Showing posts with label next to normal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label next to normal. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2011
theater weekend!
Next to Normal on Saturday, 39 Steps on Sunday. Wish all weekends could be like this!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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!)
PLAYS
Racehttp://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
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
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
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
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)
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!)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)