Guide for Broadway Virgins

Broadway is, without a doubt, one of the greatest things about living in New York. This world class and historic form of entertainment is right on your doorstep and offers something for absolutely everyone. Even if you’re not particularly drawn to jazz hands or people who sing their way through life (I obviously love both these things) there is a musical or play on the Great White Way for your enjoyment.

I know lots of New Yorkers who have never seen a Broadway musical and similarly, I know lots of first time visitors looking for the perfect experience, but with so much choice which show is right for you?

You might think that you can just buy tickets for the one that LOOKS the best and go, but lately I’ve noticed that when people don’t do a little bit of research, they end up sitting through something they hate and the Broadway experience is ruined! For example, at Christmas, my sister and I decided to take our Mum to see a matinee of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. We were fully aware that the musical is about a rag tag group of drag queens making their way across Australia in a camper van. The Bette Middler produced show was right up our alley for a girls’ afternoon. However, we were surrounded by people who were clearly shocked by their choice of show – including families with very young children. Most of the content of the show was fine for kids, but the language and sexual references certainly weren’t. You could tell that some patrons hadn’t even googled the show! Rookie mistake.

So here, without further ado is your very own personal musical guide. If you’re a Broadway buff, you’ll want to see some of the newer offerings (I’ll detail my Broadway wish list for the new season in another post). But for first timers, here’s a rough, reliable guide to some brilliant Broadway Musicals:

Wicked: An All-Rounder

You’ve heard people talking about Wicked. It has something to do with the Wizard of Oz right? The main actress in it is painted green? Right?

Wicked is my favorite show currently playing on Broadway. This prequel to The Wizard of Oz has all the elements that make up a perfect show for everyone. The storyline will keep you enthralled, yet it is familiar enough to make people think, I get that! The set is intricate, well designed and a spectacle in itself. The characters are likable and the script is comedic as well as touching. Best of all, the music is mind blowing. Men, women, children – this show is for everyone. Be prepared to get goosebumps during Defying Gravity. 

 

Avenue Q: Not quite On Broadway 

Avenue Q has been around for almost ten years but it’s still absolutely hilarious. While on Broadway it won three TONY awards, including Best Musical and in 2009 it moved to the New World Stages theatre for an off-Broadway production. It’s off-beat take on Sesame Street is for Mature Audiences and this is a great one to take your reluctant male friend or boyfriend to, especially if he has a sense of humor! The script may not be as controversial as The Book of Mormon, but it’s still sure to make you giggle at a much lower price. *I saw this for the third time this weekend and it still makes me cry with laughter. 

 

The Lion King: A Familiar Spectacle 

When Disney makes Broadway musicals, it pulls out all the stops. The Lion King is another show that has been on Broadway for quite awhile and it continues to delight audiences of all ages. Never fear if you’re a fan of the movie, the musical takes an almost identical script and adds new songs, an authentic African feel and costumes that are stunning, artistic and appropriate. Kids will love this one!

 

Jersey Boys: Nostalgia at its Best

There’s a reason why Jersey Boys has always been a really hot ticket on Broadway: nostalgia. I guarantee that you will know most of the songs in the score which includes hits like, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. The plot details the career of the legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and includes some hilarious incidents, celebrity appearances and show stopping musical numbers. This is the one to take your parents to, but I’ve seen this parent-less on more than one occasion!

 

Phantom of the Opera: Classic Great White Way

Nothing says Broadway like this Andrew Lloyd Weber classic musical. Phantom of the Opera opened at the Majestic Theater in 1988 and has been there ever since, making it the longest running show in Broadway history! Compared to the newer, more technological musicals, this one might seem a bit old school – but you can’t beat the haunting music of Lloyd Weber or the fantastic staging that has made this show famous. This one is for all ages.

 

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert: Girl’s Night Out

As mentioned above, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert is a perfect addition to a girl’s night out. This show is guaranteed to make you dance in your seat from start to finish with numbers like “I Will Survive”, “Material Girl”, “Shake Your Groove Thing” and “I Say a Little Prayer”. In addition to drag queens, unbelievable costumes and a hilarious script, there is a touching lesson to be learned. Plus, this one is right in the middle of Time Square – handy!

 

So, what’s the best way to score tickets?

1. Hit the TKTs booths in person for great discounts. Check this link for instructions and for a list of shows featured at the booths last week: http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56
2. Buy tickets online in advance from the show’s website
3. Sometimes you can get a better deal by actually walking into the theater’s box office. Check the web price and then stroll into the box office to see if they have better seats or a better price.

Broadway buffs: Any recommendations for first timers?

24 Hours

If you had exactly 24 hours in London, what would you do?

Myself and Conor asked ourselves that very question a few weeks ago – with hilarious results.

Our trip to Croatia had been booked for months. The accommodation and flights were paid for. But then someone threw a spanner in the works: Stevie Wonder.

He was scheduled to play in Dublin while we were away and there was NO WAY we were missing out on him. But then there was NO WAY we were cutting our trip short! So we compromised and booked a trip to London on the tail end of the trip to Dubrovnik. However, that meant getting to Dublin, and heading back out again within six hours of arriving home.

Observe:

The Susan and Conor London Timeline:

00:15 – Arrive Dublin airport from Dubrovnik – pretty tired but excited
00:40 – Arrive at Conor’s house in Lusk – make sandwiches for London (broke from Croatia)
1:30 – Sleep
3:30 – Wake Up (wah?! Where are we?! What time is it?! Sandwiches?!!?!)
4:15 – Taxi BACK to Dublin airport
5:00 – McDonalds Breakfast (broke from Croatia)
6:30 – Plane leaves for London Stanstead
7:20 – Plane arrives in London Stanstead
8:30 – Cheap as chips bus into London town
10:00 – Arrive in London with bag of sandwiches ready for fun!
10:15 – McDonalds Breakfast (ahem! the first one didn’t count)

Luckily McDonalds had wifi and we were able to roughly plan our day on our iPhones (god we’re such a geeky couple).

By the way, did I forget to mention that our flight home was at 6:30am the next day – and that we had decided not to book a hotel or hostel??

First we went to the changing of the guards. Conor had never seen it before and hey! its free! While watching Conor asked lots and lots of questions about the guards. None of which I could answer. He also asked a very English police man..and he couldn’t answer them either (I didn’t feel so bad!)

Luckily the weather was amazing that day because we literally travelled with the clothes on our backs and some sandwiches (which we ate in a park while sitting on the grass!)

After the changing of the guards we headed for the West End because I couldn’t be in London and not see a show! We decided to buy the cheapest tickets we could get and see a matinee. The show was drumroll please BILLY ELLIOT! I’ve been dying to see this show in NY for years – and finally here I was in the back row, for £20! It blew my mind! I laughed, I cried, I was in awe! Watch out top 5 broadway shows, there’s a new kid on the block and he’s dancing!

I think Conor enjoyed it too.

After the show, it was time for the gig in Hyde Park. We had been walking around all day, so we decided to navigate the tube. That’s when something crazy happened:

When we were in Croatia, we took a day trip to Mostar (in Bosnia Herzegovina) with a whole bus of other tourists. One couple were noticeable because they had a little baby, which they carried in a contraption on their back. I think they were Australian.

So we’re standing on a random tube platform when Conor gasps “OH MY GOD” and I think “agh! What celebrity has he seen!?” and there they are! The Australian couple and the baby walking by us – when we’d seen them two days before that in BOSNIA! It was such a surreal feeling. They said “hi”, we said “hi” and we came to the conclusion that they are spies and the baby is actually some sort of recording device. Simple.

We finally got to Hyde Park, which was absolutely buzzing with people who had been there in the sunshine all day. We grabbed beers and nuzzled our way gently towards the front grabbing a good spot (next to some Eastenders type characters who sort of scared us…but were really amusing!).

So how was Stevie?

Best gig I’ve ever been to: hands down!

He came onstage and there was this incredible energy from him which must be because he’s a complete legend! He played hit after hit after hit and it all sounded like I was listening to a CD – except better! He also played Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature”, a small bit of Alicia Keys “New York”, and The Beatles “We Can Work it Out”. My favourite song was “Living for the City” where I sang my lungs out and danced my bum off!

“Sorry auld lad next to me…but you only get to dance at Stevie Wonder once in a lifetime!”

So far so good with the 24 hours in London plan. However, we assumed the concert would finish around 11:30 and our bus to the airport was at 3:10am and ACTUALLY the concert finished around 10:30 leaving us with an extra hour. We assumed that we would want to go to a cosy pub somewhere but we looked a bit of a wreck (well Conor did, I looked immaculate obviously…) and we were well, wrecked.

Then I had a legendary idea: THE CINEMA.

In Dublin, cinemas close around midnight. In London, they stay open pretty much all night! So we booked two tickets to the new Russel Brand film, “Get Him to the Greek” for the midnight show.

How was the film?

Conor seemed to like it. I could hear him laughing in between deep and not so deep sleep. FYI: the cinema is a great place to catch some shut eye.

I felt like we were homeless.

We had to walk to catch our 3:10 bus and decided to take a route past Buckingham Palace for the craic, like. There wasn’t a soul around and we could see a light on – so we assumed the Queen was chillin’ out watching The Hills or what have you. We creeped around the palace gates whispering and Conor remarked “wow, we’re the only ones here” and I replied “yea, but I’d say there are about 100 cameras on us and Mi5 agents ready to take out the paddys at the front gates”.

The bus and plane journeys back to Dublin were full of sleep. In fact, I don’t even remember take off or landing on our 6:30am flight from London to Dublin.

Although we were exhausted, slightly sunburnt and full of sandwiches, it was one unforgettable day!

There’s only now, there’s only this

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a HUGE fan of the hit Broadway musical, Rent (and who isn’t?!). I’ve seen the show three times in NYC and countless times on DVD. I suppose it isn’t hard to be swept up in Rent madness – the music is rockin’ and the message is a solemn one: live each day as if it’s your last and make it count. It’s also very attractive to us 90′s kids – as the show is set in the once bohemian Alphabet City, Manhattan during that decade.

A couple of weeks ago I went to see Rent for the fourth time – this time on the Helix stage. It may not have been Broadway – but it was just as exciting and twice as special because performing were my old drama group: DCU Drama. The leading roles were played by people who I consider to be my best friends! Plus – I was there to support my boyfriend, Conor who played drums in the fantastic band that accompanied the show!

Now, I may be biased, but the DCU Drama version of Rent blew. me. away. There was so much energy, heart and complete dedication to the show.  I spent the last half an hour crying at how amazing it was (am I a sap? yes). And I’m very proud to report that the show won Best Event at the DCU Clubs and Socs Awards the other night!

As part of a radio programme I was producing, I did some interviews with the cast and recorded some musical numbers. Alan McHale (who plays Mark) produced a video using some of his own footage and my radio stuff – to be submitted to the Board of Irish College Societies!

Here it is:

Say Elle-o to Bailey Hanks!

The first time I walked by a giant billboard in Time Square for Legally Blonde the musical, I thought “jeez, Broadway’s really scraping the barrel for new shows”. Boy, have I had to eat my words.

Not only have I been to see the show twice, I am now the proud owner of a Legally Blonde the Musical t-shirt and soundtrack (to which I know all the words!). It’s the kind of show that challenges your pre-conceptions – looking ditzy, but actually coming across very clever. The songs span a wide range of styles with something for everyone from reggae to pop to old school Broadway harmonies. The sets are unbelievable and the actors use them so well. I don’t want to give away too much detail about the show here – I’d urge you to see it yourself, but let’s get down to the ACTUAL subject of this post: Bailey Hanks.

If you’ve been watching “I’d Do Anything” or “Any Dream Will Do”, you may have heard of MTV’s newest reality show “Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods” (I’m not sure if MTV UK are airing it?). Thousands of hopefuls auditioned for the lead in the Broadway show. The girls were really put through their paces, being asked to sing while spinning on exercise bikes, dancing in sky high heels and acting alongside current cast members. My sister and I watched it RELIGIOUSLY this summer!

The lucky girl, Bailey Hanks, was cast last April and made her Broadway debut this summer! Before auditioning in Nashville, TN, she had never even seen a Broadway show – let alone star in one! I decided I had to go and check her out for myself.

I went to see the production last night – and the verdict is in: Hanks was born to play this role. She did not waver for a second – and you could feel the entire audience smiling and secretly cheering her on for living her dream. Vocally she was on point, but what really impressed me were her dancing and her comedic styling. She took the part and truly made it her own. I loved every second of it.

So, if you’re thinking “ugh Legally Blonde?! Sounds ridiculous” …that’s because it’s ridiculously amazing. Fact.

Bailey auditioning

“I’m never wearing that again – I’m wearing THIS!”

You go girl.

Dickens gives his regards to Broadway

One thing I love about being in New York is going to Broadway shows – especially new ones that are still in previews! These shows are raw, potentially brilliant and unseen by the masses. Which allows me to either criticize or spread the word about a brand spanking new musical.

Last night I went to see a preview of “A Tale of Two Cities”. When we arrived at the theatre, my sister and I could not, for the life of us, remember which shows had come before, but we were sure that we had been in that theatre! Turns out it was “Curtains” last and “The Wedding Singer” before that. The theatre has not had good luck with long runs!

Raves

The music was awesome. You know that epic kind of music that’s missing from “Hairspray” and “Legally Blonde”? The old school, blow you out of your seat with their ranges singers? That’s what this musical had.

James Barbour as Sydney Carton. Amazing! Probably the only character I actually felt something for. He came across as funny, heart warming and oh so likable. Lets not forget those pipes! Every time he came onstage I was excited.

Brandi Burkhart as Lucie – she was enchanting.

The sets – really good use of the stage. The visuals kept me constantly amazed.

The costumes. It made me wanna throw on a corset and some court shoes.

Rants

The show lacked opening and closing numbers that stood out. These are the places the catchy songs should go – and to be honest, I left singing Les Mis songs. Somethings wrong there.

The script was a little weak, especially during the emotional parts of the story. It didnt make me feel for Dr. Manet at all, and apparently he was locked in the Bastille for 17 years. It got slightly better in act II, but not by much. Maybe Dickens’ story was too complicated for this sort of adaption?

The English accents. Now being from Europe, I’m probably more critical than most – but Craig Bennett as Jerry Cruncher sounded like he was a waiter from the Outback Steakhouse.

The ending. OH MY GOD. I was so disappointed. I like endings that are dark – so it wasn’t that…but the show ended so abruptly without the epic song that I so desperately wanted! In fact, I thought Carton was mid-song when the lights went out! It was such a shame because I was just about to get emotional – I really did love his character. It was almost like there was no closing number.

The Verdict

The show was like Les Mis but easier to follow. It was funnier too – which probably appeals to a wider audience. However, it just isn’t in the same league script wise and musically. I honestly don’t remember more than two or three songs from seeing the performance. Bit of a disappointment overall.

Some pics of the show:

*This was the best scene visually in the whole show. I LOVED it.

Havent you heard the word of your body..?

So, last night I saw the 2007 Tony Award Winning Best Musical – Spring Awakening. It definitely impressed me.

Sometimes referred to as the new “Rent” (tackling taboos, stickin’ it to the man etc), this musical went beyond that of its 1990′s predecessor and thought further outside the theatrical box. Despite being based on a book written 1891, Spring Awakening was fresh, hip, and totally, absolutely and completely relevant to today’s audience. The show’s feel was decidedly 19^th Century German, but could have been set in any place, at any time.

There were several innovative aspects to the piece. For starters, the curtain remained open as the audience filed in (which I love because you get to examine the set while waiting for the show to begin). There were also audience members seated on the stage (Yea, I was definitely jealous), with a few spare seats for cast members to take in between scenes. Something else that impressed me was the director’s use of the entire set and stage. The cast rarely had a moment to spare, moving sets, playing instruments with the band or sitting singing with the audience. The show also used handheld mics for the musical numbers! It was like being at a rock concert!

The cast were fantastic – and all so young! Jesse Swenson, who played Melchior (he’s the understudy until someone new takes over on the 18^th of August), was amazing, not to mention gorge! I couldn’t help thinking I recognised him from somewhere and have now realised he’s Asher from Gossip Girl! Jack of all trades much?!

*Jesse in Gossip Girl

If you havent seen Spring Awakening or heard the soundtrack – you really are missing out. Here’s a taster:

Some examples of the style of the show: