Show Reviews
Jan. 25th, 2012 09:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
switch842Here are my reviews of the shows I saw while in New York. I managed to see four different shows in my time there. I think that's pretty impressive. :-)
Seminar
This was a spur of the moment decision to see this show. I had just gotten into town on Friday night and met up with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zoeycleybourne. We go get dinner cos I'm starving and she mentions the show Alan Rickman is in is playing just around the corner. I had no idea he was in a show, but, dude, ALAN RICKMAN. I AM IN. So, her friend joins us and we walk over to see if they had any tickets left for that evening's show. It was only 6:00 and the show was at 8:00, so plenty of time if we wanted it. Well, they did have tickets! Yay!
In addition to Alan Rickman, the show also starred Jerry O'Connell and one girl who is apparently on American Horror Story, as well. It was a small cast - just 5 actors. The story is that there's a group of 4 friends/acquaintances who are all post-grads who are trying to be writers. Alan Rickman is a former writer who now works as an editor and takes on small groups of students in "Seminar" settings to teach.
The show is FANTASTIC. It's really a character study of trying to cut through all the bullshit and get to the core of who these people really are to make them the best writer they can be. If you do any writing at all, it is very relatable and very.... true, I guess. I took quite a bit away from it, actually.
And Alan Rickman is such a DOUCHE. By the end, you understand why he does what he does, but he's such a DOUCHE. And it's fantastic cos it's ALAN RICKMAN, swearing up a storm and calling people "pussies" and "whores" and just.... UNF. Complete aural sex. ;-)
And then meeting all the cast after the show. *FLAIL* I talked to Alan Rickman. We exchanged words. Brief as they were, they were lovely. I complimented him on the show and how wonderful he and all the actors were. He finished signing my program, paused, looked me in the eye and, quite sincerely, said, "Thank you." That's pretty much what he did with everyone. But usually, the actors are just like, "Oh, thanks! That's so nice!" and move on. But he made sure we had that eye contact before he thanked me. So, yeah. AMAZING MAN.
RATING: 5/5
Wicked
What can I say about Wicked that hasn't already been said. It's just a phenomenal show. I'd seen it twice here, in Chicago and I have the soundtrack, so I know the show very well. Oddly enough, reading through the Playbill, like half the main cast on Broadway now is the cast that was in Chicago! LOL
But, yeah. Such an amazing show. I had the best seats. I snagged a piece of the confetti from the cannons at the beginning and brought it home. Hehe.
Bawled my eyes out like a baby as always at "For Good". I always cry when I hear that song. Which can be really awkward when it pops up on my Zen at work or in the car. Heh.
Rating: 1216584654121/5
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
I didn't know much about this show before going in. I knew the general premise of it and I'd seen some of the performances Dan Rad and company had done on The Tony's and such, but I refrained from watching any of the videos or listening to any of the songs from Darren's run so I could go into unspoiled.
I was not disappointed.
Leaving Darren aside for a moment as I have previously gushed over him, the show is FANTASTIC. It's funny and the songs are super catchy. I've been humming/singing most of them at some point every day since I saw it. The other actors were just top notch, too. Especially the guy who played Bud - Christopher J. Hanke. I know Darren's the star, but this guy... Man. He knows his shit. He was so spot on with EVERYTHING. The mannerisms and physicality he gave to Bud were just what they should have been. Darren's last show was also his last show and I need to know what he's doing next. He's just HILARIOUS.
Rating: 5/5
Stickfly
This is that Alicia Keys produced show that is starring Dulé Hill and Mekhi Phifer. It's a family dramedy where the one son (Dulé) is bringing his new fiancée home to meet the family up at the house in Martha's Vineyard. The other son (Mekhi), is also bringing a "friend" to meet the family. She's "Italian" as he says. In name, only, pretty much.
So, it's about all these people trying to come together and figuring out how they fit. There's some other drama, too. The daughter of their housekeeper was apparently fathered by their father and their mother might be kicking him out over it since now everyone knows. The fiancée and Mekhi had slept together once six years ago, and there's awkwardness there.
It's interesting and was definitely well acted. Just, not quite my cup of tea.
Rating: 4/5
Seminar
This was a spur of the moment decision to see this show. I had just gotten into town on Friday night and met up with
zoeycleybourne. We go get dinner cos I'm starving and she mentions the show Alan Rickman is in is playing just around the corner. I had no idea he was in a show, but, dude, ALAN RICKMAN. I AM IN. So, her friend joins us and we walk over to see if they had any tickets left for that evening's show. It was only 6:00 and the show was at 8:00, so plenty of time if we wanted it. Well, they did have tickets! Yay! In addition to Alan Rickman, the show also starred Jerry O'Connell and one girl who is apparently on American Horror Story, as well. It was a small cast - just 5 actors. The story is that there's a group of 4 friends/acquaintances who are all post-grads who are trying to be writers. Alan Rickman is a former writer who now works as an editor and takes on small groups of students in "Seminar" settings to teach.
The show is FANTASTIC. It's really a character study of trying to cut through all the bullshit and get to the core of who these people really are to make them the best writer they can be. If you do any writing at all, it is very relatable and very.... true, I guess. I took quite a bit away from it, actually.
And Alan Rickman is such a DOUCHE. By the end, you understand why he does what he does, but he's such a DOUCHE. And it's fantastic cos it's ALAN RICKMAN, swearing up a storm and calling people "pussies" and "whores" and just.... UNF. Complete aural sex. ;-)
And then meeting all the cast after the show. *FLAIL* I talked to Alan Rickman. We exchanged words. Brief as they were, they were lovely. I complimented him on the show and how wonderful he and all the actors were. He finished signing my program, paused, looked me in the eye and, quite sincerely, said, "Thank you." That's pretty much what he did with everyone. But usually, the actors are just like, "Oh, thanks! That's so nice!" and move on. But he made sure we had that eye contact before he thanked me. So, yeah. AMAZING MAN.
RATING: 5/5
Wicked
What can I say about Wicked that hasn't already been said. It's just a phenomenal show. I'd seen it twice here, in Chicago and I have the soundtrack, so I know the show very well. Oddly enough, reading through the Playbill, like half the main cast on Broadway now is the cast that was in Chicago! LOL
But, yeah. Such an amazing show. I had the best seats. I snagged a piece of the confetti from the cannons at the beginning and brought it home. Hehe.
Bawled my eyes out like a baby as always at "For Good". I always cry when I hear that song. Which can be really awkward when it pops up on my Zen at work or in the car. Heh.
Rating: 1216584654121/5
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
I didn't know much about this show before going in. I knew the general premise of it and I'd seen some of the performances Dan Rad and company had done on The Tony's and such, but I refrained from watching any of the videos or listening to any of the songs from Darren's run so I could go into unspoiled.
I was not disappointed.
Leaving Darren aside for a moment as I have previously gushed over him, the show is FANTASTIC. It's funny and the songs are super catchy. I've been humming/singing most of them at some point every day since I saw it. The other actors were just top notch, too. Especially the guy who played Bud - Christopher J. Hanke. I know Darren's the star, but this guy... Man. He knows his shit. He was so spot on with EVERYTHING. The mannerisms and physicality he gave to Bud were just what they should have been. Darren's last show was also his last show and I need to know what he's doing next. He's just HILARIOUS.
Rating: 5/5
Stickfly
This is that Alicia Keys produced show that is starring Dulé Hill and Mekhi Phifer. It's a family dramedy where the one son (Dulé) is bringing his new fiancée home to meet the family up at the house in Martha's Vineyard. The other son (Mekhi), is also bringing a "friend" to meet the family. She's "Italian" as he says. In name, only, pretty much.
So, it's about all these people trying to come together and figuring out how they fit. There's some other drama, too. The daughter of their housekeeper was apparently fathered by their father and their mother might be kicking him out over it since now everyone knows. The fiancée and Mekhi had slept together once six years ago, and there's awkwardness there.
It's interesting and was definitely well acted. Just, not quite my cup of tea.
Rating: 4/5
