Tell me what to see!
Tell me what to see!
#1Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 6:35pm
That's right, after many years of being on the other side of this question, I'm posting one of these threads. I'm coming to New York in a couple of weeks, only have about a week, and am having SO much trouble deciding what to see! You guys know me and what I like, so have at it.
Here are the things I'm curious about or thinking of seeing, not really in any particular order, and I have to narrow down the list, though I'm not sure yet to exactly how many. I just know it's not this many.
Venus in Fur
Seminar
Queen of the Mist
Other Desert Cities
Sons of the Prophet
Anything Goes
Godspell
Lysistrata Jones
Private Lives
Hugh Jackman
Bonnie & Clyde
Follies (only a questionable one because even though it's Sondheim, I just saw the Chicago Shakespeare production, and I'm trying to limit myself with repeats while I'm not living in NYC.)
Memphis is my only definite, since I obviously really want to go see Adam. Giving myself a pass on the repeats rule with that one.
Thank you one and all.
#2Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 6:40pmI haven't seen everything on your list, but Other Desert Cities and Sons of the Prophet are really terrific.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#2Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 6:43pm
You already know my opinion, but to reiterate: go see Venus in Fur, Other Desert Cities and Sons of the Prophet!
eta: I'm seeing Seminar tonight. I'll let you know if it's worth it. :)
Updated On: 11/7/11 at 06:43 PM
#3Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 6:48pmI do and I value it!
#4Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 6:48pmEmcee, I am kind of the same way with repeats but you may kick yourself for not seeing this production of "FOLLIES". I say, see it. JMO
Just give the world Love.
#5Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 6:50pmI know, I know, it would be hard to skip, but we'll see. I think if I really loved Follies as a piece more I wouldn't be wishy washy and I'd just go.
#6Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 7:04pmI LOVE Sondheim and "FOLLIES" is not my favorite. I am still glad I went. You gotta see this cast. I plan to see it again.
Just give the world Love.
#8Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 7:17pm
I am seeing Memphis once, maybe twice. 
I'll probably bookend the trip with it.
Now answer the question. 
#9Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 7:21pmSons Of The Prophet. VENUS and SEMINAR aren't worth your time.
#11Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 7:36pm
From your list, i have only seen two of the shows (when they were playing in Toronto before moving to Broadway), so i won't be much help in narrowing your list, but i can definitely recommend *not* seeing Private Lives. That is 2+ hours of my life that I would very much like to have back. The acting was fine, but the script was appallingly bad - just a bunch of scenes of people being mean to each other with no redeeming qualities of humor or drama or insight or anything worthwhile at all. It is only the second time i have been to a performance and repeatedly looked at my watch, eager for it to end soon.
I've also seen Hugh Jackman's show and thought it was good but not amazing. For the amount that was charged for tickets even in Toronto, which was about 50% cheaper than Broadway prices, it felt like there should have been a lot more singing and less talking about himself. I didn't want to see it a second time, though i gladly see shows multiple times if i truly enjoy them a lot. That said, it wasn't bad seeing it once. He has a strong voice in terms of power and his acting during the Carousel soliloquy was very good but i do enjoy some other singers more and for the cost i would expect an even better singer. He is a charismatic performer although he does come across as a bit pompous sometimes in how he talks to the audience (or at least he did in the one show that i saw, though i get that the audience interaction parts change from show to show). Anyway, it wouldn't be a bad night in the theatre, especially if you could get cheap tickets.
Have only seen high school productions and the movie version of Godspell and wasn't crazy about it either, and i love some of the songs from Follies, so i'd probably prioritize Follies and Anything Goes from the list you mentioned personally, but unlike some of the other board folks i don't know your tastes, so take all of this with a handful of salt.
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#12Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 7:41pm
If you can, see ANYTHING GOES, OTHER DESERT CITIES, and HUGH JACKMAN.
I thoroughly enjoyed them all. SEMINAR is entertaining but nothing spectacular, VENUS is worth seeing mainly for Nina Arianda, GODSPELL is a mess, I found FOLLIES to be nothing particularly special (unlike most BWWers), and SONS OF THE PROPHET is funny and worth catching if you can. I haven't seen the others on your list, but I am hearing pretty complimentary things about BONNIE if you want to see a new musical. Regardless of what you end up seeing, enjoy your trip, Emcee! :)
#13Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 7:44pmThank you! I'm really excited to be home.
#14Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 8:05pm
See FOLLIES for sure. If you are as passionate about theatre as you say you are you should skip one of your Memphis performances and check out Follies. You will never see that calibre of talent on one stage again. It's stunning.
Also, I highly recommend Sons of the Prophet. If you can both then also see Other Desert Cities. If you can only do one play, then go see Sons of the Prophet.
See Queen of the Mist for Mary Testa if you like her. If you are not a fan, then skip it.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
#15Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 8:15pmAnything Goes was great, if you like shows that are just fun.
"I don't want the pretty lights to come and get me."-Homecoming 2005
"You can't pray away the gay."-Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy.
Ignored Users: suestorm, N2N Nate., Owen22, master bates
#16Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 8:17pmGive "Chicago" a try. from RC in Austin, Texas
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
henrikegerman
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/29/05
#17Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 8:30pm
"but i can definitely recommend *not* seeing Private Lives. That is 2+ hours of my life that I would very much like to have back. The acting was fine, but the script was appallingly bad - just a bunch of scenes of people being mean to each other with no redeeming qualities of humor or drama or insight or anything worthwhile at all. It is only the second time i have been to a performance and repeatedly looked at my watch, eager for it to end soon."
Adam, it could be that you really hate "Private Lives." Of course that is a definite possibility.
But, I, and I would venture to guess the great majority of people who have ever seen or read "Private Lives" might suggest that the direction and or acting was amiss if you left any performance of that play (your first I take it?) concluding it was 2 + hours of "people being mean to each other with no redeeming qualities of humor or drama or insight or anything worthwhile at all."
"Private Lives" is one of the best loved comedies of the 20th century. The last revival with Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan was an evening of pure joy.
I can't imagine anyone, no matter how much they might not be enamored of this play, or for that matter not even particularly fond of it, going so far as to find it utterly lacking in humor, insight or anything worthwhile unless the interpretation, rather than the play itself, made that appear to be the case.
#18Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 8:33pm
I have six days, and eight slots. I'm just not sure if I want to see a show in every slot since in the past I've found that really exhausting.
I like Mary Testa but am drawn to Queen of the Mist more because it's LaChiusa and I think Transport Group's work is really interesting (I loved Hello Again, for example). Would you say it's worth seeing in that case? I don't know very much about it -- I've purposefully been trying not to read too much because I will probably go see it.
I've seen Chicago. Most of the things I have yet to see are the new things for this season. I used to live in New York and visit pretty often.
I am very torn on Follies. Chicago Shakes did a really, I thought, beautiful production and I have been dying to see Jan Maxwell's performance in particular, but after finally seeing the show I was just not left with that indescribable visceral feeling I usually get from Sondheim shows. I left feeling unsure of whether I actually liked Follies, and like seeing it again might help me clarify. But yes, loving Sondheim as much as I do, and the chance to see this cast, on Broadway, I think it'll be hard to pass up once I'm there -- no matter what I might pass it up in favor of, since that may not necessarily be Memphis. But I know how much people have loved it, and that says a lot to me. As does the opportunity to see a Sondheim show in New York, always.
#19Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 9:19pmhenrikegerman, you may indeed be right that the real problem was with the acting or direction rather than with the source material. Since it was my first time seeing it and i have not read the script, i don't have a way to know for sure. During the performance that i saw, the understudy was on for Eliot instead of Paul Gross, and that may have contributed, although i didn't find his performance notably lacking but actually didn't like the dialogue, but i am certainly open to the possibility that if delivered in a more subtle/nuanced manner it could potentially have seemed better. Not sure if i'll ever feel compelled enough to find out that i would see it again, but i suppose i might if there were a strong enough reason to do so (e.g. going with someone who strongly wants to see it for whatever reason). I do appreciate your comment and you may indeed be right.
#20Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 9:27pmWell, Coward is certainly one of the masters of his form, but it is a very particular type of writing and acting. It may just not be your cup of tea. Personally I am more enticed by the actors on this one, but I wouldn't say I'm not a fan.
#21Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 9:29pmemcee, I love the Transport Group and I ADORED Hello Again. I think you should experience Queen of the Mist. It's not a homerun, as the reviews reflected, but it is better than most and the staging is inventive. Testa is worth the price of admission but it is a flawed piece.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
#22Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 9:31pmWell, most inventive things are slightly flawed in some way. I'm probably going to go see it. It sounds like my kind of thing.
#23Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 9:44pm
Please go to see Follies - try to think ahead...I think this has a high chance of being one show that you might always regret missing, especially if the one you give it up for turns out to be mediocre. Trust me, it's not a nice feeling!
Also, when do you think you might be back again? Bonnie and Clyde, Godspell, Anything Goes and perhaps a couple of the others that you mentioned might still be running long into the future.
Beyoncé is not an ally. Actions speak louder than words, Mrs. Carter. #Dubai #$$$
#24Tell me what to see!
Posted: 11/7/11 at 9:55pm
Trust me, that's exactly the thought I'm having! And usually when I'm having that thought, I end up going for it. It's easy to be wishy washy when you're far away and the opportunity isn't right there for you to take, but I think I'll know what to do when I get there. I had this same kind of debate with myself when I visited in June, and when I was there, I just knew what to do. It came down to knowing I wouldn't want to regret making a different choice, and it was 100% the right one. If I hadn't already seen another good production of Follies just a few weeks ago, I know I would definitely go see this one without a second thought. But 20 years from now I don't want to regret not seeing Follies revived on Broadway.
I don't really know, it depends on what I'm working on, and I want to get to Cincinnati to see John Doyle's Merrily early next year, too. But yeah, I'm trying to sort of plan around my best guesses of what might be around for a while. Of course in the spring, there will be new things!
