r/Broadway

Well I made it to New York (from London) to see Mariska in Every Brilliant Thing for the Saturday shows (yesterday). This was instead of a party for my 60th. I was initially coming just for one show but thought what the hell, I’m here to see the show so may as well see it twice.

What a wonderfully talented lady she is. Yes we know that already. But to see her in an entirely different role to that of Olivia Benson!!

I am so delighted to have been able to see her. For show 2 I had stage seating, front row. Not only did I get given a card to read out with about 5 lines of writing, she used my pen in the show, and without giving the story away, the guy who played her ‘love interest’ had the seat next to him cleared so Mariska sat next to him briefly but as I was on the other side, she was sitting next to me too!! 😃. I got a high five too (as did a lot of people)! I saw her arrive at the theatre in the morning and said good morning and she acknowledged me then too. She did come out at the end of the later show to see people queuing hopefully to see her and get an autograph. It was hot and been a long day and the queue was huge so nobody had any autographs signed but she thanked us all and then left the theatre.

A gracious lady. I had no expectations other than to be in the audience and couldn’t have picked better seats for this show. Everything else that happened was a complete bonus.

Well done Mariska. Fabulous performances, you sure have some great dance moves and you are a highly intelligent and very talented actor.

It will be strange to see you back as Olivia Benson on the tv screen.

Very thankful to have experienced this.

I now have to get back to reality and deal with cancelled flights due to the weather and hope I can return to UK later this evening.

Just saw The Lost Boys and the group I went with is split about the vampire musicians. Does anyone know if they are actually playing???

We all think that the drummer playing looks so realistic but some people think that maybe it’s just the same as choreography that the actor learned. We’re more divided on the guitar players but are leaning towards one of them is actually playing on the concert scene but in the other scenes they aren’t actually playing but look really convincing.

Anyway in the know about this?

I don’t write many show reviews here but I saw Giulia at Perelman Performing Arts Center recently and it’s really sticking with me, and wanted to see what others think.

 

First off, this is an AMAZING concept for a new musical and I’m thrilled Jennifer Nettles is focusing on this story. I almost can’t believe no one’s made a musical about this before—and yet, I suppose I can, because it’s asking us to root for women who are killing their husbands, and primarily root for the woman who helps them.

 

There is so much rich material in the contradiction of rooting for someone like this—there’s more than a tinge of shows like  Sweeney Todd and Teeth in it. And while this show has some occasional sparks & perhaps intellectually gets us on its side, it only occasionally ignites.

 

 Jennifer Nettles has written a mostly strong, catchy score, that will likely stay in your head a bit as you leave the theater, but also feel a little too close to Hamilton at times to not draw comparisons. In way, that’s not all bad—part of what these shows share is that they genuinely sound like they are written by contemporary musicians who feel at home in the language of pop music rather than musical theater writers trying to sound like they can write pop.

 

The best moments in the score tend to involve the women. For me the highlight is “Next Time” which has a heart tugging, sweeping melody and serves as the “I Want” song but perhaps in some ways would make a better 11 o’clock number. “Happily Ever After” “The River” “Split Second Life Changing Moment” and “Always Get What I Want” also stood out to me.

 

The biggest issue with the score for me is the everything felt a bit grandiose, so the stakes of the smaller moments and bigger moments tend to bleed together a bit and things start to sound the same. A few moments of contrast would make it all ebb and flow better. Almost every song had a heeart wrenching belt at some point.

 

The show is almost entirely sung through, which currently leaves the book feeling a bit undercooked. We get the plot points, but sometimes the conflicts of scenes don’t quite build and resolve well enough, and it can feel a bit like we’re being told what’s happening rather than experiencing the characters go through it.

 

I think the show is a little bit trapped in its own physical staging and might need a different director to match the size of the music. It just felt physically very stiff and trapped in the weird downstage area of the stage the playing space is mostly  limited to. Lots of clunky moments of physical transition and the moments of violence do not read as threatening enough right now to win over the doubters to Giulia’s side, nor is her ending climatic enough to be satisyfing.

 

I imagine a stronger (or more well suited director) could potentially help them nail down the tone of this: at times it is sentimental and earnest, and that actually works well because it does feel like Nettles’ natural voice. At other times it seems like it’s trying a little too hard to be dark & though the material is dark, that tone doesn’t seem to fit her ethos as naturally. At other moments it wants to be camp, and dare I say the show does need a little bit of that here and there—but they never commit to it so the tone is always a bit muddy.

 

I think they do stick the landing with the ending. I don’t want to spoil it (and I think most people will see it coming when it’s happening) but I found the final plot point to be very cathartic and moving.

 

All in all, I think Nettles has the bones of something that can be REALLY amazing here,  but it also needs a LOT of work. She needs some help: perhaps a co-book writer, perhaps a director with a stronger perspective, perhaps both. I hope she can find the right person & be humble enough to take the assistance. It’s not poor reflection on her to say so either—I’m in great admiration of her ambition on this project & the potential is great.

 

I hope those who may be involved who are aiming this towards Broadway give it the time and care it needs to turn it into what it could be, because I just can’t stop thinking about this one. I think with the right work & time, it could be a really great piece.

I loved the arrangement of “21 Guns” in American Idiot. I never thought twice about that song back when it was on the radio, but now I hear it in a different way.

It's incredible that she's the most awarded and nominated actor in Tony history but even crazier that she won her third Tony when she was only 27 years old.

Found this wonderful homage which is a compilation of all her wins. It's really cool to see how the Tony's have changed over the years across so many ceremonies.

Hi all!

First off, I just wanted to say how much I love being part of this community. I scroll through this sub every morning while I drink my coffee, and it’s become one of my favorite daily routines.
I’m coming to the collective hive mind for a recommendation!

My friend and I are in NYC from today (Sunday) through Thursday, and we’ve already got a pretty stacked lineup: The Outsiders, Hadestown, Just in Time, Maybe Happy Ending, and Ragtime. I’ve seen all of them before and loved every one, but it’ll be my friend’s first time for all of them.

That leaves us with one open slot tomorrow (Monday) night, and we’re trying to decide between Titanique, The Great Gatsby, Spelling Bee, and Heathers (yes, I know the last two are technically Off-Broadway!)

Right now, his top choice is Gatsby since he’s never seen it. I’ve seen it a few times with Jeremy Jordan and Ryan McCartan, but I’ve also heard some pretty mixed reviews about Reeve Carney’s performance. I’m a little hesitant because I want this trip to leave a great impression, and I’m worried Gatsby might not hit the same way without that previous cast.

If you were introducing someone to one more show this week, which would you choose and why?

Please let me know your thoughts!!

Back to the Future closed in January 2025, leaving a palpable hole in the theater landscape for plays involving Biffs and cars. Death of a Salesman has plugged that gap for now, but will it be enough?

Every time I check this subreddit in the morning and the rush report thread hasn’t been posted I lose 4 years off my lifespan…it’s my morning newspaper

Saw this last night and loved it. A lot. But it left me wondering - if it features Celine songs and script from Titanic - does that mean all of this was cleared by Celine and h film studio? Curious how it works from a legal/financial situation…

I haven’t seen one posted yet so here is a thread for rush today!

I was listening to &Juliet this morning and it made me wish I could get the You’re Fuckin Perfect window cling that they have in the bathrooms. I would rock the mess out of that. 💖

Other wish list items:
Persephone circle flask
Orpheus’ bandanna
Drum sticks from Lost Boys

What’s your wish list items? Dream big

I’ll start

The Lost Boys

Hi!

I bought 2 tickets to tonight’s performance of Cats back in June and when I check the order status on the platform, it says “processing” vs “confirmed” Worried that this will mean I get turned away or that they don’t have my order, has anyone had a similar experience?