was / am disappointed that Tony grossly underutilizes your vocal prowess.


But it was a good show overall and now we've come full circle to post-Billy and me needing to chase Will Chase for a much-awaited encounter.


You turned around when I called, "Will Chase!" and asked for an autograph. As you signed my Playbills I told you I had seen you in Miss Saigon, Manila. Did you reply, Awesome? Then I asked if you would take a picture with me, which I told you I would be taking myself. After the click I was checking the camera and you asked, "Are we pretty?" Will Chase, you are very pretty.


I was so overjoyed by this brief encounter that I almost told the girl in line for the American Idiot lottery, where I headed after Billy, what had just happened.


But then I realized that I had forgotten to tell you something, something more important than having seen you in Miss Saigon. What I should have told you- I realize that I am a few years late with this compliment, but you are my favorite Roger.


Would that have made a difference to you to hear? Maybe not. But I would have liked to tell you that in person. After all, how often do we get to tell people that they are our favorite Phantom, Moritz or Elphaba?


So I am instead expressing this sentiment to the general digital populi. That one day you may hear of this know what I meant to say!






Much love and thanks,
Bea

Broadway Roundup, Part 1

Would have liked to write one post per show, but I know I'll never end up posting if I wait until I feel like actually doing that. So here is a recap of all the shows I've seen on this trip so far. I used the OBSSB (Official Broadway Scoring System for Blogs) so were complicated calculations for all of these numbers! I want to see a lot more stuff so there will definitely be a Part 2!

PLAYS 




Race
http://www.raceonbroadway.com

Alan Shore in the flesh!  +40
David Alan Grier  +20
Robert something?  +20
Kerry Washington  +20
The promodizers in Times Square wearing little red sequined dresses  +15
Even if they keep talking about it, the little red sequined dress never actually appears in the play!  +15
The floor of the set was diagonal, actual upstage and downstage!  +40
Great writing...  +30
...that has to be delivered perfectly, like the lines have a rhythm  +30
A handful of really racist hirits!  +20
James Spader signed for autographs and posed for a picture!  +40
Total: +290

God of Carnage
http://www.godofcarnage.com/home.php

Lucy Liu  +40
Jeff Daniels  +40
Janet McTeer  +40
Dylan Baker  +40
Dylan Baker's cellphone  +20
Clafouti  +10
Spewing puke  +20
Coffee then rum  +30
Jeff blows up  +30
Janet blows up  +30
Lucy blows up and throws tulips around the stage  +30
It could be a joke, Two couples discuss a fight between their sons, one who has lost two teeth...  +20
Everyone shifts teams at least twice  +20
They're in one room the whole play!  +10
Our unfortunate animalistic tendencies  +20
Total: +410

Red
http://redonbroadway.com/

Alfred Molina  +100
Doc Ock in person!  +5
Finger rubbing guy in Raiders in person!  +15
Can I say Alfred Molina again?  +10
Eddie Redmayne  +60
Eddie Redmayne who took a photo with me after the show  +20
Super harsh American accent for English Molina  +5
An awesome show with just two characters  +40
An awesome show that happens in just one room  +40
Alfred Molina again.  +25
Mark Rothko's studio  +40
The flecks of red all over the stage floor  +10
Pulley system to change paintings  +10
Canvas priming, canvas frame-making  +10
The running water  +10
The painting scene  +40
Depiction of Rothko's preferred lighting  +10
Record player and music  +10
I wish I could remember some lines to quote! Quotable lines  +20
Anti-Pollock quips  +10
Anti-Cubism quips  +10
Anti-pop art quips  +10
Not selling out!  +20
Fear of being irrelevant  +10
Artistic temperament  +10
An artist's self-doubt  +10
An artist's insane idealism  +10
An artist's ego  +10
Total: +570




MUSICALS

A Little Night Music
http://www.nightmusiconbroadway.com/ 


Starpower! Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury in one show +70
Angela Lansbury stole the show with lines about conquests in earlier years with princes, czars, etc! +15
Catherine's stage presence and for tearing up while singing "Send In The Clowns" +10
Finally know where "Send In The Clowns" is from +5
Tickets through student discount, and eventual seating in about the 12th row +20
Good ensemble all around +20
Catherine signs autographs after the show +30
But doesn't pose for pictures -20
Show was sort of boring... -30
Super annoying actress who played young Anne -20
Total: +95

Next to Normal
http://www.nexttonormal.com/home

Wow where to begin?
J. Robert Spencer, who played Dan the Dad  +30
Louis Hobson, super gwapo shrink, etc +20
Kyle Dean Massey, who played Gabe  +30
Morgan Fahr, who played Natalie (she's the understudy but was awesome!) +35
Adam Chanler-Berat, who played cute, cute, super Jewish Henry, be perfect for me! +35
Alice Ripley oh my god! No wonder she won the Tony  +60
Major plot reveal / exposition (no spoilers :) in the middle of the firs act! I did not see that coming  +40
Strings and rock!  +40
Band in the visible multi-layer wings  +20
Three-level set with graffiti eyes, screens, stairs, etc!  +30
The set has a pole that the actors swing around!  +10
Lights!  +20
Diana: And you're not a scary rockstar anymore!  +15
Diana: Valium is my favorite color!  +15
"Goodbye Henry..." (Hey #1, #2 & #3) +20
"I Am the One"  +25
"I'm Alive"  +25
"I Am the One" (Reprise) +20
All the other songs +100
Next was awarded the Pulitzer for Drama on the day I watched! +40
Student discount! +20
The first super contemporary musical I've seen / really liked +40
Student ticket price!  +20
Anthony Rapp at the show! With picture!!! Maaaark!  +30
I didn't get to watch the Gabe who was on Gossip Girl!  -15
Super sikip seats... -10
Alice Ripley didn't come out for autographs -15
Total: +700 (Yes, I really liked it)

Fela!
http://www.felaonbroadway.com/
Sahr Ngaujah, who played Fela  +80
Sahr Ngaujah, who played Fela and played the trumpet  +20
Sahr Ngaujah, who played Fela and played the trumpet, and played the sax!  +25
Fela's powder blue long-sleeved button-down shirt, powder blue pants, powder blue shoes! Act I +20
Fela's pink long-sleeved button-down shirt, pink pants, pink blue shoes! Act II +20
Fela's mama  +20
All the guy dancers  +40
Guy who kept tapping!  +20
All the girl dancers  +40
Insane Afrobeat band!  +40
Drums  +30
All of the music!  +100
No cast recording... yet  -10
Fela: Welcome na da Shrine!  +20
The neon pink insert in the Playbill that gave a background of Fela Kuti  +20
Student ticket price!  +20
Insane dance that didn't look choreographed  +30
Costumes  +20
Set design that extended all around the theater  +40
Moving stairs, falling nets, super 3D stage design  +30
Two disco balls!  +20
Same theater as Spring!  +10
Multimedia! Screens all over  +30
Black light!  +30
Audience singalong!  +30
Audience dance lesson (1, 4, 9)  +25
Interactive theater, the lights never went completely dark in Act I  +30
Story went time warp but wasn't confusing  +20
Deconstructed theater, part story, part concert  +60
Everybody say YEAYEA! +40
Total: +920 (Hmm I was very generous with the points! But I really loved this. See why!)

next to normal's pulitzer

When I was having my Playbill signed by the young actor who played Henry in Broadway's Next to Normal, which won the several Tony awards in 2009, he said it was a good day to watch.

It was announced earlier today that Next to Normal won the Pulitzer Prize.

I think this is the first musical I've seen that takes place in the present day (they even quip about Photoshop at one point), about a present-day issue. Even if RENT was pretty contemporary, the audience is removed from issues like homelessness and HIV. This was a real first for me.

Have a lot to say (as usual) about the music, score, lyrics, SET, lighting, ACTORS, etc, but for now I just want to get down that I got to see the show on an important day. Awesome.