Thanksgiving Trip!

[nightnic001]

Posted: 11/29/15 at 12:12pm

Just got back from a few wonderful days in New York for Thanksgiving. I saw 3 shows in 2 days.

 

Spring Awakening - November 25th: Was fantastic. I have never seen a production of the original, but I was familiar with a lot of the music. Austin P. Mckenzie was amazing as Melchoir, and there were also standout performances from Alex Wyse, Sandra Mae Frank, and Daniel N. Durant. The moments where the deaf actors spoke were so heart wrenching and so genuine. There were a few moments in the class scene where the projections of the lines were off a bit, nothing too bad, just a little noticeable. I sat in row B of the front mezz, seat 2, and I was the only person in my entire row. The orchestra seemed more full, and the rear mezz was decently full also. The audience was super responsive. Very good show and it left me thinking afterwards. I did not stagedoor.

 

School of Rock - November 25th: I loved this show. Loved it so much. Let me preface this section, I am a huge fan of the movie and of Jack Black. This show had me smiling from the top of the show. Alex Brightman perfectly embodied Jack Black, while still adding his own spin on it. He was non-stop this entire show and I loved it. Sierra Boggess did a very nice job as Ms. Mullins, she was quite funny and her song was solid, even if it didn't play to her strengths (She was still in a ankle brace/wrap thing during the show). The kids were FANTASTIC. They all had such natural talent and were all truly funny. Standouts were Luca Padovan (Billy), Isabella Russo (Summer), Bobbi MacKenzie (Tomika), and Brandon Niederauer (Zach). I liked the set and the way it moved (also, that couch/bed lift had to have been the quickest set lift I have ever seen in my life), fantastic lighting. Overall the show is a joy. Yes it is very similar to the movie, but the kids are so talented, and Alex Brightman gives a non-stop performance. We sat in row D, seat 6 and 8, right orch. Sierra came out first at the stagedoor, then Moses and Mammie, all the kids came out together, and then Alex came out about 20 minutes later. Go see this show, I was smiling the last 20 minutes like a complete idiot. 

 

Finding Neverland - November 26th: My least favorite of the bunch, but still a very enjoyable show. I wasn't really into the show until "We Own the Night". After that, I was much more invested in the show. Laura Michelle Kelly was amazing, "All that Matters" was beautiful. Mathew Morrison seemed tired and a little boring, but once again after "We Own the Night" he really became much more engaging. Terrance Mann was hilariously evil as Hook. The troupe of actors provided many laughs and were all quite fun. My overall favorite aspect of this show was the choreography, "Play", "We Own the Night", and "Circus of Your Mind" were standouts. On a different note, this was the worst audience I have been a part of. The woman next to me had multiple large bags that encroached my leg space, slurped a drink, ate chips, and worst of all checked her phone! I shot her plenty of crappy looks throughout the show. Behind me was a woman with many jingly bracelets, and in front was a father that kept explaining things to his young children. Needless to say, we moved at Intermission. We sat in row d, center mezz, 108-110.

 

I have not gotten a chance to write about the show I saw in October, so here are very short recaps.

 

Hamilton: I WON THE LOTTO. It was everything I expected and more. I want to see it again from further back so that I can take in all the choreography.

 

Fun Home: Lovely. Gabrielle Pizzolo is great as Small Allison. It is a lovely, beautiful show that was full of hilarious moments as well as heartbreaking moments.

 

Something Rotten: Fun. The show is just fun. I think that the actual material is just okay, but becomes excellent by the amazing performances.

 

 

Updated On: 11/29/15 at 12:12 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 11/29/15 at 12:17pm

6 shows in 2 trips..and you enjoyed them all (in varying degree). What else could anyone hope for?
 

Thanks for the reviews and I hope your next trip is as successful...