u/Southernguynycii

I saw The Pass Tonight @ La Mama, and overall enjoyed it but didn't necessarily love it. The positives: the two male leads had great chemistry, and having the show start out with two hot guys in their undies for the first 30 minutes was definitely one way to hold an audience's attention. For me, the first act felt a little too long at times. The locker room banter got a little tedious, but the sexual tension and wondering what would happen next (even though I have seen the movie and knew) kept me engaged and from looking at my watch.

The 2nd act was my favorite thanks to a stellar performance by the sole female lead. She was witty, engaging, charming, clever, and was really able to flesh out her character. She brought great energy to her scene.

Which brings me to the third act, my least favorite, and per my title, just as with a soccer match that ends with a score of 0 to 0, the game may have been entertaining and had some good moments, but ultimately are you really satisfied with the outcome? I kept hoping for more of an emotional payoff at the end and although there were glimpses of it, it didn't quite land for me and the final scene was a bit anti-climatic.

I will say it kept me engaged for the most part and it beats a night at home watching Matlock reruns with my cat.

Would love to hear what others think.

Caught the Disruption matinee today at Pershing Square. Was lucky enough to score a front row seat thanks to Theatr app, but what I love about this venue is that there is no bad seat in the house.

The cast of Disruption is fantastic. Everyone is super talented. Elizabeth Stanley , John David Washington, and Shaunette Renee Wilson were the standouts for me.

The staging of the production is very innovative. The stage is right in the middle of the theater, encased in a black box that gives the feel of viewing the play on some high tech screen, giving a fishbowl effect. And the use of technology and digital LED screens is so effective

The plot which focuses on how our lives are so impacted and influenced by technology and algorithms is eerily relevant! And the story is engrossing. For me , each act flew by.

Would love to hear other’s thoughts on it. I saw it by myself and I missed having someone to debrief with afterwards.

Incredibly talented cast brought this show to life. Beautifully done. Each actress brought so much heart and passion to her monologue. Kara Young and Danielle Pinnock were the standouts for me. Pinnock’s Jamaican lady and Young’s Fontaine brought some of the biggest laughs of the night. Each monologue was so poignant and moving and really celebrated the strength and resiliency of women.

I saw an earlier post on Reddit of someone complaining about Kecia Lewis not knowing her lines. Tonight she was on point and delivered a powerful closing act. I was loving me some Lurleen.

I also really loved how locked in and engaged the audience was. And the cast really seemed to feed off that energy. Some of the funniest moments came from the actresses interacting with audience members.

This really a beautiful and funny show. If you get a chance to see it , do it. Also there is not a bad seat in the house. It’s a lovely intimate space and no matter where you sit , you will feel close to the action I was in the last row , dead center and it was perfect.

Was able to catch Tracee Ellis Ross in EBT tonight (thank you TDF for excellent center orchestra seat!) and I thought she was fantastic! I actually enjoyed her performance more than I did Daniel Radcliffe’s (I regret I missed Mariska Hargitay ). Tracee’s performance felt so authentic, and she was a riot. There was so much love for her in the audience tonight. She received a standing ovation at the start of the show as soon as she walked out on stage. The audience member who played her teacher was so lovely, and the scene of when she met her husband was very funny. The highlight and most touching part for me is when she sang verses from one
Of her mother’s most famous songs. She genuinely looked like she was having a great time. I felt a connection and emotion with her performance that I didn’t necessarily get from Radcliffe’s. I actually got teary eyed at one point. If you have the opportunity to catch her before the show closes, do it!

Giulia The Poison Witch of Palermo is just WOW!! Blown away

Saw Giulia tonight and this show absolutely blew me away. The costumes , the staging, the vocals, the story all absolutely incredible. Such a beautiful show centered on female empowerment. I loved the first act and was even more impressed by the second. The ending/curtain call of was one of the best i have ever experienced. Nettles owned the stage.

The subject matter is a little dark but there is enough humor and great songs to keep the show from feeling too heavy. I definitely got some Hamilton and Sweeney Todd vibes from the style and tone The male leads who play the Governor and the Cardinal are sooo smarmy and salacious and are the perfect bad guys! The Governor And the actress who plays the Duchess steal every scene they are in. And The Duchess’ and the Cardinal’s second act songs were two of the standouts for me.

This show must find its way to Broadway. I will definitely see it again before it closes. I love going to theater alone and I saw this by myself, but I will say that this is one of the shows I regret seeing alone because I missed having someone to process it with once it was over. I would love to hear other people’s thoughts on it and if you loved it as much as I did or even if you didn’t , still would love to hear your take

Music City — an Off Broadway Must See

Saw this tonight and wow, what a fun show. Went into it not knowing what to expect and left absolutely loving it Being originally from the south, I was drawn to see this when I read that the songs were a country/pop vibe and that it was set in a dive bar in Nashville, TN. I didn’t realize the theater space itself was going to be transformed into the bar — you really feel like you are at some honey tonk at an open mic night, complete with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and whiskey drinks served at the bar St. Luke’s Theater is an intimate space and you totally feel immersed in the show.

The entire cast is extremely talented. The music is catchy and the story engaging — three struggling artists trying to make it in Nashville while navigating their messy lives and relationships. And if you get to the theater early , they host an open mic and people from the audience sign up to perform.

With so many Broadway shows closing this summer, this off Broadway musical offers a great alternative and it truly is a fun and unique experience. Looking forward to seeing it again and bringing my friends.

Would love to hear what others who have seen it thought of it. Not sure if I am just biased for this show since I am a bit of a country music fan , and I was just excited to see a musical featuring this genre.

A Walk On The Moon was no walk in the park, and more like A Nap In The Theater Seat. I think if it had been a play and not a musical , I would have loved it. The actors were quite good and I enjoyed the story. There were just too many forgettable and/or bad songs crammed into the show. At one point in the second act, I thought oh god, not another song , please. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, just definitely was not for me. Some people in the audience seemed to really enjoy it. The actress who played the lead’s daughter was a standout for me. Curious to hear other’s thoughts who have seen it.

Caught Label Less last night. The cast is incredibly talented. Beautiful voices and great dancers. Was the show necessarily my jam? No. I don’t think my age bracket is the target audience. The messaging was giving very much ABC After School Special (I am giving my age away by this reference) and was about as subtle as a jackhammer connected to an amplifier, and the cheese level was high. All that being said , I hope it finds its audience because the vocals/songs are really quite good.

So happy I caught this today before it closes. As a gay man in my 50’s , this play really resonated. The actors
Were all incredible. I was amazed by how much raw emotion they could portray in the moments of silence. If you have a chance to catch this tomorrow for its final performance, I highly recommend . Funny, touching , sad. I was in all the feels and definitely got a little misty eyed.

I am a huuuge Titanique fan. I have seen it 7 times on Broadway and today was my 8th. One of my good friends is in town visiting so I took him to the 5pm show as a belated bday gift. I am so sad i chose this performance . 3 of the male Leads were out :Frankie, Constantine , and Layton. The energy for the show was super off. Jokes weren’t landing and the understudy for Jack seemed sooooo nervous and out of his element. His comedic timing was was not hitting and I dont think his mic was working correctly. I felt bad because I had been hyping the show up to my friend and I felt like he left the show like wtf. And just want to add that there is no disrespect
To the understudy of Jack. He has more talent in his pinkie than I would ever have. He just had some big shoes to fill because Constantine kills that role !!

The first time I saw Chess, I was so not impressed. I saw the show on a Friday night after a long day at work; was tired and grouchy, and was running a little late and just barely made it to the theater on time for the show. And toward the end of the 2nd act, there was a medical emergency in the audience two rows in front of me, so the show was paused for about 15 minutes (luckily the person who had the emergency was fine; they announced that she was able to walk to the ambulance and was doing well). When the show resumed, I think everyone in our section was feeling a little frazzled and stressed. All that to say, I left the show that night with not the greatest impression. But even days after seeing it, a few of the songs were like an earworm that I couldn't stop humming.

A few weeks later, a cheap prime orchestra seat poppoed up on Theatr app, so I jumped on it. And I am so glad I gave this show a second chance. The second viewing, I was blown away and mesmerized by the performances. Nicolas Christopher's voice gave me chills every time he sang. All the leads down to the ensemble were incredible. That day, I left the show a converted fan, and I have seen it two more times since then, and each time I have grown to appreicate it more. I'm so sad it's closing in a few weeks. I was looking forward to see what Jojo was going to bring to the role.

There are a few shows I have gone too recently such as Shmigadoon, Maybe Happy Ending, and Lost Boys that I didn't dislike but was a little underwhelmeed, and I'm wondering if I need to see them again.

I'm curious to hear if others have had this experience too? What shows did you not like much the first time, but upon second viewing you realized it was actually quite good?

I know its chance for winning the Best Musical Tony this year are slim, but of the four nominees, this one has been my favorite. As someone who moved to NYC from a small southern town in the late 90’s , i so relate to Dougal’s enthusiasm, naïveté, excitement, and overall joy of being in the city for the first time. And after living here for 29 years, i can also relate to Robin’s cynicism (my thoughts on NYC are now the same as Robin’s).

This show has so much heart, and the chemistry between the two leads is electric. Sam Tutty is charming, endearing, and has crazy comedic timing. Christiani Pitts is also incredible. Both have beautiful voices and seem to be having so much fun on the stage.

I read somewhere that described this show as a love letter to NYC and I can’t agree more. Of the four nominees , I feel that Two Strangers (and Titanique) are filled with so much love and genuineness; whereas, in my humble non-expert opinion, Schmigadoon and The Lost Boys feel like slick productions without much soul.

If you haven’t had a chance to catch this show, I definitely recommend. It checked all the boxes: excellent writing, great actors, beautiful songs sung incredibly well, romantic but not sappy, very funny /fun, touching , and very relatable.

Broadway and live theater have become my happy place during these crazy times. Once I learned how accesible theater can be via rush tickets, lotteries , Theatr app, I became totally hooked. And something that I didn’t expect to happen, I have met some of the kindest and most interesting people at the shows. Theater has definitely brought a lot of joy to my life and helped me out of the rut of being a homebody/hermit post pandemic. Feeling much gratitude!