Trip Recap

[mufish]

Posted: 7/4/15 at 3:47pm

Tried posting yesterday while on the train back to Boston, but the internet was spotty and I ended up losing the post.  I took a quick, three day, five show trip and thought I'd post a few thoughts about what I saw.

 

Wednesday matinee: On the Town.  I can't say exactly what it was that drew me to see this, but for some reason I wanted to.  It's probably the first "classic" musical I've ever seen, having opted for more recently created productions thus far.  Overall, I'm glad I saw it, because now the curiosity has been satisfied.  The orchestra was great, and the dancing was very nice - but aside from those two points, it was pretty boring.  I don't know if part of the problem was the 4 hour train ride dragging me down, but it got a little tedious as the show wore on.  The Make a Wish moment was very touching and nice to see as well, as has been discussed elsewhere on the board.

 

Wednesday evening: Something Rotten.  Absolutely loved it!  Really funny, catchy songs, creative story.  Liked all the little nods to other musicals sprinkled throughout.  I was really glad to see that "A Musical" was way more than what was on the TONYs (not surprisingly).  I'd been hoping to be able to catch Christian Borle on stage for some time (at least since SMASH) and he did not disappoint.  Brian D'Arcy James was great as well. 

 

Thursday matinee: Mamma Mia.  I knew what I was seeing Thursday night, so I wanted to keep the matinee a little bit lighter as opposed to checking out Churchill off-Broadway.  I've never seen the movie, had never seen the show - all I knew going in was the general plot, a couple ABBA songs, and that the show is closing this fall.  As a result, my expectations were pretty low.  It turned out to be a fun afternoon, and I'm glad I saw it.  Judy McLane was great, and the show actually exceeded my expectations.  Most of the rest of the audience was enjoying it as well, except for the couple next to me who took off during the curtain call/reprise.

 

Thursday evening: Curious Incident.  I saw all the buzz for this last summer/fall before it opened, but I decided to read the book first to make sure it was something I might want to see.  What a fantastic production.  The lighting, staging, direction - everything was wonderful.  The cast is strong, and Alex Sharp was phenomenal.  Really glad I got to see him in the role.  My one qualm was with the audience...I don't know if it was just me being uptight, or if it was because some people are more familiar with the story than others, but I felt like there was a little too much laughing throughout the night.  It didn't take away from the overall experience, but it was a bit frustrating at times. 

 

If you plan on seeing this show, I'd echo the sentiments of many others who've discussed the best places to sit for this and say that the mezzanine is the place to be.  I was in the rear mezz house left, and could hear fine.  Had to lean forward a few times and missed maybe 10 seconds worth of action that took place in the back left, but was able to see everything Christopher was drawing on the stage (yes, I realize just about everything is projected on the walls as well). 

 

Friday matinee: Fish in the Dark.  I really enjoyed this play, and thought it was pretty funny.  Since it was my first time seeing it I can't compare Larry David and Jason Alexander, but I will say that had I been given a choice I would've preferred to see Jason Alexander anyway.  I understand some of the criticism that has been directed at this show, but as a fan of Seinfeld it was great for me.  Alexander is clearly George, and I drew a few other Seinfeld parallels between other characters as well, but it really didn't bother me. 

 

I was able to get what I think was the last rush seat available, which was a nice bonus to end the trip on a cheaper note.  One of my fellow audience members commented to his wife at one point that "Larry David is a genius".  While Larry David is very talented and has done some great things in his career, I'm not sure FITD does anything to cement any such status. 

 

Definitely missed a few productions on this trip, and with some highly anticipated productions on the way, I'm hoping my next trip isn't too far off!  Thanks for reading.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/4/15 at 4:01pm

Too much laughing?  I don't understand, some of the play is just funny.

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 7/4/15 at 4:26pm

I understand what you're saying about the too much laughing in "Curious". There were moments the audience laughed at Christopher's little mannerisms, but some were because of his disability and not something to be laughed at.

[mufish]

Posted: 7/5/15 at 12:23am

There are a few moments that are absolutely funny.  But then there are some times when Christopher does something or says something that is not entirely voluntary.  Again, maybe I'm being a tad over-sensitive.  I know those laughing probably just aren't aware of the context since it's never explicitly stated and aren't doing it maliciously, it's just an observation I made.