My Blog Has Abandonment Issues

Whoa.  Way to abandon a blog for two years sweetie!  That said, though I never stopped going to the theatre it has lessened due to a pesky thing called grad school sadly.  What happened then you may ask?  Well, new job for one which I've been in for about a year. AND occasionally gives me #jobperks such as tickets. 

I LOVE TICKETS.

So I'm wanting to get this going again, and we will have LOTS to talk about in 2016.  

First and foremost: Broadway in Chicago's 2016 Fall Season.  Oh hello.  I'm a subscriber again (or I will be on March 1st).  Yes, yes, Hamilton is on there BUT check out the rest of this line-up....

Photo from Broadway in Chicago

Hamilton

Aladdin

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Bodyguard

What do all these productions have in common?  To the best of my knowledge, they've never been to Chicago. Not to mention I think they're all relatively newer tours of shows. The whole reason I sadly left my perfectly picked out seats with BIC is the lack of rotation (or just plain dumb shows no one wanted to see).  But this? THIS is amazing and I could not be more excited. 

Hamilton - No-brainer. Can't get NYC tickets? Next best thing!

Aladdin - Disney musicals are either really good or really not-so-good. This one that I've heard so much about though I can't wait to see

Hedwig - Saw it with Neil Patrick Harris in NYC. AMAZING show. I can't wait to hear who the traveling Hedwig is. The best 90 minutes in theater.

Curious Incident of the Dog - Loved the book when it first came out and I was a Borders employee. The cast recording sounds great so I'm excited.

Bodyguard - The only one I'm skeptical about but in the end, it should be fun with good music.

What else is upcoming?  Well so far we're going to the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) Semifinals.  That's right.  Just like Pitch Perfect!

ScreenRant.com

Also, Matilda the Musical which I love that cast recording and am very much looking forward to that production.

Matilda the Musical

I'm sure there will be much, much more to come in 2016.  Anything else in the smaller theater world that you're seeing and keep staring longingly at the tickets on the fridge, wishing the day would get here sooner??

  

Finally, we got to say "HELLO!"

If there has been one statement we've gotten a little tired of hearing it's been "you guys haven't seen Book of Mormon yet??".  No, no we haven't.  And for no particular reason really.  We had the money, we had the time since you had to buy the tickets about 6 months out, but we never got the motivation to just go buy them.  

Then one day Val's sister, who I think has never seen a musical in her life, got free tickets to see it in St Louis.  Then it got to the point of "well if she's seen it we have to go now!".  And I'm glad we did since I had just discovered the news that it was leaving Chicago soon.  So I went to the box office and scored two balcony seats within the next month by not being too picky and Val and I would have to sit one behind the other (which actually, the people next to me never showed so the second half we got to sit together!)

Now, onto the actual show.  Elder Price is usually played by Nic Rouleau, but like most matinees, we got the understudy of Stephen Mark Lukas.  I don't know of Rouleau and haven't heard anything fantastic about him as the Elder, but Lukas was not fantastic.  It took him a few beats to find the pitch.  His voice didn't make it through "I Believe".  And he was just dull.  Now, that being said, having not seen Mormon before this could be how they all act (dull, not off pitch) but I could have cared less about the character.

So Elder Cunningham helps the show out.  That's how it is?  The Elder Cunninghams in NYC and West End are usually the ones I hear about.  And now look at Josh Gad on TV!  In any case, this Cunningham was play by Ben Platt, who if you're a music nerd like us, you'll remember as the Star Wars nerd from the (amazingly funny) movie Pitch Perfect.  He played Cunningham as a bit mentally challenged it seemed.  He got a ton of laughs.  His voice, also not strong, but still better than Lukas'.  I think he did the character very well and it was nice to have someone that didn't sound exactly like the original cast recording.  

Now, having been listening to the cast recording for about two years now, and knowing every single line, I was set up for disappointment.  But I wasn't in the end.  It didn't blow me away at all, but it was one of the most highly entertaining shows I've ever seen.  Seeing it finally in person was even funnier than listening to the recording or watching clips from the Tony Awards.  The set was really detailed for a touring show, the costumes are basic though.  One thing that we both enjoyed is that every character plays several minor characters in the show.  I can only imagine the costume changes going on backstage during those times!  

Though we weren't impressed with Lucas, and I liked Platt while Val was meh about him, the one we both loved was the kid that played Elder McKinley, Pierce Cassedy.  He lit up the stage as the closeted gay Elder.  His singing was more decent than his cast mates.  And all around with his dancing and acting skills, he was a delight to watch.  Also, we want to now be BFF's with him.  I thought about asking when passing him in the theater hall with his Broadway Cares bucket.  

I'm SO happy we finally saw this show. There is nothing like looking over on a Sunday at 2pm and seeing 70 year old people laughing at jokes about clits being cut off, maggots in scrotum  and AIDS.  It's something I can't imagine ever experiencing again.  It's not a show you come out feeling renewed in humanity or found you learned a valuable lesson.  But in the end you laughed your ass off and it was worth it.  Don't go for amazing singing - go to have fun.  Because I was crying several times and I know every word to the music in this show.  They did a great job bringing these interesting characters to light for sure!

No more Mormon in Chicago?

Man, talk about right timing.  So the rumors are going this week Book of Mormon is about to be done with it's course here in Chicago.  THIS was a very well put together article in the Tribune today as to why they think so.  

I loved having Wicked in Chicago as a semi-permanent staple, but the really neat thing was hearing how many people knew someone actually in the show.  BoM is a touring show, so these people aren't Chicago actors.  

So I breathe a sigh of relief knowing my tickets are hanging on the refrigerator and will finally see it in a week.  It was a great gift for Chicago to get the extended run.  I'm also almost relived we're seeing it so we don't get asked why haven't we seen it yet??  I feel like I know the soundtrack so well already that I'm not going to LOVE it like I should but I have a bit of hope since I keep hearing how well Ben Platt is doing as the role of Elder Cunningham.  He did great on Pitch Perfect, so we shall see!  

But time for Book of Mormon to move on and something else to roll into the Bank of America theater!  

Been waiting since 2011...

....and in two weeks the day will finally be here.  We're finally going to see Book of Mormon here in Chicago.  

Any theater ticket that has "Explicit Language" is okay by me

Marquee of Chicago's Bank of America Theater

Almost every single person we know, whether they enjoy musicals or not, has seen this show, and the two who based their wedding on musicals because they love them so much?  Yeah, haven't gotten around to it just yet.  I finally found a random matinee a month out that had two not-so-high balcony seats with one seat on the aisle and another single one behind it.  We don't need to talk during the show, so that worked out just fine - and much cheaper than the inflated floor seats (NOT saying it's not worth it though).  

Entrance to Book of Mormon Chicago

In any case, I have a fear that it won't live up to my expectations.  And it might not.  It might be like Les Miserables and the two tries we've given it now.  But at least we're fortunate enough to live in the next major city for Broadway theater and Book of Mormon decided to stay here for awhile instead of just a two week engagement.  

And it's at my least favorite theater of course.  Groan.  But we shall persevere and say "Hello!" to Book of Mormon Chicago soon!

"A cock, in a frock, on a rock." - Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

So it has been FAR too long since this blog has been in action.  A year almost to the DAY.  No excuses!  We've seen some small productions but not too much of note lately, but I felt bad I hadn't even written about the smaller ones.  But no more!  We're back on the wagon!

 Sometimes you have shows that completely surprise you at how much you enjoy them.  In the past, shows that have done this for me have been Fela! and American Idiot.  Last night was another one of those shows.  

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was a movie (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) I had only seen once, but my wife adored   Without her, I probably wouldn't even know this movie.  I kept track of the musical when it came and went in 2011 on Broadway, although I noted and clapped for their Tony win in costume design, because WOW.  I considered seeing it when we were in NYC, but it just didn't thrill me enough to go.  

The view from the front row

So I had been tossing around the idea with my wife for the past couple of months about going, and I honestly don't think unless I had gotten a TravelZoo email about it, would I have made the trek downtown to a box office to buy tickets.  So I'm thankful something got us into gear.  And we scored on the tickets too.  Usually with these deals, you get tickets around $27 (add on the fees about $50) and *usually* they're in the balcony section or at best rear orchestra.  Well, I'm not sure if someone at TravelZoo screwed up or what, but I landed front row tickets for the discounted price!  

Front row was a great place to be for sight, not so much for sound.  For one, the "people" in front of you is the orchestra which can drown out the vocals sitting that close, and then the speakers projecting the performers mike's above your head and not point towards you.  But in this show, much like Hair, you know the songs, and the plot line is campy and not imperative to pay attention to.  We were however right in front of the confetti cannon.  You heard me:  CONFETTI CANNON.  

All-in-all Priscilla is a mesmerizing visual show.  The costume details were just phenomenal.  During the funeral scene at the beginning of the show, I have no idea what was going on with recently departed Trumpet, and instead was marveling at the different religions being shown through outfits, hats and umbrellas.  The Divas who came down from the rafters several times during the show were the strongest voices, in my (unprofessional) opinion.  I didn't care much for the vocals of Tick, Bernadette or Felecia, but then again, it's campy and about drag queens, so I'm ultimately not caring about this.  The drag queens I watch in Chicago's Boystown never sing period.  And who can forget the classic scene of Felicia on the high heel of the bus 'belting' "Sempre libera" from La traviata?  Perfection.

The ladies werking the lobby of the theater

The crowd was phenomenal!  It was the oddest split of gay men and the elderly - the latter being just there on their season ticket night we assumed, and wondering what is going on on stage.  When we arrived in the lobby, there was a group of drag queens posing for pictures with everyone.  Right before the show started, they came in, took off their wigs and sat down to raucous applause.  I assumed they were part of the Priscilla experience  but no, they were actually there to watch the show!  

In the end, this show made me laugh for over two hours - which was much needed as I had been sick and barely out of the house for the past two weeks.  As an artist the costumes just took my breath away, the LED lights "painting" the bus pink were a great touch, and the music along with the high energy of the performers made this show a delight.  I'm happy we ended up seeing this in the end, and would recommend it to anyone.  This touring show definitely shows some "hot stuff" on stage.

We say "Yeah-Yeah!" to Fela!

I love it when shows surprise me when I leave with how much I enjoy them.  This has happened with shows such as Working, and more recently American Idiot.  But it's fantastic leaving with that "show high" that comes so often (one should hope) after leaving the theater. Val and I usually have to hit up the bar for an 11 o'clock night cap to talk about what we just experienced and just to calm down our excitment.

Fela! was a nice surprise though in many respects.  I got a Yelp message (which lately I don't get many of) and it's telling me about comp tickets to the opening night of Fela! at the Oriental Theater.  So of course I jumped right on that!  When we arrived we found that we had not only free tickets, but free orchestra level tickets?! I was prepared to hike it up to the balcony and instead just walked right in.  Very nice!

The story I had to look up before we came.  The only thing I had ever seen of Fela! was a performance on the 2010 Tonys when it was nominated for 11 Tonys, including Best Musical!  And I knew that Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith's names were attached to it in some fashion.  So in looking it up online I learned of the real life activist and musician Fela Kuti and the turmoil he had to deal with just to make life in Nigeria a little better.  


One thing I didn't expect from this show was how interactive it was.  Just 10 minutes into the production "Fela" tells us to all stand and then teaches us how to shake our hips to the music.  Lots of hoopin' and hollerin' and hip shakin' happened while actors ran up and down the aisles for encouragement!  Fun and gets the mood set right away for the rest of the show.  

Some notable parts, or should I say people, would be for one the fabulous Melanie Marshall playing Funmilayo.  This woman could SING.  Loud, soft, high note, low note.  I was even amazed at the rolling of her "r's" (something I could never master in French class) while singing.  She was incredible, and after looking at the Playbill and seeing the training she's had, it makes sense.


Now onto Fela "himself".  Sahr Ngaujah was the original Fela and is now touring with the production, which I read is something he didn't want to do at first considering how taxing and emotional the show is to begin with, then you add the travel part!  This man was the complete package ladies!  He can sing, he can crack jokes, dance, play the saxaphone (while dancing) AND he's hot with his shirt off.  Sahr was perfectly cast for this role.  The way he interacted with the audience was hilarious, and he shows the exact characteristics that one might think Fela Kuti had.  


The set was incredible and the sound made the floors shake!  There's a scene with black lights that is eerie and gorgeous all at once!  Paulette Ivory who played Sandra, also has a killer voice (and was the original Nala in London's "The Lion King"!).  Also, I loved the touch of the actors running up and down the aisles to created a scene (you are suppose to feel like your in the Shrine night club after all!) and behind us there were people occasionally clapping and hooting and hollering to create the scene all around the audience.  Touches like this make me smile ear-to-ear at the theater.

This show extended its run in Chicago for the Spring Break season and I highly recommend everyone go see it - grab a discount code if you have to!  I'm sure the sounds projects amazingly up in the balcony too it's so loud!  Enjoy and lemme hear ya say "Yeah-Yeah!".

Guess we don't have to make that NYC trip after all

In a season of Chicago theater that included oddities such as Pinkalicious, Colin Quinn and Love, Lost and What I Wore, I was scared and excited to hear what Broadway in Chicago might bring to the table this time.  I was wishing for two things that I knew would be touring:  Sister Act, American Idiot, and Book of Mormon.  Mainly Book of Mormon.  


In fact the night before, Val and I were discussing an upcoming trip to NYC for the sole reason of seeing this production.  Which at earliest was going to be April, considering all other tickets were gone.  The following morning I'm on my Twitter feed and see a breaking news announcement.  I couldn't believe it.  Chicago got Book of Mormon to start the second leg of their tours!  Thank goodness we didn't book that trip.  Though April 2012 is closer than December of 2012, but I'll take it!


The following day, BIC decided to announce their spring season of shows.  And I read the article and finished thinking about when I wrote that we were no longer BIC subscribers (which we aren't) but now, we might have to be again.  Here's what Chicago can look forward to for the Spring 2012 season:


American Idiot 
Bring It On
Fela!

along with:
South Pacific
In the Heights
Mamma Mia
Riverdance
Cats
Jersey Boys


And then Book of Mormon for the holiday season.  American Idiot I've been wanting to see just for something different in the Broadway world besides remakes of old shows.  And being a Green Day listener since 'Dookie' I tend to listen to their newer albums.  The first time I heard American Idiot, I thought it was quite powerful, so I wasn't surprised when it took to the stage.  It wasn't something I was going to make a trip for, but now that it will be here, that's easy!  


Fela! always has sounded fun, emotional and powerful.  Though most of what I've seen was on TV, I think it will be enjoyable.  Bring It On, well, this one I'm not sure of.  The movie I adore in all it's cheesy campy style.  The musical?  I'm not sold, but I won't turn it down.  I kind of want to down a bottle of wine before hand to make it funny.  But who knows?  On it's own it might be.  Also, seeing the cheer-leading competition going on on stage could be interesting, right?  Well, we'll see!


The latter shows, are some I'm not enthused about but there's only one I don't want to see and that's Cats.  But then I think, am I a bad theater goer since I've never seen it's stage production and only viewed it on DVD?  I loathe that music though, and the whole concept seems silly.  So I suppose, if it's in the package, fine, I'll suffer through, but let's hope it doesn't come to that.  In The Heights is one I would like to see the most.  Lin-Manuel is brilliant (as seen with his fine writing below for the 2011 Tony Awards, NPH's great rap written on the fly) and this show looks edgy and gritty with well written music.  

So Chicago, which show(s) are you most looking forward to?  Of course everyone in the Theater Loop is abuzz about Book of Mormon.  Heck, we're getting 15 of our closest friends to get the earliest tickets available I think!  But, do you agree that this Spring season makes up for the Fall of 2011?  Though....I will miss those awesome Bank of America seats we had when we canceled our subscription....*sigh*