Posts tagged ‘Broadway theatre’

Happy Opening to The Mystery of Edwin Drood!

Today is a very exciting day! It is the day that The Mystery of Edwin Drood FINALLY opens on Broadway!

I want to give a HUGE shout out of love to some really awesome folks from this show…Alison Cimmet, Kyle Coffman, and Eric Sciotto are some of my favorite ensemble members to watch. They are absolutely fabulous and 100% energetic ALL THE TIME!

So far, I have seen DROOD twice, and I’ve loved it both times! The cast is absolutely fabulous at getting the audience excited, and their passion for the show easily transfers to the audience.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a musical based on Charles Dicken’s final, unfinished novel, and the audience decides the ending!

The last time that I saw DROOD was November 2 with my mom, and I’ll share the ending with you below. Keep an eye out for the SPOILER ALERT (you’ll have to highlight to see the ending)!

The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a great show for people of all ages. The cast has ridiculous amounts of energy, and they are an extremely talented cast. If you get a chance to stage door after the show, DO IT! The cast members are all so kind and humble…you’ll want to thank all of them!

SPOILER ALERT:

Highlight to read! Start highlighting here! 
First, the cast votes to decided whether or not Edwin Drood died. Then, the audience votes for three pieces of the ending (four votes total).
-Who is…DICK DATCHERY? The November 2 audience voted Helena (Jessie Mueller).
-Who killed Edwin Drood? The November 2 audience voted Bazzard (Peter Benson).
-Who fell in love? 
      -The man: The November 2 audience voted the Deputy (14-year-old Nicholas Barasch)
      -The woman: The November 2 audience voted Princess Puffer (Chita Rivera)
End highlighting here!

You can read my first article on this awesome show here.

 

November 13, 2012 at 1:47 pm Leave a comment

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

DROOOOOOOOOD!!!!

It finally happened, and it just might be one of my favorite shows I have EVER seen! The Mystery of Edwin Drood is Charles Dickens’ final (and unfinished) novel. It tells of an unsolved mystery with many suspects, and few clues to who might have done it…whatever it is.

Who, in their right mind, would ever turn an unfinished novel into a Broadway show? Well, no one. So it’s a darn good thing that there have been a couple of crazy people to bring this absolutely hysterical musical right to our doorstep.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (the musical) is about a company of actors putting on a play about Charles Dicken’s last novel, and it is unlike many shows you’ll see on the stages of Broadway. Why? Because each night the audience has the extreme fortune of choosing the ending.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of the Mystery of Edwin Drood has an amazing cast. I mean, Chita Rivera, Stephanie J. Block, Will Chase…the list goes on and on. Their ensemble consists of some of the most excited people I have ever seen on stage, and they are each fun and overflowing with energy. Their expressions are huge, their voices big, and their personalities boisterous. The company works together like a well-oiled machine, and I was seeing their very first preview performance.

A couple of bullet points to express my favorite things:

  • There’s a tad bit of dancing that’s fun and mixes it up just enough.
  • Chita Rivera plays her character wonderfully…she’s an absolute riot on stage.
  • The humor is very British (as Bree and I decided). It’s not raunchy and it isn’t really slapstick…It’s very intelligent humor.
  • There’s references to some other shows.
  • There’s two men in a bull costume. We thought one of them might be Kyle Coffman.
  • Kyle’s costume is better than the bull. Like, WAAAAY better.
  • Stephanie J Block plays three characters, and she gets to throw a Diva-Fit. It was perfection.
  • Will Chase has this really awesome brothel bedroom scene that’s pretty priceless.
  • The actors quite literally come to YOU during the show. It’s amazing.
  • Each section has an actor that introduces the show and then polls the section for the decision.
  • Everything I voted for happened…see the END OF THIS POST for the spoiler…

I really loved this show, and I cannot wait to go back. My mom and I are going to try to see the show next week when she’s visiting…Let’s hope I make it that long!

SPOILER ALERT:

Highlight to read! Start highlighting here! 
First, the cast votes to decided whether or not Edwin Drood died. Then, the audience votes for three pieces of the ending (four votes total).
-Who is…DICK DATCHERY? The first preview voted Bazzard (Peter Benson).
-Who killed Edwin Drood? The first preview voted Rosa Bud (Betsy Wolfe).
-Who fell in love? 
      -The man: The first preview voted the Deputy (14-year-old Nicholas Barasch)
      -The woman: The first preview voted Princess Puffer (Chita Rivera)
End highlighting here!
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October 22, 2012 at 12:00 pm Leave a comment

Roundabout Theatre Company’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Tonight is the night.

It’s finally here!

After weeks of waiting, the Mystery of Edwin Drood FINALLY has it’s first preview tonight. I am so excited for this show! I can’t wait to see what ending we get tonight!

I’m excited about this show for a couple of reasons.

First, it’s based on Charles Dicken’s unfinished mystery, which is eerily awesome.

Second, let’s look at the cast list, shall we? I’ll even bold the names I’m most excited for!

See there are quite a few people who I’ve already seen or heard before. I saw Stephanie J. Block in Anything Goes. I’ve seen Will Chase in SMASH. Chita Rivera, well, IT’S CHITA RIVERA. Kyle Coffman was absolutely amazing in Newsies. Then there are all of these other names that I can’t wait to see for the first time in my memory. It’s going to be exciting and great and fabulous!

Third, my FFF, Bree, and I have planned this really awesome gift for one of the guys in the show, and I’m sure he’s going to love it. Granted, I think her contribution is waaaay cooler than mine, but she’s the bigger Kyle fan out of the two of us anyway.

Fourth, Bree and I are dressing up for tonight. Since we won’t be able to go to the actual opening, we’re treating this as an opening night, and we’re pulling out all the stops. We’re going to look absolutely stunning together.

So basically, I’m at the point that I’m counting down the hours and minutes and seconds until I get to see this show! I’m so excited!

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October 19, 2012 at 8:48 am 1 comment

Flashback – Newsies #8

 

Originally, when I started posting Flashback posts, I wanted to rehash all 16 Newsies performances that I have seen. I quickly realized that it would be overkill for my blog, for me, and for anyone crazy enough to try to read all of my posts. So I decided I would just get through what I could, and I’d share more the week before my one year anniversary (which better happen, Disney. Why are you only selling tickets through March 17th? March 28th is not all that far off, AND then you’d have a year run under your belt. Whatever, though. I’m not complaining).

At any rate, I only got to my 8th performance. Which means I’ve only shown you half of the performances that I’ve seen since my first time. Which is convenient for a couple of reasons.

  1. I’m pretty sure I’ve officially shared all of my stage door pictures with you guys. Which is good, right?
  2. These were the performances that I didn’t always write a blog post for, so that means that you have now gotten a little taste of every Newsies show I’ve seen.
  3. My eighth time seeing Newsies was July 2, 2012.

To those of you who aren’t a “Newsies Stalker” (thanks, Mommy) or, as the cast calls me, an “Ultimate Fansie” (I knew I liked you guys for a reason), July 2nd is a very important date in Newsies the Musical history. It’s the first time that Jeremy Jordan DID NOT GO ON AS JACK KELLY.

WHAT!?!?! I know. You’re probably still confused. It also marks Brendon Stimson’s Jack Kelly debut. Since today is his birthday, that’s a pretty interesting coincidence, right? The last show I share with you in honor of my 6 month Newsieversary is the one where today’s birthday boy made his Jack Kelly debut.

It gets better. My first time seeing the show, 6 months ago, was also a special day in Newsies the Musical history. Why? Because Kara Lindsay (who plays Katherine Plumber) did not, in fact, perform on March 28th. Her understudy, Laurie Veldheer, went on without a put-in-rehearsal for the Broadway show under her belt.

That’s enough of the fun facts, I think.

Time for some picture flashbacks!!!

 

September 28, 2012 at 12:00 pm Leave a comment

Flashback! – Newsies #3

 

I’m going to keep sharing my Newsies flashbacks with you guys this week. I’m so excited about Friday! My six month Newsies-Versary is coming up so quickly! I can hardly believe it!!!

My third time seeing the show was April 20, 2012. It was the night before I was headed to California for a visit, and I was pretty stressed about the trip. This was the same trip where I would be giving a speech in front of a bunch of important people at my alma mater, and  I would be one of the least experienced speakers at this event. Suffice to say, I struggled writing my speech. If any one remembers my post about that, I think I spent a good couple of days listening to Watch What Happens on repeat. So of course, it got quoted in my speech, and it turned out to be a bit of a hit (much to my surprise). You can read my speech here if you’re interested in the awesomeness that comes from quoting Kara Lindsay’s Newsies song (My topic was Inclusive Community. I could have gone another way with Newsies references, and maybe one day I will. I mean think about it…”For the sake of all the children…” Yeah, that could be really good.)

Anyway, for my third time seeing the show, Alyssa won the lottery! I don’t think there were any swings or understudies on that night (My apologies if there were. I don’t have any understudy slips tucked into my Playbill from that night, and I usually save those).

 

September 26, 2012 at 10:00 am Leave a comment

Broadway Flea Market 2012

This past weekend, we had a bunch of meetings in my community to talk about who we are, and what we need to do. It can be a really stressful thing, but fortunately, we were given free time to roam and get out and be on our own.

Conveniently, a bunch of people I really wanted to see were at the Broadway Flea Market during one of our free periods, so I headed down to Times Square early Sunday morning.

In case you’ve never heard of the Broadway Flea Market, it’s basically Broadway Christmas, and the proceeds go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA). The website says:

Broadway dreams can come true as you find showbiz treasures, meet the stars and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the 26th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction.

Plan now to spend Sunday, September 23, 2012, with Broadway Cares and thousands of other theatre fans in Times Square, Shubert Alley and along West 44th Street searching for one-of-a-kind theatre keepsakes, from lost cast recordings to signed show posters and Playbills, from rare costume sketches to the shirts off Hugh Jackman’s and Ricky Martin’s backs – literally. This not-to-be-missed event for every Broadway theatergoer is free and open to the public.

This was a really fun event and it was awesome to see so many Broadway stars and fans mingling together talking and chatting and having a really good time.

I checked out a couple of tables, but, naturally, I headed over to the Newsies table to spend my money. I got a couple of prop things that I won’t spend too much time talking about right now (I will eventually, don’t you worry). I also got to take a bunch of pictures with the cast…for $5 each. Fortunately, I teamed up with people for most of the shots!

The Newsies were all really sweet. They talked to a bunch of us when they weren’t taking pictures and even remembered our names and when we’re next seeing the show. I got a lot of “See you Fridays!” which only made me smile bigger.

September 24, 2012 at 9:30 am Leave a comment

Garett Hawe as Davey in Newsies

 

Many people might know that this show was sort of “thrown” into my schedule. On September 7, Garett asked me when I was seeing the show next and I answered September 28th. By the time the next person asked me when I was seeing the show again, I was answering with September 18. I knew there was no way I could wait three weeks again.

I got home that night and ordered my ticket. I would sit Orchestra Left, B 05, and it would be an amazing view. I was excited, and counting down the days already.

When I got to the theatre, I was flipping through the playbill and “discovered” that one of my wishes would be coming true:

At this performance, the role of Davey will be played by Garett Hawe.

At this performance, the role of Davey will be played by Garett Hawe.

I looked over at my friend, Sydney, and told her straight up that I was going to cry during this show. I was right.

First off, all the new guys are awesome! Nicholas Lampiasi is absolutely adorable, and he and Garett really seemed like brothers. David and Jacob Guzman were great dancers and fit right in. Iain Young shocked me. He did such an amazing job. I’ve always watched the role of Henry because of Jasmine, so I was sure to pay attention to how he did in the role, and I loved it! I was very impressed, and I hope she will be too!

I miss the original Oldsies, but Tom Alan Robbins did a good job stepping in for Kevin (here’s hoping the best Teddy I’ve ever seen gets well soon! Take care of yourself!), and LaVon Fisher-Wilson plays Medda a little harsher and tougher than Capathia did, and it will take me some time to get used to that, but it was good. I look forward to seeing her performance at least a few more times!

But back to the particulars of last night…I did a really good job holding it together watching Garett’s performance. He played the role so well, and I noticed a few subtle things about his performance that I really appreciated. For example, after he first buys his papes, he did a great job copying Corey’s Jack Kelly selling strategies with slightly more obvious looks at Corey on stage than Ben usually uses. Just before the World Will Know, Garett pulled off the change of heart scene for Davey. Still, I was able to hold it together.

Watch What Happens is one of my favorite songs in the show. It’s my go to song anytime I have writer’s block or any time I need to pump myself up, and Kara did not disappoint. I loved watching her performance yet again! And I still wasn’t crying! Yes!!!

And then everything changed. Basically, once Garett started singing Seize the Day, I was a wreck. I was crying and smiling so much (Sydney said that if she didn’t know better she would have thought I was related to him in some way…I think that’s the motherly-side of me. I get that way about people I’m attached to, like Garett and Jack and Brendon and Corey and all of my students).

Garett did such a great job with Seize the Day, you couldn’t help but love his performance! And the Newsies were nailing every step of their dances and the harmonies were exquisite. It was absolutely amazing to watch, and they really did an amazing job. I seriously believe that last night might be one of my favorite performances of Seize the Day EVER! It definitely helped that Jack Scott (who was playing Albert and Bill–Garett’s track) saw me in the seats and threw BOTH of his newspapers directly at me…literally. They were line drives to me (thank goodness I played sports growing up, and was able to catch it without it bouncing into someone else’s lap!). At intermission, I had to ask my friend if she thought that it was supposed to be directly at me, or if I imagined the whole thing.

I clutched my newspaper as I tweeted and caught up on the twitter news during intermission, and then I got to talk to the lovely women sitting next to me. I’m pretty sure I was just added entertainment for them, talking about how amazing the show is and how sweet the cast members are, and I convinced them to stage door after the show!

Of course, the lights flashed and the music began, and the audience was transported back to 1899…I really love King of New York. It’s absolutely fabulous to watch the cast tap away, and they all have so much skill! I loved seeing Kara Lindsay’s timid tap as Katherine, and the Guzman brothers do the first two table solos, followed by Mike’s stunning and glorious nerve tap (it truly fascinates me to no end…I love this part of the show). My other favorite part of King of New York only happens when Garett is playing Albert, because for some reason the way he sings “Nobbin’ with all the muckety-mucks, I’m blowin’ my dough and going deluxe” while crossing to the chair, sitting down, and crossing his legs in mid-air makes me smile. I don’t even bother trying to understand it, I just accept it. It’s wonderful. Jack always does a good job when he plays that role, but that part isn’t as momentous to me when it’s not Garett.

Shortly after King of New York, another of my favorite songs is performed. The reprise of Watch What Happens is such a fun song to sing along with on the recording and it’s a little sassy at times. But there’s that one part (you know, the one all the fansies swoon over because Ben “riffs” it in the backstage rituals YouTube video and annoys Andrew to no end) that has always gotten me (because that part is the most fun to belt, too). And Garett nailed it, and I promptly burst into tears because it was perfect. Thank goodness Sydney was there with me, tossing tissues into my lap every so often.

I got it together for the rest of the show, and then Once and For All started, which is the song I ALWAYS cry during. Every time. Even when I tell myself, “Hey, Stephanie. I have a great idea: let’s not cry tonight? Maybe we can get some pictures where your eyes aren’t red and puffy!”. I can’t help it. I’m even quoted talking about it on Jonathon Mandell’s blog, New York Theater. So of course, the tears started to fall again.

After the show, I got to the stage door and waited patiently, talking to people and reveling in the emotions of the show. Jack Scott was the first one out, and when he got to me, I asked him if I could get a picture with him and the pape he threw me. He laughed and was just as happy about it as I was (well, not really…I was way happier than I can ever say). He apologized for the “line drive” and said that he had seen me in my seat and wanted to make sure I got it!

Jack Scott, Me, and the pape he tossed me. This guy is so nice, and absolutely adorable! (Also…he’s ridiculously talented!!!

Jess LeProtto was there shortly after Jack, and told me he saw me wiping tears away during the show. I guess the guys really can see the first couple of rows of the audience (hopefully, they think I’m a good audience member).

When Garett came out, he gave me a hug and thanked me for the little goodie bag I gave him. I got to congratulate him on an amazing performance, and I had him sign my ticket (which I had Brendon do back on July 2), my playbill, and the newspaper Jack threw me. Then he was sweet enough to  take a picture with me.

Garett Hawe and I! He was a star! And he’s ridiculously inspiring!

Basically, this night is way up there on my list of all-time favorite nights!

 

September 20, 2012 at 10:30 am Leave a comment

Newsies September 7, 2012

My parents are amazing and wonderful. Also, they are really good to me and bought me a seat to sit second row orchestra center for my birthday. It was amazing and unbelievable.

This was my fifteenth time seeing the show, but it still wasn’t enough. The show was absolutely wonderful and unique. I think that’s the great thing about live theatre. Every show is unique, special, and different from every other one. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the original cast five or six times, it’s always a little different, a little more real, that TV and movies can ever hope to be. There might be line changes or movement changes, whether intentional or not, but its all wonderful.

This time was especially marvelous. That’s not even a good enough word to describe this time. I literally had a HUGE smile plastered on my face the entire time. I could not stop smiling at the show. They guys were amazing, the ladies stunning. It was magic happening on stage right before my very eyes. It was glorious. I actually got to see the details of some of the dances, including Mike’s nerve tap (my reaction was something along the lines of Bonnie’s discovery that “actors make $30 a week…JESUS!”). I could clearly hear Jess’s yells and shouts (which you could even hear from the SRO spot, but it was much clearer). I think one of my favorite moments though, was Ben and Tommy looking out Pulitzer’s window right in my direction!

It was so much fun seeing them all at the stage door after the show. Everyone was super sweet, and I loved getting to talk to Garett a little more than usual. Ben was also a total sweetheart, and it was heartbreaking to realize that it would be the last time I would ever see Ephraim stage door Newsies.

September 19, 2012 at 11:00 am Leave a comment

Corey Cott Hits Broadway: August 8, 2012

August 8, 2012. Trust me, people, it’s a day to remember. It’s a day that a very recent Carnegie Mellon graduate made his Broadway début. If you know who I am talking about, I’m proud of you! If you don’t, learn this name:

COREY COTT

Got it? Good. Don’t forget it, because this guy is going to make huge waves on Broadway and in the acting world in general. He’s already started with his heart wrenching rendition of Santa Fé.

Let me tell you about my discovery of this amazing young man. See, the first time I saw him was August 2, 2012 at Newsies Softball. My first interaction with him was that same day, and actually happened before I even saw him.

He was warming up with the rest of the Newsies behind the stands, and he hit a softball…which then hit me in the head (no serious damage done…I grew up playing sports). Of course, he was a gentleman and apologized profusely, but I was on the phone with a friend who was coming to meet me, so I brushed it off like it was no big deal (because, well, it wasn’t).

Anyway, just under a week later, this charming young man made his Broadway début in Newsies, performing as Jack Kelly. His début was the matinée, which I didn’t get to go to (I was a Jersey Boys with another fansie), but I did make it to the evening show that night, when he also performed.

Can I just say that this guy is great? When he was on stage, he wasn’t an actor playing Jack Kelly. He was Jack Kelly, Newsie extraordinaire and blow-hard of the Newsies Union. He sang each song perfectly, and I felt so many emotions as he performed. Basically, Corey takes the things I loved about Christian Bale’s Jack Kelly and the things I loved about Jeremy Jordan’s Jack Kelly and combines them to make Jack Kelly.

In addition to being an amazing actor, this guy is very down to earth and is right there with all the other Newsies at the stage door. He’s such a sweetheart to each of his fans, and you can tell that he is genuinely appreciative of them being there and supporting him.

I’m glad I know who this guy is, and I’m excited to see him in Newsies many more times!

I’m really glad that Corey Cott is Jack Kelly!!!

September 14, 2012 at 1:00 pm Leave a comment

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark – Brandon Rubendall was BACK! August 14, 2012

So Spider-Man wasn’t high on my list of show to see. I wanted to se it, but I wasn’t in a rush to get to it. Then, all that changed:

Brandon Rubendall tweeted that he would be back in the show for a week starting August 14, 2012.

Now, I’ve been trying to see this guy in a show for a while now. I can’t even remember how long it’s been. So I went to Anything Goes during his 8 months with the show.

Over the course of those 8 months, he missed about four performances. One of those four, of course, was the night that I went. I was pretty devastated. I mean, the odds were in MY FAVOR and I missed him.

So when I heard that he was going to be in Spider-Man, I adjusted my August plans to accommodate seeing the show while he would be in it.

I rushed the show (the only way I could afford tickets), and got two tickets right by one of the landing pads.

I’m really glad I saw the show when I did, too, because I had the privilege of seeing Matthew James Thomas as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and I think I definitely like him better than Reeve Carmey (no offense meant, but I’m not a huge Spider-Man fan anyway, and Matthew James Thomas made Peter Parker a much more likeable character. And, personally, I like his voice better, too).

I walked out of this show satisfied with Marvel. I’m a DC comics girl all the way. Give me Batman ANY DAY over a Marvel hero. But this show earned Marvel a little love.

It was interesting, aesthetically pleasing, with good music and fun dancing. The story was great. All in all, I would go back, even though Brandon Rubendall isn’t in the show anymore.

Meeting him was super awesome! He’s such a nice guy, and he really was a joy to watch on the stage! I can’t wait to see what’s next for him!

September 14, 2012 at 12:00 pm Leave a comment

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6 Months of Newsies on Broadway!

Seeing the show to celebrate!September 28th, 2012
It's been SIX GLORIOUS MONTHS!!!! How about at least six more?
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