Disaster! The Musical

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 10/21/13 at 5:31pm

Has anyone seen it? Thinking of going, but I wanted to get some feedback. I heard Seth Rudetsky talking about it on Sirius all the time.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 10/21/13 at 7:21pm

Well of course he is going to talk about it, IT IS HIS SHOW.

I have not heard much about it, I know it has some pretty good talent in it. I might check it out too.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 10/21/13 at 8:41pm

I had tickets and was supposed to see it tonight. But after a two-hour (rush hour) shlep in from central Jersey, we arrived at the box office only to learn that the performance has been canceled. I was NOT pleased. The box office guy was as nice as could be -- after all, it wasn't his fault nobody from the production thought to post any cancellation notice. We were given substitute tickets for a later date, but it rankles to know it was canceled days ago but ticketholders were not informed. I don't just hop on a subway; it's major investment of time and money to venture in. Rant over.

Updated On: 10/21/13 at 08:41 PM

[emilyfaye48]

Posted: 10/21/13 at 11:22pm

I saw the show and LOVED IT. It was kinda nonsense but really funny. Also Mary Testa so everyone should see it.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 12:16am

I believe Michele Ragusa is also in this. She's a terrific actress and criminally underused by Broadway. I saw her play Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls in San Jose 5 or 6 years ago and she was perfection. Been keeping an eye on her career ever since.

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 8:53am

I saw it performed in a tiny club in the Lower East Side, I guess about a year ago. The seating was incredibly uncomfortable, which took away from the experience. It wasn't much more than a workshop at that time, with some of the cast work from scripts. Still, it was a lot of fun.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 11:43am

Does anyone know if tonight's performance is cancelled?

[emilyfaye48]

Posted: 10/22/13 at 11:45am

According to Seth's facebook page the show is on tonight

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 10/26/13 at 1:01am

Saw the show tonight and it blew the roof off of the basement of St. Lukes.

It is hysterically funny, and the audience adored it. The first act is really well written, in the vein of a 70's disaster movie, or a "Love Boat" episode. Many characters, and their stories all set up the big "disaster" event.

The juke box songs all make total sense, in the insanity that the authors set up. It's a great achievement. Unlike "Mamma Mia", there are no shoe-horned songs thrown in for no reason. They are all carefully thought out, and they all make sense.

However, it is anarchist theatre, in the best sense, where anything goes, with a structure beneath it that makes the characters have real motivations, not just campy for camp's sake.

The entire cast is terrific, and they were having such a good time that they lost it a couple of times tonight, making everybody on stage laugh and have to turn upstage. When a cast is having that much fun, the audience has even more fun.

The cast is unbelievably good. I can't even single anybody out, although I'm a Testa fan, they all were TERRIFIC.

My only worry is that this much fun can't be legal, and I'm sure they're not paying royalties for the songs, or maybe even Equity salaries for the cast (fourteen people plus a band of four).

See it before they're sued. Because it's a laugh riot, and one of the most enjoyable nights I've had in the theatre in ages.

Updated On: 10/26/13 at 01:01 AM

[mamaleh]

Posted: 11/12/13 at 8:32am

Totally agree. Saw it last night. Giddy, goofy, delicious fun from start to finish. Every disaster movie cliche, from earthquakes to sinking ships to killer bees, was very ably mined for laughs. Cast uniformly good, especially Mary Testa and Jessica Simard. Got a kick out of seeing Seth as a romantic second lead. The '70s songs somehow fit in a zany way that actually made sense--if that makes any sense. It's the kind of show you see when you need a heaping dose of feel-good.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 12/28/13 at 1:26am

Saw it tonight, totally sold out audience was a nice little surprise as i usually avoid st lukes like the plague. All the songs are carefully thought out and the material is very funny. Mary Testa is so gosh damn good it makes my brain hurt, and the nice bonus is Mary Birdsong from Reno 911! is currently playing the lounge singer character Jackie.

All in all a great evening and to the above poster. Believe it or not the do have the rights to all the songs it took them almost two years to get it done but they did, also in regards to the equity salary the contract is for half the regular amount since they only do 4 shows a week.

[dreamcoat12]

Posted: 12/28/13 at 10:19am

I saw the show last week and enjoyed it immensely! As it's been said already all of the songs make sense, which only adds to the humor. I definitely plan on seeing it again in the future. Barely stopped laughing!

[backtotheskies]

Posted: 2/3/14 at 2:48pm

David Hibbard (Billy Elliot, Cats), Max Crumm (Grease), and Judy Gold are joining the cast this month.

[DAME]

Posted: 2/3/14 at 2:53pm

I am skipping this. I find Seth's constant self promotion to be so obnoxious that it drove away any desire I might have had to check this out.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 2/3/14 at 8:21pm

You said it. Obnoxious is her middle name.

[decotodd]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 8:22pm

Saw it last week -- just dreadful. Not nearly funny enough and mines pretty tired territory. Kind of felt sorry for the cast, many of whom were talented, but are let down by the material. I was hoping for AIRPLANE level spoof but this misses that level of humor considerably.

[theaternut]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 3:15pm

Trash.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 5:28pm

Saw it about a month or so ago. Had a blast. It was hysterically funny. Best time I have had at a musical comedy in a long time.

Updated On: 4/16/14 at 05:28 PM

[theaternut]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 5:35pm

uhummmm...

[backtotheskies]

Posted: 4/21/14 at 9:06pm

Disaster has plans to head to Broadway....

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Jack-Plotnick-Seth-Rudetskys-DISASTER-Headed-to-Broadway-20140421#.U1WEneZdXAN

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 4/21/14 at 9:09pm

I'll believe that when I see it.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 4/21/14 at 9:17pm

^ yeah no freakin way while it was fun for an off broadway night, no way does this go to Broadway NO FREAKING WAY!

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 4/21/14 at 10:12pm

"Disaster has plans to head to Broadway...."

And I have plans to date Kate Upton and hit the Lottery. I think my plans are more realistic.

[Marway44]

Posted: 4/22/14 at 6:21am

I agree with you Dame. I really thought the plugs were too much. Glad those who went enjoyed it though.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/22/14 at 8:30am

Seth promotes everything on Broadway, off Broadway, on tour, etc, so I have no problem with him promoting his own show. I was talking with My Friend Audra McDonald and My Friend Megan Hilty, and they agreed.