So here are some of my reviews of the Broadway shows I have seen this year, in chronological order:
Next to Normal, Sunday in the Park With George, Diana Vishneva : Beauty in Motion, Gypsy, Curtains, Wicked, Adding Machine, and South Pacific.Sunda
y in the Park with GeorgeThis was the first show of a Wednesday Broadway musical double-header. This production was gorgeous! This was my first time seeing this show onstage, although I have seen the first act video recording with Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin ( due to the fact I'm not a big Patinkin fan!). When the company beautifully sang "Sunday" to close the first act, the chills and tears started to fire. What a way to close the first act. The show could have ended right there. The second act, was ok. When Jenna Russell sang "Move On", I lost it completely. The matching of lyric and song has never been more perfect. I think it might be my favorite Sondheim song. I'll probably see the show again.
Next to Normal
After seeing
Sunday in the afternoon, I was so looking forward to seeign this show.What an interesting show! Alice Ripley (
Side Show, Sunset Blvd, Les Miserables, James Joyce's The Dead, The Rocky Horror Show) and Brian D'Arcy James
(Titanic) starred in the show. Adam Chandler-Berat, who played their son, was great. The show however, was all about Alice. The music was amazing. Big rock musical about a mother with mental illness and her dysfunctional family. I hated the girl who played their daughter, both her acting and her singing voice. There are so many other talented girls in their late teens or early twenties who would have been a better choice. I really hope they make a recording of it. I did have some major celeb sightings at the performance: Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, Laura Benanti and her husband (forgot his name), Shaiman and Wittman (composers of
Hairspray), Brooks Ashamanskas, Andrea Burns, and Anthony Rapp
.Gyp
syWhere do I begin? What a night! What a show! It was the first preview and I couldn't believe I was there, a night history was made. My goddess diva Patti LuPone was Mama Rose. Words cannot describe her performance. Funny, sexy, moving, fierce, and alive! When she said, "Sing out, Louise!" the audience roared like I have never heard before. She didnt even look into the audience. she had to look upstage at one of the kids on stage. It lasted about 2 minutes! I was in a trance for the next 2 3/4 hours. This was the bext casted production of the show I ever saw. From Baby June to Mazeppa. Laura Benanti as Louise was perfect! so was Boyd Gaines as Herbie. Those who know me well, Patti only has to sing one note, and the tears they-are-a-flowing! Especially during "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and double during "Rose's Turn". I loved the new ending of the show...makes it very haunting and moving. While the show was going on onstage, their was a show in the balcony and mezzanine. One guy tried to stangle another and an usher had to throw the couple out, and a few minutes before "Rose's Turn" the cover of the ceiling vent fell down onto someone in the balcony, but the show never stopped! I also overheard whiel waiting at the stage door after the show, that during rehearsal that afternoon and lightbulb fell onto the stage and glass was shattered everywhere. I bet it was Ethel!!!!
Curtai
nsI enjoyed this show the second time. David Hyde Pierce was so enjoyable to watch, and Erin Davie played his love interest this time. She was great, so different
Grey Gardens. Still a very enjoyable and entertaining show.
Wicked 
My eighth performance, 2nd time winning the front row lottery. This time i was center, center seat. This time Stephanie J Block was Elphaba, and Annaleigh Ashford was Glinda. AA was not that great. She kept looking at the conductor the entire show. She has a decent voice, but I felt like her acting needed some help. Didn't have any chemistry with Stephanie. Didn't believe their friendship ever existed. SJB was INCREDIBLE!!! Her "I'm Not that Girl" was the best I ever heard. It's one of my least favorite songs in the show, but she made it one of my favorite that afternoon. All her songs were fantastic. I think my favorite Elphabas from favorite to least favorite is: Eden Espinosa, Stephanie J Block, Idina Menzel, Shoshana Bean, then Saycon Sengbloh. My favorite Glinda was Kristin Chenoweth of course!! But Megan Hilty was a close second, followed by Jennifer Laura Thompson, then Annaliegh. Oh I forgot about David Burnham...Oh my....was he horrific!!! I'm not sure if he's gay or not, but boy does it come off that way in the show! I'd love to see the show again before SJB leaves, and I"ll definitely will see it again when Kerry Ellis (from London) some to Broadway.
Add
ing MachineBizarre show but I enjoyed it. A show about a man in a non-loving marriage who kills his boss after being let go after many years with the company due to arrival of adding machines. Some interesting music, and some funny moments. Most of importantly it was the first show Paul and I went to see.Sou
th PacificMy first time ever seeing this show, both onstage or on film. I was familiar with some of the songs. What a beautiful score! Kelli O'Hara was Nellie, but her Emile had no sparks, but a good voice. His "This Nearly Was Mine" stopped the show...yes i had goosebumps, but no tears....there were tears at the end though. A beautiful show, but very dated.
The cd i cant stop playing right now is "Dreaming Wide Awake: the Songs of Scott Alan" A compilation cd of featuring some really beautiful songs. My favorite is "Never Never Land" sung by Stephanie J Block. Shoshana Bean does really well on "Home" and so does Eden Espinosa on "I'm a Star" and Adrianne Lenox on "Magic".
Ok my fellow Long Islanders...I found an amazing little French restaurant in Oceanside!! Can you believe it? Brasserie Persil!! Tres bien!!! It's on Long Beach Rd., across the street from Cedahurst Paper and a few steps down from my brother-in-laws' auto parts store (Don Jay Auto). You must have the mussels....oh my!!! We practically drank the broth it was so good! Oh I'll be back.
I spent my weekend reloading my ipod...yippee!!! But I was so glad, thanks to my peeps on Broadwayworld.com, I finally got a copy of Alan Menken's King David. Boy, I waited a long time to get my hands on this recording. I fell in love with Sheer Perfection the first time I heard Rick and Kevin perform it. Plus one of my favortie divas, Alice Ripley, is on it. This "show" was performed in concert at the New Amsterdam Theater before some little show called The Lion King moved in. It only played a few performance in a concert reading and was recorded live. Other stand-outs on the recording are: How Are the Mighty Fallen by Marcus Lovett, Never Again by Judy Kuhn, and of course When in Love by Alice Ripley.
