Theatre

[peteinportland]

This is the thread to discuss anything to do with the theater.

[jayiijay]

PETE:

Thanks for this thread.  I live in NYC and love the theater, go once-twice per week on average (next week 4x, LOL).

IMO, the best show on Broadway is Sweeney Todd.  It is so brilliant it brings tears.  Also thrilling and funny.  Light in the Piazza is also great, though admittedly something of an acquired taste.

As for plays, Doubt is terrific, though I hear the new cast as good as the original (the priest is supposedly weak).  I am seeing the Julia Roberts play on Tuesday, will report back.  Can't wait to see History Boys (predicted Best Play Tony) by Alan Bennett (Madness of King George) in a few weeks, and Faith Healer with Ralph Fiennes, Cherry Jones and Ian McDiarmond (Star Wars emperor) in June.

[Carissa]

I love going to the theater.  Living on LI, my parents have been bringing me to shows since I was little.  My first musical was the revival of "The King & I" with Yul Brynner in 1985.  My favorite is RENT.  I've seen it 5 times and would like to see it at least 500 more.  

[Lola]

We go twice a year (in Toronto) we have for the last 20 years.  So I have seen too many to list.  It is just about my most favourite thing to do.

We actually saw Yul Brennar in the King and I, in his final performance before he died.    Carissa he died in 85, so you must have saw him toward the end as well.

I have seen alot, but none that I have enjoyed more than Les Mis (that one I have seen 5 times)

Recently I enjoyed the Producers and Hairspray, saw Evita and was strangely disappointed.

My sons recently went to see Lord of the Rings with their girlfriends, they both really enjoyed it.

[Carissa]

[snip]

We actually saw Yul Brennar in the King and I, in his final performance before he died.    Carissa he died in 85, so you must have saw him toward the end as well.

[snip]

My sons recently went to see Lord of the Rings with their girlfriends, they both really enjoyed it.

Yes, it was toward the end but I don't remember an exact date.  I looked up when he was there and he was in it until June 1985 and he died in October.   So sad.

I was curious about Lord of the Rings since I'm a huge fan of the books and the movies.  Many of the reviews were that it was awful but it seemed the audiences were enjoying it. 

[Lola]

Yes the reviews have not all been positive, but like I said they loved it and they really did LOVE it.  And they have seen a fair bit of theatre themselves, so they know what is good and what is bad.  Of course they are also both LOTR fanatics.

[jayiijay]

CARISSA & LOLA:

I too saw Yul Brynner in The King and I, probably around 1980 in his prior tour.  Constance Towers was Anna.  Helped form my interest in theater.  But considering how many times Brynner played the King, I bet we all saw him, LOL!

Loved The Producers with Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick, Hairspray with Harvey Fierstein & Marissa Jaret Winokur.  Was also lucky enough to see the original casts of Rent and Les Miz, the latter remains in my all-time top 15, Colm Wilkinson sang so beautifully.

Lord of the Rings seems to have been savaged by the critics, maybe they will revamp it before it tours.  Wonder if it will be critic-prooof.

[Carissa]

Loved The Producers with Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick, Hairspray with Harvey Fierstein & Marissa Jaret Winokur.  Was also lucky enough to see the original casts of Rent and Les Miz, the latter remains in my all-time top 15, Colm Wilkinson sang so beautifully.

I too was lucky enough to see the original casts of The Producers and RENT.  Even though the movie wasn't nearly as good as the show, I still enjoyed RENT because it was the original cast and I couldn't get over how good they looked!

[Wayman Wong]

Thanks for creating this thread for theater lovers!

If any of you are fans of the hit Off-Broadway musical ''Grey Gardens,'' based on the cult 1975 film documentary, good news!

It's been sold out for weeks, but Playwrights Horizons has just extended it for a final time: April 25-30.

Christine Ebersole is giving one of the great musical-theater performances of a lifetime as Little Edie, and her mother, and she alone is worth the price of admission. But it's also got one of the most haunting and heartbreaking scores around, by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie. The book is by Tony and Pulitzer winner Doug Wright (''I Am My Own Wife''). ... It also co-stars the legendary Mary Louise Wilson and Matt Cavenaugh (''Urban Cowboy''). If you love musicals, ''Grey Gardens'' is a must-see.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/99084.html

[Wayman Wong]

Looking for a gay comedy with lots of laughs? Catch Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's ''Based on a Totally True Story'' at the Manhattan Theatre Club. It's the story of Ethan, an energetic if neurotic gay playwright who meets cute with Michael, a writer from the Village Voice. They share a lot in common, including an obsession with Rachael Ray and Anderson Cooper. But when a Hollywood producer (Kristine Nielsen) offers to turn Ethan's play into a horror movie complete with ''computer-generated jellyfish,'' it turns his life, and his love life upside-down. The whole cast is great, but Carson Elrod plays Ethan & gives a breakout performance.

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/8016

[twtplanner]

We go twice a year (in Toronto) we have for the last 20 years.  So I have seen too many to list.  It is just about my most favourite thing to do.

Once in Toronto, '95 I think, I saw Hal Prince's revival production of "Show Boat."  Still one of my favorite theatre moments.

terry

[Lola]

I was there, imagine if we sat close to each other?    I knew I would love it, I was very familar with the music, but I was really suprised that my husband LOVED it as much as he did.

You an' me, we sweat an' strain,
Body all achin' an' racked wid pain -
Tote dat barge!
Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk,
An' you land in jail...
Ah gits weary
An' sick of tryin';
Ah'm tired of livin'
An skeered of dyin',
But Ol' Man River,
He jes' keeps rollin' along

 

[twtplanner]

I was there, imagine if we sat close to each other?    I knew I would love it, I was very familar with the music, but I was really suprised that my husband LOVED it as much as he did.
 

I know....I still play the cd from that production.  It was incredible...the guy who sang Ole' Man River.  wow.  Cloris Leachman was the mother.

terry

[jayiijay]

WAYMON WONG:

Thanks much for the strong endorsement of "Grey Gardens".  Your encouragement persuaded me to get tix for April 26th - can't wait! 

[Casper]

We go twice a year (in Toronto) we have for the last 20 years. 

Lola, you most likely already know about this play but I read in Daily Variety where the revival of HAIR is playing at the Bluma Appel Theater in Toronto.