Image from www.newyorkcitytheatre.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

You will never look at Hitchcock the same way again…

The 39 Steps is about a man named Richard Hannay, who goes out in search of some excitement and gets more than he bargains for.  The play stars four actors portraying over 150 roles.

Image from www.playbill.com

There’s not much of a set, which I guess makes sense for this stage adaptation of a movie.  The most consistent part of the set is the brick wall in the background, with various objects brought in by the performers or offstage.  The lighting is what really makes this play, since it makes up for the bare stage by setting the mood of certain scenes.

The costumes were pretty good and realistic.  By combining the costumes with various props and hats, the actors were able to portray many characters.  It was probably the most entertaining part of the play, to watch the performers go in and out of costume.

Image from www.playbill.com

That doesn’t mean the acting wasn’t good.  I absolutely loved it in this play.  I found myself looking forward to what character the actors will portray next.  While I thought all the actors were amazing, I thought that the actor portraying Man #1 was the best.  He had more accents and in my opinion, drew more laughs.  All the actors did an excellent job portraying their characters with drama, yet making it appear more like a comedy.

Image from www.luxechronicles.com

If you don’t know by now, I thought this show is brilliant.  There was never a moment when my mind wandered at all.  It was good to see something that’s supposed to be a drama but be (purposely) a comedy.  I’ve seen it at the Cort and recently at the Helen Hayes, and I was glad to find out that it was pretty much the same.  It’s a play that’s more suited for a smaller stage.

I would recommend this show to teens and adults, especially the Hitchcock fans.  It’s a great show to take someone who’s never seen a Broadway show, because it’s not like anything else on Broadway.  I don’t recommend counting all the roles portrayed onstage as it will take your attention away from the performance.

Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes w/intermission

Image from www.applause-tickets.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

A must-see for all New Yorkers.

In the Heights has music and lyrics written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and is set in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan.  It tells the story of the community over the course of three days.  You met Usnavi (you have to see the show to find out how he got that name) who runs a bodega with his cousin.  Across the street, there is a car service owned by Kevin and Camila whose daughter comes home from college, who their employee, Benny, who has a crush on.   There’s Usnavi’s abuela, who buys a lottery ticket from him every day; Carla and Daniela, who work at the beauty salon with Vanessa, Usnavi’s not-so-secret crush.

I had seen this show off-Broadway at 37 Arts and was glad that it remained mostly unchanged when it transferred to Broadway.  When I found out it was being tranferred, I jumped at the chance to see it again on Broadway.

I really liked how realistic the set looked.  It’s like you’re watching the show across the street, not onstage in a theatre.  I only wish part of the set would give way to some of the scenes that took place indoors.  It was a little distracting when they would take place onstage that the following scene would have people walking around.  I liked how the backdrop changed depending on the time of day.

I liked the music and how original it was.  It’s good to go to a musical that has a fresh take on musicals in general.  I thought the musical numbers, especially “96,000″, felt organic like the characters weren’t breaking into song.  My favorite number is the one opening “In the Heights”, which introduces all the characters.

I can’t decide which is my favorite character, but it’s not a bad thing with this show.  There were no archetypes and no one you feel you should root for/against.  It was good to just enjoy the show.

I would recommend this show for teens and up.  There’s some material that may not be appropriate for teens, but I would leave it for their parents to decide.

Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes w/intermission

Image from www.noelcoward.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

One of the funniest plays I’ve ever seen.

Written by Noel Coward, Blithe Spirit tells the story of Charles Condomine who invites a psychic to his dinner party with the intention of using the experience for his next novel.  Unfortunately for him, the psychic, played by Angela Lansbury, has just resurrected the spirit of his first wife.

I liked how the set looks like a real house.  You could tell when the play is set when they have a record player and call it a gramaphone.  I liked how tasteful the house looks, nothing ostentatious about it.  I only wish the play took place in the other rooms as well.

I really liked the costumes, especially Elvira’s.  I liked how the cloth draped around her like she was ethereal and how Christine Ebersole played it up.  It wasn’t until a character died (I won’t say who) did I realize that the white was the costume designer choice to differentiate between the characters who were alive and those who were dead.

I thought the acting was great.  It was not over the top at all, which I guess is possible with a comedy.  I paid more attention to the scenes when Elvira was around to see if the other characters acknowledged her presence and was glad when they didn’t (well, some of them anyway).  I thought Angela Lansbury’s performance was one of the best I’ve seen.  I have to say that my favorite character was the maid.  I loved how she walked around in a hurry until she was reminded to go slower and her reaction to the ghost was priceless.

Overall, I thought this play was really good.  I only wish I could hear more of the words over the laughter of the audience.  But hey, that’s not a bad complaint for a show to have.

Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes w/intermission

Image from www.theaterofthestars.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

This is my most succinct review to date.

Image from www.newyorkcitytheatre.com

For anyone not familiar with the show, it features performers who make sounds with normal everyday objects from trash can lids and broomsticks to newspapers and matchboxes (no joke).

The only thing more fascinating than the range of objects used to make sounds is how the various performers use them to make the sounds.  I was transfixed by the performers’ timing and movements.  You can tell that they spent significant rehearsal time on timing so that they sound right and don’t crash into each other.

I would highly recommend this show to any and everyone.  I think it’s most appropriate for families as it’s a nice alternative to other audience-friendly shows.  It gets a little loud towards the end, so it would be helpful to have some earplugs handy.

Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (no intermission)

Image from www.onlineticketsusa.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

If you liked the movie, you’ll love this show.

For the few not familiar with the show, it’s basically a Disney take on the Shakespeare play Hamlet.  It’s about a lion cub, Simba, who can’t wait to be king, which his uncle, Scar, isn’t looking forward to since he’s now second in line.   Scar then devises a plan to get rid of both his brother and nephew which doesn’t work out as planned.

I absolutely loved the opening number to this show.  I think it’s the best beginning of a show ever.  It helps bring the audience into the show, with the performers going up the aisles in the orchestra and hanging out in the mezzanine.  The other musical numbers were just as good, especially “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”, and “Hakuna Matata”.

The set is quite minimal actually.  The stage has an a circular platform that comes up at certain points during the show.  There’s a sort of foil sun on the backdrop that changes according to the time of day.  The rest of the sets are mostly part of the performer’s costumes to indicate the plains, water and swamp.

One of the most impressive aspects of the show were the costumes.  I liked how the performers weren’t just dressed like the characters they were portraying.  Some had masks that rested on their heads that they manipulated like puppets when they spoke.  Others were looked almost exactly like the characters in the animated movie, yet when they spoke, the characters’ mouths moved.  It’s like an animated movie onstage.

I liked how most of the musical stayed true to the movie.  It’s familiar enough that you weren’t worried about what you’re seeing and a little different to make up for the fact that it’s being performed on a Broadway stage.  There were a few scenes that I wasn’t too sure about.  They were definitely not in the movie, though that wasn’t the reason that I didn’t like them.

I would recommend this show for kids and families with young kids, with a disclaimer that it’s a little scary for the younger set.  It’s also appropriate for adults to see by themselves, as it’s not only based on an animated movie but also on an adult play.  Of all the Disney shows on Broadway, I would highly recommend this one.

Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes w/intermission

Image from www.applause-tickets.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

I’ve decided to make this week a two-fer.

Boeing Boeing is a farcical comedy about an American architect living in Paris who juggles three flight attendant fiancees with the help of his maid.  He manages this juggling act by referring to the flight schedules of each flight attendant, which starts not to work so well when one flight is delayed and another arrives earlier than scheduled.  Not exactly helping the situation is a visit from his friend from the states.

The three fiancees are American, Italian and German, in order of appearance.  All three women had different outfits and hairstyles which showed off their distinct personalities.  I had seen the show with the original cast, though I hear the current cast is just as good.  If you almost want to hate Bradley Whitford’s character for lying to all the women, then you’ll love his reaction when his perfect plan goes awry.  Mark Rylance’s character was perfect in terms of befuddlement in reaction to his friend’s situation and attempts at helping him prevent a disaster.

Image from neighborbeeblog.com

I liked the set, which shows a circular living room.  It looked very late 50’s – early 60’s in design.  I don’t know if there’s a specific reason that the living room is shaped the way it is, though my interpretation is that what goes around comes around.  You don’t see the other rooms when the characters go through the doors, so you have to keep track what door is for which room.

I think this show is hilarious, with each scene almost funnier than the next.  The funniest one by far is the introduction of Gretchen, the German flight attendant.  I won’t ruin it, but let’s just say she has the best entrance in the show.  The men’s reactions to certain situations were just as hilarious, though I found them a little over the top.  There is some shouting that happens onstage which makes you wonder if this had happened in real life, wouldn’t the people in the other rooms hear them.  Granted it’s all part of the farce, but if they spent so much trying to keep the play realistic, they should have included the acting.

This show is great for teens and up, especially for men who think they can date more than one woman at a time.  While it may seem to work out, it never lasts.  It’s a good show for fans of comedy, especially farcical comedies.

Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes w/one intermission

Image from www.nytix.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

It’s a high school musical for those who love or hate High School Musical.

Image from backstage.blogs.com

13 tells the story of Evan, who is uprooted from New York City to a small town in Indiana after his parents’ divorce.  What bothers Evan most about the move is that he’ll have to have his bar mitzvah in a town where he’s unknown.  To remedy that, he tries to get in with the “in crowd” to assure attendees to his party.  Unfortunately for Evan, that would mean alienating the two friends he made prior to the start of the school year which leads him to make a choice.

I went in thinking “Oh, great a high school musical copy” but gave it a chance when I found out via the internet that the show had improved since its previews.  I was glad I went and found myself immersed in the story and songs, which were my absolute favorite part of the show.  The songs were so original and you almost forget that they were written by an adult for kids (which could go either way).  I liked how each one was different and the choreography matched the music.

The show is performed entirely by children who are 13 (although if you’re a good judge of age, not all the kids seem that age), especially the band that plays throughout the show.  I thought they were all talented, especially the actresses portraying Patrice and Lucy.  I thought the character of Evan was ok.  I understood his despair at having to move and really like his expositions as the musical went along.  I really enjoyed the rock concert-like end of the show, where all the performers showed off what they could do, in case those skills weren’t featured in the show.

This show is appropriate for everyone, especially teenagers and their parents.  It would make a perfect family night where after the show the kids and parents can talk and compare their lives.  It would be perfect for  tweens because the show offers up lessons without being preachy about being yourself no matter what.

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (no intermission)

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Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

I’m back!  And full of tryptophan (I love turkey).

One good thing about the current economic climate: Shows that were once unavailable to the general public the day of the show are now available.  Especially the decent seats.

Jersey Boys tells the story of The Four Seasons and how they went from just four guys from New Jersey to become one of the most popular singing groups of all time and how success drove them apart.  It’s a textbook jukebox musical, which is a musical made up of pre-written and sung songs not necessarily made for the stage at the time they were recorded strung together by a plot.

Image from www.tdf.org

There’s not much of a set, as you have to use your imagination to imagine the scene.  It basically consists of a metal catwalk above the stage with two sets of staircases.  There’s a screen that takes up the entire upstage wall where various lighting and/or images are shown to help with the scenes.  The lighting was pretty good.  I liked the projections the best because of the images they used to illustrate the songs that were going to be performed.

Image from http://images.quickblogcast.com/

I liked the plot, which highlighted the journey of The Four Seasons.  I liked how the songs were actually used to move the story along, rather than just placed in the storyline for no reason.  I really loved the songs, mostly because I heard it growing up and hearing them brought me back to my youth.  I thought that the actors really sounded like The Four Seasons, especially the one portraying Frankie Valli.  Later on I realized that there were two Frankie Vallis, though one performs 6 shows and the other one does the other 2.  It makes sense, since Frankie sings on such a high register (I think that’s what it’s called) that it would be hard to maintain 8 shows a week.

I would definitely recommend this show to everyone teens and up.  There’s some cursing that some parents may not find suitable for their kids.  I think anyone who grew up in the 60s and 70s not listening to disco and punk would absolutely love this show.  I should know, the performance I went to were attended mostly by senior citizens.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes w/intermission

Image from www.culturevulture.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

No, I’m not writing reviews to shows once they announce closing.  If I haven’t written a review yet for a certain show and they just announced their closing, then I choose to write about it.  And judging from the rumor mill more of these show closing reviews will come.  Now on to the review.

Image from Photobucket

Spamalot is a musical “lovingly ripped off” from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  In fact, it also includes scenes and numbers from their TV show and previous films.  It’s basically a spoof of everything from Camelot to typical musical conventions.  Most of the cast perform more than one role in the show, probably because if they hired more people, there wouldn’t be enough dressing rooms (my theory).

I was vaguely familiar with Monty Python so I knew a few of the jokes coming in.  I’m not used to British humor, but I got most of the jokes.  Some of them were blink-and-you’ll-miss-them kind while others required some thinking which is not a good idea while watching live theatre.  Nothing against theatre that makes you think, but if you’re pondering something while the action is still going on, you’re bound to miss something else.

I really liked the sets and the lighting, especially for the first number.  I like how they weren’t trying to be 100% realistic with the background, concentrating more on the story.  Sometimes they contributed to the story, adding some of the sight gags to go along with the dialogue.

I thought that the story was good.  There were times when they would stray from the main story to highlight others, like when Lancelot valiantly goes to save a girl who turns out to be an effeminate boy.  If you didn’t read your program before the show, you might not notice the fact that some of the performers were in more than one role.  And if you did, it’s not distracting from the story.

What I liked best about the show were the numbers, like the Andrew Lloyed Webber-like “The Song That Goes Like This”,  “Diva’s Lament”, the Lady in the Lake’s lament about not being featured in the show as often as the others, the most hilarious and my absolute favorite “Where Are You” (you have to see this show to know what I’m talking about) and of course “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.

I would recommend this show to Monty Python fans, anyone who’s not a fan of traditional musical theatre, anyone who loves spoofs and those who prefer their musical theatre on the non-depressing side.  I would not recommend this to children under 12 or so because there is some adult content.

Image from Pegasus Papers

Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes w/intermission

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Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

I was going to write this last week, but I still in a state of shock when I found out that Hairspray will close.  Their capacity was nowhere near the 50% mark and I think that it’s a great show that appeals to everyone.

For those not familiar with the movie that the musical is based on or the movie that is based on this (try and wrap your head around that), it’s about an overweight girl, Tracy Turnblad, who tries to get on her favorite American Bandstand-esque show and tries to change the world in the process. 

While I got the joke that the part of Tracy’s mother would be played by a male actor in drag, it did take a little getting used to.  Sometimes it took a little away from the performance, looking at the character and reminding myself that he’s playing a woman.  The only times (and I’ve seen this show a few times with different actors in the role) when it wasn’t distracting was when he performed in the musical numbers.

I liked the colorful set of the musical and how it didn’t look realistic, almost as though it was a contrast to the realistic plot of the show.  It was also a creative way to allow the audience to have fun while sneaking in some education.  The lighting followed suit, filling the stage with what I would describe as neon-pastels to match the set.

What I loved most about the show was the music.  All the songs were memorable when I left the theatre and just thinking about them (well, most of them) put me in a good mood.  Every song gets a round of applause, and while that happens at every musical, this one, in my opinion deserved every minute of it.  My favorite ones were “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now”, “The Big Dollhouse” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat”.  And before you think you can get away with just watching the movie, the first two numbers I just mentioned are not in the movie.

I would recommend this show to everyone who can see it.  It’s bright, fun and easy to sing along to.  It may not be appropriate for people who prefer a more dramatic musical.

Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes w/intermission